At risk of blowing my cover as a kind of imposter, I bring you this month’s SoulCollage® offering.
This SoulCollage® card came from reflecting on this
theme of Surrender this lunar month,
Surrender is a tricky old word, and not a very appealing one. I hesitated before I called our next SoulCollage gathering an exploration of the theme of surrender.
Three reasons:
1. Surrender is not my strong suit!: I don’t claim any teacherly high-ground in this area. In other words, I'm inviting you to join me in exploring this theme – not claiming I can impart it.
2. Surrender is very intense in light and shadow. A bit like the midday sun there doesnt really seem like there is anywhere to hide! I can surrender as a holy act or an unholy one. When is it right to admit I am powerless, and when it is it right to step into my power? Surrender can be life giving and courageous or it can be an act of cowardice. So this makes it a very deeply personal place to look. So, why even do this in community?
3. I don’t like the idea of being judged and this topic feels like it gets us humans at our most judgy : Ideas of over-reaching arrogance and pride and thoughts of weakness and failure come into the room as soon as we look at this theme.
And breathe Samantha!
(A little pause moment!)
So let me say a bit more about this first one. Being ill-equipped at first felt like a very vulnerable place to offer from. But in this case, I actually think it’s a good one! I really hope it means that, from a more self-compassionate place, that I am also open and receptive to learning. Which I do believe is a very good thing to bring to any exploration. Because in an open place, new things can feel welcome to arrive and arise.
The other thing is that I am offering as a facilitator of creative space, and actually my job is to hold that space safely so that you can discover things in the space. If I thought I knew what those things were in advance, I would not be a facilitator but an expert.
Hmmm the process of sitting with this theme this month is right under my skin here.
A very personal place to look. well yes but this isnt like probey therapy or self-disclosure Samantha. Imagery and atunement is the currency of Soulcollage® . Its gentleness is what you love most about it.
You will offer those who come along a process to discover their own imagery of surrender, the imagery their hearts and bellies and curiosity offers to them… and then to hear some of the wisdom it has to offer.
You have any clue what that imagery will be!
We are in real serenity prayer territory here:
God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
Grant me patience with the changes that take time
Appreciation of all that i have
Tolerance for those with different struggles
And the strength to get up and try again
One day at a time..
For me in here is also the answer to the question ‘why do this in community?’. Other people really do have different struggles. And there are times when we really cant see other peoples struggles clearly, because our own are so much clearer. In a creative process, you will uncover your own imagery and its wisdom, but so often in these gatherings, what you come to learn about yourself has something in it for others present. Your witness serves others just by being authentic.
And this is also where your agency, your wisdom and your courage to go inward are the ways to take self beyond the need to worry too much about what someone else thinks about you. And as you can see - im also talking to my Imposter self here!
If this, my third reason to not do this, was going to stop me offering this creative workshop experience to you, then I would have betrayed the spirit of SoulCollage® to re-source above and beyond what our own brains can offer us.
The other thing i also want to mention though is the Sweet part. Sweet Surrender rather than sordid, shifty or shabby Surrender.
My Imposter part is indeed coming to suspect that surrendering to these parts of us by getting to know them intimately is a very tender and wonderful act of self-care that ultimately will serve us, and by extension all the humans around us. Thats why i used the image of the benevolent Fig tree in all its entagled self, as the main image for the event. (Thank you Jan Yardley for the wonderful photoraph). Here it is in case you havent seen it yet:
So – are you in? I really do hope so - already a wonderful group is beginning to constellate.
If you are, do take a look at the details, and, if you find you can’t make the time but would like to explore nonetheless, do message me (connect@thesoul-shed.co.uk) and we can always set up a second group session or a one to one.
If you’re unsure whether this is for you or not, I’d also like to encourage you to take this question to the trees. If you are one to surrender too easily, and give your power away to keep the peace, see what Oak or Holly has to say to you. And, if you have more of a ‘Never Surrender!’ set up going on, see what the witness of Willow or Apple offers you. More of this of course, is in the book.
I look forward to creating with you soon.
Big Love
Sam
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