FACILITATING A READING
- Tips in the Art of Helping -
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| Mont St-Michel, France |
When we do an Inner Landscapes reading for someone, we often suggest using 5 or 7 images to access different aspects of people's lives that might be impacting the question they are focusing on.
These aspects are:
1. Present Issue: The primary question being asked.
2. The Past: When did this issue first surface?
3. Precipitating Issue: The time or event that has brought up the question now.
4. Near Outcome: What might be the next step?
5. The Future: The longer term outcome of the question.
6. Psychological Aspects: The feelings and emotions surrounding the question.
7. Physical Aspects: The practical factors affecting the situation, such as health, home environment, or
lifestyle.
Of course, you can adapt this to your needs. Some people only want to use one card. Others like to use three, to represent the Past, Present and Future of a situation. You'll find what works best for you, depending on how much detail you want to explore.
The Art of Helping
There is often a very fine line between assisting someone in Inner Landscapes explorations, versus interpreting for them, which potentially influences or suppresses their responses to the image. So it is very important to let the person speak, without interrupting. The role of the facilitator is to listen deeply. The facilitator may then find ways to gently point out some features in the image, or reflect back some of the client's comments, that can help them to get a broader perspective on their issue.
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In Brenda's example, in this image of her Past, she had already voiced her dislike of the red-orange color and how the heavy line defined a boundary that made her feel uneasy. She had begun to identify how she had blocked out many childhood fears by 'putting on a happy face'. I then shared my intuition that this might be a key to her finding ways to be more flexible and making choices that would enhance her creativity and bring more pleasure into her life.
Brenda's Future image, which was predominantly red, brought quite a different reaction and insight:
Her response was:
"WOW ... Powerful! ... it looks very spiritual, and emotional ... the center tree is almost like a goddess with arms raised --there is nothing stagnant, [like in the first image] -- it is totally alive -- almost like being rocked in a cradle, and protected."
And finally, she said:
"This tells me that mine is, in essence, a spiritual question. It is about connecting with the Divine -- this picture confirms that. It is inspiring, and haunting in a positive way, [while] the Past card is scary, and haunting in a disturbing way."
Brenda's insight in this final card was a beautiful example of how these images helped her connect with obstacles in her past that might be impeding her future possibilities. I suggested that all the red colors she was seeing in these images might be saying something about how she could connect to the passion in her life -- to pay more attention to her emotions, to her 'gut' instincts, and to allow them to lead her in her creative writing, and perhaps allow her characters to speak through her in that way.
Many Levels of Understanding
Inner Landscapes readings can be a sacred experience for both the client and the facilitator. Sometimes when we start a reading, the client asks for assistance from spiritual sources, whether that be angelic beings, personal guides, God, the Universe, or the Great Spirit.
Throughout this Inner Landscapes process people often feel very vulnerable -- and in awe at what comes out of their mouths. They often have difficulty trusting these intuitions or new understandings that have come to them.
Part of the role of the facilitator is to reassure the client to trust their intuitions and to realize that the answers don't always come right away.
Sometimes insights come much later.
Here is an example:
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| Patrick worked with this image of Cypress Hills, Saskatchewan during an assisted reading. He later contacted me with the following comments. |
"The reading was awesome. I have told more than a few people about it. All of the images have stayed with me. The one I speak of the most is the image of me in the crack and how it brought up a belief pattern I have about money. Now that I am even more conscious of that belief, I know I can change it."
Patrick had mentioned during his session that the collection of boulders reminded him of all the blessings and opportunities he had in his life, but he had 'fallen through the cracks' and got stuck in the dark place in the bottom of the image -- and he could not see his way out. This later comment indicates he is finding his way out.
The symbols inherent in the world around us, and portrayed in photographs, are deeply ingrained unconscious understandings that helps us 'make sense' of universal human experiences.
If you're interested in facilitating a reading for others, you're welcome to use the images in our Sacred Earth Reading and Pool of Possibilities Reading pages.