The week before last, I had the good fortune of attending Brian and Carole Weiss’ Past Life Regression Therapy Training at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY. The course was attended by an exceptional group of individuals from around the world, and across the US. Unsurprisingly, there were many attendees from India. Surprisingly, there were a disproportionate number of people from New Jersey! Jersey, represent!
Over the course of this magical week, we heard stories about clients that Brian and Carole had worked with over the years, learned techniques for induction and regression, learned about things to consider when working with various populations, witnessed a handful of our fellow participants being regressed on stage, and had an opportunity to work with each other, taking turns as therapist and client. Brian and Carole also lead us through several regressions and meditations using various techniques, all of which were incredibly relaxing, and many of which provided transcendent experiences.
One morning, Brian took us on a regression journey using the imagery of six doors, each leading to a different time in history. We were invited to open each door, peak inside, and enter the one that seemed most appealing. In some doors, I saw people, in others I saw scenery, but in one, I felt an emotional pull, so I walked through it to see what I would find. It was the year 25 AD.
I was in woman’s body. As instructed, I looked down at my feet and saw that I wore brown leather sandals. My robe was ankle-length. I looked up and found myself in a bustling town. Things felt energetic. And, even though there was a feeling of discontent, I had a sense that much-needed change was coming.
As Brian moved us forward through this exercise, I caught more glimpses of this lifetime. I found myself in a rocky place, among the Marys, praying for Jesus/Yeshua on the day he was crucified. We were very close to the crucifixion site, but did not have other people right next to us. I did not see Yeshua, himself. I had the sense that I was Mary Magdalene. I wasn’t crying, just concentrating all of my energy into sending him love and comfort, as were the other Marys.
Then we moved through time again. I was standing with my hands on a wooden rail, looking out at the water. It was briny and grayish. It was a large body of water, as I could not see land on the other side from where I was standing.
Moving forward through time again, I found myself alone, writing. I was in a simple room. And I was working on something important.
At the end of this life, I was in a simple bed, with my daughter next to me. As I lay there dying peacefully, I thought to myself that I had lived a very good life, and that it could not have unfolded any other way.
The next day, during Q&A time, I asked Brian about my experience. I have heard of other people claiming they were Mary Magdalene in a past life, and wondered what my experience might have meant in this context. I didn’t, however, have the nerve to say that I was Mary in my past life, that seemed a bit pretentious! So, I just said that I was a member of Jesus’/Yeshua’s entourage.
Brian responded by pointing out that many people claim to have been Cleopatra, which got a good laugh from the audience. He said that during important historical times like the lives of Christ, Buddha, Cleopatra, or the French or American Revolution, etc. there is an immense amount of energy, energy that resonates strongly for many of us in this lifetime.
He also told the story of a client who, during a regression, found herself as a man during Christ’s final months. This man had undergone many indignities and painful experiences under the Romans, and was living an isolated, bitter life. Then he encountered Christ, and was healed by him. Brian pointed out that, during Christ’s lifetime, his influence reached many people in the Middle East, so that upwards of 100,000 people had some sort of direct experience and, therefore, connection with him.
Brian also said that an experience like mine could be a way of connecting with the archetypal energy of this major historical time period because of its symbolic relevance to one’s current life.
Later, in a private conversation, I told Brian about an essay I found recently, which I wrote when I was 6 years old. It said that, when I grew up, I wanted to be best friends with Jesus. Brian responded by saying, with a little smile, “Perhaps you were.”
At the end of that day’s session, a fellow attendee approached me to say she was happy that I asked the question about being part of Yeshua’s entourage, because she had found herself as the Apostle Peter. She also had a feeling of, how could this be?
My biggest takeaway from this week was to trust our instincts, to always be open to messages from spirit, in any form that they take, since they will have some important meaning for our current situations.
On my drive home from Omega, I checked my navigator for the best way back to DC. It directed me to take a route I’ve never taken before, through Pennsylvania, which is geographically much longer than my usual route through New Jersey (NJ represent!). Because I would be hitting the southern part of New Jersey during rush hour, I figured the navigator had its reasons for sending me on this alternate route. It said it would be about 20 minutes faster, and I was up for trying something new. But, when I reached the exit for the New York State Thruway, I thought of bailing and taking the familiar route. However, something told me that I was given the long route for a reason. So, I listened to that small still voice within.
I found this new route to be incredibly peaceful and scenic – especially compared to the Jersey Turnpike and I-95! As the time passed, the estimated travel time was getting longer and longer, so that I wasn’t actually saving any time. But, I was happy to be in traffic that flowed nicely, with plenty of room between cars, and lovely scenery.
A few hours later, I finally reached the Maryland border. I found myself at the far north end of Route 15, a highway that I had only followed for a mile or so when visiting historic downtown Frederick. The area I found myself in was about 30 minutes north of that, and completely unfamiliar.
As I drove down this road, a 2-lane route with houses and businesses along the side, and corresponding exits, I noticed a set of buildings sitting at the base of a small mountain. I recognized this place from a dream! In that dream, I had lived in one of the condos, and worked in a medical setting in the larger building. I was a research psychologist. The dream had been very vivid and felt much more real than a typical dream. I remember the feeling of loving being part of the community, and yet also feeling a bit remote from it.
Soon, I noticed a sign indicating that this was the Mt Saint Mary’s University. Interesting! I didn’t know there was such a thing! I passed a road leading into the campus, called Marion Way. My mother’s name! Then I saw a sign indicating that the next exit was for the The National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes! Curiouser and curiouser! I had learned of this shrine a couple of months ago, and was hoping to visit it someday. When I had Googled it, I found it to be about 1 hour and 40 minutes from my house (without traffic, which rarely happens in the DC area), so I would have to set aside a decent chunk of time to go there. So, I had pushed the idea aside as something I would do “someday.” But, here I was, so I figured that, even though it was 6:30 and likely closed, I should at least get a glimpse of the place to see if it was worth a proper visit.
I took the exit and drove along a narrow, winding, wooded road until I came to a parking lot. The gates to the shrine campus were closed, but angel statues on each side of the gate greeted me. Then I looked up and saw the shining gold statue of Mary, mother of Yeshua, on top of a very tall pillar. She glowed in the sunlight. In the woods next where I stood, I heard a deer, one of my animal guides, running through the brush. I felt a tingling sensation in every cell of my body, and I felt light-headed. I felt Mary’s strong, nurturing, loving energy was all around me. I shed a few tears from the gratitude I felt in that moment as I realized that I couldn’t have asked for better confirmation than this.
