{"id":13336,"date":"2017-01-01T01:10:18","date_gmt":"2017-01-01T06:10:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/content\/?p=14000"},"modified":"2016-12-31T14:52:53","modified_gmt":"2016-12-31T19:52:53","slug":"interview-with-barbara-meiklejohn-free-the-highland-seer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2017\/01\/01\/interview-with-barbara-meiklejohn-free-the-highland-seer\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Barbara Meiklejohn-Free: The Highland Seer"},"content":{"rendered":"<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t<!--\n\t\t@page { margin: 0.79in }\n\t\tP { margin-bottom: 0.08in }\n\t-->\n\t<\/style>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Barbara Meiklejohn-Free: The Highland Seer<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-14001\" src=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/seer1.jpg\" alt=\"seer1\" width=\"240\" height=\"320\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t<!--\n\t\t@page { margin: 0.79in }\n\t\tP { margin-bottom: 0.08in }\n\t-->\n\t<\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Author and shamanic practitioner Barbara Meiklejohn-Free has a variety of hats, including flautist, singer and seer. She was recently in the limelight with her magical partner Flavia Kate Peters, on the TV show <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><i>Celebrity Haunted Hotel<\/i><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">. Barbara took some time out to answer a few questions about her projects past, present and future.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Mabh Savage: You describe yourself as a Highland Seer. Can you tell us a bit about what this means?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Barbara Meiklejohn-Free: It&#8217;s part of a long lineage line, dating back to 15th century, that&#8217;s been handed down to me by the previous Highland Seer, Swein Macdonald. He spotted my gifts and abilities and trained me for the age of 12.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">MS: What inspired\u00a0the collaborative works,\u00a0d<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><i>ivination of the Ancients<\/i><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0and the very recent\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><i>Witches\u2019 Wisdom Oracle Cards<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>?<\/strong> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">BMF: We spotted a gap in the market, as well as being inspired by the ancient path of the old ways; that is our mission to re-introduce and re-awaken this way of being, to the modern world.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">MS: What\u2019s different about working with others on a project like\u00a0d<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><i>ivination of the Ancients<\/i><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">\u00a0to writing a book on your own? Which do you prefer and why?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-14002\" src=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/seer2-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"seer2\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t<!--\n\t\t@page { margin: 0.79in }\n\t\tP { margin-bottom: 0.08in }\n\t\tA:link { so-language: zxx }\n\t-->\n\t<\/style>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">BMF: I love working with Flavia. We both have the same passions for this work. Her channelled writing paints my spirit visions and so we are a\u00a0winning team who complement each other perfectly. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>MS: What drew you to working with Flavia Kate Peters?<\/strong> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">BMF: Spirit brought us together as part of our life purpose. Flavia was already well established in this area when met in Glastonbury 5 years ago, and have had great fun working together as a team ever since. We share the same dreams and goals as well as finishing off each other&#8217;s sentences! We both complete each other in the work we came here to do, and we often joke how we are Heaven and Earth &#8211; as we cover just about everything together from faeries to angels, to earth based traditions, fire-walking and ancient initiation ceremonies. Not only that, we both sing and perform at events across the world as part of the popular Pagan goddess band <a href=\"http:\/\/www.barbarameiklejohnfree.com\/about-us\/daughters-of-gaia\/\" target=\"_blank\">&#8216;Daughters of Gaia&#8217;<\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">MS: Your 2013 book,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><i>The Shaman Within<\/i><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">, has rave reviews and some glowing endorsements from the likes of Dr Jude Currivan and Emma Restall Orr. What moved you to put your own experiences on to paper, to help others find their own shamanic path? <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">BMF: I have gained so much personal experience and felt led to write from the heart in order to help others, through what I had learnt myself. It&#8217;s a very down to earth, easy to read book that assists others in walking the shamanic path for themselves. I wanted to take away the seeming complications of shamanism and present it in an easy for all to discover, way.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">MS: Your previous book was\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><i>The Heart\u00a0of All Knowing- Awakening Your Inner Seer<\/i><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">. For those not in the know, what&#8217;s the difference between a Seer and a Shaman, and how do you employ both skills in your life? <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">BMF: A Seer has the\u00a0ability to see past, present and future and has natural clairvoyant abilities. A shaman walks an earth based traditional path and draws assistance for healing others, from the spirit world.\u00a0They have the ability to shapeshift\u00a0into many diverse roles to help and assist for various modalities such as soul loss, past lives, healing, connecting with the ancestors and the spirit world. It&#8217;s natural for me to weave whatever is needed at the time. It&#8217;s a knowing.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">MS: As mentioned earlier, you receive\u00a0so\u00a0many\u00a0fantastic endorsements from people very visible within the Pagan community at large, such as Prof. Ronald Hutton and Anaiya Sophia. Why do you think your work appeals to such a wide range of people, from differing paths? <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">BMF: We cover many different paths, and have personal experience too. Neither of us are &#8216;book learnt&#8217;, we write and teach from first-hand experience. We are both down to earth people who have empathy and understanding for others. We are out there, every weekend meeting and reaching out. So, our reputation goes before us, and with it respect. We both feel so blessed.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">MS: In\u00a0The Shaman Within\u00a0you describe Shamanism as &#8216;the way of being in harmony with all living things&#8217;. Do you think therefore that this book is relevant to anyone, regardless of whether they are on a Shamanic or Pagan path? <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">BMF: Absolutely yes! Both Shamanism and Paganism go hand in hand with regards to following the seasons, the wheel of the year and honouring nature. We are in the middle of writing a book called <\/span><\/span><strong><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Shamanic Witchcraft<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">!\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">MS: Do you feel you have achieved this harmony yourself, or is there a way to go on your path?\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">BMF: Yes, definitely living in harmony, which comes with age and wisdom. Anyone who says that they are fully evolved has the furthest to go. There is always something to learn. Everything changes. All we can do is be the best we can be. Do what you will and harm none.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>MS: You&#8217;re often in the public eye; do you ever have negative experiences with the general public either due to ignorance or discrimination?<\/strong> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">BMF: Because we are very positive and focused in our work and beliefs what we give out is then projected back. What you give out definitely comes back to you, and we are very blessed to be respected and honoured in the work we do. Occasionally we might get some negativity but only from those who are scared of our personal power and have no self-worth or respect for themselves.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">MS: How was it appearing on <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><i>Celebrity Haunted Hotel<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>? Did you feel under pressure to portray the image of the witch in a positive light?<\/strong> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">BMF: There was no pressure to do so, it is just a natural way for us to be. The production team, and presenters, were very respectful as well as fascinated in what we do. They made the decision to ask professional wise women, rather that actors playing at being witches, which came across in an integral and very powerful way. \u00a0We hoped to inspire others to follow their true path and to show the world that it&#8217;s OK to be a witch!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">MS: Shamanism or shamanic workings seem to be increasing in popularity recently. Do you think this shows the natural urge to regain inner balance or is something else driving this?\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">BMF: The world needs the shamans, witches and wise men and women to bring it back to balance and I feel that many people recognise this now. Not only this, but people aren&#8217;t so fearful of standing up for their beliefs and are embracing their inner calling.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>MS: Tell us a bit about the workshops you run.<\/strong> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">BMF: My workshops are all based on self-empowerment. My work is to stamp out fear and embrace one&#8217;s soul and purpose whether it&#8217;s through shamanism, witchcraft, Mediumship, past lives etc.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>MS: Should we be expecting more books in the near future?<\/strong> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">BMF: <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The Shamanic Medicine Oracle Deck <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">and the <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Faery Godmother Oracle Deck<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"> are with the publishers as we speak, and are being launched in 2017. Books to come, between the two of us, include <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Walking with the Ancestors, Shamanic Witchcraft, Past Lives, The Dark<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"> Goddess and <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The Hidden Truth<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>MS: Between your teaching, workshops, writing and other projects, where do you find time for yourself?<\/strong> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">BMF: There isn&#8217;t much time out to be had, but then our work is our passion, our life, so it doesn&#8217;t feel too much like work! Taking time out involves going into nature, visiting sacred sites, travelling to distant lands and exploring different cultures.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>MS: And what&#8217;s next on the horizon for you?<\/strong> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">BMF: We have just started our own publishing house &#8211; Solarus Publishing. Although we are very blessed to have contracts with various well known publishers, we do want free licence. So, our publishing house is a rather bespoke one, focusing on truths that some daren&#8217;t put into print!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>For more information on Barbara, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.barbarameiklejohnfree.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.barbarameiklejohnfree.com\/<\/a>, and her books and oracle cards are available at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/divination-Ancients-Oracle-Cards-guidebook\/dp\/1922161926\/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1483136405&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=barbara+meiklejohn+free\" target=\"_blank\">Amazon<\/a> and all other good retailers.<\/p>\n<p>\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n<p><i>Mabh Savage is a Pagan author, journalist and mother of one small boy and two small cats. Find out more at <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/soundsoftime.wordpress.com\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/soundsoftime.wordpress.com<\/a><i>. <\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Barbara Meiklejohn-Free: The Highland Seer &nbsp; &nbsp; Author and shamanic practitioner Barbara Meiklejohn-Free has a variety of hats, including flautist, singer and seer. She was recently in the limelight with her magical partner Flavia Kate Peters, on the TV show Celebrity Haunted Hotel. Barbara took some time out to answer a few questions about her projects past, present and future. Mabh Savage: You describe yourself as a Highland Seer. Can you tell us a bit about what this means? Barbara Meiklejohn-Free: It&#8217;s part of a long lineage line, dating back to 15th century, that&#8217;s been handed down to me by the previous Highland Seer, Swein Macdonald. He spotted my gifts and abilities and trained me for the age of 12. &nbsp; MS: What inspired\u00a0the collaborative works,\u00a0divination of the Ancients\u00a0and the very recent\u00a0Witches\u2019 Wisdom Oracle Cards? BMF: We spotted a gap in the market, as well as being inspired by the ancient path of the old ways; that is our mission to re-introduce and re-awaken this way of being, to the modern world. &nbsp; MS: What\u2019s different about working with others on a project like\u00a0divination of the Ancients\u00a0to writing a book on your own? Which do you prefer and why? &nbsp; &nbsp; BMF: I love working with Flavia. We both have the same passions for this work. Her channelled writing paints my spirit visions and so we are a\u00a0winning team who complement each other perfectly. \u00a0 MS: What drew you to working with Flavia Kate Peters? BMF: Spirit brought us together as part of our life purpose. Flavia was already well established in this area when met in Glastonbury 5 years ago, and have had great fun working together as a team ever since. We share the same dreams and goals as well as finishing off each other&#8217;s sentences! We both complete each other in the work we came here to do, and we often joke how we are Heaven and Earth &#8211; as we cover just about everything together from faeries to angels, to earth based traditions, fire-walking and ancient initiation ceremonies. Not only that, we both sing and perform at events across the world as part of the popular Pagan goddess band &#8216;Daughters of Gaia&#8217;. &nbsp; MS: Your 2013 book,\u00a0The Shaman Within, has rave reviews and some glowing endorsements from the likes of Dr Jude Currivan and Emma Restall Orr. What moved you to put your own experiences on to paper, to help others find their own shamanic path? BMF: I have gained so much personal experience and felt led to write from the heart in order to help others, through what I had learnt myself. It&#8217;s a very down to earth, easy to read book that assists others in walking the shamanic path for themselves. I wanted to take away the seeming complications of shamanism and present it in an easy for all to discover, way. MS: Your previous book was\u00a0The Heart\u00a0of All Knowing- Awakening Your Inner Seer. For those not in the know, what&#8217;s the difference between a Seer and a Shaman, and how do you employ both skills in your life? BMF: A Seer has the\u00a0ability to see past, present and future and has natural clairvoyant abilities. A shaman walks an earth based traditional path and draws assistance for healing others, from the spirit world.\u00a0They have the ability to shapeshift\u00a0into many diverse roles to help and assist for various modalities such as soul loss, past lives, healing, connecting with the ancestors and the spirit world. It&#8217;s natural for me to weave whatever is needed at the time. It&#8217;s a knowing. MS: As mentioned earlier, you receive\u00a0so\u00a0many\u00a0fantastic endorsements from people very visible within the Pagan community at large, such as Prof. Ronald Hutton and Anaiya Sophia. Why do you think your work appeals to such a wide range of people, from differing paths? BMF: We cover many different paths, and have personal experience too. Neither of us are &#8216;book learnt&#8217;, we write and teach from first-hand experience. We are both down to earth people who have empathy and understanding for others. We are out there, every weekend meeting and reaching out. So, our reputation goes before us, and with it respect. We both feel so blessed. MS: In\u00a0The Shaman Within\u00a0you describe Shamanism as &#8216;the way of being in harmony with all living things&#8217;. Do you think therefore that this book is relevant to anyone, regardless of whether they are on a Shamanic or Pagan path? BMF: Absolutely yes! Both Shamanism and Paganism go hand in hand with regards to following the seasons, the wheel of the year and honouring nature. We are in the middle of writing a book called Shamanic Witchcraft!\u00a0 MS: Do you feel you have achieved this harmony yourself, or is there a way to go on your path?\u00a0 BMF: Yes, definitely living in harmony, which comes with age and wisdom. Anyone who says that they are fully evolved has the furthest to go. There is always something to learn. Everything changes. All we can do is be the best we can be. Do what you will and harm none.\u00a0 MS: You&#8217;re often in the public eye; do you ever have negative experiences with the general public either due to ignorance or discrimination? BMF: Because we are very positive and focused in our work and beliefs what we give out is then projected back. What you give out definitely comes back to you, and we are very blessed to be respected and honoured in the work we do. Occasionally we might get some negativity but only from those who are scared of our personal power and have no self-worth or respect for themselves.\u00a0 MS: How was it appearing on Celebrity Haunted Hotel? Did you feel under pressure to portray the image of the witch in a positive light? BMF: There was no pressure to do so, it is just a natural way for us to be. The production team, and presenters, were very respectful as well as fascinated in what we do. They made the decision to ask professional wise women, rather that actors playing at being witches, which came across in an integral and very powerful way. \u00a0We hoped to inspire others to follow their true path and to show the world that it&#8217;s OK to be a witch! MS: Shamanism or shamanic workings seem to be increasing in popularity recently. Do you think this shows the natural urge to regain inner balance or is something else driving this?\u00a0 BMF: The world needs the shamans, witches and wise men and women to bring it back to balance and I feel that many people recognise this now. Not only this, but people aren&#8217;t so fearful of standing up for their beliefs and are embracing their inner calling.\u00a0 MS: Tell us a bit about the workshops you run. BMF: My workshops are all based on self-empowerment. My work is to stamp out fear and embrace one&#8217;s soul and purpose whether it&#8217;s through shamanism, witchcraft, Mediumship, past lives etc.\u00a0 &nbsp; MS: Should we be expecting more books in the near future? BMF: The Shamanic Medicine Oracle Deck and the Faery Godmother Oracle Deck are with the publishers as we speak, and are being launched in 2017. Books to come, between the two of us, include Walking with the Ancestors, Shamanic Witchcraft, Past Lives, The Dark Goddess and The Hidden Truth. &nbsp; MS: Between your teaching, workshops, writing and other projects, where do you find time for yourself? BMF: There isn&#8217;t much time out to be had, but then our work is our passion, our life, so it doesn&#8217;t feel too much like work! Taking time out involves going into nature, visiting sacred sites, travelling to distant lands and exploring different cultures. &nbsp; MS: And what&#8217;s next on the horizon for you? BMF: We have just started our own publishing house &#8211; Solarus Publishing. Although we are very blessed to have contracts with various well known publishers, we do want free licence. So, our publishing house is a rather bespoke one, focusing on truths that some daren&#8217;t put into print! For more information on Barbara, visit http:\/\/www.barbarameiklejohnfree.com\/, and her books and oracle cards are available at Amazon and all other good retailers. \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026. Mabh Savage is a Pagan author, journalist and mother of one small boy and two small cats. Find out more at https:\/\/soundsoftime.wordpress.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":206,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":3,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/206"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13336"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13336\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}