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What is SoulCollage?

One of the most exciting things I have discovered about SoulCollage is the joy of leaving my head and all of the words behind as I let the images and symbols buried deep within gently rise up to the surface to inspire and inform me. The magic is in the doing, not the talking and writing. Trying to capture SoulCollage with words is like trying to catch a bubble. The magic disappears!

So here is a brief overview to acquaint you with the process. SoulCollage was developed by Seena Frost, a therapist in California. I was trained as a facilitator of the process directly by Seena. SoulCollage grew from Seena’s deep work in spiritual exploration, world myths and archetypal psychology. The premise of the work is basically, all answers lie within. Our inner world is a deep and everlasting spring of wisdom, silently and sometimes not so silently, waiting to be explored and honored in our daily lives. These different parts of us are the ones that drive our unconscious behaviors, habits and patterns. They are our shadow selves as well as our light. Bringing awareness to this rich inner life is an enjoyable and creative as well as therapeutic way to integrate all of the many different voices residing within us. By giving them a voice and listening to their story, we bring honor to our past experiences and glean the wisdom they hold for our journey.

Why SoulCollage?

Meister Eckhart, one of my favorite authors and mystics said, “When the soul wishes to experience something, she throws an image of the experience out before her and enters into her own image.” Joseph Campbell’s work relied heavily on the concepts of our soul and our dreams speaking to us in images and symbols as did Carl Jung. "THERE IS MORE REALITY IN AN IMAGE THAN IN A WORD.", Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth. SoulCollage is about plumbing our depths for the symbols and images that wish to be made conscious within our psyche for our healing and greater awareness of our life, our purpose and our psychological and spiritual growth and evolution.

How to do it

The best part of the process is it's lots of fun! All you need is a couple of magazines and some glue! So get ready for a play date with your inner child that will be more rewarding than you can imagine.

First, gather a pile of old magazines. If you are anything like me, you will have them “stored” and stuffed everywhere just waiting for that next project or a quiet afternoon to read. Ha! They are really there awaiting your discovery of SoulCollage! You will need a good glue stick like UHU and some mat cards for your base. Actual SoulCollage cards are 5 x 8. This size gives enough room for our images while easy to handle in a deck and readings format.

Next, carve out a few hours of time with no interruptions. Put your cell phone away and let voice mail pick up your home phone. Create a sacred space for yourself for the next few hours. Put on some inspirational music. I like soft music, usually classical or new age but this is a personal preference. I light incense to bring a calming vibration to my space. When I am ready to begin, I light a candle with an invocation to be guided by Spirit for my highest good. I take a few minutes here to thank all of the artists who have unknowingly lent their creativity to help me gain a deeper understanding of myself and my journey. I center myself with slow, deep breaths and enter my inner world.

Then the ripping and tearing begins! Every image that speaks to me in any way at all is released from its bondage in the magazine. After I have a good pile of images, I cut them out. The more the image is cut away from it’s original background, the easier it is for it to become a personal symbol when repositioned with other images and backgrounds. It is truly magical but you won’t believe it until you experience it! The images really know where they want to be to become a part of me, my journey, my healing. The more I stay out of my head and let the images take the lead, the deeper the message becomes. Sometimes I don’t know the meaning of the cards I create for months and months. and the meanings are always changing as my life changes. Sometimes a card will have an archetype or energy immediately apparent. It is preferred to let one energy be the focus of each card, as this will become important in the future when you use your cards for readings. For example, I have a Lonely Child card as well as an Innocent Child card. These cards hold two separate meanings for me in my life and each one is important in itself for my own self-knowledge and information.

Making these cards can become totally obsessive so be prepared! It is as if all of the different voices within you are finally getting their say, their place of honor in your life. It is fun and creative but also deep, spiritual work. Seena likes to call it “Soul tending” and that fits perfectly. Don’t forget to have a box of tissues around. I have never had a workshop or a private session where tears did not flow! Now go forth and cut and paste to your heart and Soul’s delight and revelation!

Further Information

For more information on how to do readings and working in different ways with your cards you can contact me at [email protected] or kathleenbotsford.typepad.com.

You can also visit the official website at www.soulcollage.com for more information and to purchase SoulCollage products.

SoulCollage cards are for self exploration only. They are never sold or traded for any reason.