| I was introduced to alternative healing
| |
| | nontraditional perspectives. I do not
|
| in a very alternative way. I had a
| |
| | remember the specific titles of the
|
| vision. In my vision an old Indian woman
| |
| | books, but I do remember feeling an
|
| approached me. When I asked who she was,
| |
| | uncontrollable urge to ask the sales
|
| she replied:
| |
| | woman if she knew anything about visions.
|
| I am you, I am your mother, I am your
| |
| | She did not, but offered me the name of a
|
| sister, I am your grandmother, I am the
| |
| | woman who might help. I remember the
|
| Earth.
| |
| | excitement-the bolt of energy-that ran
|
| She had gray hair pulled back tightly in
| |
| | through me as she handed me a business
|
| a bun, and her skin was wrinkled and
| |
| | card with the woman's name and phone
|
| weathered by life. She was wrapped in a
| |
| | number written on the back. I called
|
| wool blanket and smoking a pipe. She
| |
| | immediately when I returned to Portland.
|
| asked if I wanted to join in the
| |
| | The woman referred to herself as a
|
| sisterhood, but warned me that my life
| |
| | channel, and claimed that she connected
|
| would be forever changed. I was doubtful,
| |
| | with the client's guardian spirits, or
|
| but kept hearing the word "trust" in the
| |
| | angels, for guidance. She told me over
|
| background. I nodded my head and spoke
| |
| | the phone that she felt my own guardian
|
| the word yes.
| |
| | spirits could help me understand my
|
| When we finished smoking the pipe, she
| |
| | vision. I caught my breath. The whole
|
| spoke again. "Your guidance will be
| |
| | concept of guardian spirits was
|
| provided. Your medicine that you carry is
| |
| | completely foreign to me. I had been to
|
| North, Wisdom, Healing, and Love. Begin
| |
| | psychics in the past, but I had never
|
| at this time to start reading and learn
| |
| | experienced anyone who claimed to
|
| to understand the Ways."
| |
| | channel. I had little idea what the word
|
| Looking back on this experience, I see
| |
| | channel meant or what I had gotten myself
|
| the meaning of the vision with clarity
| |
| | into. Yet still I was curious and felt
|
| and understand fully the intent of the
| |
| | innately that this was the right choice.
|
| visitation, but at the time I was left
| |
| | I drove to her house.
|
| perplexed and wondering. I had had no
| |
| | From that point on everything changed.
|
| exposure to any indigenous teachings. I
| |
| | Due to this shift in my awareness and my
|
| did not know what sisterhood meant. I did
| |
| | willingness to open to new possibilities,
|
| not know anything about the pipe
| |
| | I became exposed to the people, training,
|
| ceremony; I did not even know that it was
| |
| | and concepts that completely remolded my
|
| traditional for Indians to smoke pipes. I
| |
| | life and my profession. Each shift has
|
| had no idea what the word "medicine"
| |
| | been a step along the divine path of my
|
| meant except as some combination of
| |
| | development and my understanding of how
|
| chemical elements to take when you are
| |
| | we all can heal.
|
| sick. I was engulfed in the mystery of
| |
| | Since the original vision, I have had
|
| the vision, but confused as to its
| |
| | numerous additional spiritual
|
| meaning. Why had I had a vision? What did
| |
| | experiences. I began to reorder my life,
|
| it mean? What, if anything, was I
| |
| | renew my thinking, and interlace my
|
| supposed to do with these strange images
| |
| | knowledge of psychology with elements of
|
| that had invaded my consciousness?
| |
| | spirituality and actual teachings from
|
| Even to start reading about the Ways
| |
| | the spiritual realm. As I integrated
|
| presented a mystery. What were the Ways?
| |
| | these experiences into my own
|
| Where would I find readings that would
| |
| | consciousness, I became acutely aware
|
| teach me the Ways? I was involved in
| |
| | that my experiences were not only for me
|
| psychology in a very traditional way; I
| |
| | but were also to be used as teachings for
|
| knew no other way. I was active at the
| |
| | others. The teachings and experiences
|
| time in the Methodist Church. In fact, I
| |
| | hold universal messages, or basic truths,
|
| was considering studying for a doctorate
| |
| | that need to be shared.
|
| in theology and perhaps pursuing a
| |
| | As I observe clients moving through their
|
| ministry. This vision was not at all a
| |
| | personal journeys from head to heart, two
|
| part of my existing reality system; it
| |
| | main themes emerge again and again-the
|
| left me completely baffled. However, my
| |
| | need for self-awareness and the need for
|
| love for God was so great that I honored
| |
| | redefining self. The first is a need for
|
| the experience. I reminded myself of the
| |
| | awareness of their own intrinsic worth.
|
| many stories in the Bible where visions
| |
| | Spirit is continually providing evidence
|
| had occurred with wondrous messages
| |
| | that God not only loves, but also values
|
| accompanying them. I believed that this
| |
| | each being beyond all imagination. In the
|
| vision had come to me for a purpose I did
| |
| | process of becoming yourself, you become
|
| not yet understand; however, for me to
| |
| | open to this reality. The second need is
|
| fully honor this spiritual visit, I
| |
| | for redefining self in terms of this
|
| needed to seek greater understanding.
| |
| | unconditional love. It is often difficult
|
| Thus began my voyage of discovery. It
| |
| | for the mind to grasp the meaning of a
|
| would prove to alter my very existence,
| |
| | love with no conditions, but the heart is
|
| and it is a voyage I continue to this
| |
| | capable. Unconditional love is not based
|
| day. The wonder of it has proven to be in
| |
| | on what you do, how hard you try, whether
|
| the journey itself, not in any final
| |
| | you are successful, or even if you are a
|
| destination.
| |
| | "good" person. There is nothing you could
|
| I committed to joining the sisterhood,
| |
| | do to not be loved. In the journey from
|
| whatever that was. I had made a contract
| |
| | the head to the heart, one comes to
|
| with the vision, and I would keep my
| |
| | understand this type of love and apply it
|
| commitment. I just had no idea what to do
| |
| | to self. When you truly understand the
|
| or where to start. I felt that I needed
| |
| | unconditional love from God, you move
|
| guidance, but there was no one in my
| |
| | closer to being able to love yourself
|
| network of friends with that kind of
| |
| | unconditionally. Your complete
|
| knowledge, and only one with whom I was
| |
| | self-acceptance replaces prior doubts,
|
| comfortable even mentioning the
| |
| | disappointments, and regrets. All of
|
| experience. It took one year before I
| |
| | life's "should have," "would have," and
|
| found anyone who could help me understand
| |
| | "could have" feelings dissipate in a
|
| what it meant.
| |
| | newfound awareness of one's own immense
|
| I had moved with my family from Dallas to
| |
| | worth in the eyes of God. Through my own
|
| Portland. This move created whole-sale
| |
| | experiences-my own head-to-heart
|
| changes in my life: a new job, new
| |
| | journey-I have found that healing and the
|
| community, new church, and new friends. I
| |
| | restoration of one's wholeness can be
|
| did not know at the time, but I
| |
| | complete. Answers to the questions of
|
| understand now, that this move was part
| |
| | life's mysteries-what is life all about,
|
| of a major shift that would lead to a
| |
| | why do people become so wounded, how do
|
| reordering of my life.
| |
| | people heal, why does it take so long for
|
| Shortly after the move, I was at the
| |
| | some to heal, why aren't people happy,
|
| Oregon coast with my husband, who was
| |
| | and why do so many people stay entrenched
|
| attending a convention. He burst into our
| |
| | in the past instead of alive in the
|
| hotel room saying, "Jan, come down to the
| |
| | present moment-all can be answered. The
|
| vendor displays with me and meet this
| |
| | beauty of the answers is that they bring
|
| person who has a booth with some very
| |
| | wholeness, understanding, happiness, and
|
| unusual books. I think you will be
| |
| | new beginnings for the people who employ
|
| intrigued."
| |
| | them. What I have learned on this divine
|
| I followed him down and browsed through
| |
| | path is that life is to be enjoyed, and
|
| the various books. They addressed a wide
| |
| | being whole feels wonderful!
|
| range of spiritual matters, many from
| |
| |
|
