SoulCollage® Community Update
November 2015
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Indra's Net
by Anne Marie Bennett
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| | Indra's Net photo by Sue Gelber |
It is no coincidence that All Saints Day and All Souls Day fall in mid-autumn when everything outside is in the full grasp of death and decay. There is a soft silence that surrounds nature as leaves let go from their stable branches and flowers drop their petals. Lush greenery turns to bright autumn colors and then to murky brown. It is natural, at this time of year, to bring to mind those who have departed this earth, those beings we have cherished who have died and left us behind.
As I remember my own loved ones who have passed on, I am reminded of the story of Indra's Net, which is based on an old tale from ancient India. In this story, there is a brilliant holographic jewel at the intersection of each strand on a mammoth, universal net. Each gem reflects each of the other jewels, and so on into infinity. Because of the interweaving of the strands of this Net, each precious stone is connected to each of the others via the intricate network of Spirit.
Our families, our friends and our pets are all unique parts of the "nettedness" that make the many one. And so are those whom we have never met, but to whom we feel irrevocably connected. These include those who have taught and reached us across the years and miles: authors, artists, musicians, actors, comedians, politicians, and religious figures. Each one is represented on Indra's net with an irreplaceable, multifaceted jewel and thus is linked to us as well.
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| | Dad by Anne Marie Bennett |
So it is with those who are no longer with us on the physical plane. My parents, my grandparents, three beloved felines, friends, and other relations are sorely missed by my body, mind, and spirit. To know that we are still connected, even though I can no longer see them with my physical eyes, is a blessing, a helpful consolation.
When my father died 20 years ago, I was part of an Episcopal church where the rector, Randy, was also my spiritual director. The day after my dad's funeral, I vividly remember my anguish as I sat with Randy and cried. "Where is he?" I beseeched, over and over. "I saw them put his body into the ground, but where is he?"
I will never forget Randy's compassionate answer. "Your father is not here with you, but in many ways he is closer to you now than he was when he was alive."
To be perfectly honest, I didn't find that answer very comforting at the time, only confusing! But I felt inside of me the vivid truth of it, and I held onto it until I could better comprehend the meaning.
Today, this story of Indra's Net allows me to understand Randy's answer a little better. My father is still connected to me. Death does not break the connections of Indra's Net. And he is even closer to me than when he was alive because there is less in the way between us.
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| Anne Marie Bennett
reflecting on her cards |
Time for Reflection
Make a list of people in your life who love you.
Make a list of teachers and people you've never met, but who have influenced you greatly.
Read your lists carefully. Set an intention to make one Community SoulCollage® card per month until all of these beings are represented in your deck. |
Anne Marie Bennett is a writer, self-taught artist, cancer survivor, and SoulCollage® Facilitator/Trainer who was mentored directly by Seena Frost. In 2005, she fell in love with SoulCollage® and was inspired to serve the world by putting SoulCollage® "out there" with her website, KaleidoSoul. Anne Marie lives in eastern Massachusetts with her middle-aged husband, an elderly dog, and two adolescent felines who keep them all young.
To purchase autographed copies or discounted purchases of 10 or more copies of Through the Eyes of SoulCollage®, click here, or purchase through Amazon. |
Review: Through the Eyes of SoulCollage®
by Kylea Taylor, author of The Ethics of Caring and President of SoulCollage Inc.
In Through the Eyes of SoulCollage® Anne Marie Bennett describes how she uses her SoulCollage® cards to highlight the many moments of awareness in life that might otherwise go unnoticed, unprocessed, and unappreciated. Her stories invite us to look with new eyes, "SoulCollage® Eyes," for such experiences of our own, experiences that we will be able to recognize more easily after reading this book. Similarly, she demonstrates with engaging personal examples how a regular SoulCollage® practice of making and reading one's cards brings flashes of insight that can contribute so much to how one lives one's life.
This book lends itself to random reading of an inspirational chapter here and there, or to reading it all in one sitting as I did. I thought it was a wonderful book from an author who is able to articulate beautifully her deep dives into self-discovery and her re-emergence to fuller enjoyment of the world and her service to others. I recommend it highly.
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A well-designed, perfectly-sized tote to safely carry what you really need. It beautifully identifies you as a proud SoulCollager as well. Perfect for use as a bag for work, babies, pets, or you. Great for short SoulCollage® trips to groups or workshops. Get a few!
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Get started with SoulCollage® yourself or give a friend a life-changing gift package. Bundle includes 12 quality mat board blank cards (5"-8"), 24 card sleeves, a Pioneer glue stick and a SoulCollage® Card Frame.
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 Keep your SoulCollage® cards with you when you store and back up your deck on your iPhone or iPad. Do readings anytime, anywhere. This is a powerful program designed to facilitate your personal practice of SoulCollage®
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From the SoulCollage® Blog Archives
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 From the SCU Archives
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Join the SoulCollage® Facilitator Community around the world... a place is waiting for you.
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Photo by Diane Karen Born
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UNITED STATES
North Carolina (Charlotte) - Catherine Anderson Studio
(and, on Sunday, Founder: Seena Frost, M.Div., M.A.)
California (Los Gatos/Santa Cruz area). Registration not yet open.
Massachusetts (Westfield) INTERNATIONAL
(Editor's note: US and Canada residents, keep your eye on the Euro. The exchange rate has been advantageous to you. Perhaps you can combine a European vacation with a SoulCollage® Facilitator Training!)
THE NEDERLANDS (Groesbeek) UNITED KINGDOM Stroud (Hawkwood College) BRAZIL Recife - In Portuguese and English - EMAIL to register *No degrees or certificates are required to attend the SoulCollage® Training. The purpose of the Training is to prepare people to share SoulCollage® with others. The pre-requisites for the SoulCollage® Facilitator Training are your own active practice of SoulCollage® and your enthusiasm for sharing it with others, as well as reading SoulCollage® Evolving by Seena B. Frost and listening to her CDs: Introduction to SoulCollage® and Facilitating SoulCollage® in Groups.
Before attending a Training, we want you also to have a SoulCollage® workshop experience with a trained SoulCollage® Facilitator or listen to a recorded class Fundamentals of SoulCollage®, make some cards, do the exercise, "I Am One Who...", with your cards and do some SoulCollage® Readings, letting your cards answer at least one of your questions. |
Either click here or go to www.soulcollage.com, scroll down the right column and click the link to Amazon.com there before you start shopping. Thank you!
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