HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

 

2007 was a year of travel, growth and transition for me. Of new connections, endings and new beginnings.

The year began with my get-out-of-the-rain time to travel, first in Florida to visit my parents and then to India with my dear friend Liesel from South Africa , via New York and London to visit friends along the way. In retrospect, our month in India might have been less stressful if we hadn't decided to visit so many places, from the beaches in the south to the mountains in the north with several stops in Rajasthan in between. And of course the Taj Mahal. I can't say that India captured my heart or ignited my spirit but it was an interesting adventure.

I returned to Paz y Luz in March to prepare for our busiest tourist season yet. In April, I joined some friends for a 3-day hike around the backside of Ausangate mountain (the highest snow capped peak in this area), accompanied by Nazario the Indian shaman of this region. Nazario died in a tragic bus accident in July that makes the time we spent together hiking his mountain all the more special.

In early June, Regis, my Andean spiritual teacher and I went to Greece to do an Inka workshop there organized by Vassilia who had visited Paz y Luz the year before. The last time I was in Athens was 1974 when I was a student so I wasn't prepared for what a beautiful modern city I found side by side with the ancient temples and statues. My energetic connection was as strong as the first time. We did the workshop on a charming island near Athens called Aegina . Our conference room overlooked the sea where did our practices with the water. It was a wonderful working holiday.

In late June, I lead three one-day workshops in Peru on the Andean Spiritual tradition. One of those workshops was with a group from Sweden . We all had a great time together but I had a very strong connection with one of the men named Christer. He ended up leaving his group and spending his final week in Peru with me. I visited him in Sweden in September and he moved here at the end of December to live and work with me at Paz y Luz. He's a handsome, sweet, caring man who shares my spiritual calling. We look forward to the opportunities and challenges this partnership will bring.

In August Regis, Sergio and I held our biggest Inka Workshop and Initiations – 80 plus people over 11 days from 12 countries. Those days were powerful, profound and not without their challenges. This was the 10th year I have done workshops with Regis and Sergio. During those years I was grateful to be their student and apprentice. I learned so much from them and found meaning and purpose in each of the 17 workshops we did together. This year the three of us discussed ways they could adjust their working styles to be more inclusive, less hierarchical. But when we couldn't reach an agreement, we decided it was best for us to work separately.

So as one new relationship begins for me (with Christer), two more come to a close (at least for the time being). I continue to teach and practice the Andean spiritual tradition working with some Q'ero masters in Cusco . In addition my new focus is to explore the feminine aspects of the tradition with some indigenous female shamans from this area. I have also been trained in the Munay-Ki Rites and am able to share these powerful initiations with others.
(www.munay-ki.org )

While I was visiting Christer in Sweden in September, I lead a one-day Inka workshop, doing practices with the four elements. And later that month another group from Sweden came for a workshop here. That agency will be bringing groups three times a year so the Swedish connection is growing.

At the end of October, I returned to the States to speak at the NC Women's Conference in Charlotte . It was organized by Mary, who had been to Peru and read my book. She was inspired enough to invite me as one of their speakers and also to give an opening invocation. Wachovia Bank and others sponsored the event. There were 2,500 participants – a truly awesome gathering. The invocation was recorded by 3 live cameras and broadcast on 12 giant video screens in the convention center hall that was two blocks long. It was a bit intimidating at first but quite spectacular to look out on that many women gathered in one room. In the breakout sessions, I had so much fun talking with my smaller room full of diverse and transplanted North Carolinians about how the universe conspires to assist us. I signed lots of books afterwards – in fact the bookstore sold out of my books! One of the keynote speakers was Marta de Fox, former first lady of Mexico . I attended a private dinner after the conference with her, Vicente, the former President and 17 others. They invited us to their hacienda in Mexico and I hope to get there one of these days.

The Miami International Book Fair was a week later and I was invited to speak there as well. So I spent the week in between with my parents in St. Pete. Sally from a nearby town who had also been to Peru and read my book, organized for me to give an afternoon talk the weekend before the fair. My best friend Wendy who co-wrote the book with me came from Vancouver for a visit so we went together and had a wonderful time engaging with the folks who gathered to hear about Peruvian magic. The book fair in Miami was much grander than I expected. I was in the company of 100s of authors and booksellers and many thousands of visitors gathered to meet the famous and not so famous writers of every kind of book imaginable. It was a great trip!

The Healing Center at Paz y Luz continues to flourish with many of our guests taking session with me and other resident practitioners. We have several new healers who will be here in 2008 so check out our website. Several new workshops as well.

Next year promises to be as interesting as the last so stay tuned. Hope to see you here for one of our events or just a little R&R. May the new year bring you joy, wonder and opportunities to explore unknown places within yourself and in the world. May the light of the divine creator shine brightly on you and the ones you love.

Diane