Molly's on the move again

Here is my Community Suit card for Molly Gordon. She is a business coach with a large internet following. I’ve posted this card before. I’m putting it up again because Molly recently posted some photos and asked her readers to choose the one that was exactly how they pictured her. The one chosen was so like the SoulCollage card I made for her that I am choosing to post it again. She is using it on the masthead of her e-zine Authentic Promotion. you can sign up here.

My Molly card is an example of how to create a Community Suit card* without using an actual photograph of the person. I usually use photos on my community cards, but I found that a representation may have more impact. Rather than a literal representation, I must find a metaphoric representation. The need for that sends me to a deeper place in myself.

* The Community Suit in a SoulCollage deck is made up of people (or pets) you admire, love, and appreciate. They can be living or dead. Personally known to you or admired from afar.

PS. It was Molly who turned me on to the powerful work CARE is doing with women around the world. As a result, I donate 100% of my profit from my cd Simply Silence Meditation Timer
to CARE. I invite you to purchase one for yourself or a friend.

Interested in a colorful way to track your life enrichment skills? Check out the free Think TQ tests. Click on button - What's your TQ? on their home page. I was surprised at what I found out about myself.

Death

Death (Council Suit) was made by Janet Boggia. Jan is a woman of a zillion talents and interests, two of which are cosmology and tarot. Thus I was not surprised to see Life, from tiny to spacious, depicted as part of Death.

Jan's description: In my card, we see a dead bird become a feast for the colorful insects left behind. Life is in death; death is in life. We know that humans and all mammals depend upon insects and their activity for our lives. The cycle of nature, of which we are a part, is a gift of the universe that brings new life.


I am the one who brings new growth, new life.
I am the one who is in transition and change.
I am the one who is able to build upon the richness and gifts of the old as I move forward.

I Walk in Beauty

Suzanne Sky is a gifted acupuncturist here in Ashland, Oregon. She is a true healer who creates a spa atmosphere even as she finds just the right spot for those needles!

Here are her words regarding her card "I walk in beauty."

I am the one who walks the sacred path of beauty; sees beauty all around; looks to heaven for inspiration on the path.

This card wants me to recognize my own inner beauty and to connect with the beauty all around me--to walk the path of the Sacred Feminine with beauty and grace.

"Cover my Mother Earth four times with many flowers" - Zuni song

Maybe I've gone "over the top" on beauty lately. If you want something more edgy you can hop over to show off! and visit the dark side.

Vibrant Beauty

This card is by my friend Ava Walters. I just had to share it with you. Here is what Ava says of her card:

Who are you? I am the one who…

· Loves flowers, patterns and movement
· Goes with the flow
· Is vibrant and creative
· Enjoys a variety of life’s textures
· Is shaped by the winds of change
· Continues to burst forth with spectacular new blooms

What does this card want from me?

To acknowledge how full and overflowing my life is with wonderfulness, variety and color

What does the energy of this card to give me?

· Beauty in a variety of ways
· Visual richness
· Delightfulness

Ava is one of the most up-beat women I know. She has been working with a variety of processes to create this abundant beauty in her life. Last year she introduced me to the work of Jerry and Esther Hicks, who offer teachings from a being called Abraham. Yes, very New Age. And very interesting. They explained the Secret long before it hit Oprah. Check it out.

Joy Unfolding

April!!! Nuff said.

Card made by Sheila Filan

Beauty is in My Bones

I am the one sparked by beauty. All I need to move me is color.

I made this card at workshop with Denise Kester, an Ashland, Oregon, artist I've long admired. In addition to SoulCollage cards, we made stamps, prints and paste paper. Then we put them all together to create a handmade journal. Fabulous Fun!

Denise read us a passage regarding "intention" from a book by Pat B. Allen titled Art is a Spiritul Path. Great read for SoulCollage artists.

Gift to the World

This card is simply entitled Heart Chakra. Its creator is Alberta Powell. Her reading for this card is just as beautiful.

I am the Light in the dark.
(Seek me.)

I am the fragrance of Love.
(Follow me.)

I fly on wings of song.
(Soar with me.)

I am your true Home; the direct door to the One Eternally Radiant Source.
(I await you.)

I am the all embracing Sacred Heart.
(Come unto me.)

Though, here in Oregon, the days are short and most are cold, spring is promised. As we are reminded by Dame Julian of Norwich (and by this SoulCollage card) "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well."

Longing for Sweetness

Tis the season for eating, okay feasting. What I've noticed as I scarf down that second piece of pecan pie is that I can get really, really full without feeling satisfied. I bet I'm not the only one.

It took me awhile to name this card and understand it's meaning. For me it is about using cookies/brownies/ice cream/etc. when I'm wanting to feel loved, to feel included, to feel safe.

I am the one who craves sweetness.
I am the one who can hardly wait for the delicious taste of mom's touch.
I am the one who is hungry for love.

And if food substitues for love too often, well, we get fat. One writer who has a lot of say on that subject is Geneen Roth. Prevention magazine also has some excellent articles you can read on-line regarding emotional eating. Perhaps you are someone who prefers to work with a real person regarding their issues rather than read a book. Check out one of our SoulCollage facilitators, Dr. Laurie Andreoni who supports healthy eating. Anne Marie Bennett, producer of the Kaleidosoul web site, has a inspiring article on use of SoulCollage with weight issues.

Inside Out

The Lockless Door

It went many years,
But at last came a knock,
And I thought of the door
With no lock to lock.

I blew out the light,
I tip-toed the floor,
And raised both hands
In prayer to the door.

But the knock came again
My window was wide;
I climbed on the sill
And descended outside.

Back over the sill
I bade a “Come in”
To whatever the knock
At the door may have been.

So at a knock
I emptied my cage
To hide in the world
And alter with age.

~Robert Frost

I was having trouble getting to the meaning of this card using “I am the one” statements. I said things like “I am the one who is somewhat in a daze. I am the one who is cooped up and knows things would be clearer if I could get outdoors.” One of our wonderful SoulCollage group members offered that if it were her card it might have something to do with transformation. Hmm.

I wanted to post this card here with something more meaningful to say, so I decided to try something new. I’m studying a wonderful practice known as Inner Relationship Focusing taught by Ann Weiser Cornell. I decided to check with my body and see if I could get a felt sense of what this card was all about. It wasn’t long before I knew that the perfect statement regarding this card was Robert Frost’s poem, The Lockless Door. This poem was pivotal in one of the most significant changes in my life over 20 years ago. Hmm.

A theme of pumpkins

This is my granddaughter, Evelyn, age 5, holding the two SoulCollage cards she made at a recent gathering. It was a combo swim party and SoulCollage evening to introduce Karen Mann to our SoulCollage community here in Ashland, Oregon.

Before the swim party Evelyn, Eli (my grandson age 8.5) and three other kids aged 8-12 made cards. It was my first cardmaking experience working with the under 21 set. The biggest similarity to adult classes was the quiet and concentration around the table as the kids choose images, cut, and pasted. And, of course, beauiful, interesting cards emerged. The biggest difference was the amount of help needed with the messy mechanics of glue. Another difference: mostly the kids chose not to talk about their cards. Could be they were just in a hurry to get to the pool.

The evening was spent (sans children) introducing our SoulCollage cards as a way to receive guidance regarding life questions. After Karen's explanation on doing a reading, each woman drew two cards at random from the table where we had pooled everyone's cards. In speaking from my cards I really appreciated Karen's suggestions regarding wording. After making several "I am the one...." statements regarding the card, I then began with the sentence "The message I have for you is.....". This way I continued to speak directly from the card, allowing more space for intuitive knowing.

As we gathered for a final circle, I felt deep joy. Everyone shared that they had found this a helpful process. For some, it was profound. Thanks to Karen and all who participated.

Want to try a reading right now? Visit http://www.soulcollage.com/ for a 4 card spead. I suggest for at least one of the cards you speak using " I am the one..." and "The message I have for you is....".