I’ve been on a soul journey my entire life.
I was raised by intellectual New Yorkers who valued education and thinking, but weren’t big on spirituality. Deep inside, I knew there was more to life than being a big brain.
My spiritual exploration started at boarding school where I attended church 3 times a week and often prayed directly to Jesus. I loved the silence in that stone chapel, but soon realized Christianity was not my path.
In college, I learned about Eastern religions, Native American traditions, and other ancient ways that viewed Mother Earth as sacred. This exposed me to different world views and ways of seeing that felt more familiar, but I was still afraid to choose a path.
Life then took me to Asia
where I read every book I could get my hands on about spirituality and religion. I was also able to travel throughout Asia and Europe, visiting many sacred places.
After two weeks in Israel, I seriously contemplated becoming Jewish but soon realized that, like Christianity, it was too patriarchal. I needed a path of the feminine.
I then went to India and Indonesia where, after falling in love with a Balinese man, I committed to becoming Hindu. This choice gave me a structure, allowing me to deepen my relationship with God. As I did, I realized I wanted to fully commit to my practice by having a mentor.
Calling for my teacher, turned my world upside down.
I moved my family from Indonesia back to the United States, first to Los Angeles and then to Florida.
My teacher wasn’t an Indian yogi or a Balinese Brahmin, but a Jewish woman from Brooklyn who had an ashram in Florida. After living on three continents and traveling to over 30 countries, I had come full circle.
Having a guru, helped me turn on my inner light.
This process re-oriented my life and stripped me of everything that was no longer real. It wasn’t always fun and at times was pretty painful, but was a necessary part of awakening.
Ma also opened me up to receive additional guidance and teachings from the Indian saint, Neem Karoli Baba, who is also my guru.
In 2004, I left Ma’s “teaching” and embarked on being my own guru and guide, choosing to follow my heart. It was time to take responsibility for my own spiritual growth. My first memoir is about this experience.
Since then, I’ve deepened my practice through meditation, mantra, affirmation, prayer and ritual. I combine old ways and new to support me in moving through unworthiness and limitation to a place of Divine feminine, of genuine grace, happiness, peace and prosperity.
In 2017, I received an embodiment experience of White Tara
a Buddhist goddess. This occurred while doing shamanic journeying. Tara has helped me step more into compassion for myself and others. (Above is a collage I did to anchor the gifts I received.)
I’m also A Course in Miracles student and began reading this metaphysical text in 2012. Then in 2019 was fortunate to join Dr Robert & Hollie Holden’s Everyday Miracles online community to further my study.
In March, 2020, my husband and I went to live with Robert Holden’s Course mentor, Tom Carpenter and his wife, Linda, for three weeks. During that time of Covid lockdown, we studied the Course together while taking care of them.
After writing a book about that experience, my journey moved me to integrate the divine feminine with the Course.
This deepened when I began meditating with an image of the Black Madonna
A painting by Alfredo Arreguin. Her healing love has encouraged me to explore the places where I don’t love myself. At other times, she invites me in to her, to rest in her sacred being.
In 2022, my husband and I began leading a local Course in Miracles group.
And last year, while in Hanoi, Vietnam, I received a blessing from Quan Am, goddess of compassion.
My current spiritual focus is on merging the Course’s teachings with the divine feminine to fully embody compassionate wisdom and love.
I am committed to helping all women awaken to the goddess within them.