Children of the Underground: Inner Child MAC Deck, MriyaRun

Torchlight under a blanket, an island made of cushions, a school diary, an empty chair at a table. These scenes can evoke pleasure, loneliness or courage we once showed. In Dmytro Telushko’s Children of the Underground cards, familiar details meet fantasy: a book becomes a river, an ordinary room becomes an adventure. An image offers a reason to pause and find your own words.

The value of this work lies in noticing what deserves attention now. You might remember someone supportive, name discomfort, examine a familiar habit or choose a small action for today. A conversation beginning with a childhood scene can lead to a practical adult decision: ask for help, stop an unpleasant game or make room for an interest.

The series comprises three separately listed sets of 50 cards, making 150 in total. The product listings specify Ukrainian text, cards measuring 140 × 84 mm and a 16.5 × 23 cm pouch. Check which part you are selecting before buying. Current availability and terms belong in the product listings rather than a static article.

Part One, cards 1–50, explores an inner fairy-tale world: imagination, fears, wishes and support. A door in a wall, a secret box or a cushion island leaves room for a personal story. Part Two, cards 51–100, concerns playground, physical and social childhood: games, encounters, early roles and relationships. Part Three, cards 101–150, explores the meeting of play, pain and magic, including boundaries, growing up, waiting and independence.

These are thematic directions rather than compulsory stages. You can begin with a calm scene from any part. A warm memory deserves as much attention as a difficult one. Support may involve an ordinary ability to make an evening enjoyable, not only a story of overcoming pain.

Describe the visible details: who appears, what is happening, where the space seems open or confined. Then separate observation from your response: “The picture shows a closed door; I want to open it.” This helps distinguish what is pictured from what you contribute.

This article suggests three directions for questions: what do I notice, what does it bring up, and how does it relate to life now? Use the selected card’s questions when they suit you. You do not have to identify with a character or produce a memory. “I like the colour, and nothing else comes to mind” is a valid response.

Olha chooses a scene of reading beneath a blanket. She remembers losing track of time in adventure stories. Her present life is full of work and household tasks; reading is repeatedly postponed. Her first observation is simple: “I miss being absorbed in something I enjoy.”

She records what matters: quiet, a separate place and a story she wants to continue. She chooses an evening and arranges half an hour without household requests. An image has led to a modest change in her schedule. She did not need to uncover a hidden trauma or explain her entire childhood.

For a brief practice, choose one image openly or at random. Record a visible detail, a personal association and a possible action. Random selection supplies a starting point; it does not decide what you must discover or do.

For “child — adult — support”, select three cards. The first represents an experience you want to attend to, the second your present capacities, and the third an available source of support: a person, place, skill or agreement. Meaning comes from your account. Aim to finish with a sense of the present, where choices and actual helpers exist.

For “then and now”, divide a page into two columns. On the left write what you genuinely remember; on the right, what you think and feel about it today. Label imagined additions separately. An association prompted by an image does not establish that an event occurred or reliably recover forgotten details.

Imagine another situation. Serhii chooses a picture of group play. He recalls continuing to join in after the jokes became unpleasant. A present-day parallel comes to mind: friends are filming, and he feels awkward asking them not to publish a recording.

He practises: “I enjoyed the evening, but I don’t want that video posted. Please remove the part with me.” This brings enjoyment, consent and the right to stop into the same conversation. It addresses a particular situation. The card does not establish that every friend is dangerous or that every joke must be tolerated.

In paired work, agree that the speaker chooses how much to share. A listener can ask, “What does that detail mean to you?” without assigning an interpretation. Participants may discuss only the character, decline a personal example or skip a card. In groups, nobody should have to justify opting out.

When children participate, adults must be especially careful about leading questions and drawing conclusions from a selected image. A card is not a test for abuse, diagnosis or a family’s hidden truth. Difficult childhood topics require age-appropriate practice, professional competence and attention to safety.

At the end, name what you want to keep: a memory of support, a word for a feeling or a request you have prepared. Look around, notice the chair and floor supporting you, and choose an ordinary next activity. A dated journal note lets you return later and see whether the idea was useful.

The inner child is used here as an image for discussing experience, and the deck as a reflective tool. It does not guarantee healing or replace help with severe distress. If the work becomes overwhelming, stop and seek support. A worthwhile outcome can be modest: you have listened more carefully to yourself and found one available way to care for yourself today.

Part 1 · Part 2 · Part 3