27 May

A Heartfelt Message from Me to You with Love and Gratitude

Dear Friends,

Thank you for all your love and support. This update is likely to be the last one.

Unfortunately my cancer has metastasized, and I will begin palliative care in Nanaimo tomorrow. My intention is to move to Victoria – where most of my support network is – as of June 5th.

I want you to know how deeply I have loved and appreciated all of your goodwill and kind wishes throughout the many years of my career. If you would like to keep in touch, you can email me at jdswadron@gmail.com. I prefer short texts, if possible, at 250-813-0183.

I may be available for visits, depending on my energy that day.

Thank you so much to those of you who have donated to my GoFundMe Campaign. I will be paying rent in Victoria and those funds will be used quickly. If you are able, I would be so grateful if you could forward my GoFundMe to others you know who might be willing to support me at this time, or if you would share the link on your social media. Thank you for holding me in your heart and for all your help.

Please be well. Take care of yourself, take care of each other, and hold onto what truly matters.

With all my heartfelt gratitude and love,
Junie

P.S. Thank you for walking this path with me. Your support—whether through donations, prayers, or love—means everything right now. Click here to support my healing journey or to share my GoFundMe campaign.

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18 May

A Hard Road Ahead: Facing Cancer Again with Love, Courage, and Your Support

Dearest friends,

I hope you are well and enjoying the warmer weather.

I usually send newsletters out at least twice a month and have received letters basically saying, “Hey Junie, how are you doing? I haven’t heard from you in a while…”

The reason you have not heard from me since March is because I have been very ill.

Unfortunately, I got sick when I moved to Nanaimo at the end of January and even with all the tests, poking and prodding for these last four months, they have not been able to give any definitive reason for the pain and other debilitating symptoms. This week, after a PET scan in Victoria, I have been told that my cancer has come back and needs immediate attention – meaning radiation and chemotherapy in Victoria, which are my only options other than MAID (Medical Assistance In Dying). As you can imagine, I am in shock and very frightened.

I know that most of you who I am writing to have been loyal followers for many, many years, decades even, and there are those of you who are new to my newsletters or my work, but I want to thank you all for being part of my loving family.

I am so grateful for all of your support over the years, either as friends, family, counselling clients, or writing your books with me. You have added to my life enormously. I pray that the treatment will be successful so we can continue that tradition.

Please put me in your prayers. 

Unfortunately, I have had to cancel my upcoming retreats at the Bethlehem Centre in Nanaimo Write Where You Are, scheduled for June 27 – 29, 2025, and Re-Write Your Life, scheduled for July 31 – August 3, 2025.

Since I got sick at the end of January, until now, I have been unable to work. I recently secured employment at a senior’s home to facilitate memoir writing, which I am now going to have to cancel. All of this to say, embarrassingly so, in order to pay my rent and other expenses, I am starting a GoFundMe campaign. I wish it was not this way. If you would be willing to contribute, even the smallest amount, to help me through these next months, I would be deeply grateful. 

You can visit my GoFundMe Campaign here. Thank you for holding me in your heart.

Something for all of us to remember:

With all the chaos, collective fear, and uncertainty in the world, we must do our best to not be seduced into the fear that seems to be penetrating the globe. Let’s do our best to remember to come back to our center again and again, which is in our heart, take some deep breaths, and be still.

In the stillness, we will find our own personal guidance which will give us grounding, inspiration, and hope. And in accessing this sacred space within us, we will remember who we really are. We are not our bodies, our thoughts, our beliefs, or our feelings.

We are spiritual beings having a human incarnation and it’s in our highest interest to come back to our true nature again and again, to lift our vibration and keep our joy and creative essence alive. As we do this, we not only heal ourselves, we heal the world.

Thank you for walking this path with me. Your support—whether through donations, prayers, or love—means everything right now. Click here to support my healing journey.

I hope that you are well, have been enjoying Spring, and I wish you a joyous, fun-filled Summer.

With love and deep appreciation,
Junie

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11 Mar

Exciting News! A Special Guest & Two Powerful Healing Events​ for You

Dearest friends,

I am thrilled to share an exciting update about my upcoming Radical Self-Care Online Masterclass! We will be joined by my special guest and gifted co-facilitator, Tayama McWaid!

Tayama is gifted in many modalities including movement and breath work in the most powerful, in-the-moment, effective ways. She will be demonstrating that to you during our time together! This is an interactive workshop where we’ll explore self-care in a way that nourishes, restores, and empowers you to take direct action to optimum health.

What to Expect during the Masterclass:

  •  A guided discussion on radical self-care in today’s world of uncertainty
  • Writing exercises that go beyond the logical mind in order to access your own inner wisdom
  • Small breakout rooms to share and connect (you might just meet your next best friend!
  • Movement and Sound Healing with Tayama McWaid – Did you know you have intuitive sounds and movements that come from deep within your soul? Let’s explore together how the deepest form of care comes from your inner landscape.

Now more than ever, the world needs us to take care of ourselves so we can show up fully—for ourselves, our dreams, our creativity, and for each other.

Date and Time: Saturday, March 22nd, from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm PDT
Location: on Zoom (the link will be sent to you once you register)

This masterclass is your opportunity to nourish, restore, and empower yourself towards optimal health. Reserve your complimentary spot today! 

Feel free to share this invitation with friends who may benefit from this transformative experience.


An Invitation to Deep Healing:
The Alchemy of Awareness with Sally Ross
In-Person Event in Victoria, BC on March 22, 2025

I’m delighted to introduce to you a very gifted friend and colleague, Sally Ross. Sally is offering an incredible opportunity for healing and transformation. This is an amazing chance to reconnect with yourself in a meaningful way. If this speaks to you, I encourage you to join this enriching retreat and you can read about my personal experience with her below! – Junie

You are invited into a deeply nourishing afternoon of retreat exploring somatic healing and community connection.

“The Alchemy of Awareness: A Healing Journey of Somatic Sensing and Self” is intended for those who:

~ Wish to better understand the power of somatic experiencing to accompany the body in establishing greater harmony and balance.

~ Are seeking new tools for regulating the nervous system through awareness-based approaches such as Compassionate Inquiry.

~ Are facing chronic pain, anxiety or other ongoing health challenge.

~ Are curious about accessing and expanding our intrinsic capacities to heal from within.

In this afternoon retreat you will learn powerful practices that you can evolve uniquely on your own in your healing journey. The wisdom of the body is our guide. Our shared experiences during our time together will grow your trust in the intelligence of your whole system to show you the way towards release, freedom and wellness. And, this retreat also reserves time for fun!

Saturday March 22nd, 1pm-5pm

Victoria Truth Centre, 2815 Cedar Hill Road

Sliding scale: $60-$95

For more information and to register, see webpage link and contact facilitator Sally Ross, Health Coach and practitioner of Somatic Healing:

778-350-1035

sally@reconnectinhealing.ca


Sally Ross, MA, is an Integrative Health Coach and Somatic Healer supporting individuals to create their most empowered path forward in healing and recovery. She is certified in the Eight Points of Intrinsic Health developed by Zach Bush MD and has advanced training in Compassionate Inquiry, the therapeutic approach to trauma healing developed by Dr. Gabor Maté.

Through her gentle guidance and desire to form an empowering partnership with her clients, she encourages them to uncover the medicine already inside them, from which they unfold their unique and beautiful journeys to wellness as they define it.

 

Junie’s Testimonial for Sally’s Somatic Healing

I recently had the privilege of experiencing a healing session with Sally over the telephone, which was truly transformative. Her gentle, intuitive approach created a space where I could meet my pain with curiosity instead of resistance. Rather than just wishing it away, I was guided to witness it with love, to invite it in, and to listen to what it had to share.

As I did, something remarkable happened—the pain shifted. A deep sense of spaciousness emerged, as if a younger part of me, one that had long been ignored was finally receiving the care and attention it needed. Through this process, I uncovered profound connections and insights, and over the course of our session and beyond, I felt the intensity of the pain dissipate and then diminish.

Sally’s technique is unlike anything I’ve experienced, and I cannot recommend her enough!   


A Time to Celebrate You and Your Beautiful Inner Child

Both of these self-care offerings on March 22nd provide a beautiful opportunity for you to slow down, reconnect with yourself and your inner child, and embrace deep healing. Whether through writing, movement, or somatic awareness, these gatherings are designed to nourish your body, mind, and spirit.

In these deeply troubling times, practicing self-care is imperative in order for us to stay grounded and balanced. It is my hope that the exercises that will be discussed and practiced during this masterclass will become as natural as brushing your teeth. Like anything else, the more we practice, the more it becomes a way of life.

Tayama and I can’t wait to see you on March 22nd at 10:00 am PDT.

You can register for our Radical Self-Care Masterclass here.

You can also register for Sally’s Alchemy of Awareness retreat here.

Please share this email with everyone you know who you feel will benefit from these special events. Besides, won’t it be wonderful to share these experiences with those you love and then  support each other going forward?

Wishing you a journey of healing, connection, and renewal.

Can’t wait to see you soon!
Junie

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04 Mar

Radical Self-Care and My Thank You Gift to You

Dearest friends,

Life has a way of testing us. Since leaving my long-time home in Victoria and moving into my new apartment in Nanaimo, I’ve faced more challenges than I could have imagined. I arrived at my new home without heat in the dead of winter, an ongoing issue that I am still dealing with. Shortly after, I fell seriously ill and needed to be hospitalized—my body’s undeniable signal that something had to change.

Throughout it all, I have to practice what I preach. Radical self-care isn’t just a convenience—it is a necessity.

In times of uncertainty, stress, and hardship, self-care isn’t just about bubble baths and taking deep breaths, although those are on the top of my list. It’s about listening—really listening—to what our bodies, minds, and spirits need at any given time. It’s about practicing Self-Love in true, practical ways. It’s about community, connection, and creating space for healing.

I want to thank each and every one of you for being such a loving support throughout this time. Whether you sent me a personal email, post on Facebook, phone call, or came to visit as part of my care team, every loving response has lifted my spirits immeasurably. In approximately 3 weeks from now, on March 22nd, (I reckon I’ll be fully recovered by then) I want to offer you a gift which I am very excited about.

I am inviting you to a complimentary experiential masterclass on Radical Self-Care. This is an interactive workshop where we’ll explore self-care in a way that nourishes, restores, and empowers you to take direct action to optimum health.

What to Expect:
🖊 A guided discussion on radical self-care in today’s world of uncertainty
📖 Writing exercises that go beyond the logical mind in order to access your inner wisdom
💬 Small breakout rooms to share and connect (you might just meet your next best friend!)

Now more than ever, the world needs us to take care of ourselves so we can show up fully—for ourselves, our dreams, our creativity, and for each other.

📅 Saturday, March 22nd, from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm PDT

Register for my complimentary Masterclass today and save your spot now! 

I am so excited to take this journey with you. If you know others that will benefit, please share this link to join my masterclass.

All love and blessings,
Junie

Please share my website with your friends!
14 Feb

Love Beyond Measure: A Valentine’s Message

 

Dear friends,

On this Valentine’s Day, I want to take a moment to celebrate love in all its forms—the love we share with others, the love that surrounds us, and most importantly, the love we offer ourselves.

Love isn’t just about romance. It’s a force that moves through everything—through acts of kindness, through the way we listen to and uplift one another, and through the unseen miracles that unfold when we trust the journey. Love connects us to each other, to our stories, and to something greater than ourselves. When we embrace love as a guiding force, we begin to recognize the miracles that were always there, waiting for us to see them.

Think about a time when love, in its purest form, showed up unexpectedly.Maybe it was a kind word from a stranger at just the right moment. Or a synchronicity that reminded you that you’re exactly where you need to be. Love is the foundation of all miracles.

As writers, as creators, and as human beings, self-love is the most important gift we can give ourselves. It’s what allows us to show up fully in our lives, to express our truth, and to trust our voice. And yet, it’s often the hardest love to embrace.

We question ourselves. We compare. We hold ourselves to impossible standards. But what if, just for today, you chose to speak to yourself the way you would a dear friend? What if you could write without self-judgment, simply for the joy of it?

Writing is an act of self-care. It allows us to hear ourselves more clearly, to process our emotions, and to remind ourselves of what truly matters. When we write from a place of self-love, our words take on new meaning. They become a bridge—between who we were and who we are becoming.

This Valentine’s Day, I invite you to pause and reflect. What would you say to yourself if you were writing from a place of unconditional love?

Take a moment to write a love letter to yourself.
What do you appreciate about who you are today?
What encouragement do you need to hear?
What is one thing you will embrace with more love moving forward?

You might be surprised at the wisdom and kindness that flows from your pen when you allow yourself the space to truly listen.

Stay tuned—big changes are unfolding! In my next update, I’ll share:
My most recent experiences on my Odyssey of Trust
A recap of the Author Mentorship Bootcamp Retreat (which was absolutely incredible!)
How Murphy’s Law showed up for me recently—yet a most beautiful miracle signifying love and joy arrived just when I needed it most. 

There’s so much happening, and I can’t wait to share it with you!

Finally I want you to know that I love you and I have a question.

Will you be my Valentine? 

With love and gratitude,

Junie

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21 Jan

Nan’s Dream Became A Reality…Read and Be Raised Up…

Yes, just as the beautiful banner filled with red hearts boldly declares: Dreams Really Do Come True…it is True that they do. This isn’t just a song that someday over the rainbow they will. You can make your dreams come true now.

Over these past 6 weeks, I went on an “Odyssey of Trust.” I knew change was imminent and that I had to be part of it, or it would happen “to” me and not necessarily “for” me. Perhaps without taking my own stand, the changes would not have been particularly favourable. So when I got the strong inner guidance to move away, I made a conscious choice not to question it.

This did not mean I wasn’t trembling in my boots. This did not mean I had any idea of where I was going. This did not mean I had certainty or guarantees of anything. I just knew that I had to follow this directive. So I did. And do you know what? Only six weeks later, I moved from Victoria, my city of 22 years, and found a new place to call home in Nanaimo, British Columbia. Goodness! And not just “a new place.” I LOVE my new apartment. It is Truly a Dream Come True! I swear, I don’t know how I kept it all together – having so many details to navigate – but you know what, “I” alone, did not keep it all together.

The Universe supported me with heavenly angels and earth angels every step of the way! And THAT is what happens when we listen to the promptings of our soul. When we surrender to a deeper truth that comes from authentic listening and then trust, we will be led to the right people and circumstances and to the path of our dreams – the dreams that really do come true!

I promise you this is possible. Let’s hear from Nan Campbell about how she made her dream to write a book come true for her, even though she had voices of fear in her head – you know – the kind we all have attached to limiting beliefs such as “I’m not a writer, no-one would believe it, what would so and so say,” and more. These voices can be very seductive. I understand. Writing a book is a big deal. But you know what she did instead, she quieted the voices, decided to move out of her comfort zone and go for it!

As apprehensive as she was, she said YES to herSelf to join my Author Mentorship Program. Today, she is the published author of “I Almost Forgot I Was Happy… My Occasionally Raucous Journey from Melancholy to Peace of Mind.”

Since taking those first tentative steps in 2020, she has become a leader in her field – and it just happens that her field is extensive. She is a serial learner and has degrees, certificates, and qualifications in multiple healing modalities. She is a sought-after therapist – a one-stop-shop leader, with a waiting list of steady clients.
Visit her website here: www.thecompassprojecttherapy.com

From Inspiration to Memoir:
Nan’s Author Mentorship Story

“I joined Junie’s Author Mentorship Program (AMP) with a dream—to tell my story. Through weekly AMP meetings with my cohort, ongoing Sunday Sacred Writing Circles and, most importantly, my weekly one-on-one coaching and mentorship sessions with Junie, my confidence grew to where today, I stand proud as a published author! I can’t say enough about how I would anticipate with joy my time spent in those meetings with Junie. They became a mainstay in my life of inspiration.”

~ Nan Campbell

Nan, a Radical Enthusiast, Mindful Therapist, and practitioner with advanced training in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy, Reiki, and Hakomi, brings her unique perspective to her work with people from all walks of life. Her memoir will soon be available as an audiobook, with a limited edition of print copies also in the works. Stay tuned for its release!

If you’ve ever wondered, “Can I write my story? Will I become a published author one day?” let Nan’s experience inspire you to take the leap and transform your life. Her story is proof that when you say yes to your dreams, the magic begins.

I have enthusiastic testimonials from thousands of writers over the 35 years I have been a writing coach. Their true stories gave me this motto:

“The sweet whisperings of your soul meet you on the page and something shifts.
You strengthen. You begin to stand taller and one day you notice that
your voice on the page has become your voice in the world.”

Whatever your dream is – no matter what, take the steps that will make you soar. Perhaps it’s not a book – it’s another form of creative expression.  Begin this Brand New Year – 2025 – soaring to the very top!  I’ll give you a big hug when you get there! 

“One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.”

~ Helen Keller


More Reasons for Listening to the Promptings of Your Soul

In December I had the privilege of speaking at the Make Books Better Summit. My talk, “Your Life Matters: How to Value Yourself as a Writer Standing Tall in Your Power as a Bestselling Author”, explored how to overcome self-doubt, connect with your authentic voice, and uncover the transformative power of storytelling. If you missed it, this is your invitation to be inspired and take the first step.


If you’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to start or complete your book,
this is it.

The Author Mentorship Bootcamp Retreat

January 26–30, 2025

Bethlehem Centre, Nanaimo, BC

🔗 Read all the details here!

Imagine five days immersed in:

  • Dedicated writing time to focus solely on your story.
  • Personalized guidance to overcome blocks and gain clarity.
  • A supportive community of like-minded writers cheering you on.

Whether you’re writing a memoir, sharing expertise on what you love, or crafting a legacy for your loved ones, this retreat will empower you to bring your story to life.

💻 Need a chat first? Let’s connect for a free Clarity Call to explore how this retreat can support your writing goals. Simply click here to book your call.

🔗 Learn more and register here today!


Writing Tip & Prompt

Tip: The most compelling stories are rooted in authenticity. Write as if you’re speaking to a dear friend. Let your words reflect your truth.

Prompt: What is one lesson from your life that others could learn from? Write it as a story you’d share over coffee with a friend.

Your wisdom could be exactly what someone needs to hear. 

This is just a small taste of what you can expect at the retreat. Imagine diving even deeper into your story, surrounded by inspiration and guidance every step of the way.

I would be honored to help you bring your story to life. Whether you’re just beginning or ready to refine your manuscript, this retreat is your time to shine.

🔗 Learn more and register here today!

I can’t wait to see you there!
Junie

📧 Have questions? Email me at jdswadron@gmail.com —I’d love to hear from you!

P.S. Did you know my play, Madness, Masks, and Miracles, is available to view for free until the end of the month? It’s a powerful exploration of mental health, healing, and the masks we wear. Don’t miss this opportunity to watch it for FREE!

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17 Jan

From Inspiration to Memoir: Nan’s Author Mentorship Story

In this heartfelt testimonial, Nan Campbell shares her inspiring journey through Junie Swadron’s Author Mentorship Program. From Sunday morning writing circles to crafting and completing her transformational memoir, “I Almost Forgot I Was Happy… My occasionally raucous journey from melancholy to peace of mind”, Nan reflects on the magic of writing, the power of sharing stories, and the profound guidance she received.

Nan, a Radical Enthusiast, Mindful Therapist, and practitioner with advanced training in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy, Reiki, and Hakomi, brings her unique perspective to her work with people from all walks of life. Her memoir will soon be available as an audiobook, with a limited edition of print copies also in the works. Stay tuned for its release!

If you’ve ever wondered, “Can I write my story?”, let Nan’s experience inspire you to take the leap and transform your life through writing.

Author Mentorship Bootcamp Retreat: Are you ready to write your story and make it shine?

Join me at the Author Mentorship Bootcamp Retreat, happening January 26–30, 2025, at the beautiful Bethlehem Centre in Nanaimo, BC. This 5-day retreat is your opportunity to immerse yourself in dedicated writing time, structured guidance, and one-on-one mentorship. Whether you’re starting your book or refining your story, this transformative experience will empower you to bring your book to life and share it with the world. Don’t wait—your story deserves to be told! https://bethlehemcentre.com/program/2906/author-mentorship-bootcamp/

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14 Jan

Watch Junie’s Talk from The Make Books Better Summit on Dec. 10, 2025. “Your Life Matters: How to Value Yourself as a Writer Standing Tall in Your Power as a Bestselling Author”

Our lives are made up of a series of stories and not one is the same as another. Each of us are so incredibly unique and we all know that stories are what connects us to our humanity. We also know that truth is stranger than fiction! Reflecting back on our lives is one of the richest endeavours we can undertake.  Socrates said, “An unexamined life is not worth living” and what I think he meant was that without reflection we are deprived of meaning and the purpose of existence.

As a psychotherapist and writing coach for over 30 years, one of my favourite things in life is to help people know that their life matters. Not everyone wants to write a book about it.  And even those who know in their soul that it is something they truly do want, they often sabotage themselves with unrelenting negative self-talk – things like, “I don’t really have a story worth telling”, or “there’s so many stories like mine out there already”, or my favourite, “I can’t spell”.

If you have a dream to write a book, and people have been telling you for years that you should, and that this dream keeps coming back, consider that it is not a dream, that it is your Destiny. 

Perhaps your book is your personal life story that you wish to leave as a legacy to share the wisdom you have gleaned over your lifetime, or you are an entrepreneur and you want to convey your passion – what you have discovered that will help others to find their way in the world, if so this presentation is for you!

You will learn tools to bust through your blocks to write with confidence and ease, write with your most authentic voice, learn how the pain from your past contributes to your life’s greatest gifts and lessons, and that Your Life Matters!

One of my favourite things to do is offer Author Mentorship Retreats worldwide. This next one is in Nanaimo, BC, Canada from January 26 – 30, 2025. Here is the link for more information:
https://bethlehemcentre.com/program/2906/author-mentorship-bootcamp/

My motto is “The sweet whisperings of your soul meets you on the page, and something shifts. You strengthen, you begin to stand taller. Then one day, you begin to notice that your voice on the page has become your voice in the world.”

Are you ready to write your book? Start your journey with Junie’s #1 bestselling guide, Your Life Matters: 8 Simple Steps to Writing Your Story. Discover how simple and empowering it can be to share your unique voice with the world!”

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13 Jan

Is it a Dream? Or is it your Destiny? Join the Author Mentorship Bootcamp Retreat!

Click the image above to watch Junie’s Invitation to You!

Dearest friends,

Do you dream of writing a book but don’t know where to begin?

Maybe you’ve felt the persistent nudge of a vision calling you to share your story, but self-doubt shouts out questions like:

  • Who am I to write a book, and besides, who would read it?
  • What if I’m not a writer?
  • What could I possibly say that hasn’t been said dozens of times before?
  • What if I can’t spell?
  • What if I am criticized?
  • What if…(fill in your own)
  • And anyway I wouldn’t have a clue where to start!

You’re not alone. So many aspiring authors feel this way at first—but here’s the truth: if the dream keeps coming back, consider that it just might be more than a dream. It might just be your DESTINY CALLING!

This is your chance to turn that dream into reality! 

Join me, Junie Swadron, for a transformative 5-day bootcamp retreat:

✨ The Author Mentorship Bootcamp ✨
📍 Bethlehem Centre, Nanaimo, BC
📅 January 26–30, 2025

Click here to book your seat!

Together, we will shine the light on birthing your book and you will know that your dream is now a reality in the making.

“One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.”

~ Helen Keller


Here’s what you can expect from this one of a kind, author mentorship bootcamp*

*A supportive, beautiful environment to ignite your creativity, confidence, and clarity.

  • The gift of time and space, free from daily demands, to focus fully on crafting your story.
  • Heart-to-heart support to build confidence from the inside out.
  • Razor-sharp clarity about what your book is about and who it’s for (vitally important!).
  • Crafting your outline—turning your vision into structured chapters.
  • Dedicated writing time in a beautiful, natural setting to work on your book with clarity and confidence.
  • A supportive circle of aspiring authors to cheer you on.
  • I will be present to answer ALL your questions and concerns
  • As a therapist, I am here to hold sacred space for you to traverse and transcend painful triggers that may arise as you write deep into your stories.
  • I will teach you how to write from your non-negotiable unique authentic voice and stand proud there
  • *Bonus #1: a powerful mock book launch to envision your success.
  • *Bonus #2: An E-copy of my #1 Amazon Best seller “Your Life Matters” 8 Easy Steps to Writing Your Story
  • *Bonus:#3: An exciting opportunity to continue working on your book with your same cohort (whom you’ve come to know and love!)  after our bootcamp, via Zoom. 

Whether you are a novice or a seasoned writer, this retreat is for everyone who knows in their heart that they have a story to tell. 

Many of my students are writing books to help others who are going through similar challenges that they, themselves, have learned to overcome.

Some are entrepreneurs who wish to use their book for even more credibility for their services and to have on hand at their talks and workshop gatherings.

Others are writing their memoirs to have a beautiful legacy to pass down to their families.

Whatever your reasons are, your voice is unique, your story matters, and your life matters. YOU MATTER!

Supplies to Bring:

Just the basics—a journal, pens, and a laptop (optional). My book, Your Life Matters: 8 Simple Steps to Writing Your Story, is also available for purchase on Amazon as supplementary reading.

My motto is:

“Your soul meets you on the page, and something shifts. You strengthen. You begin to stand taller. Then one day, you notice that your voice on the page has become your voice in the world.”

If this resonates with you, I invite you to join me this January. Let’s make 2025 the year you finally write your book that has been your Destiny from the first time it appeared in your awareness.

If what you are reading resonates for you but you have questions, please book a complimentary 30-minute, Clarity Call on Zoom. I will help you get clear on whether what I am offering is for you at this time. There is absolutely no pressure.

Click here to book your complimentary call!

Click here to book your seat at the Author Mentorship Bootcamp Retreat!

To Your Bookwriting Success!,
Junie

#1 Best-Selling Author | Psychotherapist | Writing Coach

📧 Have questions? Email me at jdswadron@gmail.com —I’d love to hear from you!

PS: Want to learn more? Watch these testimonials and see how the Author Mentorship Bootcamp Retreat has changed the lives of the participants!

Watch a Testimonial from my Author’s Retreat on Bowen Island

Watch Corie Ellingson’s Testimonial from my Author’s Retreat

Watch Angelyn Toth’s Testimonial from my Author’s Retreat

Watch Dr. Linda Foster and Kim Locke’s testimonial from my Author Support Retreat

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07 Jan

An Odyssey of Trust

 

Happy New Year, dear friend! 2025 has arrived, and with it comes a blank canvas for us to create something extraordinary. What is calling you this year? What lights you up? What do you want to leave behind from 2024, and what do you want to carry forward into this fresh new chapter?

As I reflect on the past year, I recognize it was a year of transformation—the best of times and the most challenging of times. 2024 asked me to trust in ways I never thought possible. In the middle of this tumultuous journey, something extraordinary happened. I experienced what I call a “miracle meltdown,” a moment of rage and frustration that transformed into profound peace. That peace came when I reached out, in desperation, to a dear friend who has passed on. Her presence enveloped me, and the clarity I had been longing for arrived. I knew it was time to leave Victoria, my beloved home of 22 years, and embark on a pilgrimage of trust.

With each box I packed, I knew that I was being guided on this new path—even if I didn’t know what lay ahead. Trusting that inner guidance, I found myself at a writer’s retreat north of the Malahat, surrounded by the tranquility of nature. Here, I’ve begun revisiting a book I started years ago but had put aside – “If You Only Knew, A Book of Healing Letters”. Now, the words are flowing again, as if the universe has cleared the way for this project to emerge.

And as if to affirm this journey, miracles keep unfolding. Marci Shimoff, author of Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul and Your Year of Miracles, has graciously agreed to endorse my upcoming book. Her belief in my work is an incredible gift and a reminder that trust and faith open doors we cannot foresee.

This journey has not been without its challenges. I’ve had to let go of my cherished home and step into the unknown, which, as a Cancerian, has been no small feat. Home has always been my sanctuary, a sacred space where I create, dream, and share love with others. Yet, as I’ve released my attachment to the familiar, I am learning to trust the process and embrace the unfolding mystery of life.

A Call to Reflect and Create

As we step into 2025, I invite you to join me in reflecting on your own odyssey of trust. Take out your journal and write about your 2024. What lessons did the year bring? What moments of growth and grace stand out? And most importantly, what do you want to create in this new year? Write it down. Lock it in. Then, give thanks for the wisdom and opportunities that brought you here.

Remember, the light you seek is already within you. As you write your intentions for the year ahead, let your inner light guide you. Trust that you are exactly where you need to be.

An Invitation

If you’ve ever dreamed of writing a book, I’d love to support you in bringing it to life. My Author Mentorship Bootcamp retreat is happening this January 26-30 at the Bethlehem Centre in Nanaimo, BC.

It’s a transformative experience designed to help you overcome fears, embrace your unique voice, and take steps toward publishing your work. Whether you’re writing a memoir, a legacy piece, or something entirely unique and different, this retreat offers the space, guidance, and inspiration to bring your vision to fruition.

Learn more about the program and register here.

As I sit in this sacred space, preparing for what’s next, I am filled with gratitude for the journey that brought me here and for each of you who continues to walk this path with me. Together, let’s embrace 2025 with open hearts and a willingness to trust the unknown. Who knows what miracles await us?

Please share yours with me – big or small, and I’ll promise to do the same. I am hoping my newsletters will become a reciprocal exchange. It means the world to me when you respond. It’s starting to happen more and more, and I can’t thank you enough.  

With love and blessings,

Junie

Please share my website with your friends!
01 Jan

Looking Back with Love. Looking forward with Joyous Expectancy. Happy New Year!

Dearest friends,

Today, on New Year’s Day, I want to wish you the most magnificent brand-new year!  And I want to thank you for continuing to support me on my healing and growing journey – and for all the loving comments you have sent me in response to the newsletters you receive. They give me so much joy! It matters to me what you think, how you feel – and what’s going on for you – so please let’s make this a living, breathing, ALIVE reciprocal practice…as you feel inspired to.

It’s hard to believe that we are turning the page from 2024 onto a blank new slate, ready to co-create with The Universe a year of our deepest wishes, desires, intentions, and prayers fulfilled. And no matter what the year brings, may we find the strength, courage and skill to go with the flow, to accept what is and ride the waves of gratitude, no matter what!

When I think back to only one year ago, January 2024, my body was riddled with cancer, I was in a challenging marriage, and so many of my friends were losing their battle with cancer. In the end, six friends passed away in 2024. The grief I was carrying was unbearable. I was scared, my heart and body were filled with pain and the future looked bleak at best.

Entering January 2025, I am cancer free, my marriage to David has ended, yet we have found a beautiful place of friendship that feels kind, respectful and sustainable. We are both proud of this accomplishment. We worked at it!

On December 21st – only 10 days ago, I entered an Odyssey of TRUST when I I left Victoria, my city of 22 years, put everything in a storage locker up island and set out to begin again. Destination unknown. Full Surrender. (That did not mean fear didn’t pay me lots of visits along the way.) I didn’t try to push it away. I allowed it to come along, faced it, and never let it take the wheel. Nope…Never. God is driving my bus and I get the luxury of looking around at the scenery! Not a bad way to travel really.

Yesterday, I signed an application for what I am hoping to be my new home in Nanaimo – ready to move in on February 1st, the day after my Author Mentorship Bootcamp finishes at the Bethlehem Centre.

It was my wish that before I left Nanaimo on Dec. 28th, I would find my next residence. I think I did! It was the last place I looked at before setting forth on the highway to my newest destination – where I will remain as a writer in residence for the month of January. Here, I will be focusing on completing my next book, “If You Only Knew, a Book of Healing Letters”. I am so inspired now that Marci Shimoff has agreed to endorse it! Wowzers!

So far, so good. So far, so great actually! When I don’t let fear run the show…what if they don’t accept my tenancy application. (You know, the part in the movie where the preacher says, “If anyone wants to come forward and state why John Doe and Mary Smith cannot join hands in holy matrimony, come forward and speak..” and the witch and warlock from two blocks past the corner store where the groom lived when he was three come forth…)

Right, here I am going into a whole made up story…Yup, it doesn’t take much for this writer’s imagination to take off and leave me stranded in an alternate reality with no road map or GPS to find my way again…So, I am pulling back the reel now! I shall enter my inspired vision to take hold while I fill my imagination with all the wonderful ways in which it will feel when I live there. Ahh, that’s better!

And should things work out as imagined, I will move in the day after my Author Mentorship Bootcamp Retreat ends – on the heals of doing what I love more than anything – which is mentoring folks to write the book that their soul is calling them to write.

I am filled with joyous expectancy and more than anything, I am filled with gratitude!

Again, please let me say THANK YOU to everyone who has been following my journey and supporting me throughout with your loving comments and energy. I feel you and appreciate you more than you know!

Please let me know the best ways I can support YOU! And if you have a dream to write a book and that dream keeps coming back – consider that it is not a dream – but your destiny.

WHAT I WANT TO SAY TO YOU NOW IS: No matter where you are as you say goodbye to 2024 and hello to 2025 – emotionally, spiritually, physically, in every way –  know EVERYTHING in our temporal world changes. Nothing stays the same.

Except for one thing! It’s our connection to Source – to Spirit, to Universal Intelligence, to God, to the still small voice inside us which, when we are still, quiet and silent, we can hear its messages to us. And when we listen, we are led, albeit into a Mystery that may not have any visible safety belts attached – still, trust and know you are safe.

Learn to Fall in Love with The Mystery. Don’t try to make logical sense out of anything. Cause nothing is! Everything we thought was safe, may not have been. What we thought were “the rules” have changed a gazillion times since Covid and keep changing. What’s left…be still, listen and Let The Universe Love and Guide You.

Summon up what you can be grateful for right now. The roof over your head. The people who love and support you. The pets who bring you joy.  The water that you get to drink by just turning on a tap, the fresh air outside your door, the tree you can see from your window that shelter the birds, the groceries that you just purchased…Don’t take anything for granted. Take time to count your blessings. There are more than we can count when we take the time. And be sure to include the events in your life that suck! Yup, be grateful for those too because they will teach you things. There are invaluable gifts wrapped up in our challenges. When we get to the other side of them, our learnings become our strengths that we get to pass on to others! Now how cool is that!

Now consider where you want to put your time, energy and attention this coming year. What turns you on? What makes your heart sing? Do it! That’s all! Just do what makes your heart sing.

Don’t spend one more minute on rehashing what didn’t work out. It’s an energy stealer and we don’t get a second chance to re-live any given minute, hour or day. So infuse your days with Love and Beauty! Joy and Curiosity, Projects that inspire you. People who inspire you! Take that little kid in you out to the garden, the seashore, the swings in the park to play. Make sand castles with other friends -and motes that connect you. Put down the drawbridge and acquire new friends. Your tribe of besties. Rest. Restore. Write. Sing. Dance. Take pictures. Be your authentically beautiful self and know you are loved beyond measure.

Know I love you, I’m here. I care. Talk to me. Tell me what your soul intentions are for 2025 and let me supercharge them with you!

God Bless You.

Junie

P.S. And if you feel in your heart that it IS your destiny to write your book, don’t put it off any longer. Let me hold your hand right to the publisher’s door. And get started right here with my Author Mentorship Bootcamp Retreat!

P.P.S There’s been an incredible response to my offer of FREE access to watch my play, Madness, Masks, and Miracles, so I’m extending access to the play for the entire month of January. Don’t miss it! Click here to watch it now!

Please share my website with your friends!
27 Dec

How Miracles are Born: Making our Lives Miraculous

 

I hope sharing my story inspires you to recognize
the everyday miracles in your life.
Although this is my story I am sharing,
I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt,
if a life of miracles can happen for me,
they can happen for YOU.
May you make 2025 your own spectacular
Year of Miracles
for you and your loved ones.
All love, miracles, and blessings, Junie

 

Dear Friends,

This is my Holiday letter to you. Grab your cup of tea, coffee, eggnog, hot chocolate, or tipple of choice, relax and enJOY!

The first six months of 2024 were undoubtedly the most challenging I have ever endured in my life as an adult. Yet, these past six months feel as though I’ve been walking Heaven on Earth. This journey from despair to miracles has been nothing short of transformative.

A Vision Realized

 

In January 2024, I joined Marci Shimoff’s Your Year of Miracles, a transformational year-long journey designed to help participants live in the flow of miracles and create a life filled with love, joy, and abundance. As part of the program, I created a vision board with three soul intentions:

Alive, Resilient, Body, 

Magnificent Retreats Worldwide, 

Eeezy-Peezy Financially Free! 

None of these soul intentions seemed remotely possible at the time. Today, as we near the end of the year, all three intentions have manifested! 

My life is a testament to the power of Commitment, Faith (Full Surrender), and Taking Inspired Action (following my intuitive guidance).

From Despair…

When I entered 2024, my body was riddled with a rare form of cancer. Medical professionals viewed my case as a losing battle. I weighed only 90 pounds, was in excruciating pain, and my medical team called in Hospice as they were considering palliative care to be my next steps.

Adding to my physical suffering and emotional turmoil, I was told by my oncologist that if the amount of stress I was currently under was not curtailed significantly, my cancer could metastasize. Unfortunately, the stress seemed to escalate, resulting in my husband and I separating.

The months that followed were a descent into darkness. Thankfully I was offered a Lifeline of Hope through the support of friends, family, and therapists. I chose to commit to using the tools I’ve employed over my lifetime to lift myself up. I made that commitment non-negotiable. I wanted to live! 

I wanted to heal from cancer, and no matter what was happening, I needed to find peace in my soul. Slowly, going one day at a time, and holding onto my deep faith in God as my primary lifeline, I began to climb out of the abyss. All together, with everything I was doing, I began to wake up each day feeling a bit better than the day before. I was rejoining the land of the living!

…To Miracles

On June 22nd, my birthday, I gifted myself a day of silence. I allowed myself to grieve the huge changes I was experiencing. I went through all of David’s and my treasures. I wept, sobbed and wailed. I prayed, walked, meditated, journalled and by day’s end, I had surrendered fully. Then I released David with unconditional love in my heart. It was time for both of us to go forward on our own in the healthiest of ways.

That day marked the beginning of profound healing. Since then, my life has been an accelerated journey of renewal—body, mind, and spirit. I am dancing, laughing, working, and loving my life in new ways!

Health: I am cancer-free and have been for nearly six months! My body is strong and vibrant, and I’ve returned to hiking with friends who sometimes can’t keep up with me.

Career: New therapy and book-writing clients have appeared out of the blue! I’ve been invited to lead retreats at stunning locations worldwide—a dream I’d held for years and which was on my vision board at the beginning of this year.

Currently I am in conversation with people in some of my dream destinations such as Europe, England, New York, and Costa Rica. If you would like me to offer a writing retreat in the area where you live, please get in touch with me at jdswadron@gmail.com. It would be my honour!

This year I have facilitated two retreats at the Bethlehem Centre in Nanaimo, BC. I am so excited to be presenting my third one – my Author Mentorship Bootcamp from January 26 – 30, 2025 – see below for details!

Creative Milestones: With the support of my Virtual Assistant, India (who kept my business alive while I was very sick and couldn’t work by repurposing work I had done in the past), I completed two books that became #1 bestsellers on Amazon: Re-Write Your Life II: Peace Awaits You and Write Where You Are: A Guided Experience for Those Who Dream of Writing but Don’t Know Where to Begin

Relationships: David and I have found a new friendship rooted in mutual respect and love. I found the purity and innocence in him and in myself and you should see us now! I remember why I fell in love with him in the first place as we both let go with love.

In November, we even sang together on an open stage where so many of our music buddies often play, rekindling the joy of our shared creativity. I had not been to this particular venue since I became ill. I missed our friends tremendously. It was celebratory for me at The Spiral – everyone was so happy and gracious to see me again – to see me healthy and especially to see David and me actually singing at the mike together – belting out It’s a Brand New Day.

David’s going away gift to me. His original David Halliwell oil painting called Road to Mecca with his beautiful  letter of love.
If you have something you would like painted in mind, he loves to do commissions – listening carefully to the details you envision and then he does his magic!
You can reach out to him at davidhalliwellbc@gmail.com.

A Pilgrimage of Trust

As I write this, I’m packing up my home, my sanctuary, and preparing for a new chapter. I am moving to another city…, with full guidance from the Universe, inspired by what I call my Miracle Meltdown and am on a Miracle Mystery Pilgrimage called TRUST… I love my life! Synchronicities are happening at EVERY turn!

This journey begins with being invited to stay at the Bethlehem Centre, a retreat haven, where I spent Solstice reflecting and dreaming of my life to come.

From December 28 to January 25, I will be a Writer in Residence at a retreat center in Lake Cowichan, B.C., surrounded by forests, lakes, and the Pacific Ocean.

This sacred space will allow me to dive into my next book, If You Only Knew: A Book of Healing Letters. 

My Latest, Greatest Miracle of All, Marci Shimoff, of Your Year of Miracles, has agreed to endorse this book! Thank you, Marci, and thank you, Rena Boone, for presenting my letter to her. I thank you both with all my heart.

Fifteen years ago, I asked Julia Cameron if she would endorse my first book, Re-Write Your Life: A Transformational Guide to Writing and Healing the Stories of Our Lives. Her publishers told me that she doesn’t do that anymore. Still, they sent her my heartfelt request, and this is the endorsement I got:

“Junie Swadron is both a guide and a muse.
Her book is a bright lantern, illuminating the often dark and tricky terrain of the soul.
Grounded in personal experience, her techniques catalyze the deep authenticity possible to us all”

~ JULIA CAMERON, AUTHOR OF THE ARTIST’S WAY

I am telling you this because when we have the courage to ask for what our heart desires, even when those we ask happen to be our greatest s/heroes, they could very well surprise us when they say “YES”.  

Holiday Specials

FREE Access to Madness, Masks, and Miracles Play!

As this is a time where there is so much uncertainty, confusion and fear on the planet, I am offering FREE access to my Highly Acclaimed Play, Madness, Masks and Miracles until January 1, 2025.  

It is a play to dispel myths and stigmas about mental illness.

As many of you know, I was diagnosed when I was 20 years old with manic depressive illness. My young life included a series of hospitalizations. Everything felt out of control. I was massively depressed most of the time. I was “failing” in life by society’s standards…and my own at the time.

Thank God, there was something within my spirit that led me to know that this did not have to be my future! Mental Illness did not have to stay as my identity!  

Having that intention set me on a healing path where I don’t even recognize my life today compared how it was then!

If you or your loved one is suffering with a mental illness, your life can look differently too! You are not your diagnosis! This is a Brand New Day. You just need to reach out and know that someone who cares will be reaching back. It’s amazing how help comes to us when we are brave enough to reach out and ask for it.

Claim it for FREE. Don’t wait!  If you or a loved one is suffering -get it for yourself. Get it for them. Send them this link. Access ends on January 1, 2025, so don’t delay!

NOTE: VERY IMPORTANT! Do NOT watch it by yourself — watch with a trusted friend, therapist, care giver or best supporter as it could be triggering! Then have the most honest conversation you have ever had with them!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH MADNESS, MASKS, AND MIRACLES FOR FREE! 

Re-Write Your Life Home Study Program

A Holiday Discount of 90% Off the Regular Price!

As a Holiday Special, I am offering my Re-Write Your Life Home Study Program for $29.97 (regular price $297.00) – a 90% discount.

If you are ready to transform your life by re-writing the stories of your past that have hurt you, click this link. It could also be the greatest life-giving gift to a loved one who may be suffering and in pain right now.

Ready to Write Your Book?

On January 26, I’ll be leading my 5-Day Author Mentorship Bootcamp Retreat at the Bethlehem Centre—continuing to fulfill my vision of guiding others to share their stories with the world. This is a transformative experience designed to help writers uncover the power of their unique voice and bring their stories to life.

Whether you’re just starting out or an experienced writer, this retreat offers the perfect environment to nurture your creativity, gain valuable insights, and take significant steps toward writing or completing your book. Wherever you are on the continuum, from inception to nearly finished, this bootcamp is for you.

This immersive retreat is more than just a writing workshop—it’s a journey of discovery, inspiration, and connection. I would be honored to have you join us for this unforgettable experience!


Click here to learn more and book your seat!

Miracles Multiply

As I step into 2025, I am open to even more miracles. Are you?

For me, I envision a beautiful new home to move into on February 1st – perfect pricing for the rent and overlooking the ocean. I might as well ask for the best – and breathe it into BE-ing! And why not ask for financial abundance, a growing retreat practice, and perhaps even a new love partner. Why not!?

My body is exhausted with so much happening but my soul is deeply at peace, grounded in Gratitude, Love, and Faith.

Make 2025 Your Year of Miracles

This year has shown me that miracles are not random—they are invitations to trust deeply, and to act courageously. I encourage you to reflect on your dreams and take bold steps toward them. Your miracles are waiting for you. May all your most treasured dreams come true – after all, mine already are unfolding. Yours can too! 

Holy crow…last year, this time, I was still riddled with cancer. Thank you, God, for keeping me alive so I can continue to spread my light and love and create outrageous abundance through my love and service to whomever shows up in front of me.

Writing Prompt for Creating Miracles

Listen to my audio meditation of Unleash Your Passion, Purpose, and Highest Potential on Insight Timer (link here).  Then, follow the instructions at the end of the meditation, which will give you the recipe to create your Year of Miracles for 2025.

I’d love to hear from you, please share with me your miracle intentions for 2025 so I can hold you in my heart and supercharge your greatest vision with you!

Wishing you a beautiful Holiday Season filled with love, light, limitless possibilities, and MIRACLES GALORE!

With love and gratitude,
Junie

PS: If you’re ready to create your own Year of Miracles, the next season of Your Year of Miracles is now open for registration! This life-changing program, created by #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author and renowned happiness expert Marci Shimoff, has transformed countless lives—including mine. In fact, it’s Marci Shimoff who is endorsing my next book – WOW!

I can’t endorse this program enough. I believe it has contributed greatly to my success in all areas of my life this year. Learn more here. Don’t miss this opportunity to step into your own miracles!

Please share my website with your friends!
03 Dec

The Make Books Better Summit: I’m a Featured Speaker!

I’m thrilled to share that I’ll be speaking at the upcoming Make Books Better Summit!

The Make Books Better Summit is an exciting five-day event designed to help writers like you bring your book dreams to life or take your current projects to the next level.

What’s Happening?

From December 10–14, join a lineup of leading industry experts (including me!) for a deep dive into topics like:

  • Brand building
  • Content creation
  • Networking
  • Audience growth
  • and so much more—all tailored for writers, editors, and anyone who loves books and wants to make a lasting impact.

Why Attend?

Whether you’re dreaming of writing your first book, polishing your latest manuscript, or looking to connect with readers on a deeper level, this summit will equip you with practical tools, strategies, and inspiration to achieve your goals. There’s something here for everyone!

Save the Date: When I’ll Be Speaking

📅 Tuesday, December 10 | 9:00 AM Pacific Time
📢 Topic: Your Life Matters: How to Value Yourself as a Writer Standing Tall in Your Power as a Bestselling Author

During my session, I’ll share insights on how to:

  • Bust through writing blocks and negative self-talk.
  • Write with confidence, ease, and authenticity.
  • Transform the pain of the past into inspiring stories that empower others.
  • Embrace the truth that Your Life Matters—and so does your story.
  • Learn writing tools that teach you how YOU can stand out as a #1 Best Selling Author

If you’ve ever wondered whether your dream to write a book is worth pursuing, I’ll show you how to transform that dream into your destiny.

PS: In my presentation, I’ll also introduce key concepts from my upcoming Author Mentorship Bootcamp Retreat that I am offering this January 26 – 30 at the Bethlehem Centre, Nanaimo. You’ll get an exclusive sneak peek at how this transformative program can help you bring your book to life.

How to Join the Summit:

Grab your FREE spot at the summit here!

Let’s Make Books Better—together! I can’t wait to see you there.

All Blessings,

Junie

Please share my website with your friends!
02 Dec

My Solstice Pilgrimage: Trusting the Journey

Dearest friends,

Life has a way of surprising us when we least expect it.

Less than a week ago I experienced an unexpected meltdown in the middle of the night. It was BIG. I went to sleep that night disappointed about something, but I was ready to pivot, knowing everything always works out for the best. But the rumblings in my stomach had a different story to tell. They weren’t just rumblings – it was an active volcano ready to erupt…And erupt it did! I obviously had some things to release which I truly did not see coming.

I felt sorry for the tenant below me as I was stomping through the house like a madwoman. Then, in the middle of it, my eyes caught sight of these words on my bookshelf: Escalating Bliss – words my friend, Judith Rockert used just before she died. (You can hear her say them in my podcast here.)

I cried out to her in earnest. “Judith, please help me.”

Within seconds, peace and tranquility washed over me. I went back to bed and fell into a deep slumber. I must have been travelling with the angels because when I woke up, I was given a clear roadmap indicating a brand new life was about to unfold —a brand new direction to follow.

Since then, I have come to know that every step of the way has been Divinely guided and orchestrated. Apparently, the universe felt I needed a quantum leap! I am still shaking my head in disbelief as I pack up my belongings in full surrender.

After 22 beautiful years in Victoria, it’s time for me to say goodbye. 

This December 21st, on the Winter Solstice, I’ll be embarking on a Solo Solstice Pilgrimage, a symbolic step into the unknown. I am on my Magical Mystery Tour, which I have called TRUST. While I don’t yet know the exact destination, I am following the signposts north of the Malahat and perhaps as far as the Comox Valley. The only thing I know for sure is that I am celebrating Solstice in Nanaimo at the Bethlehem Centre for a Special Under the Stars Solstice Celebration. Come and join me there! 😊

This is the absolute perfect place to begin my pilgrimage! Thank you, Donya! Donya is the director at the Bethlehem Centre who invited me to stay at their beautiful retreat centre while I scout for my perfect new home on the island. I also have friends in the area who have offered me to stay with them as well.

As you can see, everything about this new chapter is being guided by Grace. I am getting nothing but Yesses for all the details I am attending to…and in the order that they need to come. It has been perfect ease and flow all the way! Thank You, God!

I’ve been packing up, asking each item if it wants to come with me. I am feeling into the energy of all my earthly treasures to see if they are going to continue to grace my new home or is it time to bless and release them for someone else to love?

I have started to post things on FaceBook Marketplace and have also decided to host an indoor contents sale. I’m letting go of a lot! And that isn’t just what I’m putting in boxes!

Mark Your Calendars:

When: Saturday, November 30th, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and
Sunday, December 1st, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

What: Treasures for your home or items that can be the perfect Holiday Gifts.

I hope to see you there…and give you a goodbye hug at the same time! Or come and be one of Santa’s Helpers…Volunteers needed. (Text me and let me know if you would like to give me a hand 😆)

And please, if you are a friend or relative reading this newsletter, please forgive me if I haven’t called and told you my news personally yet. It’s all happening so fast. Nothing would make me happier than to sit down with a cup of tea and share the news – but I’m too busy packing up. I know you understand!

So now you have it –  My Big News. My Miracle Meltdown Odyssey.

WOW! A year ago I was still riddled with cancer, David and I were still together.  This has been one crazy- harsh year!  Today, I am cancer-free and David and I, although no longer together as husband and wife, have become good friends. Imagine that! I am counting my blessings.

And I continue to count my blessings for YOU! And a special call out to you if you live in Victoria and have been part of my creative and healing circles for over two decades.

Many of you have become my dear friends – some have come and gone.  Please know that ALL OF YOU have brought so much richness to my life.

One day, on the other side of my pilgrimage, when I am settled somewhere brand new, I will be able to write what gifts this beautiful city brought to me. I can’t do it now. You can’t write about Paris while you’re still there. But I can surely say, “Thank YOU!”

By the way, this doesn’t mean goodbye, it just means goodbye for me to Victoria! Thankfully, my irreplaceable executive assistant, India, follows me everywhere I go via this thing called the Internet!

All Love and blessings,

Junie

P.S. I may have a special open house going away celebration. Stay posted for details! *you may need to bring your own chair! LOL

P.P.S. As you can see by the picture below, I am still working with my author mentorship clients. Tayama is getting ready to join the Author Mentorship Bootcamp at the Bethlehem Centre in Nanaimo. See all the details here, and stay posted for more information about the Author Mentorship Bootcamp soon!

P.P.P.S. I always like it when people respond to my newsletters. This time, if you are inspired, I’d especially love to hear from you!  I’m a Cancerian — we are natural sentimentalists!  And I love you all!

 

Please share my website with your friends!
13 Nov

Embrace Your Inner Light this Halloween: Unmasking for Mental Health

Halloween has ancient roots, going back to the Celtic festival of Samhain, a time when people celebrated the end of harvest and believed the boundary between the physical world and the spirit world thinned. People wore masks to protect themselves from any wandering spirits, creating a symbolic ‘cover’ between themselves and the unknown. 

Today, masks have taken on a different meaning. Many of us wear figurative masks to protect ourselves, hiding our true feelings, insecurities, or struggles. While these masks might shield us, they can also keep us from connecting fully with ourselves and those around us.

 

Unmasking for Mental Health

In the spirit of Halloween, why not explore what it would feel like to take off one of these masks? Start small. It could be as simple as letting someone know how you’re really feeling. The process of unmasking is a powerful act of self-compassion and a way to connect more authentically.

 

My Healing Story of Madness, Masks, and Miracles

Halloween and mental health have a surprising common thread: the masks we wear, whether to celebrate or to shield our innermost selves. This theme is deeply explored in my play, Madness, Masks, and Miracles. Like the masks we put on at Halloween, many of us wear emotional and psychological masks every day, hoping to protect ourselves, fearing judgment, and hiding truths even from those closest to us.

 

The Courage to Unmask

Madness, Masks, and Miracles was born from a need to tell these hidden stories, exploring the relentless struggle of hiding behind a “I am fine” face while experiencing profound challenges within. Featuring real people with their own journeys through mental health challenges—whether personally or through loved ones—the play unpacks themes of suffering, resilience, and, ultimately, the miracles that come from allowing ourselves to be courageous, vulnerable, and real.

This Halloween, if you’re ready to take a deeper journey, consider watching Madness, Masks, and Miracles as a way to connect with the universal experience of unmasking. Available for rent on my app or to own on DVD, the play may inspire reflection, empathy, and hope—whether you’re familiar with these struggles or supporting someone who is.

Click here to learn more about my play, as well as listen to an interview about authenticity and the price we pay for wearing masks!

My personal journey to take off the biggest mask I was wearing for decades

I could have won several Academy Awards for the times I was able to pull that off. Until, one day, I stopped. I had to. It was non-negotiable. The amount of energy that it took to push down the truth of how I was feeling and pretend all was well when it wasn’t, in order to please others, had to stop.

It was from that impetus I wrote my play and came out in public with my bouts of bipolar illness. Make no mistake – it was not easy – it was petrifying to tell you the truth. To expose myself like that. After all, I am a therapist, and my clients had no idea I might have been in a hospital for clinical depression when they thought I was on leave for professional reasons.

The bountiful success that came from Telling my Truth

I had no idea that stepping out like that would become my saving grace. Instead of being filled with pain, shame, and embarrassment, my life turned around dramatically. I stepped into my role of being a fierce, outspoken mental health advocate. Instead of losing clients (my belief was that once they knew that I had bipolar illness, my career would suffer), my business grew in leaps and bounds. Out came more workshops, more books, and more projects to help people heal their fear and shame and stand tall in their own skin.

As well as it serves me as it is my dharma to help in this way – it has allowed countless others to feel safe enough to tell their own true stories of heartbreak, confusion, and loss when faced with a mental illness. It put them on their own healing journey where they could finally drop their masks of shame and step into their own empowerment.

Although the play was staged several years ago, its effects are still transforming lives today!

Not long ago, my friend Maggie, her auntie, and her father sat down with Maggie’s mom to watch the play. Her mom was 80 years old at the time and suffered throughout her whole life with bipolar illness, but it was never spoken about. Ever. It was a risk showing her the play as they didn’t know how she would react. The next day, Maggie’s mom said, “Maggie, it’s the first time in my life I realize it wasn’t my fault!” It still makes me tear up to remember that.

Reflection

This Halloween, in the privacy of your home, be as authentic with yourself as possible.

Ask yourself where you are stuck in hiding. Are there things you don’t say because you are afraid of hurting someone or upsetting the status quo, or for other reasons? Do you wear a “happy face” when you are feeling lost, afraid, sad, or lonely?

Ask yourself what you would need to do in order to remove the masks you wear so you can seen, heard, acknowledged, valued, and loved, just as you are?

Writing Prompt

If I could drop one mask today, what would it be? One step I am willing to courageously take today to remove my debilitating masks is…

 

A Writing Tip: Free-Flow Writing

When exploring deeper topics, like letting go of a mask, try writing in free-flow form. Set a timer for five minutes, write without stopping, and let whatever thoughts arise fall onto the page. Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or making sense—just let it flow. This can help bypass any internal “masks” we might wear, allowing for a more authentic expression to emerge.

P.S. Oh, have you listened to my song, It’s a Brand New Day yet? I was motivated to write it for the same reasons I shared above: to reduce the stigma associated with mental health challenges. I co-wrote it with my now friend (former husband), David Halliwell. I wrote the lyrics and handed them over to David to produce the music. We then handed it over to the studio musicians and singers and then to Lisa Hope, who did a remarkable job at the Video Production. It’s all here for your enjoyment -fun and danceable, too!

Please share it far and wide. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnLcjG4B4Tk

Please share my website with your friends!
09 Sep

IMPERMANENCE: Life, The Journey, Death, Re-Birth, & Miracles

Dear Friends,
“It is not impermanence that makes us suffer. What makes us suffer is wanting things to be
permanent when they are not.”
~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Please read this blog post when you have some extra time. I am delivering a very personal and important message to you today. You will need to have spaciousness for thoughts and reflections of your own as you read my words. How might they have personal meaning for you too?

SPOILER ALERT: Delightful links and writing prompts at the end. Wait for it! 😊

All blessings,

Junie

LIFE

I have learned a lot about impermanence this year. In truth, I have always known that things don’t last forever—that’s a no-brainer. Still, there have been countless times in my life when I know things must change but spend copious amounts of time and futile energy railing against the odds, wanting them to stay the same.

I have also learned, over time, and may I say the hard way, that miraculous gifts await us when we can let go with love and acceptance. It’s not easy to do, yet mighty worth it!

IMPERMANENCE

As stated above, what you are about to read is a very personal story. I am bringing it forth because I believe that it is also a universal one.  A story where we all experience the gambit of emotions from despair to elation. From fear to love. From being stuck to being free.

When we rail against change, straddling what’s going on now with an uncertain future, even though we may not be happy in our present life, it can often feel better than what we project the future could hold in store. This describes my latest journey under the guise of impermanence.

It is my hope that as you read my words, they will resonate with you—from times in your life when you were stronger than you thought—where you went from crawling to walking tall, transcending some of the worst situations your life brought forth. And if you are going through one of those times right now, know you will get through it again even if you have lost hope, courage, or know-how.

I wish to extend my hand and my heart to you in alignment, faith, courage, and love.  As my lyrics to the song, “It’s A Brand New Day” that I co-wrote with my husband, David Halliwell say:  “… We’re in this together, you are no longer alone, this is a brand new day!”

DEATH

These past seven months, since January 1st this year, I have gone through the most severe case of Murphy’s Law as one precious friend after another died of cancer for a total of six friends in all.  Last year I thought I’d be among them. I am not. Thankfully, I am still here.

It’s one thing to say six of my friends died of cancer in a seven-month span, and you, as my reader, can gulp at the thought of it…yet I would like to make it even more personal.

It’s not the number that is shocking. It’s about the meaning that each one of them added to my life – the fact that I could call on them whenever I wanted and that I could trust them to love me just the way I am. We don’t just lose a person; we lose everything they meant to us, what we came to rely on, take for granted even, and the unquantifiable richness that our lives held because they were in it. We lose it all.

There is one more death I haven’t mentioned yet, and it was the hardest one of all. It tipped the scales of my mental stability, taking me down a very deep rabbit hole that I couldn’t crawl out of for many months. It was the first day of this year, 2024, when my husband, David, left. It was supposed to be for a month. He never returned.

I remained in shock and despair day in and day out. As I mentioned above, we don’t just lose the person whom we’ve loved, when it’s a partner, we lose the life we had together. And in my case, our lives were abundant with creativity. We wrote books together, created songs together and so much more. David’s musician friends became my friends too, yet over these many months, the phone stopped ringing, the invitations stopped coming, and the curtain came down on my life as I knew it. No one reached out to talk to me. I think it’s awkward for people. They don’t know what to say. Still, their absence just made the hole in my heart feel even emptier. I miss them.

Over the decades, I have built up the reputation of being fiercely resilient. I have experienced trauma and tragedies beyond what some would consider the norm in one lifetime. I don’t think I’m unique in this way. We all know of people who move through horrendous hurdles that seem beyond repair.  For me, I believe I must be working out all my karma this one lifetime.

Yet even though I fall down hard, I do get up again. I sometimes crawl. I find ways to stand up again. Sometimes, I even soar. Not this time. The enormity of these most recent losses stole my life force and all my reserves. I feared I would never be able to rise up again.

I started to feel like a fraud since I’m supposed to be the “Re-Write Your Life” gal. Over my thirty-five-year career, I’ve helped countless people do just that. I teach them how to take the most painful circumstances of their lives, the ones that crush them to the ground, rendering them helpless, and teach them skills and tools that will unlock their own personal power and resilience.

I couldn’t find one ounce of personal power anywhere in my body, mind or heart  to move out of my unrelenting grief. A paradox that I don’t understand is that, somehow, my chosen work defies that reality.

THE JOURNEY

The broken-open person I am, when I get up in the morning, is not the same person I become when I sit in front of another, bearing witness to their pain, and am capable of being totally present for them, helping them to transform their fears and concerns and move forward. I am able to put my own pain in parentheses. Then I find myself collapsing into it again when my client leaves.

Perhaps it’s akin to a mother or father who, after a sleepless night of angst, fear, and uncertainty, can put a smile on their faces as they kiss their children good morning, fix them breakfast, and send them off to school with loving hugs. Once they are out the door, the pain moves in again and takes over.

For me, the return of the light has been very slow. It’s like the sleeping seed in the ground that shows no signs of life, and then, seemingly out of nowhere, a green sprout appears.

REBIRTH

And so, it was for me. Unable to see beyond the darkness, I began to reach out for help—a therapist, a good friend, and reached for the tools I’ve used in the past to help me lean into life again.

Slowly, drip by drip…a faucet of hope was turned on, and I could see the beauty in a sunrise once again. Then, by putting one step in front of the other, I gathered up the strength to plant a literal garden in my backyard.

I’m not a gardener and didn’t have a clue really what I was doing, but I did it anyway because I needed to see new signs of life in what used to be our happy home.

Last summer, I was so sick with cancer that I never left my bed other than to go for treatment. My friend Megan, bless her, came by and planted a garden for me.  Today, if you came by for a visit, I would proudly lead you through the kitchen and onto the back deck where you would see a splendid oasis of blues and reds, pinks and yellows, and purples and greens showing off their beauty.

These days I enjoy my morning coffee among the flowers, vegetables, and herbs that I planted.

I sing them my typical “Good Morning to You Song” – the same ones I greet my adorable budgies, Jazzy and Blu with when I take off their cover first thing in the morning. It takes no time at all and they sing back the chorus in perfect pitch.

THE HEALING POWER OF INTENTIONAL SILENCE, RITUAL, AND LETTING GO

I seem to be in the flow these days. I believe my true transformation began on my birthday in June. I intentionally set the day and night to be alone in silence. I spent the day in prayer, contemplation, and reverent ritual, letting go of my marriage to David. To accept that it is over and to find the courage and strength to surrender to this reality.

I removed the treasure box from the cupboard, overflowing with precious items David and I gathered over our almost six years together. I read letters and cards we gave to one another—for every occasion and for no occasion at all—just because. I also gathered all the beautiful cards—an outpouring of love from friends and family when we walked down the aisle less than two years ago. I slowly turned the pages, one by one, of our wedding album featuring the smiles on all of the faces of everyone there.  The love coming off these photos was palpable.

I cried, I sobbed, I wailed. I journaled and I released what felt like the remaining pain beyond the numbness that had built up inside. It felt like I was releasing every ounce of grief and abandonment I carried inside of me from early childhood to that day.

I repeated the Ho’opono’pono prayer over and over again. “I love you, please forgive me, thank you, I love you”. I lit candles, invoked the ancestors, angels, and guides, and then released all of the items that symbolized the promise of our heart pledges that were to last til death do us part. A holy moment of peace washed over me. With a full heart, I blessed David and released him.  I blessed us both and the ties that had us bound in pain, anger, confusion and grief.

MIRACLES ABOUND

I left the house and walked through the forest and along the ocean shores, feeling the summer night breeze on my face breathing in new life. I thanked God for LIFE. I thanked God for sparing MY life. I walked to my favourite place in Saxe Point, high up on the rocks overlooking the vast sea stretching itself far into the horizon. The swells rose and fell from our Canadian coastline to the Olympic Mountains that hug the shores of Washington State.  I watched and was almost overtaken by the surrounding beauty.

I called out to my six cherished friends, who had recently passed. I had communion with each one. I felt them with me as they wrapped their angel wings around me and I was assured they were happy, out of pain, and at peace. I walked home feeling blessed.

When I arrived at my door and walked up my front steps, there on the porch was a stunning bouquet of flowers, along with a beautiful card and brand new journal. A truly unexpected birthday surprise from David.

We spoke the next day and agreed to meet in person in Rumi’s field. You know the one – beyond right-doing and wrong-doing.  Our hearts were open wide as we slowly, quietly, and respectfully shared our individual truths.  I don’t think either of us realized the toll it took on us with my diagnosis of cancer. Unknownst to me, I had it while I walked down the aisle. For months I had been wrongly diagnosed and given the news five months later. Things changed dramatically after that.

There came a time when they didn’t think I would live. I can only imagine the fear it brought up in David when he lost his only child, his beloved daughter, Cat, some years earlier at the tender age of 26 from a car accident.

During our tender talk, we both agreed it was time to go our separate ways. We intend to maintain a good friendship and who knows, maybe even write more songs together!

If you are having what seems to be irreconcilable issues with a partner, friend, child, co-worker, or someone else,  I highly recommend you meet in Rumi’s field. Miracles happen there!

“Out beyond the ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing, there is a field.
I will meet you there”.
 

~Rumi

Impermanence. Everything comes, and everything goes. Everything changes in this temporal world. Love, however, lives on forever. Love never dies.Another miracle that I believe came from letting go with love was a flowering plant that returned to life. An orchid that David gave me over two years ago eventually lost all of its blossoms and appeared dead. I kept it anyway. The day after my letting go ritual, new magenta buds started to grow on what had appeared to be lifeless stems.

Today it is in full bloom.

David texted me this morning to let me know that the one I gave him to take to his studio at about the same time, which had also “died,” is starting to grow brand-new buds!

I believe that my life was spared for a reason. I am to continue shining my light, living with renewed passion and purpose, and continuing to be that Re-Write Your Life gal. My gift back to God for sparing my life is my humble commitment to do just that.

I was beyond excited to have been invited to facilitate a Five-Day Re-Write Your Life Retreat from August 29th until September 2nd at the Bethlehem Centre in Nanaimo, British Columbia. It’s stunning there! I didn’t even have to go looking for it, the invitation came out of the blue for me. At the same time I was asked to facilitate a retreat in May as well.

Just two short months ago, even though my Write Where You Are retreat had been booked for some months, I couldn’t imagine how I’d summon up the energy for it. I believed I would need to cancel. Such is the power of unrelenting grief.  Yet in spite of it, I showed up.  And I didn’t just pull it off. I was on fire!  How could I not be? It is my dharma. Writing, teaching, and communicating to others how they can transform pain into joy has always been my true purpose and my lifeline!

I could hardly wait to welcome everyone who attended this new offering on August 29th! The retreat went wonderfully, and I can’t wait until my next retreat at the Bethlehem Centre – the Author Mentorship Retreat – which runs from January 26- 31, 2025!

Here is the song I love to sing these days (and at the top of my lungs, don’t you know!).

Jazzy and Blu are my backup singers who fly ahead of me to take the lead. We share the mic! Please join us.

Shawn Gallaway’s “I Choose Love”: https://youtu.be/YHpy_k_kMTU

Here’s the song David and I wrote set to a beautiful music video created by Lisa Hope. The musicians and singers in the backup chorus are our friends. I will always consider them my friends. Love never dies.

This is a Brand-New Day: https://youtu.be/CnLcjG4B4Tk

Something for you to Contemplate

Consider what shows up for you viscerally when you feel into the word “Impermanence”. How does it make you feel? Are you afraid of endings? Do you welcome new beginnings or do you resist them?

Writing Prompt #1: When I know that a person, place, or thing that is meaningful to me is shifting and appears to be dying, typically I…

Writing Prompt #2: Going forward, when change happens, even though I want to hold on, I…

As per my usual request, please find an unerupted space of time where you can write for 20 minutes in your journal. Have a glass of water beside you. When you are done writing, go outside and into nature and notice the beauty around you as you allow what you wrote to integrate. Stay open for miracles.

If you relate to my experience—the part of being threatened by change, afraid of the future, and stuck and uncertain where to go from here—please click on this link to see how you can turn that around with my Re-Write Your Life Home Study Program. ALLOW FOR MIRACLES TO AWAIT YOU!

If you have questions about the program, the upcoming Author Mentorship Retreat, or perhaps would like to participate but are not comfortable with groups and would prefer to work with me one-on-one, I invite you to book a complimentary 15-minute Zoom call here.

All love and blessings,

Junie

If you feel drawn to share your writing, feel free to do so in our warm and welcoming Writing Sanctuary on Facebook. You’ll find a fantastic community of fellow writers eager to cheer you on and celebrate your words.

If you resonate with what I have written in this blog post, please share it far and wide to build our community and to make our voices for peace and harmony for humankind even stronger.

With deep gratitude and blessings,

Junie

P.S. Just 13 months ago, while in the midst of my cancer journey – in the midst of having impermanence at my door, I recorded this video. Even then, I was re-writing my story, choosing acceptance and peace even if I lost the battle of having my life continue.  The strange thing is that I forgot I even recorded it – and just yesterday, while looking for something else entirely, it popped up! It seemed too serendipitous not to share! Click the image below to watch my video on YouTube.

Please share my website with your friends!
12 Oct

A RAW AND DEEPLY HONEST RESPONSE TO THE WAR IN ISRAEL

A RAW AND DEEPLY HONEST RESPONSE
TO THE WAR IN ISRAEL

Content Warning: This blog post delves into sensitive topics like mental health, suicide, eating disorders, sexual and religious violence, religious conflicts, and war. Please read with discretion and with self-care in mind.

Dear Friends,

This is what poured out of me on October 8th at 3:45 a.m., the morning after hearing that Israel was at War. It has a lot of personal information about me – my relationship with Israel, my relationship with all people, and my firm commitment to participate as a humanitarian in my mission for peace. It is my intention that what comes from my heart is delivered directly into your heart as well and that together we can unite to build a world of peace, love, and harmony, instead of divisiveness and polarization.

This is my invitation to join me and other peace-makers in the world to unite in the power of Love. In the power of Goodness, Compassion, and in the likeness of God. And let us remember that Love is not passive. Love is a verb. It means taking positive action in whatever ways your heart calls you to act. Perhaps it’s simply calling one person today to tell them that you love them or just being still while actively praying for peace for all peoples. All acts of love are worthy and their ripple effects can move mountains.

Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing,
There is a field. I’ll meet you there
.

~ Rumi

Saturday, October 7th, 2023

SHOCKING NEWS “ISRAEL IS AT WAR” 3:45 a.m.

When my friend sent me an email saying she was praying for everyone in Israel, I wondered what she was talking about. I Googled, I read, I watched, and I was horrified. I contacted my beloved niece, Rachel, to find out if her children who live there are safe. She said that they were in the north and yes, they were safe. I can’t help wondering, is anyone safe in that country? Is anyone safe anywhere?

The world has gone crazy. I don’t usually pay attention to the news – not in an active way. I am informed about it from some of my friends who have their eyes on the pulse and are actively involved. My sensitive nervous system keeps me traumatized after one newsreel. Yet today, I couldn’t seem to stop myself from clicking on the video of the Hamas terrorist attacks and now I can’t sleep. I can’t get the images out of my mind. Nor what I’ve been reading ever since.

Thank God I received Marianne Williamson’s and Maria Shriver’s Facebook posts – voices of sanity, acknowledging the despair, grief and horror I feel within my own soul. Their grief and horror is my grief and horror – it’s our collective grief for humanity. And it’s OK to weep beyond politics, beyond right and wrong, but instead for the hearts of every human being affected by the atrocities of war. As well as each and every human being who is walking around not knowing where to turn and asking, pleading to know what is going on with our planet, who can we trust, and where do we go from here. And how can those of us who have made it our life’s work to uphold the light, to be the eye in the storm, to find and spread peace in the chaos, do it? How do I do it when I am crumbling from the horror, shame, shock, and disgrace of it all?

I remember only too well the brutal surprise attack on Israel on Yom Kippur in 1973 and then, only a few weeks later, I was walking the streets of The Holy Land. For many years since then, I’ve questioned how far that country has moved from a holy land to where power and control are the gods some of the politicians worship. I was 24 years old when I agreed to volunteer on a kibbutz in whatever capacity they needed me. That was exactly 50 years ago!

I had been in Israel a few years prior to that. I travelled there because I wasn’t ready to come home from London where I had been living for six months. It was here that I experienced the demise of my friendship with my very best friend who I met in grade 2. When Suki and I had originally made our plans to travel Europe together, it was with great excitement and promise. We started dreaming about it when we were in our young teens. Our prime motivation was to get away from the dysfunction and turmoil in our homes. Well, that was my main motivation. The fact that I was, and still am, an adventurer at heart made it even more appealing.

We set out in mid-September of 1969 on a student ship to sail across the Atlantic Ocean from New York to Southampton, England. That was to be our first stop on our adventure throughout Europe. That didn’t happen. One month before leaving, I was brutally raped by a stranger who I met in Yorkville, Toronto. Just prior to that I ended my engagement to Freddy. And then it got even worse. My very best friend and I had our first and only fight since we met as children and still hadn’t resolved it by the time we stepped upon the ship that was going to take us far away from home. The tension grew and we never got beyond it. We parted ways in London seven months later.

It was all too much for me but there was no way I was going back to Toronto alone, depressed, and so very frightened. I went to Israel instead, hoping that having another focus while working on a kibbutz and honouring my Jewish faith would help me with the grief, shame and pain I was consumed with every day.

Instead, it turned to heightened anxiety which turned into clinical depression which turned into catatonia, and then, in my deep despair I made a suicide attempt and the people at the kibbutz sent me home.

My parents walked right past me at the airport. They didn’t recognize me. I had gained 60 pounds. I left Toronto weighing 110. I was now 170 pounds only a year later. I turned to food for instant comfort and as the pounds on my body escalated so did my depression and self-hatred. The people on the kibbutz were wonderful to me. They could see how unhappy I was and tried their best to comfort me…until it was too late. I left the kerosene heater on in my room during a thunderstorm while my roommates were away, completely aware of the danger. When they found me unconscious, they put me on a plane home the next day.

I always knew I’d come back to Israel to return the kindness and to explore the land, and so when the Yom Kippur war broke out, I attended a meeting at the Zionist Centre in Toronto where they were adamantly asking for volunteers to go and work on the kibbutzim because all the men and women in the military were fighting the war – even those in reserves were deployed. I didn’t think twice. I signed up. It was the only time I ever saw my father cry. Now, four years after my first experience when I was hopelessly depressed and suicidal, now I was stable. I was at University and I felt like I had a promising future. I knew that the university would be there when I returned. Now I was going to go help where my heart was being called.

Fast forward to today. Israel is at war. I was with two friends tonight for Thanksgiving dinner. I was the informant about what happened this morning. Neither of them had heard the news. Mayim has many relatives who survived the holocaust living in Israel. I have friends and family living there too.

Recently I felt chastised by some people because I am not involved in politics the way they are. They are actively involved and I highly respect them. I am on the front lines in my own way. Trying to uphold the Light and offering my gifts of service and healing in my thirty year career as as psychologist and mental health advocate as well as in my personal life with whomever shows up in front of me. It doesn’t take much to know where to offer our compassionate hearts.

One thing that has had me at war within my own soul for many years now has been the way the Israeli government has been treating the Palestinians. I simply cannot get behind it. An eye for an eye instead of recognizing that both sides are made up of human beings just trying to live their life in peace and harmony.

When I was living there during the Yom Kippur War, there was a terrorist attack on a children’s school in Kiryat Shmona. Eighteen people were killed, both children and teachers.

After that, in the wake of the current war, the country put out a referendum about the death penalty for any captured terrorists. There was an overriding NO – even though a majority of the settlers of the State of Israel were survivors of the Holocaust, even though thousands of deaths happened during the current war, the majority of the country denounced Capital Punishment. It is a very different climate today.

I have family and friends who live in Israel and I have a strong visceral love affair with that country and my people. I want Israel to survive and thrive with all my heart and soul and that includes all citizens of Israel. That means that I also want the innocent people of Palestine to not just survive but thrive in peace and harmony. To be free to come and go and for the two nations to live side-by-side in peace. Historically they did.  No one wins in war. They never have and they never will. Never.

Decades ago as a young woman, had I been visiting an Arab country while I was clinically depressed and they were the ones who treated me with kindness and then later were reaching out for help, I wouldn’t have hesitated. I would have gone there. Dare I say that out loud? Will I be chastised, even ostracized by my Jewish friends, my family, and all Zionists worldwide? Dare I speak up? Trust me, I am doing it but I am also afraid of losing the love and respect from people I deeply love and care about. Yet, in being in integrity with myself, I am called to speak out and face any consequences that come as a result of it.

The thing is, I have always been someone who embraces all people. I am inclusive – if you are kind, decent and a good person, I want to know you. I do not discriminate by colour, religion, creed or nationality. I spent a good part of the 60’s and 70’s taking part in peace marches and rallies. I do not belong to a synagogue or any other organized religion,  although I was a member of a non-denominational community for many years and it was like a home away from home. They had a leaderless service…where anyone in the community could be the speaker. I spoke there many times and appreciated the warmth, camaraderie, creativity, and companionship I felt. Then Covid happened and no one went anywhere. Soon, I moved out of that area and married a non-Jewish man just 13 months ago who is a steadfast believer in God. We had a banner, that we hung from the chuppah at our wedding that said, “Our Religion is Kindness.” Just for the record, I have also attended the Reform, Conservative and Orthadox synagoes where I live and the rabbis and the congregations are awesome, beautiful people. I stand in solidarity with Israel. I stand in solidarity for all humankind.

Tonight when I came home I was exhausted and fell asleep quickly. I woke up in the middle of the night only to find that David was not in bed beside me. I went into the living room where he was standing by the sofa and next to tears. He said “I can’t believe what’s happening in Israel.” I couldn’t answer. I had no words. We fell into each other’s arms. David was trying to hold back his tears. Me, I simply don’t cry. I wish I did. I wish I could.

In the last two weeks, David and I have been in deep grief because of the deaths of six people close to us who have died. It seemed like everyday someone else we knew died suddenly, either people who were not sick at all, or others who we knew were ill but didn’t think the end of their lives was imminent. Each death has been shocking and after a while I couldn’t rationalize it with the usual jargon, “We all are going to die – and we don’t really die. Our souls live on.” Even if I trust this to be true, it doesn’t mask the pain, grief, and sorrow that comes with the human experience when we lose people we love.

There were many times this past year when I wondered if I would live. The cancer had grown bigger, the pain excruciating, my bowels and digestive system were completely dysregulated and I had no energy to speak of. I got winded even trying to walk up one flight of stairs. I had trips 5 days a week to the cancer clinic for radiation, would come home and flop into bed. The treatments stopped only 2 months ago. I am losing my hair at a rapid rate and my energy levels are tentative at best. Yet, on a very positive note, the cancer is not detected anywhere in my body – what I am experiencing are side effects from the treatment that will eventually all dissapate. Although according to my oncologist – he said, “Junie, you are still not out of the woods. Even though the cancer was localized and the MRI report says ‘no cancer’, it is too soon to tell. There are lymph nodes of concern – even though they are smaller than they were. Don’t start celebrating yet.” He was also the one who told me I might want to consider MAID (Medical Aid in Dying) the very first time I ever met him. Luckily, I do not take his negative attitude as gospel and trust I am healing beautifully. I have also been blessed by the love and my husband, family and friends through this challening time and that goes a very long way!

Yet today, right now, I’m tired, I’m weary and even though I’m the Re-Write Your Life person (who just published my book, Re-Write Your Life II: Peace Awaits You, a week ago),  it may be a while before I re-write the story of the despair and anguish that is coursing through my body because of the unprecedented madness in Israel, Ukraine and Russia, and in the wider world. I know it’s good to feel it. I have no intention of stuffing it. I just wish I could cry.

Today is October 10th. And three days after I wrote the above missive. The last three days have been Thanksgiving here in Canada. David and I acknowledge every day, not just this weekend, how much we have to be thankful for. We never take the beauty of where we live and to be alive, for granted. Nor all the support and friendship and love we both experience from friends and family. We both do our best to bring love and kindness to the world in whatever ways we can and we both stand up for justice for all.

I used to be a court reporter at City Hall for seven years when I lived in Toronto. I was not cut out for that job. It is not my nature to be in an adversarial environment day in and day out. Especially without any say in the matter…simply being told to record verbatim what is being said. I stayed because it paid my tuition at higher learning institutions to become a psychotherapist. Still, I often left the courtroom and wept because of some of the injustices I witnessed within the justice system.

Years before that, in the 70’s I lived in Montreal and wrote for a Horoscope magazine. I knew nothing about horoscopes or the zodiac but I could write. So I wrote day-by-day forecasts for each of the 12 signs for each month. I made them up. But I didn’t feel out of integrity because I also took home a pile of letters almost every day from people who were writing into this horoscope magazine. The owners of the publication would open the envelopes and see if there was any money in them (often people would put in a cheque or a twenty dollar bill) and then discard the letters because there were too many to answer. I took it upon myself to take the letters home and write to these people. Some were writing the most awful things that were happening to them and were looking to a fake horoscope magazine to get answers. I was saying, “I don’t care if your moon isn’t in conjunction with Pluto, get out of that abusive relationship.” I was fired about a year later when I refused to implant negativity into the forecasts. I knew about self-fulling prophecy and I wasn’t going to contribute to something potentially harmful even with the boss’s threats to let me go. It was my way of contributing to the right action even if it cost me my job, and it did.

Also, during that time in Montreal, I was living with my French-Canadian boyfriend. It was at the height of the Quebec referendum and my boyfriend and his friends were separatists. I quickly learned that speaking English and being Jewish was not in my favour. I went through a terrible time because I didn’t speak French and was also being discriminated against because I was a Jew. His friends were very political and at the time the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) was the terrorist group who were trying to obliterate Israel. His friends were very knowledgeable about who was doing what to whom and they tried to have a debate with me every time we were together. They had me over a barrel. I didn’t keep track of the up-to-the-minute blow-by-blow disputes. I felt powerless to fight facts. Instead I relied on my heart. Even Michel’s mom gave us a wooden ashtray with a swastika carved on it from a pin or a nail. When I asked him if he thought she was aware of that, he replied that it was probably her who did it. I was experiencing anti-semitism in a big way.

I had already experienced anti-semitism as a child a number of times including seeing my brother come home with a bloody nose time and again from bullies calling him a dirty Jew. There was another incident when I was only a child of eight where I witnessed in horror from the back seat of my mom’s convertible, a French farmer running out of his field in Quebec and slug my mother on the back of her neck while she was getting into the car and scream in French, “Dirty Jew”. We had been parked on his property to go and get an ice cream cone at the variety store up the street. And now I was 27, living in Montreal, and experiencing that kind of prejudice all over again.

So, what did I do in the wake of living with a boyfriend who I truly loved but his friends and family were so against me? I did what my heart encouraged me to do. It wasn’t easy, but I did it anyway. I spoke with every one of Michel’s separatist friends in a way that connected us to our personal humanity. I listened to their stories – of how they felt discriminated against. I listened to how they felt their language and culture were being threatened. I shared that as a Jewish person, I understood very well what discrimination and persecution felt like and I told them I was so sorry about what they were experiencing. Apparently I was the first Jewish person they had ever known on a one-on-one basis. They had prejudice because of what they were taught. When it came down to who we were as people, we began to enjoy camaraderie and true friendship ensued.

It is only when we can remove all the outer masks that hide our true identities that we can come together as One people – all looking for the same things. Underneath our colour, religion, nationalities, occupations etc., each of us wants to be safe, have food in our bellies with food to feed the children, live harmoniously with our neighbours and feel what we do in the world and who we are is beautiful, just because of our birthright.

We are not living that way. We are living in a world filled with conflict, outrageous aggression, fear, racism, discrimination and confusion from the mixed messages delivered by the politicians and the media every day. We learn to distrust seemingly everyone who doesn’t live, think or worship like we do. We are split apart by other people’s values without examining our own. Yet I believe that each of us at our core wants to feel loved and extend love back yet vulnerability makes us feel unsafe…so we make choices that come from ego and not the higher truth of our heart. Our fear often paralyzes us as to what to believe or how to act, so we often do nothing or join forces with people whose messages resonate with our unhealed wounds so we wish to fight back.

So what do people who do not want to fight do? Who do not want war? Who realize that there is no justification for cruelty to another, ever?

I believe that we need to get beneath the noise of the external world to connect with our internal light. Within each and every one of us is a Light. It may feel minuscule under the chaos, almost imperceptible but it is still there, I assure you. Peace is an inside job and it is up to you and me to take the time, especially now, to be still. To meditate. To pray. To write. To be in nature. To gather with like-minded others to have discussions on how we can make a difference, even to just one other person who is suffering. And to fill our souls with what makes us feel good again. Dance, play with a child, sing at the top of our lungs, can fruit, paint on a canvas and forgive ourselves for whatever we are blaming ourselves for, and then extend forgiveness to others. We need to nourish our souls with that which will sustain us and bring us back to our centres so we can make inspired choices that come from our highest wisdom and be guided to our next steps.

We may not all be out here on the front lines…but we can all speak the truth from our hearts. And none of what I said above is to replace how we feel. It is essential that we feel our feelings all the way. Feel them in a way we can heal them. Don’t repress what you feel. Hug your cat, your partner, your friends. Cry when the tears well up. And say a prayer for humanity. We need each other. The time of the lone wolf is over. May Peace and Truth Prevail. Amen. Pay attention to the peacemakers of the world. Remember that whatever we focus on grows. And we can choose to be traumatized by the newsreels (and I’m not saying we shouldn’t be informed – just make informed choices of where we gather our information and how often in order to honour our own sensitivities) OR we can focus on peace, love, harmony, kindness, compassion, prayer, beauty and God.

HO’OPONO’PONO PRAYER

I Love You

Please forgive me

Thank you

I love you

This morning, I listened to a voice of sanity. It came just at a time I needed to hear it. It was a Global Mediation led by Jason Shurka that was recorded. There were over 100 countries represented. We are not alone. You can watch it here.

Re-Write Your Life II:

Peace Awaits You

How did I know that when I wrote this book that clearly discusses how Peace Awaits Us when we take a committed healing journey, that a war in Israel would break out one week later?

I wish to say thank you to EVERYONE who has supported me on my cancer journey and on my new book launch, making it an Amazon bestseller!

If you haven’t purchased it yet, you can find it here on Amazon. As well, in appreciation of all your love and support I have reduced my $299.00 Re-Write Your Life Home Study Program to $99.00, wanting to make PEACE and Healing accessible to as many people as possible. You can read all about my program here that has helped thousands of others over the past 2 decades overcome fear and pain from the past to live their lives with deep meaning, purpose and passion.

Writing Prompts

  • When I listen to or watch the news and cruelty that is delivered over the airwaves, I feel…
  • What I do to bring myself back to balance is….
  • One thing I can do today to offer peace to myself and another is…
  • When I envision the world living in peace, harmony, creativity, and goodness, this is what it looks like…
Write this last prompt in the first person, present tense as though it is happening now. You can do this together with other friends who wish to envision this with you and read your visions out loud to one another. As stated above, what we focus on expands. Focus on that which feeds your soul, not that that diminishes you. I love you.

If you feel drawn to share your writing, feel free to do so in our warm and welcoming Writing Sanctuary on Facebook. You’ll find a fantastic community of fellow writers eager to cheer you on and celebrate your words.

If you resonate with what I have written in this blog post, please share it far and wide to build our community and to make our voices for peace and harmony for humankind even stronger.

With deep gratitude and blessings,

Junie

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