I am especially feeling lots of strong emotion right now because I worked for almost 2 years as co-chair of the Planning Circle team to bring this Conference to life, and today is the day that everyone is gathering for lots of SoulCollage workshops, ceremonies, learning, fun, joy, camaraderie and blessings of community.

So I drew two cards from my deck this morning to see what they had to share with me.  As usual, I got just what I needed!

Person huddled in orange blanket, fire, white/clear vases in background-

Untitled SoulCollage Card

I am the one who is warm, who is basking in the glow of the fire and flames in front of me. I am the one who is wrapped in the fiery color of orange, the color of heat and life and joy.  I am the one who is standing in front of vases and containers made of milk glass and clear glass.  I am the one whose back is turned to the fragile glass containers.  I am the one who is focusing on the heat, on the light, on the fire.

My message to you today is this: Even though you are alone, you are wrapped in the soft blanket of community warmth and spirit.  The fire you are focusing on is the same fire that those at the Conference are focusing on: the fire of passion for this process (SoulCollage) and this community.

Keep your back to that which is fragile and self-contained and will easily shatter.  Keep yourself wrapped in this blanket of joyful community and warm fire. You are not alone, never alone. Just keep the focus where it should be.

Crow Woman

Crow Woman

I am the one who is surrounded by crows- one is on top of the Book of All Knowing.  Many are flying in heart formation beside me. And I have warrior painted crows on my face and neck and chest.  I am the one who is adorned with, surrounded by and infused with Crow Medicine, Crow Energy. 

My message for you today is this: Crow is your Animal Medicine of the heart chakra.  Take some time today with sit with Crow as you meditate. Invite Crow into your imagery this afternoon.  Listen to what Crow tells you. Listen to what your Heart tells you. 

I know that you are feeling lonely today because you are not at the conference with everyone else. The secret to lifting this feeling of loneliness is to acknowledge it, welcome it into your heart. Crow symbolizes community and in your heart, know that you are connected to this SoulCollage community in the deepest, most visceral of ways.  You are not alone, dear one, you are part of Crow Tribe also.

Divine Child

As some of you know, I have had an emotionally and physically tumultuous summer (and that’s putting it mildly).  At the end of August I finally started doing my Every-Other-Daily readings again and here are the  two cards that showed up for me.

Very comforting and enlightening!

Divine Child:

I am the one who is full of simplicity and joy.  I am the one who is held by the Mother.  I am the one who brings gifts.  I am the one who is comfortable in my nakedness.

My message for you today is this: Smile. Notice what gifts you are carrying in your arms.  Allow yourself to be held by Great Mother.  Rest. Go to the ocean and sit. Smile again.

Journeyer

Journeyer

I am the one who moves forward, no matter the weather.  I am the one who sometimes sits and rests and thinks about the Journey.  I am the one who makes my own trail. 

My message for you today is this: Journey is not always about movement. Sometimes you need to pause and rest and give yourself time and space before moving on.

I am the one who is running out of time. I am the one who knows that I don’t have all the time in the world.  I am the one who is afraid that I can’t get everything done in time.

I am the one who has so much to do and to share with the world and not enough time to do it. I am the one who tries to capture time and save it, hoard it, hang on to it because I think I can control it better this way.

My message for you today is this: Pay attention to your relationship with time. You are hurting yourself with your attitude towards time. Time keeps ticking on, even if you hoard all of the clocks in the world into locked jars and cabinets.

This card is one that I made several years ago and it accurately reflects exactly how I feel about the passing of time.  Sometimes I look at it and think that the large image of the woman in the top right corner might be the Keeper of Time, but whenever I read from it, I tap into the energy of the sadness of time passing. So here it came to me again, last week, in one of my daily readings, and after I had just gone on at length in my journal about how there is so much to get done, and how am I going to get it all done..etc. You know the drill!

I find great comfort in this card, even though it seems to remind me of my powerlessness in the face of Time.  It helps me to remember that time is just a mental construct, and that as long as I keep myself in THIS moment, right now, that is all that matters.

And when I CAN do this… stay in the present moment…. then I find deep peace, and my worries and fears about getting everything done (or not done!) simply fade away.

I love it when a card comes together like this… a balance of one energy with another. I really had no idea what it was while I was making it…. and it’s taken me several months to actually sit down with it and see what it has to say.

In a card like this one, I found it helpful to do “I Am The One Who…” from the points of view of all three of the beings on this card.

I am the one who is looking forward and up, who is reflecting light back. I am the one who is outlined in light. I am the one who is opening my arms as if to embrace whatever it is that I am seeing. I am the one who is emerging into the light from a white wrapped and tied package. I have been covered, wrapped and tied and hidden away and now I am escaping into the open.

I am also the one who is walking into a new open door, going from the bright light into the darkness.

And I am the one (lower left corner) who offers this to you as a gift: it is a lovely balance, this work that you are doing- going from darkness into the light and from the light into the darkness. It is all necessary and it is all good. And the light is with you in all places.

Lately, I have been identifying more and more with the archetype of Persephone (see blog entry below), and because of this I am more comfortable now with the concept of going into those darker places.  It’s all a matter of balance!

Have you registered for REBIRTHING THE DIVINE?
7 Week Tele-Series with Cat Meehan Carcelo
Restoring the Mother-Daughter Aspects of Yourself
http://www.kaleidosoul.com/rebirthing.html

I took the Goddess Quiz on the site that she recommended, and discovered that my own top three personal goddess archetypes, expressing themselves in my life right now are: Persephone, Artemis, and Hestia.

After reading more about Hestia on the recommended site, I suddenly realized that I already have a SoulCollage® card for her, and this is it!

I am thinking that I MIGHT have one for Artemis as well, but I have to sit with that a while longer before sharing because I’m not entirely sure.

NOTE: If you are a Kindred Spirit Member, you can listen to Kathryn’s tele-class in the Members Only Audio Library.  If you’re not a Member yet, what are you waiting for? Visit this page for more info.

So when I made this card, I thought it was to honor the part of me who wants to put a halt to any more wounding.

I thought that was odd, because I’ve done SO much work on past emotional wounds and scarring.  So I was only a little surprised to discover what this image was REALLY saying to me!

Here is my journaling so far with this amazing card. I have the feeling she still has LOTS to say to me and I will be listening!

Who are you?
I am the one who is saying don’t come near to my scars. Don’t come near to my brilliance either. I am the one who is larger than the scar.  I am the one who doesn’t want people to see my wounds. I am the one who also doesn’t want people to see my bright and shining self.  I am the one who MEANS IT!!!

What do you have to give me?
I give you protection.  I keep people away from the real, true, inner you.  I keep you safe from those who would make your wounds deeper. I also keep you away from people who would be hurt by your brilliance.

What do you need from me?
I need you to be careful who and what you are allowing into our life.  I need you to be watchful of your physical and emotional energy field.

Is there anything else you have to say to me?
Yes!  My original intention was only to keep away anyone and anything that might open up old wounds and undo the emotional healing you have worked so hard at. But in doing that, sometimes I don’t discriminate. Sometimes I just keep everyone away. It’s hard work, letting people see only the bright side of you and not the woundedness, so sometimes I get mixed up and don’t let them in at all.

I am the one who leans back and trusts.

At our SoulCollage® and Poetry tele-class last month, Gail Warner gave us some beautiful time and space to write a poem based on one of our SoulCollage® cards.

Here is the card I drew and the poem I wrote:

Leaning back into joy
I am not afraid
Leaning back
I fall
I rest
I smile
I trust

Walking forward towards the light
I am not afraid
Walking forward
I move
with ease
I see
I trust

And so it is true
that leaning back
and walking forward
are exactly the same.

I encourage you to draw a card from your deck today and just jot down some words and phrases to create a simple poem either ABOUT the card or FROM the voice of the card. Go ahead… it’s easy!

This article is about a reading I did with my deck. The question I asked was:

Who has wisdom to offer me about transforming my fear?

GRATITUDE

I wanted to be given some simple ways that, when faced with fearful thoughts and fear energy, I can “snap out of it.”  Here are the three cards I drew, and what each one said to me:

GRATITUDE

I am the one who leans back and opens my hands and arms to receive the gifts that freely fall from heaven.  I am the one who says Thank You, and often. I am the one who is surrounded by the light and voices of grace.

My guidance is to focus on GRATITUDE instead of fear. Gratitude transmutes fear immediately.  As soon as you hear the fearful thought(s) in your mind, replace it with a thought of gratitude.

Fear and gratitude cannot exist energetically at the same time in your mind or body.

There is nothing else you need to know!

CRONE

CRONE

I am the one who is in the last season of my life. I am the one who is healthy and strong and who creates colorful things, who lets birds nest in my hat.

Here is how to transmute your fears: smile, pay attention to the little things, and go create something that makes your heart sing.

*

BODACIOUS BOD

Bodacious Bod

I am the one who is in tune with my body and the energy of my body. I am the one who moves with joy and confidence.

Here is what I say about transmuting your fears: Stay in touch with your body. Feel your own physical strength.

To stay in touch with your body, you have to be in the present moment. In the present moment there is no room for fear or worry. None!

Inner Fears

FEAR

I’ve been doing a lot of deep soul work for a while now, and one thing that has come to my attention is the fact that I have been allowing Fear to run my life for a long time now.  At a workshop last fall I made this card (to the left) intentionally to honor the place that Fear has taken in my life.

Who are you?
We are the ones who are hiding out behind the windows and doors of your psyche. We are the ones (and there are many of us) who are afraid, who huddle together in your mind and whisper fears to you as you sleep and while you are awake.

We speak to you of powerlessness and joylessness. We paralyze you with our scary stories that are mostly false.

What Do You Have To Give Me?
We give you a sense of ancestral lineage… we give you a closeness to your mother that you never felt while she was alive.  We give you something to think about and focus on besides joy. We give you huge distraction from the present moment.  Sometimes, when the fear is valid, we give you time and a way to prepare, a way to meet the fearful thing or person.

What Do You Want From Me?
We want you to buy into our stories. We want you to believe that you are powerless to change what makes you afraid. We want you to always be afraid, because this way everything will stay the same. We don’t want things to change. We want you to continue to hold yourself tight in your fears and try to keep yourself safe that way.

Is There Anything Else You Want to Tell Me Today?
We are telling you that we have much power in your life and we are afraid that being aware of us will make you send us away. We are just now peeking out of our well-walled fortress and smelling the fresh air. Others have actually made their way down to the street and are on their way to freedom.  We have been with you so long, we are not sure what to do if you set us free.

FEARLESS

Fearless

At the same workshop, I made this card intuitively, not thinking about what it was all about. I was drawn to these images, and they seemed to fit together perfectly. When I worked with this card later, I realized that it was my Fearless card!

Who Are You?
I am the one who breathes fire, who plunges forward without looking. I am the one who bravely flies through the air, knowing and trusting that I will be caught.  I am the one whose body is strong and tall and who stands and moves proudly through life.

What Do You Have To GIve Me?
I give you strength and I give you courage. I give you fearless energy to move through your life. I give you joy in the moving forward.

What Do You Want From Me?
I want you to not hold back. I want you to JUST DO IT!  I want you to move forward with trust and strength. I want you to leave your fears behind. I want you to know that you can do whatever you set your mind and body to.

This whole adventure with these two cards was really eye opening for me!  It was a powerful example of how things are “at work” inside of us during this process even though we’re not aware of it!

Seena Frost, Author of SoulCollage Evolving

Anne Marie: Welcome to KaleidoSoul, Seena! I’m delighted that you’ve stopped by my blog on your journey ’round the world with your new book, SoulCollage® Evolving.

Seena: Thanks, Anne Marie!

Anne Marie: Why don’t we start at the beginning.  Please tell us the story of the origin of SoulCollage®.

Seena: Many roots in my past eventually joined and grew into the blossoming and above-ground ‘plant’ we now call SoulCollage. These are too numerous to identify here, but in 1989, there came a moment at the end of a three year program with Jean Houston, when an integration occurred and I made my very first cards.  I called them Neter cards and these were all cards that now would be in my Community suit because they were all for people. Over years and with input from others, this first project eventually evolved into people creating cards in the four suits, symbolizing the Manyness of our Souls, and one card, the Source card, as a symbol for the Oneness of all created forms.

At first I used these cards as a therapeutic tool in clinical support groups; then, because everyone loved creating them and found much inner wisdom through them, I introduced the process into other kinds of community groups. It can still be used as a therapeutic tool but it also can be used individually as a spiritual practice and in groups as a transformational ritual.

Anne Marie: Why do you think that people find the SoulCollage® process so useful?

Seena: It seems to me that creating and speaking from images is too much fun to be called useful! Perhaps valuable, or transformative or healing or surprising. Hardly useful, except perhaps as a ‘tool’ in therapy.

Anne Marie: How many Facilitators are there now and in what countries?

Seena: This changes by the month so I won’t try to answer that!  [Editor’s note: Having looked on SoulCollage.com, it says that there are (as of November 2010) almost 1000 trained Facilitators who live in or are doing SoulCollage® workshops in 20 countries:  Australia, Canada, China, Egypt, England, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Greece, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Portugal, Scotland, Switzerland, South Africa, and the United States.]

Seena Frost's New Book

Anne Marie: Seena, what is your personal practice with your own SoulCollage® cards?

Seena: Every morning I draw two cards from my deck of over 100 cards. I have the cards backed by suits and I always draw one Community card and one from another suit. These become my Neters of the day and I put them up on my altar next to the 3 Transpersonal cards which are always there. The rest of my cards are in a pile in the center. I record which cards I have drawn in my daily journal, and sometimes I will email or phone a person who is my Neter and just let them know– if they are alive and I know them personally. I don’t read from these two cards. I just have them up as special Neters to remember.

Other practices, not daily, are sitting and tearing out images for my Facilitator Trainings, and also meeting with a peer group to do readings. We try to do this at least once a month or more if possible. (I have other practices like daily meditation and yoga and walking which are not so directly oriented to SoulCollage®.)

Anne Marie: How has your personal practice changed you over the years?

Seena: This of course varies greatly with everyone who does some sort of a daily practice, and it is hard for me to separate out the results of my daily practice from my current life work which is so involved with SoulCollage®. This process surely has changed my life because I’m thinking about it probably thirty percent of my time. Unlike most people!

But just in terms of my own evolving Soul, I believe that the images on many of my cards have taken on a vivid life of their own, and continually remind me of energies I have available to me. I think I use more of myself because of this, use more of my potential, and I balance my energies better because of this consciousness.

I also have a real sense of the marvelous aliveness of the world around me, of the archetypes that inhabit our invisible world, and who are calling on me and all of us constantly. They guide us and nudge us. The synchronicities of the cards help me know this. I do not feel alone or separate in the universe and have no fear of shedding this body and going on without it into other realms.

Anne Marie: What role is SoulCollage® playing in the healing of our planet?

Seena: I think it has potential to do quite a bit if it continues to grow. The more people heal their own inner wars, the better they will be at healing the wars in families and communities and nations. However that is only the beginning of what I think is possible.  If enough people gather, using their images to find consciousness, they can become one more of the imaginal cells forming and joining up in our chaotic world to envision the butterfly that we could become.

SoulCollagers can gather and show that cooperation is better than competition, that partnership is better than hierarchy or patriarchy, that knowing the one and the many is far, far better than insisting on one way or the other. Perhaps there can be a creative inclusiveness in SoulCollage® that will be catching.

Anne Marie: Powerful answers, Seena. Now tell us what we are all longing to hear.  Where can we find your new book, SoulCollage® Evolving?

Seena: Just go to this page on SoulCollage.com and you’ll find it right there!

Anne Marie: Thank you again for spending time with us today.

Seena: Thank you for having me!  It’s been a pleasure.