SoulCollage� Community Update

November 2016    
Grieving the Loss of a Pet Through SoulCollage�
by Barbara Techel




Frankie died in the summer of 2012. My dear paralyzed dachshund had lived life to the fullest in a wheelchair and helped me grow in ways I'd never imagined. Her death threw me into a state of feeling deep grief and loss. Ten months later, I was grieving yet again-this time for Joie, another special-needs dachshund I'd adopted from a rescue organization four months after Frankie passed away.



Frankie & I, by Brook Burlings

Being married for almost thirty-two years to my high school sweetheart, I can't imagine life without my husband. But I've been down the path of grief with the deaths of six cats and a chocolate Labrador; loss certainly wasn't new to me.



Others who have lost a pet share in my experience: we often feel misunderstood or embarrassed about our feelings. Instead of finding a way to move through the grief, we stuff our feelings down or push them aside. We are afraid that, if we express how truly heartbroken we are, others may think, "It was just a pet."



Many of us carry so much guilt, thinking we could have done more, that we weren't attentive enough, or that we were heartless for making the agonizing decision to euthanize a suffering pet. We plague ourselves with the "what-ifs."



Barb and Joie, by John Techel

While I still grieve when I lose a pet, I have evolved in my understanding over the years that grief is a process. There is no right or wrong way to grieve, grief has no time frame and is very personal and different for everyone. Grief is grief, whether for a human or for an animal.



The day before I said goodbye to Frankie, I found it extremely beneficial to speak with an animal communicator. She said, "Frankie told me loud and clear that you two are a team. There is a very deep love between the two of you. Frankie says that there has been an evolution of equality between you. She is affirming that what you gave her is equal to what she gave you."



I was humbled and relieved that Frankie felt this way. "What I'm getting from Frankie," said the communicator, "is that she was a channel of healing energy for you -- that there was much below the surface for you that needed healing." This brought tears to my eyes; nothing could have been more true. Frankie did help heal the sense of failure and inadequacy I'd felt for years.



Frankie cracked my heart wide open, helping to soften my heart, helping me to be less controlling, and deepening my compassion not only for animals but also for people. Because our connection was so strong, I made a conscious effort to really be with Frankie as the vet gave her the shot that would ease her into the next realm. I thanked her for all she did for me and told her how much I loved her.



Frankie, by Barbara Techel


I Am One Who will always be in your heart, guiding you toward the light. I remind you to stay tuned in to your heart's desire and follow its lead. I am here to remind you that you are making a difference even when you doubt yourself. I Am One Who walks quietly beside you as your friend and forever guide. I am here.



When I discovered SoulCollage� almost two years ago, I realized it could help with the death of a pet. Just as mentors and others we admire have been influential in our lives, our pets also serve as wonderful guides. Their teachings become a part of us-something we will always have.



A SoulCollage� card with an image or two of a beloved pet, collaged with supporting images expressing what they meant to me or what lessons they taught me, is something tangible that I can hold in my hands, and press to my heart, as a way of connecting to all that was, still is, and always will be. Whether a pet card shows up randomly while I'm picking a card for the day, or whether I seek it out, it envelops my heart with the love my pet was, and all I learned from her comes flooding joyfully back.



Frankie taught me to open to who I authentically am and to let my inner light shine into the world. This wasn't easy for a shy person who worried about what others thought of her choices in life. Frankie has come to me in meditation, reminding me that even during moments of darkness and doubt, the light is always there.



Joie's gift in the short time she was with me didn't make itself known until after her passing. While I worked through the grief of trying to understand why she had to die so soon, I realized I was being called to understand that there are gifts in transitions, whether they begin with the death of an animal friend or from some other change in our lives.



Joie, by Barbara Techel


I Am One Who could only stay a short time. My greatest gift to you was to leave my physical body so you could see that in transition, doors close and new ones open - each a portal to understanding yourself on an even deeper level.



The water paw print I sent you from the other side was my way of letting you know you are on the right path -- the one of living in more conscious awareness -- one of pausing often to listen to your inner voice and bringing that wisdom forth to share with others.



The card I created in honor of Joie reminds me that even with the pain of letting go of one chapter in my life, she helped me receive the gift of a simpler, slower-paced life. I had wanted this, but fear had kept me from moving into it on my own. When I see the Joie card, I still wish I could hold her, but I give thanks that she was a part of my life.



Grief comes in waves, striking unexpectedly. In those moments we have to be fully present with it, feel our way through it, and let it help us truly to know joy.



Author Barbara Techel wrote Through Frankie's Eyes, a memoir of how her paralyzed dachshund inspired her to listen to her inner voice, leading her to live a more meaningful life. In 2014 she became a SoulCollage� Facilitator, and has taught workshops on pet grief, understanding animals as spiritual guides, and connecting with our true nature.



From the SCU Archives:


Included in this kit is SoulCollage� Evolving, the basic text for SoulCollage�. Once you have looked at the book, you'll want to get started right away making cards with the 12 blank cards and the glue stick in this kit. Many SoulCollagers want to cover their cards with the glove-like high quality sleeve so these are included as well.



SoulCollage� and Grief: A Primer for Grievers

An Online Recorded Course for purchase.

By Facilitator Roberta Rook

Have you been affected recently by deep loss and grief?



Are you or your family and friends looking for a way to address the grief and find meaning and personal peace with this loss?



Take this 2-hour workshop. Let it introduce you to the wonderful process of SoulCollage�, and particularly to its helpful relationship to grieving.





This Precision SoulCollage� Tool Set
from Fiskars includes a precision knife and blade, an extra pack of 5 blades, and tweezers for exact placement of your finer collage pieces. A refill pack of 10 blades is available separately.



Watch this SoulCollage� Video



Communicating with an Animal Who Have Passed

(an excerpt from Barbara Techel's online workshop)











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�.



Want to take the Facilitator Training?
Purchase and download this recorded video course  - - Fundamentals of SoulCollage� with Kat Kirby - - to start your SoulCollage� deck or to prepare for the Facilitator's Training.

 

You will receive an overview of SoulCollage�: the Suits, Transpersonal Cards, history of the process, and examples and discussions. A 16-page handout to be used for your own SoulCollage� practice is included as well as two videos and two audio files of the interactive course. The Fundamentals of SoulCollage� course is a pre-requisite for the SoulCollage� Training.





INTERNATIONAL

  

December 8-11, 2016 Mariabruna Sirabella, M.S., LMFT
TAIWAN Details to be announced - In English and Mandarin - EMAIL TO REGISTER 



February 18-21, 2017 - Lucy Schaaphok  
NEDERLAND (Groesbeek) - in Dutch - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER



April 27-30, 2017 - Audrey Chowdhury, M.S., ATR-BC   
CANADA (Pierrefonds-near Montreal) in English with French translation  - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER



May 18-21, 2017 - Mariabruna Sirabella, M.S., LMFT   
ITALY (Orvieto) - in Italiano - Iscriviti qui (REGISTER HERE)





UNITED STATES
 
 November 3-6, 2016 - Kat Kirby, M.Ed., ATR-BC   Arizona (Prescott) 2KatStudios  REGISTER HERE

 
November 10-13, 2016- Mirabai Joan Kolari,  
California (Sonoma County) St. Dorothy's Rest

EMAIL MIRABAI HERE  |  REGISTER HERE



November 18-20, 2016 - Audrey Chowdhury, M.S., ATR-BC 
Wisconsin (Madison) - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 


February 2-5, 2017 - Diane Karen Born 
Texas (San Antonio) Four Points - EMAIL TO REGISTER 


February 9-12, 2017 - Catherine Anderson 
North Carolina (Charlotte) Catherine Anderson Studio - CLICK HERE FOR INFO 
 

Massachusetts (Westfield) - Details here - CLICK TO REGISTER



California (Los Gatos/Santa Cruz area.) CLICK HERE FOR INFO or EMAIL FOR INFO



April 20-23, 2017 - Kat Kirby, M.Ed., ATR-BC  
Georgia (Atlanta) 2KatStudios - CLICK 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� basic 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.


SoulCollage, Inc. | PO Box 8051 | Santa Cruz | CA | 95061