Media Blitz !

Maybe "blitz" is a little strong . . . I think 'media shower' (or even better 'media sprinkle') is a more appropriate descriptor for my recent grassroots publicity campaign.

In a little over a week, Sunday, March 30 at 5 pm EST to be exact, I'm going to be a guest on the 'live' internet radio show 'Toward the Light' with Rev Juliet Nightingale. The main focus of Juliet's weekly radio show is near death experiences. When I originally connected with her in January, Juliet seemed intrigued by the dreamtime connections I had with 'Jason,' the young comatose man whose story I wrote about in Slaying the Mouse. As it turns out Juliet, a near death experiencer herself, has also experienced coma. So I'm really looking forward to an interesting discussion with Juliet about coma, consciousness and the spirit world. Tune in if you can! (I believe the show will be archived on her website www.towardthelight.org if you would like to listen to it at a later time.)

And then on Saturday, April 19th, I'll be a guest on the local television show 'Connect with Amy Miller,' along with the best selling author of Care of the Soul Thomas Moore. At this event Amy will be taping 4 half-hour shows with a live studio audience at the Barre Opera House in Barre, VT. Taping begins at 7 pm. The show 'Connect with Amy Miller' focuses on topics involving the mind-body-spirit connection. At this event I'll be talking with Amy about shamanism and spirit medicine. If you'd like to see the show live, tickets can be purchased in advance for $15 ($20 the day of the show) by calling 802-476-8188 or online at www.barreoperahouse.org (All profits will go to the American Cancer Society) . There will also be a booksigning. For more information www.ConnectWithAmyMiller.com

So that's the latest . . . I'm very excited and hoping like hell that I don't blow these wonderful opportunities!

Chaos Abounds . . .(so flip your outside in)

I think it's safe to say that pretty much every system on the planet is in chaos right now: environmentally, politically, economically, spiritually . . . We're knee deep in turmoil.

This chaos is a big part of the reason why I haven't written a blog entry in the last several months. I feel like I'm being pulled in so many directions and when I stop to catch my breath - another month has passed. (So, to the four readers of my blog I apologize for making you wait so long for another entry.)

The tension that the chaos creates has been increasing over the last couple of years, but I've noticed that it's been particularly intense during the last 6 months. I've been seeing this both at my day job, where I provide short-term psychotherapy, and in my shamanic healing practice. People's lives are falling apart and they're becoming unhinged. I've been hearing incredibly heartbreaking stories as people speak of one trauma after another hitting them and their families. It's as if throngs of people are being confronted by their worst fears and insecurities. A collective 'dark night of the soul' if you will.

What's going on?

It depends on who you talk to, but something sure seems to be up.


Are we - as a species - headed for disaster? It's certainly possible and may not be a bad thing. We certainly have done an excellent job of fucking things up. But maybe disaster isn't inevitable. At least for the folks who see these challenges as opportunities to grow and get right with themselves, each other and the planet.


The interesting thing I've observed lately is that the typical ways in which people cope with turmoil don't seem to be cutting it anymore. I'm talking about the natural tendency to want to bring order to your external environment (e.g., look for a new job, move somewhere else, end a relationship, clean your house, organize your stuff, etc.). Instead, what seems to be bringing people comfort is when they engage in some sort of practice that leads them within - to where their true power lies. Once you shift your focus inward, you can gain some distance from the chaos. In doing so, you ground yourself spiritually, mentally, and emotionally which enables you to proceed with some stability and clarity. Going within doesn't eliminate the chaos, but it makes it more manageable.

This is why I think I've been so busy lately. People are intuitively seeking ways to bring order to their lives, and shamanic healing can offer an effective starting point. It's a practice that invites people to feel powerful, to treat themselves with respect, kindness and love. And when you're operating from a place of power, love, respect and kindness, the natural tendency is to engage with the world in that way. Sound familiar? (hint: examine any indigenous culture)

So dealing with stuff from the inside out, rather than from the outside in, seems to be potent medicine these days. Which makes me wonder . . . is this the intent of the chaos?

Fall 2007 Conscious Dreaming Workshops

Wake up and Dream . . .

“The Magical Path” Conscious Dreaming Workshops

Conscious Dreaming is an ancient, easy-to-learn practice traditionally used by shamans to access power, knowledge and wisdom for the purpose of problem-solving and healing.

Sat., Oct 13 – Introductory Conscious Dreaming Workshop

Sat., Nov 3 – Healing Journeys for the Evolving Soul (prior shamanic journeying experience required for this workshop)


Location: Yoga Mountain Center
79 Main St. Montpelier

When: 11am - 5pm

Fee: $85 per workshop (early registration)
$150 for both
Lunch included

For More Information or to Register: www.lucidpath.com (“workshops”)

Lessons About Healing From a Wiener Dog

About 5 weeks ago our little dog friend Maynard was bitten in the head and almost died. I had no idea at the time of that horribly traumatic incident that I'd be learning a whole bunch about how healing works from a wiener dog.

Maynard's skull was fractured and his brain injured. After performing skull surgery, the vet said that he had no idea if Maynard would recover. In the two weeks following the surgery, Maynard was barely able to lift his head. I imagine that the pain was intense. It was at this point that I attempted to do some shamanic healing work for the little guy. My spirit helpers went to work mending and creating new neural pathways and they retrieved a piece of Maynard's soul that he lost as a result of the trauma. After the healing work was finished my helpers told me to let him rest for a few hours. So we left him alone.

Later that afternoon, my husband heard a squeak upstairs where Maynard was camping out. We ran upstairs and found the little bugger about 3 feet away from his bed facing the opposite direction. We were blown away. Not only did he make a sound for the first time, but he was able to move (more like drag) his body. About an hour later, Maynard started lifting his head and pushing his upper body off the floor. His head was pretty wobbly, but he was doing it all by himself. Amazing. Then he barked when a train went by. Maynard was on his way back!

In the weeks that followed Maynard has continued, and continues, to make mind blowing progress - which got me thinking . . . why has he responded so well to shamanic healing? I've concluded that there are two primary reasons: 1. Maynard loves being alive and he's one of the most determined creatures I've ever met, and 2. Maynard doesn't have all the mental trappings that we humans have. He doesn't have insecurities and doubts clouding his desire to get back to digging holes and hunting for snakes and mice.

This is something I think I knew intellectually, but wasn't able to really understand until I went through this experience with our little punk. Since I started on this shamanic path, I've wondered why some people have incredibly powerful healing experiences while others don't experience lasting effects. And now it's quite clear - how successful healing is depends greatly on how badly the person wants to heal. If someone requests that I do healing work on their behalf, but gives me all the power to make it happen, then the results are temporary. It's not up to me. I'm not that powerful. However, if the person uses the shamanic healing session as a jumping off point because there's nothing he/she wants more than to heal, then miracles happen.

It reminds me of when I was learning how to fight. During our courtship, my husband John taught me how to spar the old school way (some people go to movies and out to dinner - we went in the back yard and hit each other). He had a 3rd degree black belt in kung fu. I was a lowly first degree black belt. John was a really cool, sweet, and kind guy . . . until we bowed in and began a sparring session. When he rose from his bow, his eyes were different. And I got scared. And he kicked my ass - repeatedly. I watched him fight other people. He could get his opponents to flinch and turn their heads away from him just by looking at them with those crazy eyes. yikes.

And that's when I learned that fighting is only about 20% technique and 80% attitude. I believe the same is true for healing. If you approach your desire to heal like a warrior, you'll move right through the middle of your festering, oozing wounds and out the other side, all scarred up but with a ton of character. Now Maynard, he has some bad ass scars. And you know what that means? Serious character.

Here's to Maynard and his continued progress. May he get back to biting ankles soon . . .

My Kid's Book is Rescued From Another Box of Misfit Books

A couple of months ago, I received a call from a woman affiliated with author Neale Donald Walsch's (Conversations with God) website. Turns out that her colleague stumbled across my kid's book in a "close-out" bin at some bookstore somewhere and bought a copy. I guess they liked it because the woman who called me told me they wanted to feature Inside Out on Walsch's "School of the New Spirituality" store website. So they blew the dust off the cover of my book and put it up on their "Eyes Wide Open - Mini Store" webpage. You can see it here: http://www.schoolofthenewspirituality.com/book_order.cfm#12

Taking Showers and Talking to Dead People

It's been some time since I last posted something and being that I rarely leave the house and therefore don't really have anything of interest to write about . . . I thought I'd blather on about the latest adventures inside my head. enjoy.

For some reason, someone must have turned on the "seeing dead people" switch in my wee little brain.

It started several months ago after coming home one night from teaching to a message from my uncle telling me that he found his friend dead that morning. Not really knowing my uncle's friends, I had no idea who it could have been. Before calling him back I took a quick shower. During which, the spirit of my uncle's best friend since childhood showed up and started talking to me. Interesting timing, I know. He told me how he died and gave me some messages to pass on to my uncle.

The curious thing for me was that communicating with folks who've died was something I could do when I altered my consciousness and slipped into the world of the shaman, but communicating with spirits without being in an altered state was new. I figured, "hey, this is probably just a one-time cosmic shower kind of event." Right? I'm sure it happens to people all the time. Sure, why not.

But then it started to happen at work too. While doing psychotherapy with people who were grieving, I'd see the spirit of the person they were grieving for standing next to them and/or I'd start seeing flashes of images. It was a little distracting. On a few occasions, with people who volunteered that they had a desire to seek out the services of a medium, I took the risk and shared what I was perceiving with them. At that point the therapy sessions took a bit of a turn. It seemed that the more I focused on the spirit, the more information I got, and boy, was I happy (and surprised) to discover that it was accurate. It'd be really embarrassing if it wasn't.

So at this point I have no idea if this is something that I can do at will or if it's situational. I'm just going along for the ride.

Life sure is interesting. In a strange talking-to-a-dead-person-while-taking-a-shower, sort of way. Or am I alone in thinking this?

Wake Up and Dream: Spring 2007 Conscious Dreaming Workshops

I'm pleased to announce that the Spring schedule for the shamanic workshop series is confirmed . . .

“The Magical Path”
Introductory Conscious Dreaming Workshop Series

Conscious Dreaming is an ancient, easy-to-learn practice used to access power, knowledge and wisdom for the purpose of problem-solving and healing.

March 17 – Discover the World of Nature Spirits

April 7 – Explore the Celestial Realms

April 28 – Healing Journeys for the Evolving Soul


Location: Yoga Mountain Center
79 Main St. Montpelier

When: 11 am to 5 pm

Fee: $80 per workshop (early registration)
$180 for all three
Lunch included

For More Information or to Register: www.lucidpath.com/services/workshops.html or
call Wendy at 802-485-5552