INNER LANDSCAPES EXAMPLES
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Find out how these photographs helped three people find guidance in their lives. |
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Inner Landscapes is a powerful and unique method of awakening to your own intuition. It is a way of accessing this personal knowingness and wisdom that is within you all the time.
My partner, Sherrill Miller, and I have been facilitating Inner Landscape workshops since 1988. Sherrill has worked with many private clients, and the following examples of the insights she has witnessed illustrate how the process works.
Example 1: Awakening to Spirit
For many of us today, life is complicated, too busy and highly stressful. Often we feel disconnected from ourselves, our families, and our Spirit.
We have found that images spark insights and act as reflections of our deepest desires and intuition.
One of the most potent examples of this process came early in our explorations. Our friend Anne (all names are changed) had just returned from an extended vacation and work experience, bringing along her new fiancé. Although she loved him, she had many doubts about how their marriage would affect her independence and her work as a writer, especially as he wanted to have a family, and she didn't. We offered to do an Inner Landscapes reading to help her clarify her feelings; we used Courtney's photographic images printed on 4" x 6' cards, turned face down so she could not see the pictures, and she randomly picked some of these cards to work with.
The first one that came up was designated as the Present Issue card, which would help her to address her primary question:
"How will this relationship affect my life?"
This is what came up:
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Anne took one look at this picture and said:
"It's hopeless. It's all black ... this relationship will never work."
This was the beginning of our work with Inner Landscapes. This experience shocked me -- in a very positive way. It was a perfect example of how people see things differently. When I look at this picture I feel a sense of calm, peace, and eternity. I find the blacks are luscious and rich, like melted chocolate. The setting sun is gentle and hopeful, suggesting to me a connection to the eternal rhythms of life, and something I can depend on. The water is flowing, giving me a sense of movement, which for me is a symbol of being on a journey to somewhere mysterious and exciting.
My reaction could not have been more opposite to hers. And hers was on target -- within 6 months the engagement was broken.
Example 2: Getting Answers From Within
The polarity of reactions that people have to images can be very profound. We were doing a 4-day Inner Landscape Workshop in which participants were treated to many meditative experiences with images and music. These helped them relax and connect with a deep inner calm. We then worked with images, individually and as a group, to teach people how to do this work for themselves.
One participant offered to use her situation as an example for the group, asking:
"How can I have more joy in my life?"
As this randomly chosen image came up on the screen, I could feel a collective intake of breath in the room:
It was not a response of 'awe', but more like " Oh, dear, how dreary and drab - there is no joy in this picture." I have to admit that I felt the same way, and wondered how I could possibly facilitate her seeing anything in this image that might be a 'positive' answer to her question.
Imagine my surprise when she said:
"Oh, that's wonderful! It reminds me of when I was a little girl, and I used to skip along the road to school, and play in the dusty bushes - if only I could get that feeling back. It's exactly what I'm missing in my life today!"
I could feel the collective sigh of relief in the room! ... and mine as well!
These are wonderful examples of the power of tapping into one's Higher Self for guidance, rather than seeking answers from other people.
Example 3: Going Deeper
Brenda's question was:
"How can I connect with a deeper aspect of who I am and let it emerge through my writing?"
This is the image she turned over to address the Past aspects of her question:
Here is her response:
"I don't like the strong orange line ... I don't like the creatures -- they're so pathetic -- what are they? They're like broken down little fishes in an aquarium ... stuck there, like missing parts - they're only half there -- things look misplaced".
A few moments later she said:
"Oh my goodness! I just looked deeper - there's the back of a child, with a head ... that's me, the happy part, the 'put on a happy face' -- that's what I always had to do... and I see a face up there -- all these ghostly characters."
And later:
"But it's a very interesting picture because it is multi-layered ... at first I only saw the surface ... I was always taught to be so conscious of the surface -- never taught to look deeper ... it makes me feel sad [for what I missed out on]."
And finally:
The orange line is so definite -- a line is drawn ... something is shut down, closed, finalized. But maybe it could also be a solid foundation --- the line is drawn, and I can't get into this unpleasant place -- the child is walking away.... but is she going in, or through, the chaos?
For the conclusion of this reading, see the Future card in the Art of Helping section.
