Today is the one year anniversary of my Aunt Bell's passing. Just recently, I came across this video:

Back in the early 90s, my boyfriend slapped me hard in the face when I popped in a tape with this track as the lead. He pulled the tape out, threw it away and freaked out how he hated her.

How times have changed. It's been 16 years since I left that relationship and I am following my path in the most amazing ways.I am currently in my 2nd year at University of Santa Monica's Masters Program in Spiritual Psychology.

I was in my 3rd month when my aunt passed away. During the exploration of that first three months, I found an old gift in my consciousness, one that my Aunt Bell had given me when I was 7 or 8. The gift that showed up during my meditation was the Chaka Lips.

In March of this year, for my 40th birthday, I got the lips tatooed above my heart. In essence, this tatoo represents that my heart has a voice. And what bigger voice than Chaka Khan!

[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v610/RichardCorona/Me/Lips2.jpg[/img:$uid]

Right now I am creating my second year project. This project will be a guided journey, one that was inspired by my cousin Lisa's passing. In this journey I will guide my clients through a sequence of images which begin with the shipwrecked mermaid:

[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v610/RichardCorona/Misc/4ofHearts.jpg[/img:$uid]

The journey continues as the mermaid discovers her healing, step by step. It ends with the mermaid coming to the rescue of the next mermaid in distress. Full circle.

I am so honored to be living the life I am meant to live. I don't know what it will look like, but I know I am reclaiming my life in the most brilliant, bold and brave ways. My cousin Lisa's death will not be in vain. Through that loss, I have been galvanized on my path. many men women and children will heal because of the vision I am bringing forward, the vision that has been in my heart.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years. Thank you to everyone who has continued to love me and see the best in me, even when I wasn't acting in the manner that would warrant that love.

Aunt Bell, Grandma Vicky, Cousin Lisa, Baby Anthony, Grandma Hazel, Aunt Esther, Grandpa Til, Uncle Curtis.....all my guides and sources of inspriation. I love you and I miss you.

[Edited 12/15/10 13:30pm]

12/13 I had this dream

I was in a Marsh. The marsh was sloped slightly like a hillside. It would be almost as if a hillside had a marsh on it. The water wasn't rushing down the slope though. It was pretty still. It sort of felt like being in an optical illusion.

I look over on the other sid...e of the marsh and there are people in a row boat. They are casually enjoying themselves and there was a Tyrannosaurus Rex that was charging straight towards them. The T-Rex got to the boat and the people never reacted. It was like they were playing cool not to provoke the T-Rex into reaction. Even though he was charging the boat, he just kept charging on past it, as if he didn't notice the boat. I know he did and I know the boat people noticed too but it was something in the interaction that prevented him from attacking or compelled him to just walk on by.

Next thing I know I am being chased by a man and a woman. I tried swimming away from them but the leaves and growth in the marsh prevented me from being able to paddle and kick. My limbs kept getting stuck in the plants. When I stood up to try and run (the marsh was not that deep), I could not run for the same reason: my legs would get stuck in all the vines. The couple caught up to me and captured me.

The next thing I know I am at my mom's house and the lady was putting her spin on the experience that just happened and she was acting in front of my mom as if she was recruiting me. Even though she was outwardly saying I had a choice, I was being forced into the situation. I kept telling her I didn't want to go with her.

So she's talking to my mom and while that conversation is happening I grabbed these old pictures of my family. I looked at one picture and it was my grandma Vicky and my Aunt Bell when they were younger. The pic was about 40 years old. I remember thinking how thin they were and how young they were and I was missing them.

The whole time she is putting on a show for my family, she is texting me and the texts confirm that I cannot back out of this and confirm that I have no choice. So she calls the leader of this group that is forcibly taking me into their ranks and she's telling him that my mom said I would act like this. She said that my mom told her that I would act like a brat for a few days but then I'd eventually agree. I was like "MOM???!!!" OMG! I couldn't believe my mom was in on it but I did think it was funny that my mom knew I would dig in my heels.

So this "negotiation" continued and I got a text on my phone that said "You never asked how much we will pay. Your mom and family would be well taken care of. 6 figures is no problem". This was my allowance! So now I begin thinking of how much this would help my family with rent and bills and just living so I went with them.

We end up at this Salon. There were about 10 rows, with 10 stylists in each row. These stylists were cutting hair, doing makeup and facials. I look and I can't believe this is what I was recruited for. I tell the woman "Really? This is what you recruited me for? I have NO IDEA how to cut hair!!!! I told her I thought this was a scientists position and she says to me "Who says you're cutting hair?"

Although they were doing a great job with the stylists, it came clear to me that these weren't really stylists but part of the force I was recruited into. They were being of service to the people they were styling. The woman said they would teach me the sciences and she would train me. I became relieved knowing I can learn just about anything if someone is willing to take the time to show me what to do.

So this young woman comes up to the window to renew her children's memberships at the Salon. Her mom was supposed to handle this but she wasn't strong enough emotionally to handle it. I thought it was odd that children would have memberships here. So she turns to me and she tells me all 3 of her children were murdered.

I was visibly moved. I became even more accepting of this position I felt forcibly recruited into and realized that what I thought was against my highest good was turning out to be totally aligned with what I consider my path in life, to work with survivors of violence and loss. The young woman, seeing how visibly moved I was, hugged me and she said she felt like she met me or that she knew me. I told her I felt the same way. She was a former gang member and she was making peace with her past. I felt a total kinship to her.

I woke up.

As I walked to work yesterday morning I missed a bus and walked a few blocks and where I caught the bus there was a new sign at the shelter and it said: "Whatever the work may be...." and at the bottom under the logo it said "Go Forth". The picture that went with it was of a man with a small baby in one hand that he was holding up in the air and in the other was the hand of a small girl who was smiling so brightly.

This is such a perfect message for me, at this time in my education. I don't know what my project ultimately will look like. Whatever the work may be, I shall go forth.....

Supa!!!

you are an insirational person

your story has truely touched my heart

Some people have Chakras, you have Chaka

I'm too tired to carefully read your story now, but it seems to me that you feel you're getting some kind of confirmation you're living your own truth and heading the right way.

And that's great (:

Much love to you

good for you Supa. i admire your dedication to the quest

Supa, you never fail to inspire me.... Thanks for sharing.

NDRU said:

Some people have Chakras, you have Chaka

Good one,

Love ya Supa

I've followed your experiences through the years. The ones that touched me the most were the stories about your Grandmother and Lisa.

Good luck on your journey.

the dream.....

I love you. I have to think on this one, hmmm Go Forth. yeah that fits perfectly.

thank you.

Richard, you so often leave me without words... which many will tell you ain't easy to do.

I'm so glad you're on the trajectory to which you feel called. There's so much work to do toward shepherding broken souls, and it's heartening to know one who is truly -- to the core -- up to that work. You're in my prayers.