January 2009

Happy New Year!

Thursday January 1, 2009

Wishing everyone a magical new year, filled with much happiness, adventure, love, inspiration and new energy. I'm not totally convinced by the whole new year thing, being celebrated on January 1st, it being such an arbitrary date, which we just plucked out thin air for no good reason. The Roman calender, and many others, made far more sense, as they declared that the spring solstice was the first day of the new year, and numbered their months and dates from that day. Energetically spring is a time of new vitality, budding plants, blossoming, birth and renewal, both physically and metaphorically, so it captures the true meaning of the new start of the new year. The Chinese also start their year in more timely fashion, on the first spring new moon (although in the southern hemisphere we’re moving towards autumn, so it doesn’t have the same energetic resonance).
And yet the New Year is filled with power and meaning, because we have declared it so. In stating that we will turn over a new leaf, start again, make our resolutions and become better people, we add our own energy and intent to the day, which gives it power and magic. We use ritual to provide our own meaning and create our own life, which is a beautiful thing...

A new review

Saturday January 3, 2009

The first review of Seven Sacred Sites, in a Sydney newspaper, published on my birthday, which was a nice surprise! It was part of a summer reading guide in the Manly Daily...
Summer means longer days, warmer skies and more time to relax and enjoy the things that matter. Which is a perfect excuse to indulge in a bit of ‘‘me-time’’ and lose yourself in a good book. Whether you’re into fiction or biography, wine, food or popular culture, the Daily makes some summer reading recommendations we hope will appeal to your literary tastes... Read the review here.

Selling books in Bunbury, WA

Monday January 12, 2009

I always worried that self-publishing was going to make it hard to get into the big bookstores, but Angus & Robertson in Bunbury has been so supportive. They made a big display in the front of the store, with a stack of books, printouts of some of the media stories, postcards etc, and have been wonderful about keeping me up to date on sales, which I really appreciate :-)
 
On the first day: We have sold one copy already – one sale in the first day is the best that any self-published/distributed book has ever done in our store...
Soon after: Two sales now in three days... you are now the clear record holder in our store for self-published authors!
A few days later: We have sold five copies now and are down to our last three. Could you kindly have some more delivered...
And now: We have sold out of your book. Yay!!

It means so much to me that people have been so supportive, and that I am able to get the book out there. And a few copies a week in each store will soon add up – Juz and I may eventually be able to get back into our spare room/book warehouse :-)

Beautiful feedback

Saturday January 17, 2009

I got a beautiful message from Charmaine Wilson, the medium who won the TV show The One, who has been working for years to help bereaved parents. This year Charmaine is touring around Australia doing shows so more people can have readings and learn how to begin healing from grief. Her beautiful book Spirit Whispers has also been relaunched.
Dear Serene, I am enjoying your book – every night I am entranced by your words. You have inspired me greatly. Thank you! Your book is reminding me that I am timeless and endless and that my soul has been more places than I can remember. When I read passages and words in your book I am taken back again to a place and time that is eternal... Hard to explain, but you have inspired me to get into the writing – finish book two and teach many others with the knowledge I have stored for centuries? maybe...
Serene you have also just cost me a round the world trip to visit every place in your book... Thank you for reminding me that my soul is a time traveller and that I am just a pit stop called Charmaine xx
Visit Charmaine at Spirit Whispers or Charmaine Wilson.

Aussie Goddess

Wednesday January 21, 2009

Gorgeous author/creator/teacher/mother/web diva Anita Revel has selected me to be the Australian Goddess of the month on her very cool site, Reconnect With Your Inner Goddess. You can check it out at www.goddess.com.au. There’s a lengthy interview about the inspiration behind the book Seven Sacred Sites: Magical Journeys That Will Change Your Life, and some of the adventures I had along the way.
You can also visit Anita at www.anitarevel.com, which has links to many of her other projects, such as her meditation movie, her free Seven Day Chakra Workout e-course, and her new celebrancy business.

Australia Day –
a celebration?

Monday January 26, 2009

Today is Australia Day, the anniversary of white settlement two centuries ago. Yet for the original inhabitants it is known as Survival Day, and is the opposite of a celebration. This is something I came across while I was researching the Uluru chapter of Seven Sacred Sites.

The Burnum Burnum Declaration of 26 January 1988 Dover, England
I, Burnum Burnum of the Wurundjeri Tribe, do hereby take possession of England on behalf of the Aboriginal Crown of Australia.
In so doing we wish no harm to you natives, but assure you that we are here to bring you good manners, refinement and an opportunity to make ‘a fresh start’.
At the end of two hundred years, we will make a Treaty to signify occupation by peaceful means and not by conquest.
For the more intelligent we bring the complex language of the Pitjantjatjara, teach you how to have a spiritual relationship with the Earth and show you how to get bush tucker.
We do not intend to souvenir, pickle and preserve the heads of 2000 of your people, nor to publicly display the skeletal remains of your Royal Highness, as was done to our Queen Truganinni for 80 years. Neither do we intend to poison your water holes, lace your bread with strychnine or introduce you to highly toxic drugs.
We acknowledge the need to preserve the Caucasian race as of interest to antiquity, although we may be inclined to conduct experiments by measuring the size of your skulls for levels of intelligence. We pledge not to sterilise your young women.
We solemnly promise not to make quarry of England and export your valuable minerals back to the old country Australia, but to encourage Earth Repair Action to unite people, communities and religions in a common, productive, peaceful purpose.
Finally, we give an absolute undertaking that you shall not be placed onto the mentality of government handouts for the next five generations but you will enjoy the full benefits of Aboriginal equality.

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