The ALL is Mind; The Universe is Mental
-The Kybalion
I think I’ve always been a dream walker. For as long as I remember, I’ve had a mystical sort of relationship with the dream world that I didn’t quite understand. I began lucid dreaming at a young age, when my mother told me “If you’re having a nightmare, just change it.“ And so I did, quite often. In my late teens/early twenties I began this habit of what I called “conscious napping” where I needed a to rest, but also didn’t have much time, or needed to stay present. I would close my eyes and go into this deep state of relaxation where I would often see images or receive messages, yet was aware of the conscious world around me. I would visit this place between asleep and awake, the liminal space, and just stay there. I didn’t realize at the time that I was in a deep state of trance or meditation. It just came naturally to me. The funny thing is in my waking hours I was such a scientific and logical thinker. I was an academic and loved to learn about the scientific laws of the universe. Somehow in my youth these two things seemed at odds with each other, until I started looking into quantum physics, philosophy, psychology and meditation. A golden thread of connection became clear to me. The universe is pure energy, consciousness if you want to call it that, and you and I are not separate from that, as hard as we try to be sometimes. The above, below and the in between are all connected.
“The ALL is Mind; The Universe is Mental” - The Kybalion.
Spiritual Journey
As I tried to understand psychic phenomena and dream states, I turned first to science and the study of consciousness. Somehow the idea of witchcraft and shamanism wasn’t even in my vocabulary until much later on. Academically, I studied the mind and body connection, biology, psychology, states of meditation and eventually hypnosis. I used self hypnosis for childbirth for my second child. Really this was no different than the “conscious napping” I had done, except now I added suggestions that my labor would be calm, gently, pain free, and it was. “How can just believing in something change reality?” people asked me. “Reality comes from the mind, change the mind, change reality”- I guess, would be my answer now. Although that’s often easier said than done. I became certified, and taught hypnosis for childbirth for a few years and tried to get everyone I knew on board. In my youth I was not aware that not everyone was ready for this type of thinking. So then I switched gears and taught science for 10 years in the public school setting.
For much of my life I tried to keep my studies of the hidden world, well, hidden from most of the people around me. I continued to learn, and eventually found my place. I studied and practiced meditation, energy work, witchcraft, reiki, shamanism and more with wonderful teachers and mentors. Over time I couldn’t keep my worlds so divided, my life began to merge and shift. I ended up teaching meditation workshops, offering sound healings and eventually decided to leave teaching. I’m now offering classes and events in several different locations as well as healing sessions in my studio space.
What about that Art stuff?
I’ve always been an artist and creator. I love painting, writing, crafting, wood working, cooking and more. I’ve always made sure to carve a little time in my life to shut my conscious mind off and let my soul free. This is where my heart sings, and my true joy comes flooding in. Since I’ve left teaching my “little time” turned into “a lot of time” and I’ve had the space to lean heavy into my arts. The amount of art I’ve produced in that short time and the immense joy I feel now have really shown me that this is the right path for me. At least for now. Physical arts and healing arts aren’t so different. Creating art is healing for me and gives me another way to connect with spirit. Now, I’m happy to be able to share that art with others.
