Anybody tried soul collage?

It's fun when I lost my perfectionist traits and just went for it - getting the picture down without worrying whether it looked nice or not.

Every day I take the train to work. It takes two and a half hours each way. While on the train, I write up my daily tarot card and then have a little sleep. But around me, there are people tapping on laptops, watching portable DVD players, texting their friends. Messages bleep on ten or more phones at a time, and people, with no consideration, have 30 minute conversations - either to friends or work colleagues - usually, there might be two or three people doing this at one time. You can hear the sound of I-pods in the background. And it drives me absoultely mad!!! If I could zone out, I would be in that little black square - away from the computers and i-pods and mobile phones and all of the modern technology that invades my 'me time' in the morning, or when I am exausted on the way home.

Everything is going digital. My dad says they need to buy a new tv. We have this and that, and that and this. And everything is getting smaller. And you can download that into this and this into that. My card was just looking for that small 'hole' out of it all; away from all of this - modern life is rubbish, Damon Alburn sang. I have such sentiment for times passed - for my old 'tape recorder' and the C60 cassettes that went in it; for not being contacted wherever I am. Yes, I know the convenience of all this stuff but it really annoys me. I have heard that you will be able to use your mobile on the underground in a year or so's time. Great. That was the last sacred place for peace and quiet.

So that's what my card was all about.

LB

Gosh, that really does explain the card LB. I didn't realise such strong feelings were involved. Hope the process vented some of your exasperation.

I've been collecting magazines for months now, just meaning to get around to doing some more cards. Today I spent a happy four or five hours snipping until I had a really rich pile to choose from. I put on some relaxing music and the images I wanted seem to float up to me. It was amazing, 'cos often I'm quite perfectionistic too and can easily get into a quandary over finding the right one. But for some reason this process makes me feel very relaxed and happy.

I'm posting scans of the two I did today. One's the Source card. The book advises that each deck should contains one card outside of the suits that expresses the oneness of things. I didn't intend to do this card today, but it sort of created itself.

The other card is for the Committee suit - that is one of my subpersonalities and it's called 'I am One Who Finds a Way Through'

Very, very impressed.

What's the source card all about. Love your version - very surreal.

Do you recommend the book? Might have to have a look for it.

LB

Thanks, Little Buddha

She calls the Source card 'oneness beyond dimension'. Although she doesn't put it this way I think it's meant to express a sense of the Divine. Or, if you don't believe in deities, of the origin of being. It seems to me that all the source cards on the website and in the book seem to share a strong sense of mystery and of the spiritual.

I think the book is worthwhile, although you could probably get by on the info on the website. The book covers the structure of the deck very well, explaining what exactly the four suits entail, and the practicalities of crafting the cards. There are tons of pictures of cards as well, so it's nice to browse through. There are worse things to spend twenty quid or so on, put it that way.

Thanks. I have flicked through it before. But didn't pay much attention.

So are you printing them out with view of using them in the future?

I was thinking about it last night. When I was younger, through spiritual contact, I remember different visions and characters. I thought it might be interesting to weave some of them through the cards. It might also be a way of getting memories that are both good and bad out and into their own little 'frame' for later conscious use.

LB

I'd actually like to make a whole deck, the way the book instructs. I'm just going to do it gradually, as the inspiration comes. Like yesterday, a wet Sunday, was perfect for settling down to it, but it'll probably be a while before I get to it again.
At the moment the images are stuck onto cardboard (those blank birthday cards you buy in packets if you want to design your own) but it's a bit light. The book recommends sticking them onto matboard, which I assume is mounting board, but when I looked in the artshop any that I saw seemed awfully thick and heavy and you had to buy special knives to cut it etc., so I held off. What I'd like to do is find just the right consistency of card or board and then print out a scan on decent matt photo -paper and stick it to that. So I'm keeping my eyes open at the moment for the perfect card material.
Seena Frost maintains that when you make a personal deck like this that it's absolutely uncanny to work with and there's a section in the book about consulting the cards.
Your idea of using previous visions and spiritual contacts to weave through the cards sounds fascinating. I think that would make an extremely special deck indeed!

I just got this book through interlibrary loan, to see if I want to purchase it. Wow! I'm so excited to begin, I can hardly stand it. I can already see myself going to antique shops and yard sales for old magazines and postcards to cut up for my collages. I'm not very crafty, but this looks doable, and I'm psyched!

Nice to see this thread revived. Thanks Apollonia
Let us know how you get on, and do please post your cards here!
bright blessings,

My first SoulCard

Here's my first try. The name of the card is "I am the One who knows who I am." This was so engaging and fun to do--I'm pretty well hooked.

Apollonia, that is so lovely! There's a real sense of peace about it. You're off to a great start.