tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549832161157718692024-02-07T02:26:29.309-08:00Sliver of Light: SoulCollage® for Jewish WomenA site where Jewish women can share their stories through SoulCollage®.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349928247626849914noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-354983216115771869.post-75200117915386054182010-09-08T07:33:00.001-07:002010-09-08T07:33:28.085-07:00Where To Find Me:<span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-size:180%;" ><a href="http://orli-shines.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;" >Shine the Divine: Creativity <span style="font-style: italic;">Is</span> a Spiritual Practice</span></a></span></span>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349928247626849914noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-354983216115771869.post-34005624497938310802009-10-01T14:10:00.000-07:002010-09-08T07:20:23.664-07:00Simplifying my life<div class="post-body entry-content"> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 204);">As you have surely noticed, I have not added any new entries to this blog in a very long time!</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 204);">For those who do not know, I have been pretty sick this year with MS. For now I have begun blogging again but just on one of my blogs. At this time, that is more than enough blogging for me to manage. I am still coaching clients over the phone and via e-mail if you are interested in being coached or you could send me images of your cards and I would be happy to witness and scribe for you one on one through a new service I'm offering Lev b'Lev SoulCollage Guidance. If this interests you let me know laura@shinethedivine.com</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 204);">God willing I will start up this blog again in the future, but for now if you want to find out what's new, creative and spiritual in my life feel free to visit me at<span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"> </span></span><a style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);" href="http://orli-shines.blogspot.com/">Shine The Divine: Creativity as a Spiritual Practice</a><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 204);"><a style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);" href="http://orli-shines.blogspot.com/">.</a> You can follow that blog using the google follow icon. When my vision returns to normal again and my hands become steady I will begin to create my beloved SoulCollage cards again. For the time being...I receive pleasure and guidance from the many cards in my deck. </span><br /><br /></div> <span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 255);">shana tova...may this be a year of great healing for all the worlds.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 204);">Gentle steps always,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 204);">Laura</span> </div> <span class="post-author vcard"></span>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349928247626849914noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-354983216115771869.post-2895425670248746052009-03-17T10:42:00.000-07:002009-03-17T11:25:12.312-07:00Chodesh Nissan: Bouyant Freedom<div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(0, 204, 204);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >This is one of the first SoulCollage cards I ever made (nearly 3 years ago).</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Her message continues to unfold for me, changing as I do.<br /><br />Her original name was Weightless-But as in the Torah, when transformation happens, names change too.<br /><br />Her new name is Bouyant Freedom.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >In this moment it seems a perfect image for a rapidly approaching Chodesh Nisan-</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >the month of renewal and freedom-releasing what is old and birthing what is new- supported by what we have learned. This is a continuous theme in the Jewish life cycle, moment-to-moment, Shabbat-to-Shabbat, Month-to-Month, throughout the Holy-day cycle and the life cycle.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Here is today’s reading of this card as I am poised to cross the Sea of Reeds:</span><br /></div><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzL6J2rrVz3UXQWJlEnpHMOCaPNhJnyy-wQIay06IPWCw-QDGzrAzzYG9n1WynqqHM1XUWg8Ri0xIkEy11DLAdl1Yc09Nf2SB5VC1YgpO_efvdoN77_ggvjHbPeSiW-UqHAj7Fap4esfo/s1600-h/100_2116.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzL6J2rrVz3UXQWJlEnpHMOCaPNhJnyy-wQIay06IPWCw-QDGzrAzzYG9n1WynqqHM1XUWg8Ri0xIkEy11DLAdl1Yc09Nf2SB5VC1YgpO_efvdoN77_ggvjHbPeSiW-UqHAj7Fap4esfo/s400/100_2116.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314213588351462802" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 204, 204);">Who are you?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I am the one who</span> is wizened and old,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);">gnarled by a year of toil.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I am the one</span> shedding old skin-</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);">Rising, flowing out of the birthing waters into a freedom I have longed for </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);">these cold winter months.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I am the one who</span> is open and free…filled with wonder at the miracle of being born yet again…floating, rising to a world that calls my name.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204); font-weight: bold;">What do you have to give me?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);">I offer you a buoyant salty sea…may the tears of this years harshness carry you/me to new awareness.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204); font-weight: bold;">What do you want from me?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);">I want you to allow the salt water to cleanse and soften our skin as we rise; so that my deep learning will have meaning through your life this coming year.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204); font-weight: bold;">Is there anything else you want to tell me?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);">Love this embodiment of freedom. It might at first seem fleeting…but it will always return again.</span>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349928247626849914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-354983216115771869.post-50107693553252238592009-02-20T07:51:00.000-08:002009-02-20T07:58:51.129-08:00Tied to the Tide of our Lives<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153); font-family: verdana;">You may notice that there are a few months missing here. My family life has been turned a bit upside down by illness and other complications and it has been difficult to keep up with my multiple blogs. This is the way, the wave we all ride as women, as humans, tied to the tide of our lives. If curiosity get the best of you you can go to my personal blog <a href="http://orli-shines.blogspot.com">Creativity as a Spiritual Practice</a> to get the scoop.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153); font-family: verdana;">B'Shalom,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 153); font-family: verdana;">Laura</span><br /></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349928247626849914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-354983216115771869.post-20616283364017998462009-02-15T07:00:00.000-08:002009-02-20T07:47:23.169-08:00Adar<div style="text-align: justify;font-family:verdana;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">It seems appropriate that this collage came to be just as we approach Purim a time for revealing the courage, strength and faith that stands behind our masks.</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNYIWkaA86dh1mDllInYOoWnxB4ursWUioEeNwsGYHBwUnUuNI4uHLxB3dIOagljT1j87bHN7O2wgoAH1Xmm6Q-lbMSJuGcbYqQz_QTjEgm7QX3WTouzlkeYq-rXUX2YCZSQ7jZqEjkNk/s1600-h/100_1895.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNYIWkaA86dh1mDllInYOoWnxB4ursWUioEeNwsGYHBwUnUuNI4uHLxB3dIOagljT1j87bHN7O2wgoAH1Xmm6Q-lbMSJuGcbYqQz_QTjEgm7QX3WTouzlkeYq-rXUX2YCZSQ7jZqEjkNk/s400/100_1895.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303039431458370322" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I am One...I am Two...</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Who stands behind this mask of fire.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I am one who is both mother and child dressed up and shielded by long stands of truth</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >...mother as masquerade for the inadequacy I feel-yet thrust into this warrior status.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 255); font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >I stand firmly on ground that is shifting.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 255);">I offer you comfort in knowing this duality...it is real and makes perect sense as you walk upon new and frightening territory. I give you courage to continue standing behind these flames of uncertainty.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 255);">I want you to see the regal qualities you possess. You are the warrior/mother/child. Look within to see the stength you have summoned...your Own strength.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 255);">Is the mask really a Mask? If so, what is it hiding?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 255);">Your strength-truly this is not a mask, but a shield to protect the ones you love.</span><br /></div></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349928247626849914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-354983216115771869.post-42149246100160904192008-11-09T16:56:00.000-08:002008-11-09T17:01:24.623-08:00Cheshvan<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsBasJlmQSc77JHwnwLoURc8Lm-Edbq-txf2YG1FsG197KgJQ7cTAXL-sTuQTkeB6vgLGFxxOdHAhXGFPBDkpXYSepuMvSp-wn8TkLOtBW1Gkm2YmnM3KGxsDlqUKXWQ5mGBdjJTGfwg/s1600-h/%2373.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsBasJlmQSc77JHwnwLoURc8Lm-Edbq-txf2YG1FsG197KgJQ7cTAXL-sTuQTkeB6vgLGFxxOdHAhXGFPBDkpXYSepuMvSp-wn8TkLOtBW1Gkm2YmnM3KGxsDlqUKXWQ5mGBdjJTGfwg/s320/%2373.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266827555925513090" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Cheshvan is often referred to as Mar-Cheshvan (Bitter Cheshvan) because in this month there are no holy-days to celebrate....No preparation, special prayers or rituals to fill our time…nothing extra that we have to do. To me this is not a time of bitterness as much as it is a time to breathe…to wait…to embrace the space of emptiness. Yes embrace the space of emptiness. As a SoulCollager, yoga teacher, meditator and creativity coach I find this emptiness to be a blessing. One common denominator to all of these practices is that they each can be a springboard for diving into the emptiness. Cheshvan is a reminder to take time out from the busy-ness of holy-days (of everyday really) and notice the holiness of being in the moment. Any moment. Including the “empty” ones. </span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">My yoga and Jewish spirituality teachers, Rabbi Myriam Klotz and Diane Bloomfield recently shared this commentary on B’reishit from Reb Levi Yizchak of Berdichev:</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">“When a person wants to arouse new outpouring of this energy (shefa hadasha) throughout all the worlds of existence, she needs to immerse herself in (l’dabeyk atzmo) the Ayn, the No-thing-ness.”</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">This powerful sentence teaches a core principle everyone engaged in creative endeavors must pay attention to. In order to replenish our creative wells and truly nourish and nurture our innermost essence so that we can “do” when “doing” is what is called for, we must stop for a while to consciously tap into the “shefa” the Divine Flow of Creation. Jill Badonsky, developer of Kaizen-Muse creativity coaching refers to this as the realm of Muse Lull. Indeed. </span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">As the leaves continue to fall and the trees become “empty” we become witnesses to this process in the physical world around us. We too can mirror the wisdom nature displays and focus our attention deep down in our roots. We need this time, this month of Cheshvan to cherish the quiet and allow the shefa to rise up and fill us with the strength, the ideas, the courage to Lech Lecha…go to ourselves. This month of stillness is an opportunity to listen for the Divine voice as she speaks directly to us. B’reishit tells us that God “speaks the world into being”. When we sit in the no-thing-ness…the emptiness…the stillness…silence…we open to receiving the inner-messages that will sustain us. When we embrace the space of emptiness we become the vessels through which Creation and creativity flow.</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Although it could be argued that there is some “doing” involved in creating a SoulCollage card…for the most part, the images that “desire” to be connected tell you so…again, it is a matter of sacred listening and discernment. SoulCollage is a fabulous way to stop, look and listen, to truly sit and embrace the emptiness of Cheshvan; allowing shefa to replenish your creative well.</span><br /></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349928247626849914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-354983216115771869.post-87431089439946607632008-09-27T11:44:00.000-07:002008-09-27T11:49:09.172-07:00elulThe Hebrew month, Elul is a powerful month of preparation as we dig down deep cultivating the ground we will be settling into for the winter months. Hard work, deep intention, prayerful awareness arises as we contemplate our lives up until the present time...and yet, we know that every year as the memories wash over us and our desire to improve our connections with the Divine, with our loved ones grows, this is part of a continuum. We strive to turn inward toward the Creator, our roots searching and penetrating our inner soil. We contemplate our purpose in the grand scheme of life unfolding. This is t'shuvah. As the reality that we have many failings becomes clear...remember too dear ones that we have evolved over the past year as well. With each failure there is a mirrored image of success. This time of inward reflection can also lead us to celebrate with gratitude all of the goodness we have been granted as well as the goodness we have created.<br /><br />May we all be blessed with the awareness that we are good, that we create good...despite the suffering that is part of the whole of what it means to be human.<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />*T'shuvah is often translated as repentance...but a more accurate understanding might be "the process of turning inward".<br />**This post fist appeared @ <a href="http://orli-shines.blogspot.com">Creativity as a Spiritual Practice</a><br /></span>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349928247626849914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-354983216115771869.post-69723417266296088322008-09-26T11:03:00.000-07:002008-09-26T11:10:20.322-07:00Elul: Opening to Worlds of Learning<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi223BqR-72PVHc1a6_1amksxsvovZQg8prtC445J_YbBb7im0VOQcbpIRrt4Cd-3jKouPO5SwczCYKqQKhXNXchxJgb-GB8GnxK3qFXDITHovYJb1CBTg1ugAVKDPsxFtSvKEXsSio6lw/s1600-h/100_1230.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi223BqR-72PVHc1a6_1amksxsvovZQg8prtC445J_YbBb7im0VOQcbpIRrt4Cd-3jKouPO5SwczCYKqQKhXNXchxJgb-GB8GnxK3qFXDITHovYJb1CBTg1ugAVKDPsxFtSvKEXsSio6lw/s400/100_1230.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250392721455882082" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(0, 51, 51);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Who are you?</span><br />I am the one who…<br />Learns from many sources.<br />Nature…books…my own home-grown experiences. I am the one who is like a child with wide eyes…discovering through, sight, touch, sound and scent. I am the one who hungers for more than knowledge alone…I am the one in search of wisdom.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What do you have to give me?</span><br />I give you trust and encouragement. I give you the desire to make good choices. I give you open doors and a world of possibilities to step out into and bring home to your inner world.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What do you want from me? </span><br />I want you to see what is really in front of you. Hear the sounds. Take in the aroma and taste of ancient knowledge and wisdom that has been offered to you. I wan you to apply what you learn to bring peace into all the worlds. I want you to sit with the open face of a child, awed by all there is to learn and witness…the small things, the grand things all of it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Is there anything else you want to tell me?</span><br />BE connected with that pure child who rests within you. She has a great deal to teach as well. Not everything you need to know and understand comes from outside of your skin. Respect what her small voice says. She is one of great wisdom too.<br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 51);">Title:</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 51);"> <span style="font-size:130%;">Opening to Worlds of Learning<br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:180%;">May this be a year of receiving deep Torah.</span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 51);"></span></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349928247626849914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-354983216115771869.post-74718971155420707332008-07-08T08:12:00.000-07:002008-07-08T08:31:39.829-07:00Tamuz<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 102);font-family:lucida grande;" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tamuz</span></span> begins a period of mourning for the Jewish people. Idol worship of one kind or another provoked much of this deep sadness; delusion followed by destruction. In the time of Moses it was the Golden calf (some say that is why we women who did not participate in the calf’s construction were granted Rosh Chodesh as a time to relax and celebrate each month). During these three weeks of morning we remember the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (by Idol worshiping Babylonians and then again by the Romans) In our time, we too have our idols, our illusions and delusions that lead to destructive behaviors. </span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 102);font-family:lucida grande;" ><br /><br />I spent time with my daughters, nieces and nephew this past week at the seashore, a family tradition for more than 15 years. One of our “rituals” is to select a single movie that everyone will enjoy. This year’s pick was <a href="http://www.pixar.com/">WALL-E</a>, a film that echoes this historical human pattern of idolatry that leads to destruction. As the story unfolds we realize that once again, two </span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 102);font-family:lucida grande;" >“temples” have been destroyed: temple one “planet Earth”, and temple two “the human body”. Both destroyed for the sake of worshiping a golden calf here named “consumption”. It is through the simplicity, devotion and love of a childlike robot “Wall-E” that humanity is reminded of our connection to life, to each other (and for the spiritually centered-the ONE who grants miracles and blessings).</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 102);font-family:lucida grande;" ><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">This often times is my personal pattern as well</span>. (No judgment on others) Why must I fall to the bottom before I look up to see a Light that has grown dim and distant? Perhaps the word “I” is a clue, for it is when “I” separate myself from “other” that the descent begins. It is not until “I” look up that the lush green of life comes into view, filling me with wonder, reminding me that as Wall-E discovers (and teaches the “humans” in the film), “I” am not alone. The world is vast and when “I” is removed and “me” becomes “we” purpose, hope and reality are restored.</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 102);font-family:lucida grande;" ><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">What are your Idols? </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">What will it take to knock down your “temple” walls for the light beyond (and within) to be revealed?</span></span><br /></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349928247626849914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-354983216115771869.post-36726536780161347082008-06-25T13:38:00.000-07:002008-06-25T14:04:30.852-07:00Sivan<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Here we are in the midst of <span style="font-size:130%;">Sivan</span>. In this month we celebrated Shavuot-a time of receiving, a time of revelation. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >This morning my daughter and I were walking our dog and looking for heart shaped stones along the way. In a moment of clarity and surprise (at least to me), my 11 year old wisely professed-<span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">"Mom, you know you can never be in the same place twice. The next time you come it will have rained, or the light will be different in the sky-it's never ever exactly the same again." </span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;" >And I added <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">"You won't be the same either, you will have learned new things and see the world in a new way. This is why we can read Torah over and over and there is more in it each time."</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">"Yeah,"</span> she said, <span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">"first you might just read the stories, but the next time you might notice something you didn't the last time."</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Indeed</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">...how appropriate an awareness for this month of Sivan-revelation doesn't happen only once in our lives with smoke and rumbling, fire and a shofar blast-Revelation is far more subtle, it is a constant unfolding-but you have to be looking for it (like a heart shaped stone) in order to see/hear/receive what it is you need to learn in the moment.</span><br /><br /><br /></span></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349928247626849914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-354983216115771869.post-23005097378774579652008-05-29T07:47:00.000-07:002008-05-29T09:33:16.072-07:00SoulCollage® for Middah Development<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:verdana;" >Middot are soul traits, Divine qualities that require daily attention if we wish to live a life that is filled with (w)holy interactions. Our awareness of how each middah has an impact on our relationships with other people, with our selves and with God, leads us to develop these traits more fully. There are many excellent resources to help us on this sacred path including <a href="http://www.mussarinstitute.org/">old texts and contemporary teachers</a> (Alan Morinis and the other teachers at the Mussar Institute), yet the most valuable resource of all is our own nature. By monitoring and observing our own inner reactions and behavioral responses as circumstances arise, we learn to adjust our way of being in the world. We can become better people, kinder people, more honest, better listeners, and do mitzvot with our kavannah in alignment with the Higher Good.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:verdana;" >I suggest adding the practice of SoulCollage</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">®</span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:verdana;" > to the many other techniques available for improving our soul traits. Before you create your card, meditate upon a trait that you have been struggling with. Ask for Holy guidance as you open your eyes and reach for images. Construct your SoulCollage and follow through with the "I am the one who..." exercise. Each day for a week, or month (depending on how you approach Middot refinement) consult with your card in the morning. Ask it a question such as: What wisdom do you have to offer me today in regard to ________________(name the middah you are working on)? Allow the card to "speak" and write the words down in a journal before going on with your day. There is no need to look back at what you wrote on other days until after you have moved on to the next middah.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:verdana;" >Be aware, that like the study of Torah, middah development is ongoing. "Turn it and turn it again for everything is in it." <span style="font-size:85%;">Rabbi Ben Bag Bag</span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >My hope is to eventually create a SoulCollage</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">®</span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" > Middot Gallery of </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Our</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> Cards. Please forward your images and comments to me about your experience working with SoulCollage</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">®</span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> in this way.</span></span><br /><br />In her wonderful teaching resource <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 153, 153);">Teaching Jewish Virtues Sacred Sources and Art Activities</span>, Rabbi Susan Freeman includes a list of 48 Middot gathered from Pirke Avot and Orchot Tzadikim (Appendix 8, pg 355 & 356)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Here are 12 to work on over the next year if you choose:<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Shmiat ha Ozen</span> (attentiveness/listening)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Binat HaLev/rachamim </span>(an understanding heart/compassion)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Anavah</span> (humility)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Da'agah</span> (worry)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yirah</span> (awe)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Simcha</span> (joy)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Erech Apayim </span>(slow to anger)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Azut</span> (arrogance)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Seyag LiD'varav/lashon hara</span> (gaurding one's speach-tongue)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dibuk Chaverim</span> (cleaving to friends)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Shalom</span> (peace)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Emet</span> (truth)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Another great resource is <a href="http://www.meaningfullife.org/">www.meaningfullife.org</a> where middot/sefirot are explained and thoughts to ponder are offered.</span><br /><br /><br /></span></div>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349928247626849914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-354983216115771869.post-86745695087630605172008-05-07T05:14:00.000-07:002008-05-29T08:31:35.023-07:00The 4 Questions of SoulCollage<div class="widget Text" id="Text1"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><h2 class="title"> </h2> <div class="widget-content"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">Pesach</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);"> (Passover) is approaching. We stand as always at the edge of the sea trying to discern the next step.</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">How big does it really have to be?</span> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Can I just stay where I am</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">.</span>..<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Poised here, on the edge is terrifying</span>...<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">But I don't like this bound feeling eithe</span>r</span>...<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">I want to experience growth, freedom</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">...</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">live life authentically, fully</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">...</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><br />In a contemporary context we talk about being enslaved by our habits and how changing them will free us to move forward in our lives.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Habits (even poor ones) are developed to protect and support us at a particular time in our lives. Some sustain us; saying a prayer of gratitude upon awakening in the morning, kissing a beloved goodnight. Others, such as those born from a fear of disappointment, may no longer serve us and can hinder our growth; seeing the glass as half-empty, negative self-talk. <span style="font-weight: bold;">It's also imperative to remember that habits are not permanent.</span> Recognizing this allows us to shift our perspective from one of</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">being</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">"bound"</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">to one of being</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">"held", </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">until we are ready to be released. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">The practice of</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">SoulCollage</span></span> c<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">an become the gentle arms that hold us even as we open to that next scary step in our lives.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">SoulCollage</span> becomes a lens, a telescope, a microscope as we stand at the edge of the sea looking at our inner horizon. By asking <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">SoulCollage</span> images small questions, we discover that the answers that will propel us forward are often contained within; awareness and small steps will lead us to freedom.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">4 Questions</span><br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">To begin the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">"I am the one who..."</span> process, a facilitator or partner asks a series of questions as you gaze upon your card:</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">1.Who are you?</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">And you (creator of the collage) repeat the question; addressing the card. The response arises as you allow your imagination to "enter" the card. You become a channel through which the card's voice (a part of your subconscious) is released.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">The next question is:</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">2.What do you have to give me?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">followed by:</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">3.What do you want from me?</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">4. Is there anything else you want to tell me?</span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"> </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">and finally,</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">you give a</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">name</span> </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">to the</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">SoulCollage</span> </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">card</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"></span><br /></div> <span class="widget-item-control"> <span class="item-control blog-admin"> <a class="quickedit" href="http://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=7897297727681507765&widgetType=Text&widgetId=Text1&action=editWidget" onclick="'return" target="configText1" title="Edit"> <img alt="" src="http://www.blogger.com/img/icon18_wrench_allbkg.png" /> </a> </span> </span> </div> <h2><br /></h2>Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349928247626849914noreply@blogger.com0