What is SoulCollage?
SoulCollage is a method of self-discovery through the creation and intuitive analysis of a deck of collaged cards. Practitioners select images from magazines, books, or printed materials and combine them into 5x8-inch collages, each representing different aspects of their psyche, relationships, energies, and archetypal guides. The card’s creator speaks from the point of view of the card, beginning “I am one who…” and card readings are never done by a third party, but always by the creator of the cards to answer a question about their own life. A question is formulated and then a number of cards (typically four, one from each suit) are drawn. In this way, a person taps into their inner wisdom (rather than, say, magic) to address their question. SoulCollage is a non-competitive process, in which the meaning of a card is valued more than its aesthetics.
Origins & Lineage
Frost created SoulCollage, then called “Neter cards”, while studying under Jean Houston from 1986 to 1989, and further developed it in her private practice of psychotherapy. Seena B. Frost studied theology at Yale Divinity School and was a psychotherapy clinician and supervisor in California for over 30 years. She used healing modalities informed by the work of C. G. Jung, Fritz Perls, Virginia Satir, Eric Berne, Roberto Assagioli, and others. Originally, it was called the “Neter Card process.” Neters were, in ancient Egyptian lore, the gods and goddesses that came forth from the One Neter, or Source, to help or challenge humans.
In 2001, Hanford Mead published her book about the method, SoulCollage: An Intuitive Collage Process for Individuals and Groups. A subsequent book on the subject, SoulCollage Evolving: An Intuitive Collage Process for Self-Discovery and Community (2010) won a Nautilus Book Award for Personal Development / Psychotherapy. The first SoulCollage Facilitator Training was offered in Santa Cruz, California USA in September 2003. Seena Frost died peacefully at home on the night of January 13, 2016 at age 83 with her family around her.
How It’s Practiced
Practitioners assemble a personal deck organized into four primary “suits.” The four suits are: Committee (parts of our psyche), Community (real people or places with whom we are in relationship), Companions (our physical energies), and Council (archetypes). There are also three Transpersonal cards, which are not read from (are not chosen in readings), but which are displayed during readings as reminders of Divine Mystery. These cards are the Source (Divine Spirit), SoulEssence (corresponding to what many would call the soul) and Witness (one’s own “stepped-back” consciousness).
Cards are made by tearing or clipping images (often from magazines) and then combining them, perhaps against a new background image, into a collage. All cards in one’s deck should be the same size, generally 5x8 inches. The process requires minimal materials: scissors, glue stick, mat board or cardstock, and found images. Participants work individually or in groups, creating cards intuitively or intentionally, then “consult” their cards by speaking from each image’s perspective using the “I Am One Who” (IAOW) method.
SoulCollage Today
Today, over 6,300 Facilitators representing 64 countries have completed the Training program. Seena’s award winning book, SoulCollage Evolving, has now been published in seven languages. Facilitators introduce SoulCollage to many different ethnic, ages, socio-economic and other groups of people, including: women, men, artists, writers, school children, those recovering from addiction and/or trauma, those enrolled in adult community education, those grieving or dealing with terminal illness, teenagers. Some present SoulCollage at professional conferences or use it in business for organizational development. SoulCollage is offered in individual and group therapy or coaching, in churches or on retreats. Many licensed therapists use the SoulCollage method with their clients as an expressive arts technique.
Facilitator trainings are now available online and in-person in multiple languages. In 2024, the SoulCollage Institute, a California non-profit organization, was established to ensure that the SoulCollage method as Seena developed it would continue to transform lives and positively impact the world for generations to come.
Common Misconceptions
SoulCollage is not tarot. In tarot there is a specific structure and meaning of cards. Often expert tarot readers “read” tarot cards and tell others what the cards mean. In SoulCollage no one interprets SoulCollage cards for others. Each deck is entirely personal and interpretations belong solely to the creator.
It is not art therapy per se. SoulCollage is not therapy per se. SoulCollage is a method that can be applied in many contexts: fun, creativity, community, education, business, and spiritual. Because SoulCollage can gently evoke self-awareness and self-compassion, it can also be used as a therapeutic tool in the context of therapy by licensed therapists.
Artistic skill is irrelevant. The emphasis is on intuitive selection and personal meaning, not aesthetic quality. The process is designed to be accessible to anyone regardless of artistic ability.
Cards are for personal use only. SoulCollage does not advocate copying or infringing on the copyrighted work of others in any way. SoulCollage cards are made for personal use, not for sale or trade.
How to Begin
The most direct entry point is Frost’s revised book, SoulCollage Evolving: An Intuitive Collage Process for Self-Discovery and Community (2010), which provides complete instructions for card-making and readings. Beginners can also locate trained facilitators through the official SoulCollage website directory, attend workshops or retreats, or join online communities. Materials are inexpensive and accessible: 5x8-inch mat board, scissors, glue stick, and magazines or printed images. No prior experience with collage, psychology, or spiritual practice is required.