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Visionary Fiction Can Be Fun
by Dana Taylor
The Adventures of Jaguar Jack didn’t start out as a visionary novel. In fact, there was no “visionary 
fiction” category back then. I was writing attempting the romance novel genre, but as it turned out, I couldn’t stay “in the box.” My muse was too independent.
I remember the day the manuscript turned “visionary.” There’s a scene with Jaguar Jack and Maggie boating down a jungle river when a sudden storm squalls up. Caught in a deluge, they struggle to stay afloat. Lightning flashes. They catch a glimpse of a huge cat-like creature standing on hind feet on the shore. After the storm abates, Maggie says, “Holy shit? What was that?” (Read excerpt here)
Maggie expresses exactly what I was thinking as the scene unfolded in my mind. Holy shit, what was that? The Beast from Revelation emerged out of the collective higher consciousness. Somewhere along the line, I picked up an unseen “collaborator” for Jaguar Jack. The manuscript went from being a romance to a Hero’s Journey, with all the classic elements, though I didn’t realize it until after finishing it.
The four main characters are at once human beings, but also Biblical archetypes. There were times I was guided to open my Bible to Revelation to certain passages that revealed the spiritual significance of my characters. It was a bit spooky, but also intriguing.
I followed my “collaborator” for the thread of the story and hoped it would all make sense at the end. It did, but the completed manuscript also seemed to be outside of any defined genre. When I originally published the story in 2012, I didn’t know how to market it. It didn’t fit anywhere. While it has Christian elements, it’s too psychic and sexy for that market. The closest was “paranormal,” but that was really the realm of ghosts, vampires, and shapeshifters. So, I didn’t give it much of a push.
In the intervening years, the Visionary Fiction Alliance has been formed. Amazon now has a “metaphysical and visionary” category that’s on the rise. Visionary author Theresa Crater shares several examples in this recent article, Higher Consciousness and Visionary Fiction. I’m meeting and reading more of these kindred spirit authors all the time.
So, I’m hoping the time has come for Jaguar Jack’s day in the sun. This summer I readied the manuscript for the paperback version and was struck by a certain “power” in the piece, which I think comes more from the “collaborator” than me. I’ll take credit for the snappy dialog between Jack and Maggie.
So with a fresh cover and a new genre the book is ready to find its audience. I invite you to enjoy The Adventures of Jaguar Jack.
Paperback and Ebook versions available at Amazon UK Amazon US
(Posting a customer review would be greatly appreciated.)
Bright blessings,
Dana Taylor
Empowering Women, One Scarf At A Time
by Dana Taylor, wearing her Spirited Woman scarf
Meet Nancy Mills, founder of The Spirited Woman (www.thespiritedwoman.com), a leading women’s empowerment community. Known for her inspirational insight and interview style, for many years Nancy moderated the Spirited Woman Circle, an exclusive conversation series with famous women authors, actresses, radio personalities, editors, and more. She also led the creatively playful Spirited Woman Workshop in cities across America.
Almost five years ago, Nancy created a very special project, The Sisterhood of the Sacred Scarves, bringing spirit-minded women together from around the globe. The Spirited Woman Prayer Scarf (www.thespiritedwoman.com/prayer_scarf) is a symbol of spirit, empowerment and beauty.
Nancy is wearing the latest scarf, NAMASTE, now available for purchase. (I just received mine!) A portion of all scarf proceeds is donated to the Spirited Woman Foundation (www.thespiritedwoman.com/foundation) to help heal and support women through actions of empowerment. To date, there have been 16 scarves introduced, each representing a different theme. 100s of women worldwide have purchased 1000s of scarves. Approximately $10,000 has been given to 12 different non-profits, including Sojourn Services for Battered Woman and Their Children, My Hope Chest, TreeSisters and Team Think Pink, Inc.
D: How did you receive the inspiration for Sisterhood of the Sacred Scarves?
Nancy ~ “This is a wonderful story with a lot of mysterious elements. I have always loved scarves. To me – they are so much more than a fashion statement and seem to carry tremendous ancestral energy. About five years ago, I had purchased a scarf. I just loved this scarf and everywhere I went people would stop me and say – “Where did you get that scarf? I LOVE IT.” It seemed simply to attract people. At the same time, I had just moved to an area of Los Angeles called Playa Vista – which I later found out had been a former Indian Burial Ground. Strange things were happening – such as a large red-tailed hawk landed on my balcony and I felt the energy of this land as being very sacred. So, I went back to the place where I purchased the scarf and asked if they had more. They did and I ended up buying 48 more of the same scarf and I called the scarf “The Spirited Woman Prayer Scarf” and I invited women to join the Sisterhood of the Sacred Scarves. From the beginning the scarf came with a ceremony and I blessed each one. I felt the entire project was driven by spirit and the energy of the land where I lived. When I did more research, I found that the tribe that lived there was led by a woman chieftain.”
D: How have the scarves impacted women?
Nancy ~ “There have been many stories with these scarves. So very many. One of our very first scarves was named “Peace.” It had metallic threads running through it. One of the women who purchased it – kept on finding metallic threads in secretive places in her house. On her meditation stand. In her jewelry drawer. Next to her journal. She took it as a sign that she was being protected by our sisterhood. Another woman, called me in a panic. One of her friends was very ill and she didn’t know if she would make it through the night. She asked if I could send the “Gratitude” prayer scarf immediately – so her friend could be covered in it upon her transition. Another woman was very ill in the hospital with cancer. She would not do her chemo treatments unless she was wearing one of her Spirited Woman Prayer Scarves. She had a collection of them. I think “Joy” was her favorite. And finally, this story. A woman wearing our prayer scarf “Rainbow Warrior: Songbird of Life,” was eating dinner at a restaurant. At the table next to her, two men starting shouting at one another. She stood up, and without saying a word, she raised her arms, draped in the scarf and the men ceased arguing. The restaurant went totally quiet. The owner of the restaurant asked if she could come back every night!”
Sisterhood of the Scarves empowers women at every level — from those purchasing and enjoying them, the camaraderie of meeting other women through the social media, and finally, the funds that support women’s causes around the world.
Nancy ~ And it is particularly poignant, now, with our current scarf NAMASTE. “Namaste” means “I bow to you,” and its meaning is often translated as, “When I see the light in you, and when you see the light in me, we are one.” This scarf I know will bring out the natural healer in all of us and act as a connector of divine feminine leadership.
You too, can become a member of the Sisterhood by purchasing NAMASTE , priced at $48. A lovely Red Jade Buddha Bracelet is offered at $18. Purchase Here
Sisterhood members wearing previous scarf, ANGEL WINGS
Past Life Therapy DIY
Those of you who have read my spiritual memoir, Ever-Flowing Streams: Christ, Reiki, Reincarnation and Me, know that my health and world view changed dramatically after a Reiki therapist revealed a past life bond casting a long shadow across my present life.
Though I wasn’t seeking past life therapy, it found me in a round about way, and it made all the difference. Emerging avenues of past life therapy are now available through the pioneering work of Dr. Brian Weiss (Many Masters, Many Lives), Dr. Michael Newton (Destiny of Souls), Dolores Cannon (QHHT), Dr. Jim Tucker (Return to Life: Extraordinary Cases of Children Who Remember Past Lives) and the practitioners who have followed in their footsteps. In a more esoteric realm, channeled messages through Lee Carroll by the collective entities known as Kryon often teach about the past lives and the Akashic Records. Kryon encourages listeners to “mine their Akash” to discover a wealth of talents and knowledge acquired through the centuries of multiple life experiences.
I’ve not only become a Reiki practitioner myself, but also seek information from my own Akashic history. In my book, Supernal Adventures, a chapter is devoted to past life therapy and some of my experiences, including the one previously posted here as A Personal Past Life Regression.
Meditation, healing prayer, and distance healing are all part of my daily routine, but Akashic Record exploration, I reserve for Sunday mornings. It’s time for me and my spiritual guide “team” to spend extra moments delving into current situations and age old questions like, why am I here? Using the method taught by Ernest Ortiz (see post Unravel Mysteries with Akashic Records Reading), I’ve had hit-and-miss success connecting with past life images. More often I’ve received advice and guidance and, occasionally, poetry. Going back and reading the messages is startling, because I barely remember what I’ve written.
Recently, I browsed YouTube and found guided past life meditations there. Last Sunday I plugged in my ear phones, got comfortable on the couch, and hit play for a 45 minute trip to another life. I set an intention ~ please show me a connection to the healing and care giving interest I have today. The audio was uploaded by Blue Sky Hypnosis.com and facilitated by Peter McLaughlin, CHT. Mr. McLaughlin is very professional and smoothly takes the listener “deeper and deeper.” By the time I had mentally walked down the stairs, through the meadow, over a footbridge and into a marble building, I was extremely focused. The listener is ultimately led to a hallway with many doors, each the entrance to a different life. Pick a door. Is the door wooden? Metal? Old? New? Today’s door looked like a hospital hall door, metal with a small window. I pushed through.
The first instructions are to “look down at your feet.” (Interestingly, my previous spontaneous past life memories began seeing my feet and hands and thinking those aren’t mine.) In this session, I saw stiff Oxford shoes and legs covered in woolen stockings walking down a polished hardwood floor. The facilitator asks detailed questions to bring the picture into focus. My identity emerged as a nurse in a private home in England in 1908. I was the care giver for a frail, but lively spirited elderly woman. The house was not large, but furnished well, with many oil paintings on the walls. The woman and I shared poignant days that we knew would be her last. It was a cocoon of time.
The facilitator’s questions jumped my mind to other situations:
Go to an evening meal. Where are you? Who is with you? In this case I was sitting alone in my room eating soup with a piece of hearty bread.
Go to the happiest moment of that life. What is happening? I caught a brief glimpse of being a child at a happy family outside gathering. Everyone was seated around a big table, having a merry time.
Go to the most significant event of this lifetime. What’s happening? What do you see? I was on a cold, grey beach. Other people were scattered up the shore. We were all fully dressed. Debris and bodies were washing up on the shore from a passenger ship that had sunk during a rough storm. I stood there wondering what exactly I should do, feeling helpless and overwhelmed by the horrifying loss of life.
What did I take away from that life time? My innate healing talents today were nurtured in that life experience as a nurse. My distrust of doctors also grew as I observed questionable treatments and arrogant attitudes. I learned to follow my healing instincts and developed a common sense approach to wellness. My ability to calmly sit with the ill and dying has a foundation in that experience.
***
While the YouTube experience is enlightening, it doesn’t take the place of a full therapy session with a qualified therapist. That may take several hours to explore the nuances of visited lifetimes and discover the roots of issues affecting the present lifetime. Still, for the curiosity seeker, it can be an introduction to discovering a wealth of self-discovery just waiting to be explored.
The Supernal Adventure continues!
Bright Blessings ~
Dana Taylor
When Did Happiness Go Out of Style?
by Dana Taylor
Thomas Jefferson wrote The Declaration of Independence so people of the New World could enjoy “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” As a school girl I took that to heart. “The pursuit of Happiness” defined the American way of life. When I married, I assumed my husband and I would live “happily ever after.” Besides Thomas Jefferson, there were all those Disney movies to back up my point of view. As a wife and mother, I strove to make everybody happy. Treats for dinner, fun outings, birthday parties, effusive holidays. Is everybody happy?
It was nearly thirty-five years later when my husband and I were having a frank discussion about the history of our relationship that he said something shocking.
“You’re always talking about being happy,” he said, like there was something wrong with that. And it dawned on me, that the “pursuit of Happiness” was never on his agenda.
In truth, “being happy” probably made him feel guilty. He came from a mindset of sacrifice and denial being much more worthy goals than happiness. So, we were always at cross purposes. As a legal warrior fighting for the downtrodden and abused in the courtroom, he was intense and fierce. “Happy,” not so much.
Nowadays, everyone seems angry. Exposing lies, injustice, shouting profanities. Facebook began as a place to share family photos and has turned into everyone’s bully pulpit. Everyone supports their causes and candidates. And, admittedly, so do I.
Outrage seems to be the order of the day. Pick your cause and scream about it. More guns, fewer guns, more vaccines, no vaccines, build the wall, Dump Trump and on and on it goes. A cacophony of confusion. Everywhere I turn people are creating their own dramas. They’re living large on Facebook, SnapChat, and Instagram. Whether they are enjoying those activities or have merely been sucked into a seductive, addictive online culture is up to debate.
At any rate, I’ve decided the Pursuit of Happiness can be one of my causes. I can’t save the world. I find Outrage frustrating and exhausting. I’m not a marcher. I admire people who get out and wave their signs. But, I am not one of them. While the angst of the social media may lay guilt on me for my chosen path, I’m saying yes to Happiness.
Somebody should be noticing the butterflies and cute babies. I’ll boldly take joy in shiny bugs, red crested cardinals, crashing waves, and songs by Frank Sinatra. What’s more, I may even sit under a tree and leave my cell phone at home. Can you imagine? Quietly sitting and just being, not doing anything. Radical.
As the saying goes, “Happiness is a choice.” It doesn’t seem to be very popular nowadays. But maybe I’ll start a trend. And after that, who knows? “Kindness” could also catch on.
Wishing you a Happy Day ~
Dana Taylor
She has Returned
Someone seeing the bigger picture….
The very first time I heard Bernie Sanders speak, I knew who he was
knew the energy he was representing
knew that he was being fed from the same wellspring of evolving consciousness by which so many of us have been being fed lately on this planet.
This wellspring offers the energy of community
fellowship
kinship
unity
wellness.
It offers the energy of equality
equanimity
truth
justice.
It offers the energy of love.
In a civilization that values profit about all else
this energy becomes revolutionary
but it is not by nature.
By nature, this energy is evolutionary.
There is only so long that we can continue to stumble blindly upon the Earth
eating her up faster than she can feed us
and creating so much suffering for ourselves, our kin in the community of life, and our future generations.
So it is not only unsurprising,
but also necessary
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