Soul Shrinker

sagitarian

Wow, I was kinda surprised by how MANY picked him as their least favorite card. So I thought I'd dedicate a thread all to this misunderstood wonderful fae. I can feel him smile around me even now saying, wow, you'd do that for me? Of course sweetie, I adore you!

To continue on as he watches what I type, he is most curious on what I have to say about him, I said I was kinda surprised cause I can understand the look of him is rather threatening at first, but when I frist saw him, I don't know, I looked at him, my head went to one side gently as my eyes grew saddend. I told him to not worry about what others think of you, that you have a beautiful soul, and easily passed him up when doing my least favorite card. His eyes softend, and he smiled gently back. I knew then I would connect to this beautiful fae very well. I have yet to read his starter reading in the book, as I really enjoy just allowing them to tell me what they have to say.

I also found it really interesting that after many picked him as their least favorite card, then read about him, felt horrible that they picked him as their least favorite card. Soul Shrinker and I were hoping to see how many of you feel towards him now. He also says that it's ok that if you still find him as your least favorite, that he doesn't have to be recatagorized or anything. He was just wondering if any of you have changed how you see him at all, and I was wondering what kind of messages he's given you since, and if your original reaction to him has changed at all?

I have to admit though, I'm REALLY curious on what the book does say about him. I'm gonna go read about him. But I know what he means to me.

To me, Soul Shrinker is a protective fae. He helps us see what we do not, potential danger, or perhaps danger that is already there and not seeing it. He helps protect our homes, and those we love in and outside our homes. I think he really enjoys to play as most of them do. He was one of the fae that I sang to, and he was most happy to hear my song. I really enjoy having him around. I feel that the house is a little more safer with him here, and helps me feel more comfortable with contacting the celestial realms, as he will help protect me from what is bad, and help me contact what is good. I just could never see him as being my least favorite. I adore this wonderful fae creature! I think he's crying now with all the wonderful things that I had to say about him. If you have anything positive to say to him, then please, be sure to let him know, wether you post it or say it personally to just him. He doesn't hear enough positive things about him. Let him know that the message he has for you is just as treasured as any of the other faes.
 

Athara

Wow, that certainly changed my view of him. I'll go read the description in the book, and meditate with him. I'd surely love to get to know him better (like I do with all faery :))
 

Khatruman

Very insightful, sag, and you show your true empathy for the realm of the fae with your post.

Since my lens is through literature, I see now, through the benefit of your voicings, the classic theme of the misunderstanding of the monster. I deal with this theme in English Literature, starting with Grendel, the monster of the old English epic poem Beowulf, who is "cursed by God as a decendent of Cain". After reading the heroic tale, which paints Beowulf as the heroic savior in vanquishing the monster, I have students read Grendel by John Gardner, which takes the old tale and gives Grendel's view, which becomes quite existential. I take the theme through the class as I bookend the course with Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, which includes another misunderstood creature. He comes to consciousness as a benevolent being, but is misunderstood because of his appearance. In fact we today misunderstand him still to the point that most of us know the story of Frankenstein, but do not realize that Frankenstein is the name of the creator, not the creature. The creature is never given a nameby his creator. How important names are to us, labels. Grendel is the descendent of Cain, therefore an outcast by the very label he is given. Victor Frankenstein's creation is so outcast to human society that he never gets a name.

But is it the creator who names us? I laughed when President Bush offered words of consolation in the Columbia Shuttle tragedy when he stated that the Creator who named the stars put the names of the astronauts into his stars. It was not the Creator who named the stars, it was we humans who did so! Creator and Creature, what's the relationship? And what is in a name?

So to Soul Shrinker... is it Brian Froud who created him? He would say, I am sure, that he merely called him forth, and perhaps named him. And what is the point of the name? The Soul Shrinker... as soon as hearing that name, one is drawn back, shrunk and reeling. Then one sees his smile, the squint of his eyes. We feel the name, we label, we dislike, perhaps, even more stongly, hate. But what is it we hate? Our own soul shrinking. I very much believe in the understanding that we most often hate in others what we fear in ourselves. We fear our shrunken soul, our own soullessness, and this fae merely holds up the mirror. The word monster comes from the Latin word monstrare (I may have the conjugation wrong, my Latin knowledge is somewhat faded), which means "to show". That is what monsters do: they show us in grotesque form the ugliest part of ourselves. Frankenstein's creature showed Victor the ugliness of man's trying to be the very Creator, the ugliness of scientific pursuit to the denial of the supreme Creator. Grendel showed the ugliness of man's destroying of his fellow man, the spawn of a brother who murdered his own. Soul Shrinker shows to us the ugliness of our often soulless acts, that we many times act in life without doing what our souls tells us we ought to. The Soul Shrinker is us; we have given him the name.

To paraphrase Scottish poet Robert Burns, ahhh, the gift the giver gives us, to see ourselves as others see us. Look at The Soul Shrinker when he comes to your readings and ask, "What is the soullessness in myself that I am not seeing?" and thank him for this gift.

Thank you, sagitarian, for this gift of self reflection, and reminder that one should not kill the messenger for his message.

Peace!
 

Alissa

Beautiful posts, sag and Khat! I wish I had so much eloquence left in for poor little Soul Shrinker.

While I did not connect with him on the level you describe, sag, I also passed him up easily as my least comfortable card, although I still wasn't fond of him per se.

But, as I've posted about elsewheres here, I have come to see Soul Shrinker as a guardian of sorts ... as well as an extremely accurate mirror holder ... like Khatruman suggest. (And let me say that the English student in me loved going over Grendel's and the Creature's stories in conjunction to this thread ... inspired!)

I do believe that when we see Shrinker as a fiend, we are only projecting our own expectations, our own assumptions, on to him ... that we have yet again judged a book by the cover. So *so* often (of the past month) the Faeries have told me "look again," "look deeper," "look longer," because They aren't to be judged in a glance or in a gut reaction, but lived with instead. I've tried to honor that message each time.

When I welcomed Shrinker, I realized He wasn't there to hurt me at all ... which was only a projected fear of my own, that he would bring messages of doom or destruction. This taught me to re-evaluate situations when I feel threatened as well ... what exactly is it that I fear, I may ask myself when Shrinker reminds me to look deeper.

And, more importantly, can I overcome it? *That* to me is Shrinker's greatest gift to me ... look deeper, even if it frightens you, and find the strength, and realize you're not alone and you do have help. You can beat it.

May Queen Mab bless you mightily, Soul Shrinker!
 

sagitarian

Very interesting!

Khat, that was really inspiring what you posted, and how you related literature to this thread.

I do agree that he does indeed hold a mirror to help us show in where we are wrong, judging too quickly, or not looking deep enough as was pointed out. But I think he is SO much more then just that, which I'm finding that others see in him as well. He is a very interesting fae to me, and I've spent some time "talking" with him intuitively. I welcome his criticism, and his protection as well as his friendship which is very important to me. I'm glad that others are seeking out his message.
 

Jewel

I have written a few of my feelings for this loving soul (Soul Shrinker) in response to posts in the Least Favorite Card thread. I have found him to be a real true friend, and a model of the type of person I hope to be. I have noticed that when I have done a selfless good deed and look upon him I see more of the flesh color in the card and his smile widden. To me he is a reminder to never judge a book by its cover and to always be kind to others. He is the gentlest fae I know, and he is always welcome in my home and in my heart. He and I have a very good relationship and I call upon him often just to have his company. He helped me design my Queen of Cups card for the Aeclectic SACT project :D ... need I say more about this gentle soul?
 

sagitarian

awwws

that is so beautiful jewels. I'm glad that he is working with you so closely in your life.
 

Jewel

Well Pollux and I are still working out the color of the lips (I wanted to change it from the color I used in the original painting of her) on the Queen of Cups that Soul Shrinker helped me with (he watched and ooooohhhhed and aaawwwwwweeed and suggested colors - he's just so cute *LOL*) anyways, although the lips will change. In the painting she is singing so her mouth is somewhat of O shape with her lips giving it a heart shape. In the color changing we are having difficulty with getting her mouth just right. But Soul Shrinker wants me to share her.
 

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sagitarian

BEAUTIFUL

She's BEAUTIFUL jewels! Wow...claps her hands for you and SS. You guys both did awesome! Smiles REALLY big!
 

Hedera

Yes, she is very beautiful, Jewel! Very queenly, too.

From the limited experience I have with him (I haven't drawn him yet, he wasn't my favourite or least favourite, but I have been looking at him/thinking about him a lot), Soul Shrinker feels quite young to me somehow, and very innocent. This may sound weird, I think it has to do with the coulours, the uneven teeth, etc. Ofcourse, then the Frankenstein;s Monster connection makes sense: that was really a big, blundering child, too, looking for love.

I don't think SS is ugly, just sort of unformed, like clay. Plus, he reminds of a 3 year old I know (who is beautiful, but has similar gaps between her teeth), and she is just really sweet and curious and a little shy sometimes.

This thread has started me thinking about seeing SS as a 'stronger' fae, protecting etc, but I don't think that will turn out who he is to me.

Lovely insights here, and this whole forum is a real motivator to keep playing with the fae!

:) Hedera.