| This week I officially started my book tour. For many | | | | etc but nowhere did I hear anything about solitude, |
| years I have done radio interviews promoting what I | | | | meditation, contemplation, stillness as something they |
| thought was going to be the soon release of my | | | | were putting into her schedule. Now, I know she |
| book The LifeQuake Phenomenon and then a sudden | | | | believes in these things. She’s covered spiritual |
| upheaval in my own LifeQuake journey would force | | | | topics on many shows but I think addiction needs to |
| me to put the book aside and deal with the health | | | | be addressed more on the show from the hunger to |
| crisis du jour that was presenting itself at the | | | | know one’s inner life. |
| moment. What each illness I encountered had in | | | | In depth psychology, we talk about something called |
| common was that they were incurable by modern | | | | archetypes – a symbol that serves as a model |
| medicine. Each time I went on a search to be healed, | | | | for something that people can relate to within an |
| I discovered that I had to find the answers myself | | | | entire culture or collective consciousness. For |
| and in turn disseminate the information to help others | | | | example, the archetype of the queen is one that |
| in the same boat. | | | | people the world over understand. So when we talk |
| And then I finally finished it. I had to leave town and | | | | about it for the individual, we ask, where does the |
| hole myself up 125 miles away to get it done but alas | | | | queen live inside you? When does she show up? |
| it did get done. My first book was published. | | | | There is another archetype that is relatively new to |
| While doing a radio interview on my book, the talk | | | | western culture and it is called the archetype of The |
| show host asked me this question: “If I could | | | | Wounded Healer. Just as many archetypes come |
| give Oprah Winfrey advice, what would I tell her? | | | | from mythology, the wounded healer is represented |
| “ Now, Oprah has the crème de la crème of | | | | in Greek mythology by a centaur whose name is |
| fitness, psychology, and spiritual gurus at her beck | | | | Chiron. Centaurs in Greek mythology had the lower |
| and call so who was I to tell Oprah anything she | | | | torso and legs of a horse and the upper torso was |
| hadn’t already heard? And yet, in watching her | | | | human. As I tell the story of Chiron, I will interweave |
| show as she reported the feedbacks she received, | | | | Oprah’s story as well. Chiron was rejected by his |
| there was one piece I thought was missing. Yes, | | | | mother at birth. Oprah experienced rejection in the |
| food addiction can be a reflection of not enough fun, | | | | form of neglect from her own mother who failed to |
| not enough self-care, and too much work. And yes, it | | | | protect her from being raped by family members and |
| is good to ask the question, what am I really | | | | later impregnated at the age of fourteen when she |
| hungering for? But one thing bothered me: she kept | | | | was running the streets unsupervised by any parental |
| using the word control to describe the problem, | | | | authority. |
| “getting control over my being”, she said. | | | | Eventually, Chiron was adopted by the great god |
| She also denied being depressed. Now, I don’t | | | | Apollo who schooled him in the arts, sciences, and |
| think Oprah Winfrey is clinically depressed but I do | | | | mysteries. Oprah was sent to her biological father |
| think she’s in a LifeQuake. This time I don’t | | | | after she became pregnant and he put big demands |
| think this weight gain is a symptom of her old | | | | on her to shape up and do well in school or he was |
| addiction to food. This time I think it is more a | | | | going to send her back. Chiron incurred an incurable |
| symptom of a LifeQuake. The crisis part of the | | | | wound in his knee that sent him searching the world |
| seven stages of a LifeQuake are the labor pains of | | | | over for a cure. The knee is symbolic of ego will |
| the soul birthing itself into its next level of evolution. I | | | | versus bending onto your knees to spirit. Although it |
| think who Oprah Winfrey has been is being called to | | | | never healed, he gathered herbs and remedies that |
| die and be released to an even bigger self. I think her | | | | helped others to heal. Through Oprah’s struggle |
| soul is crying out to bring the content of what she | | | | with her wound around her weight she has helped |
| allows herself to talk about on her radio show into | | | | millions who suffer with a food addiction. |
| broadcast television. Yes, she has had Eckart Tolle on | | | | The myth of Chiron has become linked with the path |
| and Michael Beckwith and Elizabeth Lesser but there | | | | of the shaman who must undergo ego death after |
| is a bigger mandate and it is to help people | | | | ego death so that his/her role as teacher, healer, and |
| understand that the chaos we are in is part of this | | | | sage is pure and unencumbered by the arrogance |
| evolutionary leap in consciousness. Many people are | | | | one can acquire through being seen as a god. The |
| coping by turning to addictions and distractions. | | | | world worships Oprah Winfrey. What has kept her |
| A reporter interviewing me asked me last week | | | | humble and in touch with humanity’s suffering is |
| what my thoughts were on newlyweds cruising | | | | her own suffering. What liberates the wounded |
| internet dating sites. Supposedly, one million people | | | | healer is the acceptance of the role he/she must play |
| who are married a year or less had come to this one | | | | in the transformation of others. Yes, Oprah needs |
| site last year. This shocked even me and I thought | | | | more balance in her life, more fun but she may also |
| I’d heard it all. My point here is that the rise of | | | | need to embrace the high purpose of this challenge. I |
| addictive, compulsive behavior is a part of this birthing | | | | submit that it would be possible for her to eat |
| process. It doesn’t have to be that way. There | | | | whatever she wanted and not gain weight if she was |
| are people (I interviewed some of them for my | | | | allowing herself to speak out even more to her |
| book) who recognize that their lives are not working | | | | daytime tv audience ( not just the internet or radio) |
| satisfactorily and they do something about it. They | | | | on the importance of developing the inner life, |
| don’t numb themselves out, but the large | | | | stillness and meditation. As we know, women have |
| majority of people are dragged to their destiny after | | | | more thyroid disorders than men (the thyroid is in the |
| a lot of trauma and drama. | | | | throat) and women are taught to stifle their |
| Back to Oprah. Oprah did a show where her staff | | | | authentic voice more often than men. Do you think |
| showed how they were putting in her schedule more | | | | there’s a connection? |
| down time to get a manicure, to have time for lunch, | | | | |