SoulCollage® Committee Suit: Relentless Investigator

I am one who is intensely focused. I seek clues and meaning. I persevere. I am one who practices attention through my eyes and through my mind.

What is your gift or message for me?

That being a seeker is only one part of who you are.

What do you want me to do?

Live in your body and all your senses.

Why did you show up today?

I have shown up today because you have noticed concerning lapses in memory. So this is a worry. I want to remind you that attention and retention aren't the same. 

If you have a shadow, what would it be? Or, what light do you offer?

The shadow is the addiction to pursuit and perceiving with the eye to the exclusion of the other senses.

SoulCollage® Committee Suit: Presence, Patience, and Time

I am one who waits with dignity, with the composure of the Buddha. I am one who understands the difference between psychological time and the eternal present. I understand how to use psychological time in my life situations, yet I remain aware of my connection to timeless Presence, from which I come and which embodies me.

What is your gift or message for me?

I am subtle, and the world's noise can be distracting.

What do you want me to do?

Identify what makes you feel most alive and practice it daily, even if for a few moments.

Why did you show up today?

Because you were ready.

If you have a shadow, what would it be? Or, what light do you offer?

Both light and shadow are needed.

SoulCollage® Committee Suit: Our Lady of Coffee

I am one who requires coffee. I am one who appreciates the daily ritual. I am one whose mind cannot function without a dose. I am one who is a mother and whose work is without end.

What is your gift or message for me?

That I am bottomless and endless and full of energy. 

What do you want me to do?

Enjoy imbibing without guilt or concern. Go out more to coffee shops. I am not meant to be drunk alone all the time. Life is messy and it's ok to spill, and sometimes art arises from what feels like a mistake.

Why did you show up today?

Because I'm ordinary and deeply integral to your life. And because you are feeling like hibernating and more tired because of the season.

If you have a shadow, what would it be? Or, what light do you offer?

The shadow is that drinking more coffee will not resolve your exhaustion if it is coming from other sources. The light is the pleasure of the ritual.

SoulCollage® Committee Suit: One Who Hides

I am one who feels very small and wants to be invisible. I protect myself and want to remain hidden. I have survived because I am skilled at being elusive, furtive, and alert. I don't want connection; I don't want to be tamed. I mind my own business and remain wild, untouchable.

What is your gift or message for me?

Just because I move through the world unnoticed does not mean my life is pointless. 

What do you want me to do?

Create and distribute your art, your words and thoughts, without concern if it will be seen by others. 

Why did you show up today?

You are worthy of existing in your own eyes alone. 

If you have a shadow, what would it be? Or, what light do you offer?

The light is you do not need external validation. 

SoulCollage® Committee Suit: Needy Glutton

I am one who overeats sweet, salty, fatty foods because they taste delicious. I eat mindlessly and compulsively. I am one who uses food to manage my emotions and distract myself. I am one who does this despite knowing that overconsumption is like playing with a loaded gun. 

What is your gift or message for me?

This is a real part of you. It is possible you have an actual addiction to sugar, refined flour, and fat.

What do you want me to do?

Knowing, owning, and accepting this part of yourself will be part of your journey.

Why did you show up today?

Because you pretend I don't exist... and I insist on being acknowledged.

If you have a shadow, what would it be? Or, what light do you offer?

The light is gusto.

SoulCollage® Committee Suit: Miracle Worker

I am one who, in the season of scarcity, was able to produce new life. I am one who creates and who is rich deep inside. I received a gift from the universe. I am one whose body is luscious and full and vibrant.

What is your gift or message for me?

That the universe is full of marvelous surprises, and you're on a journey of creating life, even as you gain years of age. 

What do you want me to do?

Trust life, trust your intuition, continue delving in.

Why did you show up today?

I want you to celebrate your body and your life in all its power.

If you have a shadow, what would it be? Or, what light do you offer?

The shadow is forgetting that there is more than meets the senses... forgetting that this body is just a temporary vehicle.

SoulCollage® Committee Suit: Tender Protection

                                    

I am one who is small and frightened, who needs protection. I am one who wanted protection. I am one who wants an all-present Mother, who wants tenderness.

What is your gift or message for me?

That in mothering Bean the way I wanted to be mothered I am being healed.

What do you want me to do?

Hold yourself tenderly. Remember fear is an idea and love heals. So take time to love when you feel fear.

Why did you show up today?

Because you were ready to pay attention to me at last.

If you have a shadow, what would it be? Or, what light do you offer?

The shadow is abandonment, feelings of abandonment. The light is that attention is love.

SoulCollage® Committee Suit: Hot Tomato

I am one who is juicy and curvy and full of life. I am sweet and tangy. I am tempting. I am the dame they call a Hot Tomato.

What is your gift or message for me?

Be in the fullness of your body. Take up space. Tomatoes go with everything.

What do you want me to do?

Show yourself off to the world. Be proud of your abundance.

Why did you show up today?

Because you're ripe.

If you have a shadow, what would it be? Or, what light do you offer?

The shadow is over-ripeness, fruit rotting on the vine. The light is celebration.

SoulCollage® Committee Suit: Fragile

I am one who is delicate. I am beautiful and must be handled with care.

What is your gift or message for me?

My fragility requires care, and care requires attention. 

What do you want me to do?

Handle yourself gently, especially your inner child heart.

Why did you show up today?

You are hurting. See this part of you and provide tenderness.

If you have a shadow, what would it be? Or, what light do you offer?

Remember that fragile things can be repaired if broken but may not be restored to original condition. 

SoulCollage® Committee Suit: Feline Familiars

I am one who is soft and curvy, and I am one who is fierce. I am one who enjoys pleasure and will communicate. I am one who is a mystery. I am one who is subtle. And I am one who is primal.

What is your gift or message for me?

Remember to indulge in things that give you joy, comfort, and pleasure.

What do you want me to do?

Watch things. Take your head and eyes out of your computer and watch kitty television, which is watching the world. Be curious about everything around you.

Why did you show up today?

It's been almost a year since Stella died. She was a good friend for 17 years and she is still with you.

If you have a shadow, what would it be? Or, what light do you offer?

The shadow is a tendency to laziness and to sneakiness. The light is the magnificent pleasure of being.

SoulCollage® Committee Suit: Drowning Samaritan

I am one who tries to rescue others from churning situations. I am one who is sometimes drowning. Parts of me flail in the chaos of living. I am one who tries to contain myself in a little boat, but it is too frail and too small for the task. The container has cracked, letting water (chaos) in.

What is your gift or message for me?

Adapt. Sometimes you can help others. Other times you need to rescue yourself. Learn to swim. Choose the right tool for the job; a bucket is not a boat.

What do you want me to do?

Recognize and respect the power of flow and chaos.

Why did you show up today?

Because you are preoccupied with the severe drought in California, and with Stella's increasing infirmities which feel overwhelming.

If you have a shadow, what would it be? Or, what light do you offer?

Don't get in over your head.

SoulCollage® Committee Suit: Contentment

I am one who appreciates what I have. I am able to accept what IS. I am free of striving, yearning, and clinging. I simply enjoy what I enjoy. I understand contentment. 

What is your gift or message for me?

I am the outcome of the practice of presence, attunement, experiencing all senses.

What do you want me to do?

Each day notice one small pleasure for each sense: sight, sound, scent, taste, touch.

Why did you show up today?

Because you deserve to be reminded.

If you have a shadow, what would it be? Or, what light do you offer?

Don't pursue me. I cannot be encountered through pursuit. I arrive when you are attending to life's pleasures.

SoulCollage® Committee Suit: Comfort Food

I am one who still enjoys the first food I was able to make in childhood. It was my first step toward independence to be able to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I also have fond memories of eating Fluffernutters. I am the go-to food of choice when a sense of nostalgic comfort is needed. 

What is your gift or message for me?

You are capable of nourishing yourself even if in the most rudimentary ways.

What do you want me to do?

Allow yourself to experience this childhood treat occasionally.

Why did you show up today?

It seemed as good a time as any. Go buy some Fluff.

If you have a shadow, what would it be? Or, what light do you offer?

My shadow is that too much of me will make you ill over time.