“The soul speaks through images.”
–Carl Jung
This past month, I have found myself in conversation with many people who are expressing that they are unable to return to their pre-pandemic level of activity. They tire more easily and quickly and they have to prioritize the use of their time and energy differently these days.
I have to say that I am one of those people. The past few years that we have lived through has had us tap into our inner reserves of strength, patience and resilience. What many of us are in need of now is a time of in-filling, a time of processing and digesting all that we have been through. We need some soul-nourishment and replenishment. Rather than ramping up our to-do lists and activities, many of us need some time for reflection to identify what it is that we are truly needing at this time to tend to our soul and stoke the inner fire that sustains our energy.
As the cooler fall weather has us turn indoors, one activity that I have found helpful and would like to share with you is to create a soul-tending collage. This practice helps us listen for what our soul is yearning for by using images that resonate with our deeper truth.
Creating a soul-tending collage involves setting aside some time in a quiet environment to:
- gather some magazines to use for cutting out images and words
- prepare yourself some tea or a nourishing beverage
- light a candle
- set an intention to flip through the magazines and cut out images and words that resonate with your heart and soul
- spend some time journaling about the images you’ve gathered and how they speak to you
- create a collage with these words and images so that you can continue reflecting upon them in the days ahead.
This simple soul-tending practice can become a window through which we more clearly see what our deeper longings really are. Once we recognize these longings, we can begin to water the inner garden of our soul with what is most needed right now, rather than seek to return to our habitual pre-pandemic ways of living and further exhaust ourselves.
On the evening that I did this practice, the moment that I saw the word ‘Dwelling’ scrawled across a page, my eyes filled with tears. I knew my soul had been touched by this word which is not one I normally use. When I spent time journaling what this word was calling forth, I got more in touch with the need to move slowly and to dwell in each moment. Whether that was to dwell with my morning tea, or to dwell with my journal, or to dwell in nature, the message was clear. This is not a time for me to be rushing around. My soul needs some dwelling time to soak in the life around me. Understanding this need has helped me integrate moments to dwell in slowness, savouring the sight of the morning sun, a good sentence in a book, or coffee with a friend.
As we find ourselves on the threshold of the Holiday Season when activities often ramp up, may you create a nurturing time and space to listen deeply and tend to the inner garden of your soul. In doing this, may you find the pace and rhythm of life that most supports you right now.
With warm blessings,
Kathy