Latest SoulCollage

I made this card at the last SoulCollage Card Play Party. I really love this woman. The strength in her face. The hands that are large and strong and have made many a quilt, held babies and Lord knows what else the woman has had the strength to endure in her lifetime. It's on her face. Faith and Acceptance. She hasn't come up in a reading yet so I'm not sure what she has to tell me but I sense it will be powerful. I'm sure the slice of moon is significant....

If it were YOUR card, what would it say? Start with: I am the one who....... and let her speak. I'm sure she has much to say.

This is the other one I made. The energy is much more playful. I particularly like the monkey swinging off the Tarzan and Jane people. Again, I have no clue what this one's about. Hanging from a thread? Holding on for dear life? Running from a crazy monkey? I dunno.

Maybe it's this one that speaks to you: I am the One who....

It's always really interesting to hear what other's see in your cards. The ladies at the card play thought this one was all about strength and the other about sadness and I see them as the opposite.

I have a card I made a long, long time ago that came up in a reading yesterday and all of a sudden there was a face on it clear as day that I never saw. Took my breath away.

SoulCollage has a way of doing that.

Now why didn't I see that before? "When the student is ready, the teacher will come" Oh yeah. Duh!

Birth....Death

I made this card almost a month ago. I hadn't scanned it in, didn't include it in my readings, felt like maybe it wasn't done. If you've come to any of our gatherings in the last month, you may remember it. I've been asking everyone else what they thought it was. It didn't make any sense to me. Why would there be a baby resting in a pumpkin against a sunset? Wouldn't a baby symbolize birth? And a sunset symbolize death? Why in the world would they both be on one card? I kept thinking it wasn't done. That maybe there was some magic image that would finish it and make it all clear.

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I put it in the deck after the last workshop with the encouragement of the attendees. It came up in the very next reading (of course!) Still..... I wasn't sure.... I wrote:

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I am the one nestled in the gourd. I rest comfortably, not worrying. I rest as the sky changes. The sky, the trees and the water support me as I rest.

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My heart is heavy right now. I hate to see my friends in pain. I hate thinking I will never see a friend again. Why didn't I go hear him play? Busy, busy, busy. My dad and I were talking yesterday-- he went to the viewing and found it very difficult. He's had 2 heart attacks, congestive heart failure, has insulin dependent diabetes & still smokes. He said he looked down on 'this young kid' and could not comprehend how he just had one heart attack and he's gone. My dad said it should have been him in the casket, not Dave. I can't even begin to tell you on how many levels this hurts my heart.

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This morning as I was washing my face, trying to pull myself together, to get moving, to get over this wretched cold which struck me big time yesterday (yes, I know, don't even go there.....) this card popped into my head. And the answer just came pouring out....

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I am the one who is here to let you know that there is no difference between birth and death. At the beginning of your life and at the end of your life you are supported. You can rest, you will be held comfortably, nestled in the loving care of your creator. Do not worry, do not fear, I am with you. Always. The passing of the sun is as beautiful as the beginning of a life. It matters not to your creator, he will hold you up either way. Close your eyes and rest.

`

And so it is. Amen.

Shadow Self

In SoulCollage, Seena talks about Shadow Selves, a Jungian philosophy. In the most simplistic terms it the counterbalance to Self. I understand it best in Yin/Yang terms. For every dark there is a light. Can't have light without dark. The shadow is the archetype to the extreme, for example, The Great Mother archetype can be taken to The Overbearing Mother. The Warrior in it's extreme can be The Warmonger. The Jester becomes The Fool.

I think this is a very useful way of being able to embrace all parts of ourselves. When we start attaching to one outcome--or thinking that there is only one way of being, we tend to limit the reality of ourselves. When we think we have to be all good and find it impossible, we tend to go to the extreme and think we are all bad. Embracing the good with the bad, the shadow with the positive helps us to be whole. There's a really good book on this called "The Dark Side of the Light" by Debbie Ford that really develops this theory.

At our SoulCollage gathering Friday I made these 2 cards. They really seemed to be opposite sides of the spectrum to me. The first is the child encased in stone. The adult is running away. It can also be said that the statue is strong....but cold. Intriguing.

The second is my Root Chakra card. A mountain. This mountain seems very warm, very strong. When I did the meditation, the mountain said it is alive, it is evolving, I will know it by the sun shining off the face of it.

I think both mountains/cards are very positive. But only if I embrace the dark as well as the light.

I have to think this through a bit more....there is something here, on the tip of my brain, swirling around....

I really like these cards, they seem so yin/yang to me. What do you think? Any insights to share? I haven't done the I am the One who exercise on them. I have a feeling they are going to come up in a reading and I don't want to spoil the surprise....

Helmet Man

We had so much fun last night! We giggled, we rolled on the floor laughing, we were amazingly productive-- one woman who hasn't even taken the workshop made 6 cards!!! It was great fun. I am so excited, it was everything I hoped it would be, relaxing and fun, that's what SoulCollage can be. We ripped out many images and chatted and smiled, talked about our lives and our souls...ahhhh. The evening was supposed to end at 10pm. It was 1am when they finally left! Time just got away from us-- we never even knew it passed.



Funniest part of the night:



We were chatting about our Source cards and I asked one of the ladies who had taken the workshop if she had made hers yet. I invited her to use my Universe book-- that seems to be the most popular place for Source cards. She found a really cool background, green of course. Did I mention she's a bit obsessed with turtles and everything green? She's a LOT obsessed with turtles and green.... In fact, I was trying to explain to her that she may not even have a turtle in one of her chakras and I thought she was going to cry. "but Linda, I KNOW I have a turtle there, possibly 7 different types of turtles, one in each one!" Ummmm. Yeah.



Anyways, she finds this great background and I ask her if it's done and she's hemming and hawing like we are known to do when our images just don't "feel" done but we're not sure why. Suddenly she grabs this picture and starts laughing about maybe that's her Source... This is her God:



Helmet Man. God is Helmet Man. We all just died laughing, fell off of our chairs... yep, God is Helmet Man. All knowing, all wise but slightly hidden... yep, that's Him.

She grabs the glue and quickly pastes Him on. We go insane with witty repartee.... NOT! We got stupid with stupid jokes about God being a super hero and a turtle helmet dude... and oh, I will just spare you, it was very late. We were giddy. I begged her to let me scan it so I could show those of you who are not sure who God is. Well, now you know. He's a Helmet Man.
`

My apologies to all I have offended with this post. Guess you had to be there.
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Did you know if you made a movie with Barbra Steisand and a pyschologist you could call it Mentyl? Or maybe Barbra Steisand with a toothache and call it Dentyl?
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Just wondering. You should ask my friend Jenny about that....

Imagine me with nothing to say.

I thought perhaps I should actually write an entry that didn't have anything to do with the new room in case my readers are like I was last week with the "would you get on with the room already??!!" But alas, it is the only thing on my head right now. I mean, I could tell you about the birds going wild outside my windows but that will lead to an explanation of how we can see out all 4 sides of our house now and how marvelous the new windows are and then of course, I'd have to tell you that the color we painted it changes with the light and sometimes it's blue and then sometimes it's green and then I would hope that you would say that you can't wait to see it and then I would show you these:

Okay, that was sneaky. And my horoscope today said to watch out for deception. Yikes. And sorry. I have gotten some neat emails lately, here's a sampling:

"When we are on top of a mountain, it is as if we have ascended to an alternate realm, one in which the air is purer and the energy lighter. Many a human being has climbed to the top of a mountain in order to connect with a higher source of understanding, and many have come back down feeling stronger and wiser. Whenever we are feeling trapped or limited in our vision, a trip to our nearest mountain may be just the cure we need. " DailyOm (wouldn't it be cool if the nearest mountain was Mt. Hood in Oregon? sigh.)

Claiming your own blessedness always leads to a deep desire to bless others.
Henri Nouwen

You cannot know God until you've stopped telling yourself that you already know God. You cannot hear God until you stop thinking that you've already heard God.

I cannot tell you My Truth until you stop telling Me yours.

Conversations With God, Book 1Neale Donald Walsch

That was a good one. So there you go. 3 for the price of 1. Soon I'll be relaxed, writing in my new office, perhaps you'll knock on my door and we'll sit together quietly sipping tea, watching the birds as they scramble in the pyracanthia and the chipmunks playing in the fountain in the corner. Shall I put some music on or is just their singing enough?

See you soon!

Oh wait! I made a new card last night:

"The Symphony of Creation"

I love this card. It's how I feel in the Spring when one by one the sprouts start bursting through the ground. I always feel like God is tapping his stick saying, "Okay, now! Cue the daffodils! Crocuses, you may exit to the left and let's bring on the dogwoods!" And then the frogs begin croaking in the pond and all is right with the world......

Workshop this weekend at CCPC. Maybe we'll take a small field trip to my house, whaddya think? A walk will do us good :)

ROAR!!!!

This is my latest SoulCollage card. This powerful guy is living in my solar chakra-- Can you imagine? For a great deal of 2007, I was having trouble with my solar chakra. It's the place where you learn to say NO and YES. It's the place of power and the place of action and the place that helps you get things done! I was wasting a lot of time with wishy washyness and being worried about how people saw me and not wanting to offend and being sad about lots of things I couldn't control and basically wimping out and trying too hard to please. My lion must have been all fours up, you know what I mean?

So at Reiki one night, Jan (my Master) & Sheree were working on me and Jan got to my solar region and I felt this huge warmth start and then circulate all around to my back. It was like the lion woke up. And he said "STOP. Let's get real here."

So I did. Wore more yellow (the solar color) and lit the yellow candle during my meditation and used my yellow yoga mat for a stretch (hahaha unintended) and asked the Reiki to keep healing my chakra and giving me the strength I needed to make those hard decisions....

Imagine my surprise when I was listening to Seena's chakra meditation, and this guy popped up. But of course it was a lion. I have loved lions and tigers my whole life-- had pictures and posters and shirts and stationary of them from the time I was small. So I was quite happy to meet him. And he is an enormous help. Had a friend tell me just yesterday, "boy, when you make up your mind, you get things done!" Hell Yeah I Do!!!! (that was the lion, not me)

"I am the One who shows you the strength you have within. I am the One who will ROAR your truth and let you use your fire. I am the One who will ensure your path to the highest good. I am the One that helps you stand tall and proud and feel your goodness no matter what. I am the One that will make sure that your destiny and purpose in life is accomplished. Spread those seeds Woman!"

Ummm..... my latest card.....

`

As Cory would say, "What the Heck?"

`

I dunno.

`

It made itself. At first it felt like something to do with being a target. And then about being surprised. The light spikes kept intriguing me... what the heck are they? When I put the Hedwig on it, it seemed like maybe it has something to do with the messenger.... and maybe something unexpected.

`

When I showed it to Cory, he said there was a place in World of Warcraft that had the same spikes of light and it was a healing field where you would go when you were wounded. I sort of liked that. It's weird how WOW has so many references to so many healing things. In fact, Cory tells me he played a healer in his game. He also was a warlock but I really just don't get it all. And of course, now I have digressed.

`

Let me wikipedia light spikes........ nothing.....

`

Think I'll let it simmer awhile. Or wait for it to come up in a reading. I think it's definitely archetypal. Something like The Messenger..

`

"I am the One who brings a message that sheds light when you least expect it. Don't let yourself be caught unawares. I am the One who won't let you be a target. I am the One who will bring you the message of when to surrender and when to take cover"

`

Or something like that.

2 new cards

Yesterday was crazy. Taught my class, went and finished the dreaded shopping (sort of), cleaned, laundried, had lunch with Barry, wait, maybe that was the last 2 days, swept, vacuumed, dyed my hair, well, Rhia did, wait, maybe this was all week....whatever. Finally had 30 minutes to myself late last night and look what I made:

It's my Barry card! I love it. If you know Barry, you know this is perfect. But then, not to be outdone:

It's Rhia. It is so Rhia. I've been carrying around the image for awhile, just something about it seems so Rhia. The joy and "old soulness". It pixelated funny on the scanner unfortunately but it's a great card. I love it. Both of them. All of them.

Haven't found a great image for Cory yet but I know it will come. I'm going to wait for Barry & Rhia to come up in a reading before I do the "I am the One who..." exercise with their cards. Can't wait to see what they have to say!

Ooops, off to the next private class!!! We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a ...... well, you get the drift!

It's December 13th.

If I get one more thing that says "Last Minute Gifts" I will scream. I haven't even bought one gift. I can't seem to wrap my mind around it. I am really enjoying the season, feel so loving and blessed. My advent wreath says it all. We watched "The Nativity Story" I love that movie. I wrote my Christmas cards. Really, what more do you want?

I've had the opportunity to do some one on one yoga with some of my students. It's wonderful. Went to a student's house yesterday. She has such a beautiful home, filled with warmth and love. We had a wonderful private class, what a treat to create a Sanctuary where ever we are. I had a class on Tuesday that ran over (WAY OVER) My husband who was with the next class had to come find us.... we had no idea time had passed. I have just really been in the present. It's marvelous cept I can't seem to think beyond today and that sometimes can bite you in the well... you know. Like Christmas morning when the kid's don't have any presents..... I don't think they will buy 'the gift is being in the present' philosophy. They'd rather have a Wii.

I'm thinking of offering a workshop for SoulCollage where we just make one card. Wouldn't it be cool to get together and have some egg nog and cookies and work on a "what the holiday season means to me?" card? No stress, no fuss.... course I'll have to look at a calendar to schedule it and that may stress me out. Realizing it's December 13th and seeing it on a calendar and how close to Christmas it really is are 2 different things. Wonder how many Sundays there are? Don't tell me.

If I count on my fingers, today being Thursday the 13th, Friday 14th, Saturday 15th, then Sunday is the 16th---Let's do it then! Please don't burst my bubble and make me add 7.... Yikes.

Tra la la la la..... Let's do a Holiday workshop this Sunday, at my house... haha haha....

Course I haven't made any egg nog or cookies.

(fingers in ears) nah nah nah, I can't hear you!

And my house is a mess. But it smells good because of the advent wreath. Cept for that juniper-- it always smells of cat pee to me.

OMG! YOU DON'T REALLY THINK IT IS CAT PEE, DO YOU?

Tra la la la la.... of course not! It's Juniper, dammit!

RSVP when you get a chance.....

Weekend with Soul

Our SoulCollage Retreat this weekend was amazing. CBF is such a great spot to hold an event. Even though it was chilly, we bundled up and did our meditation on the beach. With the waves gently splashing in, birds calling in the distance, mmmm.


The sun was amazing. Merrill Center is a solar heated building with huge panels just soaking in all the heat. At one point, we even had to open the door and let in some cooler air, it was so nice and toasty.


The group was a true test of Sheree & my passion and teaching since we didn't know 4 of them and only 2 of the whole group knew each other. It's one thing to teach to your friends and family but quite another when it's complete strangers. Plus, they came from all over, one even came from Springfield, VA! One of our students made a card with a goat on it that got Sheree & I off on a tangent about the goatman which to anyone from Bowie is just a known part of history-- everywhere else? Not so much.

Anyway, it still worked. It was still wonderful. Everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves and "get it". The cards they made were beautiful, so imaginative and inventive. It was so interesting getting to know who they were and where they come from, such varied stories. We were blessed with their honesty and openness. Each of them found a chakra animal-- even one who had never meditated before! Power of the water.....

Lunch was so easy and nice. We had soup in a crock pot and large buns. Lots of muffins, banana bread, fruit and of course, chocolate. We really are getting quite good at making this process easy and taking the whole thing to a level where even we get to relax and enjoy ourselves too, instead of running around working frantically. The slide show presentation on the big screen was quite fun too. All in all, a great day! We came home and right away planned the next one!

Here's one of our participants walking on the beach wrapped in a blanket during free time:

You should have seen the water glistening in the sun....Liquid light. So nice. Thanks CBF! What a beautiful setting for a beautiful day of soul searching....

The Witness

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" The Witness"

Out beyond all ideas of right doing

and wrong doing,

there is a field.

I'll meet you there. ~ Rumi

*

I updated my Witness card. I find the idea of the Witness to be extremely intriguing. In my yoga classes I introduce this concept quite frequently. It's a tough concept to grasp because of course, the moment you grasp it, it's gone. It's one of those things that makes others think you're nuts when you start talking about it. "Witness, what the heck? I am Me, there's no witness!"

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"Then who's the One watching the breath?"

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When we use the Witness in SoulCollage it's very powerful. At the facilitator's training we each got a chance to be the four corners of facilitating; Witness, Reader, Facilitator, Scribe. While each part was fascinating, I found Witness to be the most powerful. Watching the process without forming opinions, judgements or feeling any need to interact or "perform" was amazing. When the reading was over, the insights the Witness had were so telling that sometimes just a single word from them put the whole reading in perspective.

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There is comfort to be found in witnessing and in being witnessed. Sort of like the ancestor's memories, keeping watch, being able to pass on. Words like unbiased, accepting, not trying to change anything, experiencing, come to mind. How many times do you experience something without trying to change it? Or label it? Have you ever looked at a tree without categorizing or naming it? What about an animal? Or a person?

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This is a powerful meditation. Try it. Allow yourself to witness a tree without naming it. Staying with it and watching without trying to change that moment by going to the past or future. What is the tree in this moment? What are you in this moment? Silently witnessing. The breath comes in. The breath comes out. No need to analyze. It will do it of it's own accord. Most things will if we just allow it.

*

Relax. Breathe. Feel. Allow. Watch (Witness).

*

from Stephen Cope's Wisdom of Yoga

and Yolinna's Yoga Wall

Synchronicity Part 2

Yesterday I was scattered. Like a lot of days. I have lots of gottas and lots of wannas and waffle between the two (or is it four) So I sit at the computer working on the program for the show and then I get up to stretch and I get distracted by the kitchen which is covered with stuff from the garage. Last night I was trying to explain this to Barry and John....hold on tight here: I had to clean my closet out so the stuff from the stair closet can go in there so the stuff from the utility room can go in the stair closet so the stuff from the garage can go in the utility room so the stuff from the metal shelves can go in the kitchen so the stuff from the kitchen can go in the shed so we can renovate the garage.

I bet YOU got it. silly men....

Any way, while I start playing with that I realize the laundry really needs done and I had a card I was working on and a couple of cards that needed backs and a couple of people I hadn't returned email to and an update on my website was necessary and Rhia wanted me to exercise with her and Cory asked for help with his resume and I needed to make some ice tea and well...you get the drift right?

I realize I am spinning like a top and not accomplishing anything so I do the only possible thing to make you sane, I go to my altar and pray and meditate for a bit and then decide to do a SoulCollage reading. I write my question in my journal. It's all about my path and a job and the future with SoulCollage and is it all going to be okay? I shuffle all my cards in separate stacks according to suits and slowly pick one at a time.

Companion: Dove "I am the One who will light the way to show you your path. I will wrap my wings around your shoulders and give you comfort and support whenever you need it"

Committee: My Reverent Self "I am the One who is filled with deep gratitude and reverence at the blessings in my life. I am the One showered in flowers, walking the path laid out before me with deep trust and faith"

Community: My SoulCollage Sisters "I am the One who has seen the possibilities and felt the amazing power and energy of the SoulCollage family. I have seen the Light and Spirit in Seena and recognize it as the same light within me"

Council: The Changing Landscape "I am the One going through a Change. I do not know what the end will look like. I am the One working with the cycles of the Moon and keeping my eyes and ears open to know the next phase"

So, of course, I'm like Duh....it doesn't get any clearer than that unless God personally comes and speaks to you. Which I know He did because as I am turning the cards over, each one is a shock.

I had EXACTLY the same cards 2 days ago. All four. Exactly. I don't know what the odds of that are but they have to be tremendous. I could see one being the same or maybe even two. But all four? Doo doo doo doo.....I shuffled each deck separately! Amazing.

So I'm curious what my question was before that the cards turned up in so I go back to read in my journal. Yep, you guessed it. Same question. Phrased a bit differently but same question. It's like God said, "Ummmm, Linda....I already answered that--jeez." Would God say "Jeez"?

Anyway. If I wasn't a believer before...and I was....I mean, really... ALL FOUR CARDS? Guess I should trust the answer huh?

Thanksgiving

Did you know Thanksgiving is only a week away? Why didn't anyone tell me? I can't believe it. I walked into the Sanctuary last night and the communion table was covered with turkey stuff, candles and flowers and I thought, "what the heck is wrong with these people? why are they decorating so early?" And then THUD. It hits me. It's NEXT WEEK. So then I thought, "what the heck is wrong with me? and where the heck did November go? And for that matter, September?" Sometimes I'm a silly goose.

I am so excited. People are signing up for our SoulCollage Retreat December 1st! People we don't know! Off the website!!! Yay!!! and Phew! Maybe we will be okay! I love SoulCollage. Have I mentioned that? I mean, seriously, it is just such a neat, relaxing thing to do. For those that can't make it to yoga or Reiki it can be a really fun, spiritual thing to do and I was starting to get very worried that no one was gonna do it. I really sort of wanted to throw my eggs in this basket, you know? So when it was seeming a bit dismal, I was not sure where I was gonna throw my eggs.....maybe at houses....or..? Again, sometimes I'm a silly goose. With extra eggs.

Here's my latest card:

I don't know. It started as a "I'm going to try and not hate money anymore thing" and kept evolving. The people look happy and wealthy. Or is it obsessed? I thought maybe the cards indicated luck? And the monkeys? Maybe something about the monkey mind worrying about the lack of money. I really am not sure. I can guarantee I will find out though. The card will come up in a reading and then I'll get it.


I know that one of the biggest things I had to overcome was de-valuing myself. For a long time I didn't charge at all for yoga--just gave it away. I have negative feelings about money, don't want it or the lack of it to control me. I like giving. I purposely have always chosen non profit enterprises as if that will somehow make me better than the rich people with college educations. I have come to realize that it really just makes me more worried and yes...I'll admit it...envious. Barry & I have struggled for a long time, on and off. It's hard to start off adulthood without the benefits of a college education or financial backing. We've made some choices we are proud of, like putting the children first, making sure one of us was always there to take care of them and not day care but we also have a recurrent fear of losing everything we've worked for. We were doing fine and then recently have had some major setbacks and that tends to revive all the old fears and worries and resentments and our Ziggy/Charlie Brown syndrome. We are really trying to remember that the Universe is Abundant, we create our own reality and hating money will ensure that we never have any. It's a major opportunity to test our faith and see how far we've come...as we bite our nails. LOL!


This card seems to have all those opposing yin/yang things in it. "I am the One who wants to like money?" "I am the One who doesn't want the money monkey on my back."

I don't know. What do you think?

hmmm

Went to watch "7 car pile up" yesterday. They were amazing. Mario had a friend who he played with when he was a young boy who just happened to be there at the right time. They hadn't played together for 40 years but they got to sing a couple songs for the show. It was very nice. All the band rocked--singers were having fun, musicians were getting crazy (cept Susan, who I think was going crazy) it was a really fun time. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

Rehearsals are going for our little show. Yesterday was fun trying to find a place to rehearse. We are muddling through though. Got some good news that maybe we may have sound! The kids are working so hard, I hope someone comes to see them. It's a crazy weekend. Wish we had known that when the dates were set but what are you gonna do? Every day is crazy at our venue.

Isn't it funny how things turn? One minute you're the cat's meow and the next you're the cat's litter box contents. In Zen, there's a card that's called Success. It has a person riding on a tiger's back with confetti and streamers all around. The message of the card is to not get attached to riding in the parade--things go up and things go down and it's just all part of the grand scheme of things. It's to learn to enjoy the down as much as the up. The down is where the next phase or idea comes from. It's a good message. The down is also a very freeing place, let's you see what you were missing while you were up.

Barry and I are taking a huge leap of faith right now. We are starting the process of renovating our garage and office into a large studio/comfy room. We are very excited and quite scared since financially this is not a great move for us right now. My income has dropped tremendously and his ot is gone due to the housing market slowdown and we have had so many twists and turns with broken things and dental crud and blady blady....So why are we doing it? We must. It's time. We have faith that it will all turn out okay. We may be crazy but we can see the beautiful space, feel the quietness and lack of conflict, sense that this is the right thing to do. It's been a long time coming....

Keep your fingers crossed and maybe send a prayer or two our way. Anyone know how to build a fireplace? Wouldn't it suck to get the room all done and then light the first fire and poof! it all goes up in flames? That would definitely be falling off the tiger's back for sure LOL!

Latest Card:

"Creativity"

I really like this card, I painted the mat with watercolors. After it dried, I cut the images smaller than the card and glued them on. You can't really tell from the picture but it looks really cool. The painting of the dog looks just like Gus, our family's best dog ever. The top picture of the open air festival reminded me of Oregon and all the artist I learned from at the Salem Farmer's Market.

This is what I need to focus on. A place to create, to explore and commune. It feels peaceful and right. Read "Women Who Run with Wolves"... that's this card.

"I am the One who has a inner space where the beauty of the world can be expressed. I am the One who knows the power of art. I am the One who can express myself creatively in many ways without needing to be perfect"

AHA Moments

One of the things that is really cool about SoulCollage are those AHA moments. At the facilitator training someone actually went around with a name tag that said "looking for AHA moments". I've had many, many, long before Oprah decided to coin the phrase. Yoga is really good at giving you that sudden breakthrough, you do the same pose a hundred times and then suddenly, one tiny muscle lets go and you see the Universe and all It's possibilities and all It's glory.

Course you have to really stick with yoga to get that and you have to understand it isn't all about the physical poses. I feel really sad for people who think you can dabble in things and get those AHA moments, they rarely come without some consistency and hard work. And unfortunately, when things get busy, often the first thing to go is the tools that help you to be productive, calm and happy and that give you those AHA moments. The next thing you know you're sitting on a couch deciding that a glass of wine and tv is your path to enlightenment. And it gets harder and harder to get off that couch. So sad.

Although having said that, let me tell you this: I don't know if it's because of all the soul work I've already done with yoga and all my various studies BUT I have had more AHA moments with SoulCollage in a relatively short time than I have with anything else. Now, it could be I'm just open to it. I have a student/friend/coach that is experiencing the same phenomenon. She's a Gestalt psychotherapist so she may have a leg up too but she's very blown away at the possibilities and the rapidness of the AHA's too. The onion is peeling rapidly....

I've made enough cards now that I could cover the backs and actually separate them into the 4 suits; Committee, Community, Companion & Council. They are beautiful. I like to just look at them. I did a reading the other day with the suits for the first time. Wow. I had one card that I made that I just really had no idea what it was about. Of course it was the first card to come up. When you do a reading the first thing you do is ask a question. My question was concerning my son. The card to come up was the one where the boy is catching the ball while the older one is watching with glee, hands covering her mouth.

AHA!

It is very cool when you just allow the process to go through you without asking why. Sometimes images come together and it makes no immediate sense. And then down the road the card pops into a reading or even just into your head....and it's just like with all insights...you knew it all along. Like the Buddha says, "ten thousand doors open and you can see in all directions and you realize you always could, it is older than you." Enlightenment. If only for a moment. That "knowing" is a powerful soul-finder. And an even more powerful God finder. And it really helps when you are making decisions if you can come from that "knowing" God point inside of you and not some exhausted crisis mode outside of you.

Takes some practice though. And consistency. And being comfortable with "knowing". And honoring what your real path and journey through life is.....and most of all, quietness. Mindfullness instead of Mindlessness....

Peace be with you. Really with you.

My Inner Magpie

Here's "My Inner Magpie". The One who likes Shiny Things. The One who is attracted to bright lights and glitter.

"I am the One who knows that all that glitters is not gold. I am the One who likes to make my surroundings vibrant. I am the One who would rather cover myself with gold lame than black sackcloth. I am the One who know that life is not always black and white. Nor should it be. I am the One who will be myself and not judge life based on color or style. I am the One who refuses to stick to drab and colorless when God gave us so much vibrancy to light the Way."

And the counterpart:

Chakra Energy. This one kinda takes my breath away. The scanner pixellated the card so the seamlessness of the spectrum reflected in space is not as stunning.

"I am the One who knows the boundless energy circles within, which are reflected in the colors of the rainbow. I am the One who is amazed at the consistency of the messages and the vast array of knowledge in many different forms. I am the One who is listening and staying alert to the signs and symbols. I am the One who is in awe. I am the One who Knows."

Mercury

I got an email today that said Mercury was no longer in retrograde. Is that true? If so, YAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!!

Now maybe no more appliances will decide to take a hike. Or a pass.

I'm gonna go check it out...BRB, as the kids say. ....

Man, wish I hadn't done that. Turns out Mercury is back on track but now MARS is going retrograde!

This month Mercury will normalize its orbit to direct speed on November 1, so you won't have to prove your resourcefulness or staying power anymore, thank goodness.
Under normal circumstances you would have an open road ahead, but Mars, your energetic ruler, is about to settle down for a nap on November 15 when it retrogrades. Mars will stay in that sleepy mode until January 30. When it comes to home or family-related plans, you will need to be patient. Try to be content with a slower pace. Telling an Aries to be patient is usually hopeless, I realize, but during that period you won't have much choice. Mars is the timekeeper of the zodiac, which means it decides what gets done and when. On top of that, Mars holds a much stronger power over you, for Mars rules you.

Whatever. I think it's all crap anyway. Somedays. Can you just hear the 2 neters (personality traits, sort of) duking it out here?

WooWoo Neter: Oh Linda, you shouldn't say things like that, remember karma.....

Practical Neter: Oh Puh-leaze! We create our own reality--get over yourself.

WooWoo: The planets and stars have powerful effects on our personalities, think of the moon.

Practical: I got your moon right here.....it's all just the power of suggestion! You read that something bad is supposed to happen, so you make it happen.

WooWoo: Oh so I suppose YOU killed the washer?

Practical: Purely Coincidence.

WooWoo: And what about all the other things that went on in the last month that made you nuts?

Practical: That's just life. And a result of the inner suggestion that things would go haywire.

WooWoo: Then why did we smudge the house and buy new crystals?

Practical: Ummmmm, they were pretty?

You can see why I get nothing done. This conversation will go on and on. And then The One Who Works jumps in and reminds me of all that needs to get done. And the Resentful One will start complaining about having to do it all. Procrastinator will tell me to do it tomorrow. Organizer will have me write a list.....and SoulCollager will tell me I haven't finished all their cards yet.

Ai yi yi. Overwhelmed just popped in.....

Wow!

Got 10 minutes...quick recap:

The funeral was one of the most beautiful I have ever attended. Really made us think, Barry and I are still talking about it. The picture Roxanne and her family created of a life well spent was breathtaking. The simple elegance of Mr. S's values was an inspiration--we will be forever changed by his example. They are blessed to have had such a wise soul as the leader of their family. Turns out he made a soul collage of his own in the last part of his life, this touched me to my core when Roxanne mentioned it--I can't begin to tell you. Seemed like a sign and well, a blessing. Thank you Roxanne, our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Even though we were a bit rushed and quite teary eyed, the SoulCollage workshop was tremendous. I cannot tell you how it felt to give birth to other's giving birth. Sheree and I were hugging in the hallway after they made their first cards--so amazing to see. We did a circle with the new cards and blessed them and then did amazingly powerful readings. I am so excited I can't see straight. We were so celebratory last night--our husbands, who were HUGE helpers, sat with us while we drank wine and marveled and yeah, cried a bit over how right this felt. Thank you God. Can't wait to get the circles up and running, will be working on that after rehearsal and trunk or treating.

Busy but soooo grateful and moved and anticipating the future. Thank you Seena, thank you. We had a small taste of how you must feel seeing your ideas come to life.

Details soon.

Flighty

So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.

Christopher McCandless American Adventurer

When I was a kid, my mom used to say I was flighty. "you switch from one thing to the other based on whatever character in a book you are reading". Guilty. I LOVE to read and I do immerse myself in the book and sometimes I really identify with a character and find myself becoming that person. I'm reading a book right now called "Eat, Pray, Love", that my friend said I MUST read. It's kinda frightening because I don't have to even think about it--this character is me. The shadow me. The one who needs to be free and travel and explore and learn.

The flighty one.

Now don't get me wrong--I love my kids, my husband, my friends--but never in a million years would I have thought this is where I would be. I never wanted to be married, never wanted to have kids, never wanted to live in the suburbs. Wanted to travel the world, live in New York in a penthouse (I know--I HATE New York), wanted to be rich and write novels and dance and sip champagne from a silver slipper ( I know--I HATE champagne)

I wanted to sing, to dance across the sky, to make a difference in the world and most of all to travel, to climb Mount Everest, to visit poor countries like Mother Teresa and touch the faces of those who need healing. I wanted to float on my back in the warm waters of Bali and ride an elephant in the deserts of Africa.

Isn't it just supreme irony that I married a man who resists change and likes routine, live in BOWIE for goodness sake and as a friend once told me, take every opportunity to trap myself into the staid and concrete? Just trying to avoid being flighty.

For some reason, the last SoulCollage card seems to go with this dreaming and I can't figure out why.

I thought it was the One who dances on the edge of possibilities but why does it seem to go with this wistful flightiness? Maybe the edge is the clue. Perhaps it has to do with playing the edge. Doing as much as I can to feed the inner flighty one without falling off into the abyss. The eye is the One who watches and the hawk must be the one who is overlooking the possibilities. She doesn't really look afraid though, in fact, she seems to like playing the edge.

Maybe she's flighty.....

You know, flighty isn't necessarily a bad thing--we all need that sense of adventure and we all need to play our edge sometimes.

What do you think?

Changing Hats

It's occurred to me that maybe the expression "Jack of All Trades" is not necessarily a compliment. My Dad's name is Jack. He's a builder. He built my childhood home. We had great fun making a placque that said, "This is the House that Jack Built" for our front door. I always felt that Jack of All Trades was a good thing, because my Dad truly is a Jack of All Trades and a Master of quite a few. He can do just about anything building wise, electric, plumbing, heating and a/c, on and on and on....

I always wanted to be like him--not building wise but knowing how to do a bunch of things. That's why I have studied so many different things, you get to dabble....and the things you really like you get to perfect. It's seems like a good thing until you are doing all of them at the same time.....Yikes!

I'm directing/producing a kid's variety show while I'm planning the SoulCollage weekend while I'm creating the new website and the new business while I'm trying to get my house clean with a broken washer while I'm trying to help the kids and husband through their current crisis du jour. I have bulbs that need to be planted, herbs that need to be harvesting and winter clothes that need to come out.

I feel a little nutty. Course the SoulCollage obsession is helping add to the frenzy :) The last few cards feel a bit all over the place......

The Changing Landscape....

My Inner Mothra....

The Grower.....

The Black Hole......Double Yikes!

I'm sure it's all good.....or will be. Or is meant to be.

By the Way.....How U Doing?