Issue #210 - December 2022 |
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Greetings, and welcome to Soul Songs, the official KaleidoSoul Newsletter, focusing on SoulCollage® ideas, resources and cards. Our intention is to fill each issue (and your life) with inspiration, soul-solace and delight. Whether you are new to SoulCollage®, or already immersed in the creation of your deck, Soul Songs is for you!
Please feel free to forward this newsletter to any friends, colleagues, or family members who will enjoy it.
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Hi! I'm Anne Marie, the creator of KaleidoSoul.com, and a SoulCollage® Facilitator in Massachusetts and worldwide online. This column is all about presenting ways to get your soul singing with the deep, wide, wonder-full process that is SoulCollage®. |
When I was ten years old, the house next door burned completely to the ground. We were woken up at 3 a.m. by the sound of blaring sirens. All the families on our street were kept awake for hours by the acrid smell of smoke, the sharp snapping of the flames, and the shouts of dozens of firemen.
It was a scary night for everyone, including me, who up until that point had only seen fire as something “pretty.” My previous experience with fire had been limited to pristine white candles on the altar at church and slim green tapers in a holiday centerpiece. The idea that a single flame could burgeon out of control and destroy so much had never entered my young mind.
A few years later I joined the Girl Scouts and spent many a happy evening sitting around campfires, singing songs, toasting marshmallows, and savoring the warmth of the lingering flames. We built fires for heating water and cooking our food on many a camping trip. I was learning that fire could be harnessed and used for good; that it wasn’t just destructive. Precautions could be taken.
Looking back on my relationship with fire over the years, I can see that I’ve grown and changed right along with my learning about this element. Yes, fire can be pretty. It can also be destructive. At the same time, it can be useful. I understand now that it’s all a matter of balance. A campfire can be beautiful, and it can serve us in many ways, but if we don’t tend it carefully, we run the risk of unleashing fire’s destructiveness.
This is true of so many things in our lives. Each inner Committee part can be helpful and uplifting, as long as we pay attention to it, as long as we give it space and room. However, as soon as we start ignoring it or treating it badly in some way, it can turn shadowy, fierce, even destructive.
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Take a look at my SoulCollage® card for the archetypal theme of Passion (thanks to Melissa Harris for the image of the woman). I made this card intuitively, not knowing why I was putting these images together. Someone who saw it then told me it reminded them of the Hawaiian goddess Pele. In addition to being recognized as the goddess of fire, lightning, and volcanoes, Pele is also known for her creative power, passion, purpose, and profound love. When the figure on this card spoke to me, she said:
I Am the One Who lifts my arms to Spirit. I Am the One with passion and fire for my life, my heart, my wholeness. I am the passion that guides you. I Am the One Who burns away the impurities in your life.
The wisdom she had to give me was this: Do not bury your passions, Dear One. Bring them to the surface. Let them simmer and burn through your body, your mind, your spirit, and your life. Let your passions proclaim your unique self to the world!
This Neter led me to take an in-depth look at what my passions really were at that time in my life. She opened my heart to the awareness that passions well-tended, like well-tended flames, can burn hot and wild without destroying.
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Anne Marie Bennett is a SoulCollage® Facilitator / Trainer, published author, website goddess, and two-time cancer survivor who was mentored directly by Seena Frost. In 2005, she fell in love with SoulCollage® and was inspired to use her professional experience along with web technology as a means to serve the world by putting SoulCollage® "out there" in a really big way with KaleidoSoul. Anne Marie lives in eastern Massachusetts with her middle-aged husband, one adolescent feline, and a treasury of birds, squirrels and chipmunks who keep them hopping. Her books about SoulCollage® are available here.
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75-minute SoulCollage® Zoom
with SoulCollage® Facilitator
Linda Dean-Farrar from Vermont
Date: Friday, December 9, 2022
Time: 1 pm Eastern
FR*EE for our
Only $10
for non-members
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I’m Linda Woolfson, MA, PhD, SoulCollage® Trainer & Facilitator, Veriditas Labyrinth Facilitator, writer, translator and creativity catalyst. One of my favourite SoulCollage® activities is to experiment with different types of card-reading. I hope you enjoy immersing yourself in this special end-of-year Council reading!
Archetypes and Good Endings
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Creating a special end-of-year reading with your Council cards can help you bring your year to a more richly fulfilling conclusion.
I love the intriguing advice to writers from British novelist Rose Tremain: “In the planning stage of a book, don't plan the ending. It has to be earned by all that will go before it.” I believe we can apply this same wise approach to endings in our own lives – and enjoy engaging with our SoulCollage® deck as we do so.
December is a propitious time for assessing and assimilating what the past year has been for us. At such precious threshold moments, we may under-estimate the value of looking back and favor thinking ahead—to crossing over the threshold. A good way to bring extra depth to this time is to create a time-pod (in between any extra “seasonal” activity) and to consider what 2022 may have brought you other than on the busy everyday level.
The archetypal Council cards in our SoulCollage® deck can be particularly potent at such times. Imbued with numinous and mythic qualities, our Council cards connect what Seena called our personal “local story” to the grandeur of “the larger story” (the powerful and mysterious currents of culture and history). As Seena Frost, the mother of SoulCollage, says, your Council cards show you what is “actively at work and at play in your unique Soul” * at any given time.
Our Council cards can also be more fluid and volatile than the other cards in our deck.
Seena Frost said, “Some may come into your life and bring strong energy and direction for a time and then move on; others may stay present, or in the wings, for a lifetime.” **
Seena’s observations complement Jung’s poetic comparison of the changeable behavior of archetypal energies to the way water comes and goes from a riverbed:
“Archetypes resemble the beds of rivers: dried up because the water has deserted them, though it may return at any time.”
And so it may be with the Council cards in your deck: both mysteriously powerful and yet changeable in their connection with you. December is a fertile month to go through your deck and give each of your Council cards your full attention. As you contemplate each card in this way, ask: “Are you still with me as a Council card?” Put all the Council cards who answer “yes” in a pile.
You are now ready to engage in a special SoulCollage® reading with your collection of currently active Council cards. This type of reading is best done at times of symbolic importance in your life, such as the turning of the seasons, the holidays and festivals you celebrate, or meaningful personal moments such as birthdays and anniversaries. Make sure you set up this reading with extra care and enjoyment. Choose a favorite candle or incense, some seasonal elements, two or three SoulCollage® cards you want to have close by during the reading, and one or two symbols of closure and continuity.
Once you’re ready, draw four Council cards, collaged side facing down. Then ask each card a different question. To illustrate the archetypal power of this reading, I’d like to share what two of my own cards had to say.
Question for Card 1: What am I ready to release as 2022 draws to a close?
In my own reading, here’s the first card I drew:
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Keeper of the Flame
Council Suit
I am one who reminds you that you are here to help us tend the flame. My message for you today is: Dispel all doubt! Clear the decks! Play your part fully in nurturing the long-term perspective of the Flame-Keepers.
Question for Card 2: What might I cherish and carry forward as 2022 draws to a close?
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Magus of the Canopy
Council Suit
I am one who invites you to join me up here, halfway between earth and sky. Raise a glass, this December, to magic, mystery and the wisdom of levity! Let’s work together to spread their enlightening influence!”
Other questions you might choose to ask (or make up your own):
What new insight about the past year am I now ready to bring into full awareness?
How might I honor and celebrate the support I’ve had from you during 2022?
You might also want to ask all four cards together: Is there anything further that the four of you together wish to tell me?
As 2022 draws to a close, give your Council cards an extra opportunity to connect with you so that you can become even more aware and appreciative of the value of the archetypes active in your deck.
* Seena B. Frost, “SoulCollage® Evolving,” Hanford Mead Publishers, Inc., p. 55
** Seena B. Frost, “SoulCollage® Evolving,” Hanford Mead Publishers, Inc. p. 58-59
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Linda Woolfson, MA, PhD is a SoulCollage® Facilitator and Trainer, Veriditas Labyrinth Facilitator, writer, translator and creativity catalyst. She leads a dual-based life between the United Kingdom and Portugal, running SoulCollage® and creativity workshops, SoulCollage® Trainings, and retreats in both countries. She trained with Seena Frost as a SoulCollage® Facilitator in 2010 and has been a SoulCollage® Trainer since 2014. She loves delving into the depths of SoulCollage® and introducing others to our empowering process. Find out more about Linda’s workshops, SoulCollage® Facilitator Trainings and retreats here.
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Here are some of our readers' cards on the theme of the Council Suit. |
Dark Fairy
Council Suit
Karen
Ohio
I am the One who believes that into every life some darkness must fall. I deliver perfect gifts for those sleepwalking through life, taking good fortune for granted. I have many delicious choices in my gift stockpile—ill health, divorce, poverty, lack of love, job loss, anger, depression, on and on. I bring you the one with your name on it. What you do in response to my gift is up to you. There is always a silver lining to be had from my dark gift, if you are wise enough to see it.
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The Protector
Council Suit
Kat
Arizona
I Am One Who protects you. My hands surround you in safety. My focus is you. Do not worry about anything because I am always here for you.
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Bee Goddess
Council Suit
Bee
Wisconsin
I am the one who invites you to use all of my divine gifts for the creation the life you want. Growth and decay cycles burst from my fecund womb. My bees pollinate blossoms to create fruit, and from the flower nectar they create sweet honey. Work with the divine seasons and cycles to fully embody the Tree of Life. Plant your seeds, gather and heal from the flowers, harvest the fruit, then rest to create the magical honey that is my gift to you.
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The Desert Woman
Council Suit
Katelijn
Belgium
I am the one who is a wise old woman standing in the mountains. I am the one who is supported by nature. I am carried by the nature around me and am nourished by the ground. I am the one who carries old wisdom in me. I am the one who is connected with above.
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Kuan Yin
Archetype of Compassion and Forgiveness
Natalie
Colorado
I am one who eases suffering and offers forgiveness, kindness and mercy to those in need. I bring love, healing and peace to a troubled mind.
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Trickster
Council Suit
Dee
Wisconsin
I am One Who loves games and playing by my own rules. I am one who can deceive and manipulate. I am a master of illusion, I live my life as I wish, creating my own reality as I choose. My gift to you is magic and illusion so you can create your own reality and do it consciously! Question yourself. You are not a puppet having your strings pulled, you are not the victim in your story; take your power and create your life as you choose to.
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Queen of Diamonds
Council Suit
Jeffy
Colorado
* I Am the Queen of Diamonds laying on the ground beside you.
*I Am The One who has the same value as the 5 of spades. We are all part of the same deck. We dance toward the same light and rest, rich or poor, in the same dirt.
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Witch
Council Suit
Dee
Wisconsin
I am who hides my power behind the glamour. I am not who I appear to be. I am one who possesses a legacy of magic, a connection to the earth elemental energies and believes in change and transformation. Call on me when you need support to see beyond illusion, to realize the truth of Mother Nature's many gifts. Sit in your imagination and witness the many ways to create. I want you to remember that you can bring your thoughts and desires into manifestation, play with that!
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Please feel free to submit one of your cards for a future issue by sending a reply email to this newsletter.
Future themes include:
January: Belonging
February: Compassion
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Noteworthy resources for anyone interested in SoulCollage®
KaleidoSoul - Spinning the fragments of your world into wholeness and beauty through SoulCollage®.
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Save $10 - $99
Great gifts for YOU
and others!
December 2022 Only
We've bundled up some of our fabulous KaleidoSoul SoulCollage® offerings into a few nifty little (and big) packages designed specifically to save you money!
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The Great Big SoulCollage® Archetype Adventure of 2023
A magical, informative, experiential deep dive
into the mysterious realm of archetypes
via the SoulCollage® Council Suit
7 Months * 8 Facilitators * 20+ Archetypes *
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This all-new, totally-unique SoulCollage® Zoom series is for you if . . .
… you are curious about archetypes and want to know how they are active in your life today
… you want to feel more connected to yourself and your own journey
… you are ready to learn, discover, and explore the depths of your own SoulCollage® deck, particularly the mysterious Council suit
Save 50%
Use the special Kindred Spirits payment button when you register.
You can pay in full or make 7 small monthly pays. *** Scholarships available!
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Goddesses of Self-Care Course #2
Starts January 6, 2023
How will you practice self-care (aka soul-care) in the New Year?
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In this course, you’ll meet and work with 7 goddesses to guide you as you enter 2023.
You’ll make a vision board and SoulCollage® cards, plus celebrate Brigid's Day with the goddess Herself. (She will guide you with some fun writing prompts as writing is one of her super-powers.)
These 7 goddesses can help you explore... * New Beginnings * Creativity and Play * Dreaming and Planning.
Use your special coupon code to save 15%
Come join the fun with a group of like-minded SoulCollagers & creatives!
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CALIFORNIA
SoulCollage® in Symphony:
Honoring Inner Harmonies
San Rafael, California
March 3-5, 2023
Facilitator: Michele Manos
Find deeper meaning in your full deck of SoulCollage® cards and create new cards from a bounty of images. In surprising ways, discover how your many parts and life experiences have formed you. Meet archetypal energies that manifest within you, people in your life, and your cards. Explore life’s tempos to identify yet-unrecognized influences that continue to impact your well-being. With a guided reading, consult a quartet of Neters to guide a future endeavor. Throughout the weekend, try intriguing short-forms of poetry to honor the essence of your discoveries. This retreat in beautiful Marin County is for experienced SoulCollagers, including Facilitators.
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Just look for whatever SoulCollage® topic you are interested in,
and read to your heart's content!
SoulCollage® is a trademarked process created by Seena B. Frost.
For more information about Seena and the origins of SoulCollage®,
SoulCollage® cards are made either from one's own art or from images found in materials which have been bought by or given to the SoulCollage® card maker. These collaged cards are used only for the cardmaker's own inner exploration. SoulCollage® cards are not sold, traded, bartered, or copied (except as a back-up for the cardmakers own use) as is stated in the "Principles of SoulCollage®."
Where SoulCollage® cards are available to be seen by others, it is for the purposes either of demonstrating the SoulCollage® process or of sharing the cardmakers' inner process in the context of community. SoulCollage® is grateful to the artists and photographers who make this deep awakening process possible and in all ways SoulCollage® seeks to be respectful of their rights.
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All articles in SOUL SONGS are copyrighted 2022,
by Anne Marie Bennett, Cat Caracelo, Linda Woolfson,
Michaela Daystar, or Michele Manos.
Articles may be reprinted by permission only.
Image of singing birds Copyright: Kudryashka from Deposit Photos.
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