The Real Barbara Thomas

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REMINDER from Mano:

All of the small scenarios in life fit into a very large picture. Guidance is always present. Barbara’s Spiritual Memoir, Living with the Spirits of the Land, shares many such stories. 

REMARKS from Barbara:

I am just finishing a book of poetry and prose, Infused With The Muse: Poetry, Prose And Rambling Thoughts, recording the years of transition to become The Real Barbara Thomas.

REMEMBERING Mary Jane:

Mary Jane’s acceptance of Mano’s invitation to collaborate with me to write ‘his’ Blog was a major step forward opening a way for The Real Barbara Thomas to step forward.

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The Real Barbara Thomas

Blog #96

On August 19, 2020, ten days after I turned 93, the CZU Lightning Complex fire flamed its way through the Santa Cruz Mountains taking my sweet mountain cottage and all of my possessions I had lived with for the past 32 years.

With the help of my son Peter, I started plans to rebuild immediately. The words, “I am going to build a Japanese style house,” floated out of my mouth without ever touching my mind.

My Guiding Spirts were immediately present to support me through this trauma and transition. Their first guidance was to tell me the burning of the cottage was a ‘sacrificial offering.’ Now eight months later, a hint of the story has been revealed.

In 2004, when I went back to bed the night that Jim died, I heard a loud audible sarcastic voice say, “Will the REAL Barbara Thomas please step forward?”

I was shocked that the voice was so strong and powerful. 
I was intrigued, as I realized I have never lived alone.  
I wondered just who is The Real Barbara Thomas?
I was challenged, intrigued, curious, and excited
to find out just who is The Real Barbara Thomas.
I was ready for the adventure of Self Discovery.

Jim and I had planned to live in Europe that summer. Starting with a tour of Ireland with Mara Freeman and ending the summer with a workshop and tour of Wales with our teacher, R. J. Stewart.

I knew I didn’t want to live in Europe alone that summer. I decided to invite a friend to go with me on the Irish tour, to come home between trips, then take another friend to the workshop and tour of Wales.

Both of the workshops were focused on visiting Neolithic monuments and ancient Sacred Sites. I met a part of myself on both trips. While in Ireland, we visited the cairn of Loc Crew, located on the top of a hill with a 365 degree view of the whole of Ireland. As I entered the cairn I placed my hand on the entry stone and started to cry. I lay on the damp ground and continued to cry, “I am back, I am back, I promised that I would return. I am back.” After a while I left the cairn still crying, I lay on the wet grass with a light mist mingling with my tears. The sun came out and I sat up to be greeted with a double rainbow from one side of the island to the other.

 Another transformative experience occurred outside a small ancient mound in Wales. It was a warm sunny day. We were taking turns entering the mound alone. Geese flew by honking and circling to land near us. I lay back on the warm earth and had a vision of being placed on an altar. A tall man dressed in white was holding a long thin knife over my body. He was in the process of removing my heart as a sacrificial offering to Mother Earth. I was shocked and called out, “Mano, Rama, is this ok?” Next, I saw a seven pointed star being put into my chest in exchange for my human heart. 

I returned to Europe the next three years to continue visiting ancient sacred sites in Cornwall, Scotland, and England. On my last trip while visiting a ‘Fairy Glen’ I heard the inner voice say, “When you turn 80, you are going to enter the next Book of your life. Not the next chapter, a whole new book.” 

Two months later I turned 80 and fell and broke my leg. During the seven months in bed during the healing process, I wrote the book, Celebrating the Magic of Jim’s Road, started a DVD Healing Burned Woman, and was interviewed, by Minna Hertel for the creation of a documentary on My Art as Life and Life as Art.

In the first months after Jim’s death, opportunity came to study Tarot with Pamela Eakins, which I did for the next 7 years. I took monthly classes with Mara Freeman as she presented The Avalon Mystery School. I studied the Umbanda teachings of the elements and elementals with Tina de Susa for more than 4 years. I realize in all of these travels and studies, I was picking up parts of The Real Barbara Thomas.

From 2014 through 2019 Mano asked me to take time every day for the 3 months of summer doing small ink drawing using a stick of the land, recording the energies of the spirits that live in the sacred site on my own land, The Amphitheater.

WOW. I just added up 6 years of 3 months each year = 18 months x 30 days in the month equals 540 days.  With 365 days in a year.  I am stunned that I actually lay on the ground, did ink/stick drawings from 2014 to 2019 equaling a little more than a year and a half connecting daily with Mother Earth, relating with the Spirits of the Land. That was an amazing commitment and pure joy and delight. 

Last night it was revealed to me that the transition of becoming The Real Barbara Thomas has taken place. The sweet little cottage I shared with Jim, in the heart of the Redwood Forest was the home of Barbara and Jim Thomas. The cottage became the ‘sacrificial offering’ releasing all of my possessions and now the new Japanese style home I am building will be the residence of The Real Barbara Thomas.

Two months before my cottage burned Mano told me, “Your service is to reveal the spiritual dimension of life, interacting with the Angelic and Elemental world of Nature.”  I now see he was speaking to The Real Barbara Thomas. 

MY SERVICE is to awaken consciousness
to the spiritual dimension of life
interacting with the Angelic and Elemental 
world of Nature