The Evolution of a SoulCollage deck

Last week, I mentioned at the end of my post on my missing cards (still no sign) that I felt my deck was getting ready for an evolutionary shift. That sounds rather dramatic, and in fact what I mean is that I'm only now beginning to consider removing cards from 'active' deck, or changing cards, and I've been prompted to make a few changes over the last week or two that really do demonstrate movement and growth within my deck. Before my 31st March workshop, I felt a strong urge to remove this card:


and replace it with this:










When I first made my 'Lillith' card, modesty made me represent her masked - I wasn't sure whether she was putting on the mask, or removing it. But now, it's clear she was removing it. I had made a scan before I'd added the mask, so it was easy to retrieve the 'unmasked' Lillith, and now this is the image that will be included in my deck.

Another card I made early in my acquaintance with SoulCollage was my Divine Mother card, and I've been aware that, while I love the images I included in the card, it would have been better to select a background for this card, rather than simply pasting them onto the black side of the matboard. So, a few days ago, I found the background, and here is the amended card:



It has really surprised me to see what a change this has made. The energy of the card is really now Divine Mother to me.

I was also really interested to read what Seena says about how her deck has evolved, especially about what was originally her Source card evolving into her Death card. I recall being surprised when I first saw Seena's Source card that there was a human image included, and thinking it had the 'going into the light' feeling of a death card to me. Now her Source card is without human images.

My first-ever card has always presented me with the question as to what it is exactly. I knew it wasn't my Source card, but also knew it was special in some way - and described it as my Creator card (while knowing it's not exactly that), and could say it has to do with duality. Reading Seen's description of the three transpersonal cards, I have a strong sense now that my Soul Essence card has been with me all along, and that is what I met in these images:

The final change involves one of my community cards. My community suit doesn't contain cards for everyone who's important in my life, but it does include cards for my son, my parents, some friends, and a few artists/writers/musicians, along with a couple of groups who are important parts of my community. I included photographs when I had them, and the one card which I felt has pictures of the person, but doesn't capture her spirit was the card I had made for my mother, using some photos, and some images from cards she had received during her first years in a nursing-home, where she still resides. Somehow, her spirit doesn't seem to be present in this card - almost like the reality of being with her now, when much of the time, she isn't 'present'; I wanted to honour my mother with a community card, but this card doesn't satisfy. Then, some images presented themselves during the past couple of weeks that called out to become my "real mother" card. - The card that captures the spirit of my mother. I am really happy that this card should replace the 'official' Mother card:



Now that I have become open to amending and/or replacing cards within my deck, it seems the refinements that are ready to be made are presenting themselves in a natural way. Does anyone else find they are making changes of this nature?

Celebrating Seena

When I first encountered SoulCollage, I felt an immediate connection - a Gimme! feeling. I know this is not unusual. Many of the people who turn up at the KaleidoSoul Yahoo group are obviously gripped by the same excitement, the same urgency about getting into this process.

So, at first, at the beginning, I didn't pay a lot of attention to where this had come from. Yes, there was a book, and of course I ordered it straight away, but it was the content, not the author that interested me at that time.

Then, in reading the book, in working with the cards I'd begun to make, and reflecting on what she said in the book about our engagement with the cards and neters, I began to get a sense of this person whose wisdom I was drawing on. - A sense of a gentle, knowing, accepting person, who was offering such a wonderful tool to us.

Within a few weeks, I was totally smitten with SoulCollage. One night, in a dream, a voice - a woman's voice - told me that I should Come! Come where? I wondered. Hmmm... And then, the audio-tapes I had ordered arrived, and I heard Seena's voice. Ah! That's the voice from my dream. Come? Come to the States? You have to be joking. Not possible! was my first response. But the seed was sown. The call had been heard. And 3 years later I did go. I went to California for facilitator training with Seena. What an experience!

Seena is, to me, one of those rare and wonderful souls who knows what she is here on earth to do, and she is doing it. Helping people to discover the many parts of themselves through the medium of SoulCollage. Her gentle spirit is a delight to encounter.

When her 75th birthday was approaching in February, and SoulCollage facilitators were invited to create a card to share with Seena as a celebration, this was the card I made, and these were the words I added:

.........I am one who brings light, who sheds light on dark places.
.........I am one who understands the One and the Many.
.........I am one whose call you heard and answered.
.........I am one who gives with open hands and welcomes with

..............open arms, who listens with full attention, who speaks

..............with great care.
.........I am one who offers tremendous gifts to the world.
.........I am a being of light.

It feels right to share it here now. If you have not read the book, go to the SoulCollage site and check out some of the articles Seena has written. You will not be sorry you have encountered this wonderful woman!