Old Soul, Same Soul

A number of years ago while she still lived in Lansing, Santa Fe artist Jane Rosemont hosted a soul collage workshop, bringing in a certified Soul Collage leader to guide us through this creative process.

Based on the book by Soul Collage, by Seena Frost, the idea is to create cards (these were 5x7 or 5x8) that express elements of your soul. It could be your family, your frustratrations, your faith, your secrets.

I recently found my cards and what intrigues me these many years later is that they still very much reflect the me of today. For example, there is never enough time. 

Trying to manage my time and find enough time to do anything and everything I want is, was and will remain one of my greatest challenges. This card reminds me that there is never enough time, so make the most of what you have.

 

I wear a mask everyday. Do you? The smile when you'd really like to chew someone's head off? The "Sure, I'll do it!" when you really would rather not. My theatre background has stood me in great stead over the years, never so more than now as I find my temper gets a little shorter. Really, aren't we always on stage a little bit?

 

And yes, sometimes it seems as though everyone wants a piece of you, doesn't it? That no matter what, you can't climb out of the maze of everyone asking for something or needing something. Sometimes it seems like there is a never-ending route for your escape, as signified by the fire escape in the background. Do you go up or down? How far can you go to escape?. The hands in this image also symbolize my deadlines which are continual. I love deadlines -- they keep me on track. But sometimes everyone's deadlines are at the same time.

Grief. When I did my soul collage workshop I was going through grief and loss issues, still mourning my Dad, my friend Patricia and others. I am still going through grief issues and I suspect I shall on a regular basis as I age and see others begin to leave this earth. This card symbolized being at the very bottom on a rocky terrain as a ship sails away with the one you love leaving only memories. The green mound and the flowers symbolize life and future, rebirth of spring -- and of course the ladder tells me there is a way out. I just must be ready to climb those rickety steps to escape.

Finally, the lion represents one of the chakras and it is also my astrological Leo symbol. To me, this also indicates my inner strength -- that while I may have some vulnerabilities, I am to the core strong, a fighter, a survivor. And yes, I also have big hair.

I was glad to discover these cards and I'd recommend the process as a good (and creative) sorting out of yourself. And it was interesting to rediscover -- the more things change, the more they stay the same.