Issue #209 - November 2022 |
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Theme: Fictional Characters
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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®. |
Sarah Adams,
A Place to Call Home
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Once in a while a character on TV or in a movie, a character steps off of the screen and into my heart/imagination.
Such is the case with Sarah Adams on the Australian drama, A Place to Call Home (streaming now on Acorn TV, Apple, and Hoopla).
The character of Sarah is a nurse returning to 1950s Australia after twenty years in Europe. A convert to Judaism, Sarah emerged from the horrors of World War II strong, principled, and defiant—a thoroughly modern woman still bearing the weight of the past.
I have seen the entire series three times now! Somewhere in the middle of being with her story over the course of a few years, I made this card for my deck as a way to keep her energy present with me as I go forward in my life.
This is one of those cards that could easily be in one of several suits.
Sometimes she reminds me of my own inner tenacity and spirituality and my ability to survive difficult challenges. At those times, she is part of my Inner Committee.
At other times her energy seems wiser, bigger, and outside of me, and at these times she is part of my Council suit.
And finally, once in a while she feels like a sister/friend, in which case she holds a place in my Community suit.
Who are you?
I am the one who survived the Holocaust. I am the one who cares deeply for those I love. I am the one who had to make many sacrifices. I am the one who has suffered so much loss. I am the one who gave up my Catholic upbringing to embrace the Jewish faith when I married my husband. I am the one who is proud to be a Jew. I am the one who practices my spiritual rituals no matter what other people think. I am the one who is strong of heart and mind and body. I am the one who has no patience for injustice. I am the one who speaks my mind.
What do you have to give me?
I give you permission to speak up and to claim the truth, no matter what. I give you a big, steely heart that doesn't suffer fools gladly. I give you wisdom and truth. I give you strength.
What do you want from me?
I want you to remember that you have also survived much. I want you to know that you have the same steely inner strength and that it will get you through anything.
Is there anything else you want to say to me today?
Yes. My character is fictional, but I represent many people in your life as well as your own. Stick with your faith, even though it maybe be different from what others believe.
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Putting It Into Practice
When I find myself fascinated by a fictional character, it might be because their emotional experience mirrors my own. ~ Self-Love Calendar
What does this quote bring up for you?
What fictional characters—in books, movies, theatre, or television shows—have fascinated you lately? Bring one of them to the forefront of your mind this month. What can you can learn from their journey? How can this being help you get closer to yourself and your own life story?
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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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90-minute SoulCollage® Zoom
with SoulCollage® Facilitator
Michele Manos from California
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Date: TOMORROW
Friday, November 4, 2022
Time: 1 pm Eastern
FR*EE for our
Only $10 for non-members
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I am Cat Caracelo, M.A. a SoulCollage® Facilitator and founder of JourneyPath® Institute, dedicated to depth work and transformative arts as a catalyst for change. I live in Austin, Texas where I offer my work individually and in global teaching forums. This column is for all of you who are exploring your creative voice and are ready to discover more depth your SoulCollage® journey.
Characters + Catalysts
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For all of you book lovers and story weavers, you already know this…characters are catalysts.
They teach us, guide us, inspire us and sometimes shock our systems. Think of the characters that swim off the page of a book and into your dreams, have traveled with you for decades, or show up unexpectedly on the silver screen.
Some of these characters that you’ve admired were tucked into library shelves or held under your arm at a specific time in your life. They may spark joy, expose pain, deepen healing, foster understanding, or remind you of someone else. Some characters hold the range of human experience that may be light and fun to explore, but others are disruptive and disturbing, exposing raw truth as they mirror our flaws, fears and frailties.
Characters, wherever they are found, will travel with you. Some are very present; you might think of them or talk to them like a close friend. These are allies, characters who reflect aspects of yourself that represent how you want to be seen and known. You can recognize where your story is connected to or crosses over theirs.
Characters can also be surrogates who carry us along within their stories and guide our lives by offering a new view. This ability to travel inside the story expands perspective and each character can impact us in conscious and subconscious ways.
In mythos and fairy tales, deities and other great spirits test the hearts of humans by showing up in various forms that disguise their divinity. They show up in robes, rags, silver sashes, or with muddy feet. They show up with skin dark as old wood, or in scales made of rose petal, as a frail child, as a lime-yellow old woman, as a man who cannot speak, or as an animal who can. The great powers are testing to see if humans have yet learned to recognize the greatness of soul in all its varying forms. - Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Characters are keepers of archetypal expression. They hold symbolism and themes that we recognize or need reflected back. Characters connect us with ourselves and invite us to lean in or turn away. Bored, delighted, frightened, uncomfortable, disgusted, or embarrassed are all valuable ways to be exposed to your own response, your own needs and knowing.
What questions might you ask of a beloved character that came to you through a story in a book, movie, or TV show?
Now choose a different character, one you don’t relate to, or a character that you find scary or difficult. What if these two came to visit? Showed up in the same space? Create a card for each of them and/or invite them to dialog with each other. What do you learn about yourself from this?
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The characters I am most often drawn to also include energetic entities, animals, landscapes, objects, and houses. Drawing on modern fiction, the Library in Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Zafron, has never left me. The River in Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield, is ever familiar. The House in The Clockmakers Daughter, by Kate Morton, is rich with mysteries. The Stories in The Children’s Book, by A. S. Byatt, are fascinating.
Over the years, the worlds created by Frank L. Baum, JRR Tolkien, Frank Herbert, Anne McCaffery and Anne Rice have drawn me in, all reflecting ideas that were birthed of enchanting, interesting, and scary truths. Anne of Green Gables and Alice in Wonderland have populated life and art for decades, but there are also other Anne’s and Alice’s in books and movies that have held strange sway at pivotal times in my life. But above all, my first books were myths, full of fraught families, pantheons of power, and worlds inhabited by titans and goddesses who made quite a mess of everything.
Mythic characters come to my art most often, some that come from familiar tales but many more characters come with no names and just a hint of a character, story or place of beginning. There is an occasional arrival from a popular movie or show, one of my favorites is the imperious Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey . . . she has grown on me over the years!
How do you dance with the characters that delight your life? How do you make space for them in your home? Have you grown away from the characters who once mattered to you? If so, can you find a way to invite them back? Are there any characters who help you connect to parts of yourself? Can you find a way to explore their energies and express them with a SoulCollage® card or other art? How has one character become "alive" in your life over time?
Characters ultimately provide reference points in our lives; they illuminate and expose facets of the self and humanity that hold clues to our own desires. Characters are mirrors—friends and companions, allies and challengers—that influence us at specific times of life and guide us in subtle ways.
They remind us of what matters most and invite what can become extended space to create. This creative influence, a catalyst of character, can come directly through their stories, and bring us back to our own, with a brand-new view.
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Cat Caracelo, M.A. is a SoulCollage® Facilitator since 2007. Working with Jungian Depth, archetypal awareness, expressive arts and transformative process she guides individual and group process internationally. Cat is the founder of JourneyPath® Institute where her dynamic eCourses such as QuestPath | A Year Long Mythos Journey Process, and Archetypes Alive can enhance creative depth. She also offers Coaching, Advanced Path Trainings, Programs and Retreats all rich with art as process and mythic themes to develop and expand experience. Please visit Cat’s website to find articles and information about programs and more.
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Here are some of our readers' cards on the theme of Fictional Characters. |
Katniss Everdeen
Committee Suit
Michele
British Columbia, Canada
I am the one who keeps you safe. I keep you protected from harm in all ways; physical, emotional, spiritual, mental and psychological. What I want you to know is that I am paying attention and I will alert you to any potential dangers on the path ahead. I got you.
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Necromancer Doctor Strange
Council Suit
Jennifer
Quebec, Canada
I Am One Who harnesses the power and energy of the cosmos. My magical powers allow me to defeat my enemies and sow chaos, or save the world. I am the primary protector of Earth against magical and mystical threats. But the dark side of all this power may also destroy me.
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Hermione
Committee Suit
Anne
Florida
I am the one who believes in magic. I’ve been drawn to it for decades. I am the one fascinated by the everyday magic found in the miracles of nature, the one who knows the Universe itself is magic. I am the one who has the power to make my own magic by expanding my mind and creativity. I am the one who believes in and casts spells of goodness and love. My magic is written in my heart which I open and share.
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The Little Engine That Could
Community Suit
Dot
Pennsylvania
I am one who learned to believe in myself when I saw that others believed in me. I am one who continues to hear their cheering in my ears, inviting me to join them in saying, “I think I can, I think I can.” I am one who reminds myself of this whenever the way seems too steep or too long or too hard. I am one who has often succeeded because I reminded myself of this great cheer, “I think I can, I think I can!” And lo and behold I could and I did!
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Spock
Council Suit
Pamela
Calgary, Canada
I am one who is a compassionate critic. I am objective, without biases but rather see the logic of things and question perceptions of ‘what is.’ Be prepared to pause and ponder. Look out from another perspective to see the essence and truth of things. Boldly be curious, be impervious to group-think and offer your views unafraid.
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Katniss Everdeen
Council Suit
Jennifer
Quebec, Canada
I am the protector of my oppressed people. I am tough and independent, yet kind and compassionate. I can be reckless at times, and put myself at risk. I am the Mockingjay, a living symbol of our people's defiance towards the corruption of the Capitol.
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Joan of Arcadia
Committee/ Community/ Council Suits
Anne Marie
Massachusetts
I am the one who is an average teenage girl. I am the one who changed my life and the lives of many others by listening to the voice of God. I am the one who is surrounded by images of God who came to me and taught me to listen to my deepest wisdom.
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My Playful Self
King Julien from Madagascar
Committee Suit
Michele, California
I am joyful ridiculousness without apology. I am daring and like to move it, move it.
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Gandalf - Animus Awake
Council Suit
Pamela
Calgary, Canada
I am your inner masculine energy. I am one who is listening. I am here to give you: deep wisdom, power tempered by gentleness, subtleties to set strategy so you can use creativity to surprise and prevail. I give you sight of the smallest details and also the expansive universe. My gift to you is guidance to reach your goals, forge ahead, make decisions and take risks.
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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:
December: Council Suit (archetypes)
January: Belonging
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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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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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ITALY
Magical SoulCollage® Retreat in Damanhur
Cuceglio, Italy
June 4-10, 2023
Facilitator: Lucy Schaaphok
Are you ready to transform your life into something magical? Damanhur is the place to be as you reach with your soul for your higher goals. Nowhere in the world you will find a place like this with so much knowledge, art, the Temples of Humankind, and the special energy. We will work intensively with the different Temple halls; each Temple is unique with a specific, dedicated energy and meaning. Combined with SoulCollage® we will dive deep into our own inner magical places and make our lives even more inspiring, magical and uplifting.
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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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