Akashic Records It was time to pray my prayer of desperation again. This time it went something like: “God, there has to be a way to access both knowledge and power that is simple and easy. No stuff to drag around—maybe just a prayer. Please help.” And I did not doubt that help was on the way. A few weeks later, I was on a panel presenting information about shamanism. Another woman was there to talk about the Akashic Records. I wasn’t completely certain what she was talking about—it was very esoteric—but there was something alluring about it, so I decided to take her two-day Beginning Akashic Records class. In it, she taught us how to open the Records by saying a specific prayer. When I followed her directions—bam! I felt a very distinct shift. And there it was, that sense again, the sense of being known and loved. It was not as overwhelming as my original experience, but I recognized it—and I felt that at long last I was home. What was especially compelling about this new experience was that it wasn’t sensational. There were no spectacular phenomena: no talking in funny voices, no eyes rolling up into the head—none of that. There was just a simple, subtle, yet discernible shift within me that enabled me to access the dimension of consciousness I had been seeking. Over the years, this sense of love has proven to be reliably there for me. Anytime I wish to enter this wonderful state, all I have to do is say the prayer. I began doing Akashic readings for my shamanic clients, and for the next two years I worked with both systems. I did readings for myself almost daily and practiced Akashic readings on anyone who would let me. I felt like I was being “taken” by the Light and moved in a different Direction.

       Whether reading for myself or someone else, I got that sense I had been striving to find. And there was more: years of study were coming together for me. I had explored the writings of Joel S. Goldsmith and Alice Bailey, among others, and as a result I was mentally prepared for the next stage of my journey. The New Thought Churches, Religious Science, and Unity—all doors that I had opened previously—helped a great deal, too. Everything I had experienced and learned supported me in my new realm. And everything continues to support me! In 1995, Lisa and I moved to the Olympic Peninsula with our young son, Michael, believing that this would be our home for the rest of our lives. We loved it—spectacular beauty surrounded us in the quaint Victorian seaport town of Port Townsend. There on the edge of the map in a town of seven thousand people, my practice expanded. It was a place where people went to heal, so my work was embraced there. But adjusting to the move and raising a toddler were stressful for me. I felt blessed that my work was appreciated, but my client list was quickly growing unmanageable. I found myself seeing so many people for consultations each week that this became stressful, too. Finally, even though I loved it, doing so much of this work took its toll, and after a while I began to feel like I was falling into a thousand pieces. Something had to give. I turned to prayer once more: “God, please help me. Show me what to do here.” Then, a revelation. I suddenly understood that many of the people who came to me for Akashic Records consultations could be doing the work for themselves; there was no obvious reason for them not to learn how to read the Records on their own. Teaching people how to do the work for themselves and others became a clear solution to my dilemma. If my clients could learn to access their own Records, they would be able to help themselves develop their own spiritual authority. They could shift from relying on me to following their own spiritual guidance, which would enable them to develop and mature. Then they could just come to me when they were stuck or in need of some outside support to move them along in their journey. My goal was and always has been to assist hers in their quest—to help them find their own way rather than finding it for them (which, in truth, I cannot do anyway). I had never sought to foster an unnecessary dependence upon me, and I was relieved to have come upon this solution.

I believe that on a spiritual quest there are distances we must travel on our own, and our challenge is to learn how to do that. Then there are other times when it’s best to seek the counsel of others. Along the way, through trial and error, we learn when to go it alone and when to get assistance. And we learn that, ultimately, we are here to help one another. So that was it: my prayer had been answered, and I had my solution. Teaching my clients to read their own Akashic Records was a way to empower them to be self-supporting. I’d then be free to focus on working with others who needed assistance from someone else. At the same time, I could delight in seeing my Akashic students grow into finding their own spiritual authority. It was perfect. And  it would have to wait.