By RAHIMA WARREN

Once upon a time, I was a psychotherapist, minding my own business, and seeing my clients. Then one day in December 1999, I wrote a little story in my journal. The idea was to write down this inner character’s story so he’d stop bugging me. Big mistake!

That little story opened the floodgates. Over a decade later, I’ve retired from my practice, and have written a dark, deep, spiritual and healing fantasy trilogy, entitled THE STAR-SEER’S PROPHECY.

How’d this happen, you ask? It wasn’t my idea! Kyr had quite a journey to go on. The only way he could do it was to take over my life and turn me into a writer. When those floodgates opened, a rush of intense, exciting creative energy poured forth. I surrendered to the current and it swept me along.

Fortunately for me (and perhaps unfortunately for my clients), I didn’t want to do anything but write Kyr’s story. I had no plan. I just went with the flow and wrote what Kyr showed me. His story started out so dark that I was sure I would never show it to anyone, ever! But it was so much fun to write, I had to keep on going. And I had to find out what happened.

From a certain angle, it seems like my whole life was preparation to write Kyr’s story. In one version or another, he has been lurking in my fantasy life since I was in the second grade. After decades of personal growth work; after becoming a transpersonal counselor and working with clients for twenty years; after writing journals full of reflections, poetry and dreamwork; after many adventures, vision quests and spiritual awakenings; and finally, after becoming an Expressive Arts therapist, I was ready. I’d learned to trust the creative process and my soul’s hidden wisdom, and was able to allow Kyr’s story to pour forth without censoring or editing.

Once the first draft was done, I understood what the story was about, and reshaped it quite a bit. Then I realized that I’d written an entire fantasy trilogy. With the help of my editor and now publisher, Naomi Rose, I refined the still rather raw second draft of the entire trilogy into a much better third draft.

Since then, I have gone up the learning curve for writing fiction, and improved, refined and revised many times. Though the initial flood of creativity and inspiration has waned somewhat—I’m not staying up until 2:00AM writing  these days—I still love working on Kyr’s story.

BOOK ONE: DARK INNOCENCE was published in September 2011 by Rose Press.  Currently, I am editing BOOK TWO: DIFFICULT BLESSINGS, while BOOK THREE: DANGEROUS BLISS awaits revision. Kyr is still running my life: urging me to learn about web promotion, book design, cover art, website design, blogging, etc. But I think he’s pretty happy with me, at last!

A Goddess of the Underworld Ventures into the Social Media Whirl

Here’s my dilemma: How does a “goddess of the underworld” move into the bright lights of the marketplace to offer a gift of healing and awakening? How does shy Persephone, Queen of Hades, navigate the clamorous, bright, lively Agora?

Like Persephone, I’ve spent many years exploring the “underworld” of the human psyche: on my own healing journey, and as a psychotherapist helping others on their journeys. I learned to listen to the “ghosts” of the “underworld”—the hidden or rejected parts of myself and my clients—through dreamwork, sandplay and expressive arts therapy. This led me to a deep trust in the innate drive to wholeness and creativity in each of us. This drive will, if allowed, unfold in its own way—not according to any ideas we may have of how we “should” be, but according to our essential natures: who we truly ARE.

Wanting to share what I have learned, I thought I might write a self-help book or memoir. However, what unfolded instead is a dark yet profoundly healing fantasy trilogy, The Star-Seer’s Prophecy. This story emerged from the “underworld” in a torrent of passionate creativity. It is a ardent exploration of the difficult and intertwined blessings of suffering and healing, evil and redemption, betrayal and forgiveness. It follows Kyr on his healing journey from being an obediently vicious slave of a sadistic sorcerer-king, knowing only evil, pain and remorse, to painfully learning of kindness, forgiveness and love, and ultimately becoming a man who is kind, loving, and capable of forgiving his cruel tormentors, kind betrayers—and even himself. I have retrieved this treasure from the depths of the darkness, and polished it into a lucid, compelling story.

Now I face my next challenge. Book One: Dark Innocence, is emerging into the marketplace in September, 2011, published by Rose Press.  For me, an introvert and a “goddess of the underworld,” it is both an exciting and a daunting prospect. Yet it is necessary. This treasure does not belong on a shelf, gathering dust, but in the hands of those who may enjoy and benefit from it. Blinking at the bright lights of the marketplace, I am herewith venturing forth into the hubbub of social media and internet marketing. Any hints of threads to follow in this labyrinth would be much appreciated!