Journey of the Heart: Intuition

How strong is your intuition?

Do you listen to it? Do you trust it?

A couple of months ago I pulled out my little journal and pieced together the simple collage pictured above. I worked intuitively and selected images and words that grabbed my attention as I filled the pages. I wasn't all that crazy about the layout - it seemed rather simple. It was a few weeks later when I pulled out the book, Medicine Cards: The Discovery of Power Through the Ways of Animals by Jamie Sams and David Carson, that I realized how much this collage is a REFLECTION of where I'm at in my life.

This is the story of SWAN MEDICINE adapted from the book, "Medicine Cards."

Little Swan flew through the Dreamtime, looking for the future. She was feeling anxious. "Where am I heading in life? What are my next steps?" she thought as she paused on a cool, still pond next to Sacred Mountain. At the center of the pond was the largest swirling black hole she had ever seen. Dragonfly came flying by and explained how the black hole was a gateway to the other planes of imagination.

(Note: I do not know the source of the beautiful image pictured above.)

"If you wish to enter, you have to ask permission and EARN the right." Dragonfly explained, "You must be willing to accept whatever the future holds as it is presented, without trying to change Great Spirit's plan."

Swan looked at her little ugly duckling body and agreed to to abide by Great Spirit's plan. "I will surrender to the flow of the spiral and trust what I am shown." With that, she was engulfed into the whirlpool.

Swan emerged days later, changed. She was graceful and white, and long-necked. You see Swan had learned to SURRENDER. It was her FAITH and ACCEPTANCE that guided her change. She learned to accept the state of GRACE. (This fabulous photo is from Tim Walker: timwalkerphotography.com)

Swan Medicine teaches us to pay attention to our intuition and helps us to recognize our inner beauty and the beauty within others. "The Swan card is telling you to accept your ability to know what lies ahead. If you are resisting your self-transformation, relax; it will be easier if you go with the flow. Pay attention to your hunches and your gut knowledge, and honor your female intuitive side."

When I look back on the collage in my journal, I see the beautiful woman has accepted herself. It is interesting that the words, "being yourself" appear below her. It ties in so perfectly with the story of Swan. I recall the story of the "Ugly Duckling" by Hans Christian Andersen. My journal page and reflections are as the title of the spread reads, "A Legend Reborn." This is the power of story, we can read tales and myths and make connections to our own lives. I have undergone my own physical transformation in the last year with losing over 50 lbs. I have undergone an even greater change on the inside - I'm learning to let go of my fears and to trust that I'm right where I need to be.

One of the biggest lessons for me in 2011 has been to love myself as I am. "Being myself" has never been easier. I'm feeling less like the ugly duckling and more graceful like the swan.

The timing of this collage is really quite perfect. With the New Year upon us, I find myself as I do each year anticipating the next year. I'm filled with both excitement and anxiety. What do I wish for? What do I want to work on? What is next?

I often turn to the book, 365 Mary: A Daily Guide to Mary's Wisdom and Comfort  by Woodeene Koenig-Bricker and randomly open it for a message. I invariably find comfort in the words and Mary seems to always know the message that I need to hear. Knowing that I would publish this post on Christmas day, I turned to the reflection for December 25th. 

The passage starts with the saying, "It's never too late to have a happy childhood." 

"...it contains an important truth: it's never too late to enjoy life, to live with excitement and wonder that characterize a happy childhood. But to have a happy childhood requires a new birth, not literally but spiritually...

The glory and the mystery of Christmas are that we can be born again."

Here are some questions to ponder from the book:

If you could start life all over, what would you do differently? Would you spend more time watching sunsets and less time watching your assets? Would you laugh more and frown less?

Whatever you would do if you could live life again, you can start doing right now. The first day of the rest of your life is today.

Am I living the kind of life I really want to be living?

What would I change if I could? What's stopping me?

Today is the first day of my new life.

To honor this special connection that I feel with Mary, I made myself a Christmas present, an altar that captures the beauty of Mary and the spirit of her message and that of Swan. Pictured above is the outside of an altar. You'll recognize the images from the painting, "The Birth of Venus" by Sandro Botticelli. Thinking about the swan story, I added the words, "believe" and "trust" to the outside panels.

I worked digitally to create the collages for the inside panels. The two guardian angels bear the words, "embrace" my word for 2012 and "love" my word from 2011.

At the center is an image of Mary with a dried rose bud tucked inside.  

Both Mary and the Swan remind me to accept the state of GRACE. This is not to say that I will not actively participate in life, but rather I will trust my intuition and go with the flow.

Before sitting down to write this blog post, I randomly pulled out a card from a deck of Zen Cards. Looking at the bright green swirl on the face of the card, I am reminded of the whirlpool that Swan entered. 

REFLECTION

When the pond is still, the reflection is clear.

When the MIND is still, the reflection of life is clear.

Reflection brings CLARITY.

In so many ways this little card sums up today's story so perfectly and gives us a gentle reminder that will help us as we set sail into a new year.

I encourage you to pull out some magazines as I did and to work intuitively to create a collage. Be open to images and words that grab your attention. You don't need to know the "why" when you are collecting them. Piece together what you find. Set the collage aside for a few days or even weeks, then return to it to interpret it. What does it say to you? Be open and trust your intuition.

To create the Journey of the Heart journal page for this week, I pulled out my scraps of painted papers. Here is a look at my work table when I'm creating a collage. It is a maelstrom of yummy colors and textures.

I encourage you to follow your intuition this week. Randomly open a book and see what message appears. Download this journal page to take notes of the words, phrases, and signs that appear to you. Have fun! Embrace this journey with the child-like sense of wonder.

Warmest Wishes and Brightest Blessings to you on this Christmas Day,

Kathryn, Collage Diva

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Comments

[Lisa]

This is a beautiful story - thanks for sharing your story, the story within the story and the inspiration. I loved seeing your pile of papers on your work table - I have not worked in quite that way, and it looks inspiration. Can't wait to try it!

Cheers for embracing the new year!
Lisa

[lisa]

This is a beautiful way to start the new year. Thank you, Kathryn!