Exploring the Mind, Buddhism, Women's Spirituality, and the Unseen Realms
My fascination with the workings of the mind and the realms of women's spirituality has spanned decades, driven in part by early childhood experiences that ignited my curiosity about the divine and the unseen.
Two vivid memories from my childhood stand out. At the age of five, I found myself entranced by the Virgin Mary statue on my mother's dresser. In a fleeting moment, I felt her presence come alive, as she lovingly smiled down at me. The encounter left an indelible impression, revealing the existence of a liminal space where I understood that divine beings watch over and care for us. The Virgin Mary became my comforting ally, like a second mother, providing comfort and guidance.
Another cherished memory from my early years was the sheer ecstasy I felt when imagining myself as a sparkling fairy, waving a magic wand and soaring around the outer perimeter of our house in the Berkshires, eventually landing in a rubber swimming pool. Even at that tender age of three, I made a vow to honor and always remember that moment of pure joy and that it serve as a beacon in my life ahead.
Driven by an intense curiosity about the mind, I would frequently visit the local old stone library during my adolescence, poring over books on philosophy, psychology, and metaphysics, trying to decipher their descriptions of ways to be in this world. At the age of fourteen, I was fortunate to discover the writings of Alan Watts. His book, "The Way of Zen," became a catalyst, setting me on a lifelong path inspired by Eastern religions.
Immediately after completing high school, I embarked on a journey across the country to the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, where I enthusiastically became involved in the emerging counterculture movement. I delved into practicing Transcendental Meditation, danced at the Fillmore, established a tie-dye and macrame business, explored the magical realms of psychedelics, and studied the "Be Here Now" bible by Baba Ram Das.
My continued fascination with Eastern religions, healing methods, women's history and spirituality led me to travel to sacred sites in Greece, temples devoted to female deities and dakinis in India and Nepal, as well as to lands associated with the ancient Amazons in Eastern Europe and Russia. Exploring my heritage in Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, and Russia further deepened my connection to my own personal mythology and fueled a passionate quest to learn about women's folk practices and oral traditions. This quest led me to earn degrees in Archaeomythology (B.A), Women's Spirituality (M.A.), and a Ph.D. in Philosophy and Religion with a concentration in Transformation and Consciousness from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco.
In 1992, a profound spiritual awakening unexpectedly occurred as a result of a series of frequent spontaneous lucid dreams, many of which were ecstatic in nature. These dreams continued for over thirteen years during which I encountered spiritual teachers and wisdom guides in various forms, receiving healings, transmissions, and profound insights. I chronicled these experiences in my book, "Guardians of the Gate: An Investigation of Numinous Presence, 'Visions of the Divine,' in Dreams," based on my doctoral dissertation.
My fascination with the workings of the mind and the realms of women's spirituality has spanned decades, driven in part by early childhood experiences that ignited my curiosity about the divine and the unseen.
Two vivid memories from my childhood stand out. At the age of five, I found myself entranced by the Virgin Mary statue on my mother's dresser. In a fleeting moment, I felt her presence come alive, as she lovingly smiled down at me. The encounter left an indelible impression, revealing the existence of a liminal space where I understood that divine beings watch over and care for us. The Virgin Mary became my comforting ally, like a second mother, providing comfort and guidance.
Another cherished memory from my early years was the sheer ecstasy I felt when imagining myself as a sparkling fairy, waving a magic wand and soaring around the outer perimeter of our house in the Berkshires, eventually landing in a rubber swimming pool. Even at that tender age of three, I made a vow to honor and always remember that moment of pure joy and that it serve as a beacon in my life ahead.
Driven by an intense curiosity about the mind, I would frequently visit the local old stone library during my adolescence, poring over books on philosophy, psychology, and metaphysics, trying to decipher their descriptions of ways to be in this world. At the age of fourteen, I was fortunate to discover the writings of Alan Watts. His book, "The Way of Zen," became a catalyst, setting me on a lifelong path inspired by Eastern religions.
Immediately after completing high school, I embarked on a journey across the country to the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, where I enthusiastically became involved in the emerging counterculture movement. I delved into practicing Transcendental Meditation, danced at the Fillmore, established a tie-dye and macrame business, explored the magical realms of psychedelics, and studied the "Be Here Now" bible by Baba Ram Das.
My continued fascination with Eastern religions, healing methods, women's history and spirituality led me to travel to sacred sites in Greece, temples devoted to female deities and dakinis in India and Nepal, as well as to lands associated with the ancient Amazons in Eastern Europe and Russia. Exploring my heritage in Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, and Russia further deepened my connection to my own personal mythology and fueled a passionate quest to learn about women's folk practices and oral traditions. This quest led me to earn degrees in Archaeomythology (B.A), Women's Spirituality (M.A.), and a Ph.D. in Philosophy and Religion with a concentration in Transformation and Consciousness from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco.
In 1992, a profound spiritual awakening unexpectedly occurred as a result of a series of frequent spontaneous lucid dreams, many of which were ecstatic in nature. These dreams continued for over thirteen years during which I encountered spiritual teachers and wisdom guides in various forms, receiving healings, transmissions, and profound insights. I chronicled these experiences in my book, "Guardians of the Gate: An Investigation of Numinous Presence, 'Visions of the Divine,' in Dreams," based on my doctoral dissertation.
For more than three decades, I have provided counseling, mentoring and hypnotherapy in private practice primarily for women, drawing on both Eastern and Western traditions. My methods incorporate contemplative practices from Tibetan Buddhism and non-dual Kashmir Shaivism, depth psychology, shamanism, energy work and Repattering Hypnosis, which I founded in 2006. Additionally, I continue to explore the archaeomythology of ancient goddess cultures and folklore traditions in Eastern Europe with my British artist husband Christopher Castle.