The Story of a Water Dragon, a Fire Dragon and a Circle of Stones #dragonlines #dragons #leylines #alchemy #arborlow #fantasyseries

On the front cover of my metaphysical fantasy book Keys to the Heart, a fire dragon descends to meet a rising water dragon over a hexagram filled with the alchemy of their union.

The front cover of Keys to the Heart, designed by Sierra Wheeler

On the back cover of the book, a blurb appears inside a circle of stones. The stones, if you look closely, resemble the heads of dragons. Out of the circle, the tails of the water and fire dragons emerge. The scene wrapping the book tells its origin story.

The back cover of Keys to the Heart, designed by Sierra Wheeler

A story inspired, in many ways, by my visit to Arbor Low in Derbyshire, England nearly seven years ago with Sue, Stuart, Deb, and Nick during a Silent Eye outing. Arbor low is a Neolithic henge monument complete with a crown of stones that sits atop a hill that is now owned by a farmer. I sometimes wonder if the caretaker, who charges a mere one pound/person to visit the ancient site, knows how lucky he is to live amongst the dragon stones.

As soon as I exited the car in the lot below the mound, I felt the pull of the stones even though I could not yet see them. Deb and I helped Nick up the crest of the hill, but when we reached the top, I released him to Sue and Stuart. Sue understood how the energy magic consumes me when I visit the ancient landscapes, and here, before me, was a scene of absolute wonder. On the edge of the mound, I stood at the gateway, letting it fill my cells with memories as time slipped through space.

The stones at Arbor low are arranged in a recumbent circle, with two recumbent stones in the center. Some people think the stones once stood, and I saw the center stones as pillars; a doorway to the stars, while the ones on the ring rose up from the mound watching, protecting. The heads like dragons in wait for the Fire and Water to reunite to seed light back into the sacred womb of Earth.

I chose my path by the pull of my cells, taking each turn between the stones as though I were walking through time. “Like a clock.” When I completed the circle of the face, I was filled with a vision of magic that felt so alive I could not contain it. I felt like a lost soul finding home, once again, in the vast sea of the universe.

It was here, in Arbor Low, where I found the essence of the narrative that had been weaving its labyrinth inside of me.

As a writer, I am often asked about my process. Usually I keep the answer simple, “I am not a plotter, I let the story guide me.” The truth is, quite often I cannot explain what I write until I experience it for myself. Images and names will come to me, and sometimes entire scenes, and I will put them on the page only to discover later, why.

Standing at Arbor Low, nearly seven years ago, my body was re-awakened to the alchemical energy of the universe. Here, I experienced the magic of natural forces concentrated in the land. An energy so strong it transcended time and space. Arbor Low, like other ancient sacred sites, is a place where the complex theories of physics and math make sense. It is a place where magic is tangible and achievable without fantasy.

By the end of the day, I understood why I was so driven to write a story about six thirteen-year-olds who were drawn into a mysterious hexagram filled with broken lines of light to save a broken planet and a broken mother. By the end of the day, during which I visited three ancient sites with the Silent Eye group, I felt the wholeness of reunion in away I had never experienced in this lifetime. Inside of me joy danced with sorrow like I had finally come home.

So while I may have written two books, with a third in process, that are in the genre of fantasy, their essence is the magic of life through the lens of my own experiences. I have a feeling this is how many stories arise through us. We may doubt their origins, but the seeds they sow thread truth in an attempt to bring us home to ourselves.

Keys to the Heart is Live on Amazon! #fantasyseries #newrelease

Keys to the Heart book jacket. Book 2 of the Warriors of Light series now available in print and Kindle.

The day has arrived! The second book in my middle-grade metaphysical fantasy adventure series is now available on Amazon!

Keys to the Heart follows the journeys of six thirteen-year-old protagonists who are chosen to repair the dragon lines in Earth. In book two of the Warriors of Light series, the teens find themselves sucked back into the magical labyrinth only to be deposited in ancient sites across the globe. In order to return home, they must learn the mysteries of these magical lands and find the keys to save a giant named Albion. A giant who also happens to hold the heart of Earth in his body.

Nothing about the labyrinth is easy or straightforward, and the teens find themselves inside places ruled by ghosts of the past, and pursued by a mysterious being they encountered in their first journey into The Labyrinth.

The Warriors of Light series is intended for audiences ages nine through adult. It is a nonviolent fantasy series filled with the adventures of six friends as they learn the power of friendship, inner strength, and the interconnectedness of life.

I am deeply grateful for the assistance and support I had getting these books into the world, including the dedication of my beta readers, the cheerleading from my family and friends, and the dedication from my wonderful editor, Carol Goff and my cover designer, Sierra Wheeler. It really does take a small village to produce a book, and I am so very grateful for the village that helped birth this series into the world.

What If Dragons are Real? #dragons #dragonlines #mysticalcreatures

Although I am not a scholar of mystical beings and their origins, I can think of no creature more popular than the dragon. Dragons, and dragon-like beings, appear throughout history and across the globe. But where did they come from? And are they, in some way, real?

February 10th marks the Lunar New Year of the Dragon. Of the twelve Zodiac signs, dragon is the only “mythical” creature.

A “wood dragon” I encountered on the top of a sacred “dragon” mountain in New England

Spiritual texts and ancient books, as well as countless legends and tales talk of winged serpents and dragons. Sometimes these dragon-like beings are depicted as symbols of evil, and sometimes as forces of good. Gods and goddess adopt the form of winged serpent-like beings to bring forth creation, chaos, good fortune, and prophesies. Dragons and dragon-like beings adorn the coffins of pharaohs and act as guardians on ancient pyramids and temples across the globe. And, dragons appear in literature worldwide, sometimes as benevolent beings, and sometimes as evil forces to be slain. Somewhere along the way, Europeans added dragons to their religious images as powerful creatures that needed to be tamed and even killed.

In some ways, I am particularly fascinated by the Christian portrayal of dragons. Christian churches are often built over ancient sacred sites. Sites on Earth believe to hold powerful energy. Energy that some people believe comes from the dragon lines that run through Earth. These more modern religious structures often contain stained glass images or other artwork depicting dragons. Sometimes these dragons are being tamed by archangels or other messengers from God.

A dragon depicted on the ceiling of a hallway in the Vatican. The Vatican, like many churches, was build upon an ancient sacred site.

Dowsers and people who are sensitive to energy can feel and locate the energy lines that run through Earth. Although I am not a dowser, I often sense these lines of power running through me. As I mentioned in my last post, Earth is a living being, why should it not have energy lines running through it?

A naturally occurring rock dragon (and friend) in Bermuda

There are different theories as to how dragons came into our collective histories long ago. Some people think they were a result of the imagination conjuring up a mythical creature out of snakes, lizards or even the fossils of dinosaurs. Turning the ordinary into something magical. Like a unicorn or a centaur.

But, what if dragons really did, and do exist? Maybe not in physical form, but as a part of the land and its elements?

I thought this looked like a cloud dragon diving towards the lake

How many times have you looked at something in nature and thought it resembled a dragon? I seem to see them everywhere I go: in the stumps of trees, in the rocks and land that tumble into the sea…and sometimes they appear in the sky. But never do I see and sense them more than when I am in ancient landscapes. Here, dragon and serpent heads appear in the stones placed by our ancestors. They seem to watch over the land as guardians.

This cloud made me think of a fiery dragon diving into the hills of Ojai, CA

And, as I mentioned earlier, it is at the sacred sites of our ancestors where the energy of the ley lines, or dragon lines pass through and is often concentrated in vortexes or nodes.

I know people who purport to have close relationships with dragons, and some of them have undergone past life regression where they recall lifetimes of shapeshifting into dragons.

So what if these dragons were real to our ancient ancestors? Real enough to put dragons in their sacred texts and structures. And real enough to name the lines of energy in Earth dragon lines?

The Mystical Mysterious Connection of Dragon Lines of Energy #connection #dragonlines

Sue, Larissa and Ani standing on the body of the dragon in Uffington with its wing spread out behind them.

I am not one to question death. Nor do I, anymore, question the eternal presence of the soul. I’ve had too many experiences that have made me a believer. It is, I believe, something our ancient ancestors also knew to be truth. The mysteries passed down teach of the eternal presence of the soul, as do the ancient sites still lingering in our landscapes.

I love nothing more than immersing myself in the ancient sites of the land. My body’s cells rekindle with memory and I feel a wholeness that is difficult for me to find in our modern world. Here, in the ancient lands, magic stirs to those who open to it. Memories embedded in Earth’s stones whisper their history and lines of energy can be felt beneath one’s feet.

Some people call these lines of energy “dragon lines.” Others, “ley lines.” To me, they are akin to the meridians in the human body. Energy that feeds our organs and tissues, and spread lines of life through our cells. We are living beings made from the body of a living planet. It makes sense to me that we would both have pathways of energy that feed us life.

Sue knew of my fascination with, and connection to, the dragon lines in Earth. She often nudged me into understanding and exploration in subtle ways, stepping back to observe as I explored the energy running through Earth in wonder. When Sue passed, I found myself not only lamenting the loss of a wonderful woman, but also the loss of her guiding presence in the ancient landscapes we visited together. I thought, more than once, I am not ready for your absence.

Until, a short while after her passing, I found a post had appeared on my email feed. It was an older blog written from Sue. I clicked it open to see a painting of the figure of a man in angelic form lifting his foot as though to crush the body of a dragon. As I studied the painting, the brightness on my computer screen increased. I have a scroll bar above my keyboard that shows the levels of light when it is being adjusted, and for several seconds, I watched the bar go back and forth, seemingly of its own accord. My hands on my lap, my body filled with awe.

There are many layers of symbolism embedded in this moment, which I believe was orchestrated by Sue’s energy. And, since it occurred, I turn back to it from time to time to remind myself of this contract she and I continue to play out together.

Since Sue passed away, I haven’t visited the ancient landscapes of England. The timing has not yet been right. This past October, I went on an adventure (dragging my husband along for the ride 😉) to explore some of the ancient lands of Ireland. We concentrated on the northern portion of the country, with a brief hop into Northern Ireland. This area of the world, I learned while there, is filled with earthen mounds. It is a land that was once filled with people who, in my opinion, were deeply connected to and revered Mother Earth. It is rich with goddess energy that was eventually dampened or attempted to be stomped out (recall the painting referenced above) when history began to move towards the domineering masculine energy of power and control.

Newgrange, Ireland

Despite this, though, one can still feel the stirrings of the divine feminine in many of these sites. One of these places is the famous mound at Newgrange where visitors are allowed to walk the ancient passage into the chamber that was aligned to the winter solstice sun, and experience the darkness of being encased inside the mound before the return the light. It is, if you are open to it, akin to a rebirth. One walks back into the womb of the Mother (Earth) to be rebirthed anew. For me, it was a reawakening to the wonder and magic I experienced in the ancient lands with Sue.

It was here that I felt Sue’s presence with me return. We were not in England, and she was not in physical form, but I had little doubt she was beside me. Her presence as subtle and strong as it was in life, returned in another form, which might be called the pure essence of connection. It is this energy of pure connection that threads through the body of Earth when one seeks to find and open to it. The lines of life that feed the body and nurture it.

I believe the biggest downfall of humanity is our separation from this state of connection. We have incorporated disbelief of what is not easy to see or interpret into our mindsets through the conditioning of religious and other dogma. These beliefs are centered around control and limitation, and serve to cut us off from true connection to ourselves and the sources of life that feed and nurture us. I find it both astounding and devastating that we can portend to worship a divine presence, while neglecting to acknowledge the divine light that spreads through all life.

In posts to follow I’ll write more about how this connection relates to dragons and dragon lines.

Optimistic #optimism #lookingup

Double rainbow near Newgrange in Ireland taken during my recent visit

Yesterday, while driving into town to get groceries, a car pulled up beside me at the stoplight. The license plate on it read “Optimistk.”

I opened my email this morning to discover one of the Good News feeds I follow was featuring an article about optimism. Hmmm…maybe a shift was in order.

I like to call myself a realist. But I’m also a dreamer. Sometimes my dreams are dark, and sometimes they are filled with light. I can be a chronic worrier. It’s something I need to constantly keep I’m check. I can fall easily into “what ifs” and dwell upon the gloomier state of the world and my own individual circumstances. Sometimes, it takes active work for me to shift my downward focus up.

Yesterday, and this morning, I was reminded of what brings me joy and allows me to expand instead of constrict the light within. My practical mind can hold onto tangibility and lack in a way that serves only the gremlin who feeds on the shadows inside of me. We are of little service to the world when we hold onto impossibility.

I have a vision that feels so expansive sometimes, I cannot find its edges. Each time I let it arise, I feel the bubbles of Joy percolate out of density. It is an exquisite dream, and even though I cannot yet label all of the paths to its center. I believe it is expressible. This is my test of optimism. And it’s a big one for the science-minded, practical Virgo that resides within. But I am not wiling to let it slip into the shadows of impossibility. Instead, I am going to keep feeding it with the light of expansion and (actively) watch it unfold into being.

Are you holding onto a dream that seeks to be lifted up? Is optimism calling to you to, asking to be expressed? If so, perhaps it is time to allow the unfolding.

“I Will Send You Birds” #lifeafterdeath #signsfromspirit

A robin nesting in a lilac outside my window. I did not take photos of the robins two days ago. I just watched them in wonder, flying and gathering on the holly bush outside my window. Too many to count.

There were many moments after Sue Vincent passed away when I allowed myself to slip into the agony of the mundane. You might think agony is a strong word to use for the mundane, but let me try to explain why I chose this descriptor.

I believe we are birthed opening our eyes to wonder. We leave the vast infinite expanse of connection to experience individuality, but with the hope of holding onto the magic of being. We are not simply cells collected into a body to experience a finite existence, we are being itself. The most basic laws of physics tell us that our energy cannot be destroyed, yet how often do we allow ourselves to slip into the agony of the mundane doubting the magic of our infinite existence?

There are many things that remind me of this slip. Facebook’s algorithm pops up old photos and quotes from the years when I was wrapped in the magic of wonder. Blog posts reappear on my sidebar reminding me that the magic of life I recorded received more likes than the agony of the mundane. And, most importantly, the constriction of the cells within my body remind me that I am a body of wonder waiting to be expressed, again. Over and over again.

This is life.

Sue was, in many ways, a gateway to wonder for me. We met through wonder. I dreamt of the cosmic eye, and then she appeared. Soon after, I saw a vision of a hexagram, and it was Sue who nudged the opening of its magic. Sue came into my life at just the right moment. I needed a teacher and a guide to help me open to the labyrinth of light that threads through life, and together we traveled through time to find that connection. Sue was, literally, a gateway to magic. And when she passed, I mourned her with a fierceness I had not expected. I didn’t want to let that magic go.

And, of course, I didn’t have to. 

When I was working on the first chapters of Keys to the Heart I sent a passage to Sue for her input. The only thing she suggested I change was the use of the phrase, “of course.” I heeded her advice and erased the phrase each time I had used it, and made sure I omitted the impulse when it arose as I continued to write the book after her passing. With one exception, the dedication page.

“For Sue, of course.”

I can see her smiling. I can see that wrap of feathers she wore lifted into wings. I can see the wren, and the owl. The raven and the kite. And, two days ago, when I revealed the cover of my new book, I saw robins. Dozens of them. The most I have ever seen gathered together. In the middle of January. Outside my window. All day. Robins. The bird of birth and spring. It could not have been more fitting.

“I will send you birds.”

After Sue passed, and I began to question whether the thread of our connection still existed, Sue appeared to me during meditation. “I will send you birds,” she told me.

And so she has.

Of course.

Keys to the Heart Cover Reveal #newrelease #fantasyseries

Keys to the Heart cover reveal. Book two in the Warriors of Light metaphysical fantasy adventure series and the sequel to The Labyrinth by Alethea Kehas

I am thrilled to present to the world the cover of my soon to be released book, Keys to the Heart, which was created by the talented graphic designer, Sierra Wheeler. You can find her work on Instagram @wheeler_sierra. She did a remarkable job capturing the concepts I wanted to convey. And, the timing of it all coming together could not be more perfect. After all, it is the year of the dragon!

Keys to the Heart is book two in my Warriors of Light metaphysical (visionary fiction) fantasy series, and the sequel to The Labyrinth. It follows the adventures of six thirteen-year-old protagonists as they continue to carry out their mission to repair the lines of light in Earth. These lines of light are sometimes called ley lines, and sometimes called dragon lines…

Can you guess what might be happening on the cover of the book?

Seeding Connection in the New Year #newyear #connection #2024

Milkweed in my garden on January 1, 2024

I spent the transition from 2023 to 2024 in restless slumber. What began as worry gave way to the wonders of connection. Perhaps it was the stone from a sacred site tucked under my pillow, or perhaps it was something else that seeded it, but there I lay in my bed immersed inside an ever-developing vision around the concept of Connection in a way I had not yet fully embraced. For those of you who know me and have read my words or heard me talk, connection is the foundation of what I believe we are all here to find. It can take different forms. It is individually unique, yet universally binding. It is what we seek, continuously, after we are birthed into a self.

Our connections are the seeds of our being.

So on this first day of the New Year of 2024, I wish to seed the connections of peace, harmony, balance, joy, belonging, unity, understanding, grace, forgiveness and love. May these seeds germinate and form roots that thread through this life we all share.

Happy New Year!

Honoring Indigenous Cultures and Communities Where You Live #givingback

Ways to honor and acknowledge the indigenous history of the place you call home:

My recent “Thanksgiving” post resulted in some very insightful comments and discussions, and I appreciate every one of them. As I scrolled through my Facebook feed this morning, I felt a renewed resolve to somehow be a part of a needed shift in how we honor this day. I do not wish to begrudge a holiday spent with loved ones sharing gratitude and food, but I continue to be troubled by how easy it has become for us to trade comfort for truth.

When I later looked through my Instagram feed, I was reminded of the impact this holiday has on indigenous communities. There was a universal call for not only acknowledgement, but also some type of action. Some organizations I follow suggested education by learning the history of the land where we reside and the indigenous communities that called it home before we did. As I did some of my own research on the land I know call home, along with the modern-day struggles and concerns of its indigenous inhabitants, I was reminded about how much I have yet to learn.

It was a good place to start. From here, I took into consideration another suggestion I had found on the posts I had read: to give back monetarily. Once again, I realized how much I have neglected my “home.” In the past, I have often looked beyond the state where I reside to place my donations, choosing more global causes and organizations to help offset my environmental footprint, and to help offset the effects of poverty and disaster.

Here in New Hampshire, there are several local groups and causes that seek to unite and educate. There are many ways to give back to indigenous communities and initiatives. It you are also looking for ways to give back to indigenous communities that resided upon the land before you did, please consider learning about who they were and choosing a group or cause to make a donation at this time of year (or any for that matter). It’s one way we can offset some of the harmful effects of our origin stories and ensure that we are working towards a more just and equitable future.