Gathering Round the Fire

By Chrystine Julian

In this book Wisdom Keepers have gathered around flames of fear to share their lessons, challenges and methods for overcoming, moving through and embracing fear. As it was in traditional cultures these are individuals sharing snapshots of their lives. Many of the stories are at once unsettling and uplifting. The editors and writers hope that you will find bits of wisdom, insights and encouragement within the tales that may be incorporated into your own life. Mostly we hope you will enjoy the time spent with us as we Gather Round the Fire.

A Wise Women Anthology with stories by: Crystalla, Julia Countryman, Rev. Faye Dunn, Tricia Field, Laura Figueroa, Ina Hillebrandt, Deanna Joseph, Chrystine Julian, Robyn McMillen, Wendy Neeley , Vanessa Hafiza Ragan, Debra J. Rigas, Melinda Rodriguez and Sheri Wells.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chrystine Julian
• Release date: Oct 14, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466114418

Chrystine Julian

Chrystine Julian currently lives in Redlands, CA but was raised on the east side of the Mississippi near St. Louis. The powerful, often muddy flow of the river is a metaphor of her life. She has been a corporate executive, business writer, standup comic, minister, mystic, medium, recording artist, workshop leader, drum circle facilitator and writer. She often mixes verse with percussion performed on instruments from her extensive collection of world music drums and noise toys. Her poetry varies from social commentary, to mystic, sensual and then on to the outright silly. She has published two poetry collections: Sensual Spirit – poetry and thoughts from the place where body and soul meet (Pawpress 2007) and Meandering Mindfulness – poetry from the place where wonder and Wander merge (Pawpress 2009). She also leads workshops based on her poem, The Dragon.

Book preview

Gathering Round the Fire

Insights on Fear

A Wise Women Anthology

With stories by: Crystalla, Julia Countryman, Rev. Faye Dunn, Tricia Field, Laura Figueroa, Ina Hillebrandt, Deanna Joseph, Chrystine Julian, Robyn McMillen, Wendy Neeley , Vanessa Hafiza Ragan, Debra J. Rigas, Melinda Rodriguez and Sheri Wells.

Edited by

Chrystine Julian and Deanna Joseph

Published by Gathering Round the Fire at Smashwords

© 2011 Gathering Round the Fire

Smashwords Edition, License Notes:

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All content is used by permission. This book is a cooperative publishing project. The rights to use, quote, sample, modify, broadcast or publish the contents in any form or medium are reserved by the individual contributors. Contact them directly for permission to use their content.

Opinions expressed in this book are the sole responsibility of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the editors or publisher.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Editor’s Note

Crossing the Bridge ~ Melinda Rodriguez

Princesses, Castles, Wolves and Other Thoughts ~ Wendy Neeley

Meet Fear, My Good Friend ~ Robyn Scott-McMillen

Heading Into the Unknown ~ Crystalla

Running from Zombies ~ Deanna Joseph

A Catalyst for Self-Healing ~ Rev. Faye Dunn

The Colors of Fear – Who Knew? ~ Ina Hillebrandt

My Y2 Fear ~ Chrystine Julian

Hang On and Enjoy the View ~ Tricia Field

Damn, What a Ride ~ Sheri Wells

Shelter from the Storm ~ Vanessa Hafiza Ragan

I am Love and I am not Afraid ~ Julia Countryman

Dancing with Fear ~ Laura Figueroa

That Sinking Feeling ~ Debra J. Rigas

Looking Ahead ~ Deanna Joseph

Introduction

In many traditional tribal cultures the community was centered around a central fire. Imagine a scene where as night falls the elders gather to share news of the day, traditional stories, and wisdom. It is a place where the Wise Women were the library and governing body of the village.

For many individuals the current economic and social setting is a very scary time. Sadly, few people have been taught skills for coping with those insecurities. The goal of our writing and editing team is to create a modern version of a tribal gathering where knowledge and experience are passed around for the benefit of all.

Fire can be a frightening force or a powerful tool depending on how it is used. As such, fire makes a good analogy for fear. It too has the ability to devastate along with a capacity to empower us. Fear is not a negative emotion. In fact, fear is neither negative nor an emotion. Fear is an autonomic response to stimuli in our environment. Problems arise only when we don’t know how to respond to fear. Once we become comfortable with our fear it can be a best friend. The stories in this collection approach that concept from various perspectives.

In this book Wisdom Keepers have gathered around flames of fear to share their lessons, challenges and methods for overcoming, moving through and embracing fear. Little, if any, of this information is based on psychology or other sciences. As it was in traditional cultures these are individuals sharing snapshots of their lives. Many of the stories are at once unsettling and uplifting. The editors and writers hope that you will find bits of wisdom, insights and encouragement within the tales that may be incorporated into your own life. Mostly we hope you will enjoy the time spent with us as we Gather Round the Fire.

Editor’s Note:

When the concept of this book emerged I was overtaken by a near feverish passion to do it and do it now; I often refer to it as being snake bit. Shifting perceptions from one of fearing fear to an attitude of being comfortable embracing it is an important tool for many people, especially those facing new uncertainties in the current and projected political and economic environments.

Also important to me was assembling a team of people that I respect and look to for personal support and guidance. Some of the contributors to this book are well established writers while a number of others are making their publishing debut. I have used a tag line for many years, One world – So many voices to be heard. This project is part of giving those voices a platform.

There are many great wisdom teachers today in the fields of pop-psychology, self-help and spirituality. However, it seems a large number of them have become celebrities with all of the attached glitz, glamour and price tag. It dawned on me as I read or listened to them that most of their work came not from personal insight or achievement, but rather originate in quoting or rewriting concepts from others and concepts that are ancient in origin. To me real truth is not in being a parrot of someone else’s words, but rather in digesting concepts and reforming them into something that is new and personal. I think the greatest gurus of our time may not be in temples, caves, mansions, or sound stages, but rather on the front porches or in the kitchen of humble homes.

The writers of these stories are people that have learned lessons the hard way. I am grateful for their willingness to share with the world some of the insights that have touched me personally in profound ways. It is my hope that you will come to see them as I do -- purveyors of fine gems.

Chrystine Julian

Crossing the Bridge

Melinda Rodriguez

Action conquers fear! That was what I read off the small fortune-cookie-like piece of paper that I pulled out of a jar. My boss at the time had a jar of hundreds of these little pieces of paper on her desk called food for thought. I was only 24 when I read that profound, yet simple statement; I had no idea really that it would become my mantra for crossing the bridge of all the future fears I would face.

Fear is often referred to as an acronym for the words False Evidence Appearing Real. But when we are in the grips of fear, its evidence feels anything but false. The truth is our feelings are fact; in our psyche at least. Although our feelings may very well be creating an illusion, they are our feelings none the less, and an opportunity for growth. But those feelings must be faced, not forced down deep within, or even worse, avoided altogether. All too often we have an inner voice, usually formulated from cultured societal programming, that tries to persuade us to avoid the darkness our fears represent as if they are somehow negative or inappropriate.

Just after my 40th birthday, at a point in my life with my children grown, and I was finally ending a 20 year relationship, the Universe reconnected me with my high school sweetheart Luis. Soon thereafter, we fell fast and hard in love and began sharing our lives together. Luis wanted to create a family and being that we were in our forties, he did not want to waste time. I, on the other hand, had already raised my children into adulthood (one biological child I birthed at