{"id":13819,"date":"2017-05-01T01:10:28","date_gmt":"2017-05-01T06:10:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/content\/?p=14496"},"modified":"2017-05-01T06:45:58","modified_gmt":"2017-05-01T11:45:58","slug":"interview-with-author-leah-guy-the-modern-sage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2017\/05\/01\/interview-with-author-leah-guy-the-modern-sage\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Author Leah Guy: The Modern Sage"},"content":{"rendered":"<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t<!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } A:link { so-language: zxx } --><br \/>\n\t<\/style>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;\">Author Leah Guy: The Modern Sage<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Fearless-Path-Leah-Guy-ebook\/dp\/B01MUR9UGZ\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1493638990&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=the+fearless+path\" target=\"_blank\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-14497\" src=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/leah1.jpg\" alt=\"leah1\" width=\"334\" height=\"500\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I was recently sent a copy of a book called <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Fearless-Path-Leah-Guy-ebook\/dp\/B01MUR9UGZ\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1493638990&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=the+fearless+path\" target=\"_blank\"><i>The Fearless Path<\/i><\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><i>, <\/i><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">and was immediately drawn to the ideas within the pages. The book addresses very real and modern concerns about healing in practical ways, but instead of telling us, as so many other sources do, to let go of our pain and past, it leads us down the more rewarding path of putting ourselves back together. Leah was kind enough to answer a few questions about the book and herself for Pagan Pages.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"_GoBack\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Mabh Savage:<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> Thanks for talking to us Leah. To start us off, can you describe yourself in three words?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Leah Guy:<\/b><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> Sensitive. Determined. Sassy. <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">MS: Your book, The Fearless Path, is tagged as a &#8216;radical awakening to emotional\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">healing and inner peace&#8217;. What prompted you to write this book at the time you did; what made you feel &#8216;now&#8217; was the time to share your approach to healing?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>LG:<\/strong> Honestly, there are two reasons. One is my personal timing. When I felt grounded enough, emotionally mature enough and ready to extend this part of my world with the masses. Secondly, and this sounds like cosmic fluff, but I was told to write the book, once by a voice in a dream that woke me and the other by a voice in a meditation. I don\u2019t often hear voices, nor do I act on them, but this was something different. It was like a charge, a torch that was handed over to me to run with and I felt it was the right thing to do. It felt like the right time and my next step and almost a \u2018duty\u2019 or \u2018calling\u2019 if you will.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">MS: Who would you say your book is primarily aimed towards?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>LG:<\/strong> I used the dedication to reach out to all who suffer, yet have the courage to love. There is not one person that couldn\u2019t benefit from the principles in the book because we all know pain, fear, heartache, guilt. We need to learn how to have a better relationship with suffering as it is a part of life. So I aimed the book at those, like me, who have had addictions, eating disorders, trauma, anxiety, low self-worth or other kinds of deep wounds. <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">MS: What was the biggest challenge in putting the book together?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>LG<\/strong>: Starting! After I got started, the biggest challenge was allowing myself the freedom to speak openly about my experiences, many of which I\u2019ve never spoken about publicly at all, and relating those in an honest way so that others can benefit.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>MS: And what did you enjoy most about the writing process?<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>LG<\/strong>: Every step of the way I felt very supported. It felt as if I was supposed to be doing it and there was no time to wait. Although I practice what I write and teach, there\u2019s a good deal of guidance in the book that was inspired and channeled, meaning that I had to get my own agenda out of the way and just listen. Before each writing session I gave myself 5 minutes to sit in meditation and listen, then trust that when I got to the computer I\u2019d have something to say.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">MS: How did you become introduced to the idea of chakras and energies within the body?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>LG:<\/strong> When I was on my own healing journey, a couple of years after the sexual assault, I was encouraged to go to a metaphysical \u201cschool\u201d in California. There is where I immersed myself in energy healing, meditation and learning about the chakras. Since then I\u2019ve continued to work with energy and the chakras as a way to guide me to information within the body system, the emotional bodies and spiritual energies. I don\u2019t base all of my work on the chakras, but they do offer information and guidance and I believe should be better understood in the scope of our overall wellness.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Fearless-Path-Leah-Guy-ebook\/dp\/B01MUR9UGZ\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1493638990&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=the+fearless+path\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-14498\" src=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/leah2.jpg\" alt=\"leah2\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">MS: During the introduction to the book, you tell us of your own traumatic experiences, and one of the questions you asked yourself at the time was &#8216;Is this my fault?&#8217;. Do you think this is common of many victims, to question their own culpability first and foremost?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>LG<\/strong>: I believe one of the first thoughts that comes to a person who has been victimized is the self-inquiry \u2018Is this my fault?\u2019 Once the initial shock and fear of an incident has worn off, we immediately go to the programming and patterning that we know, which often results in kicking way back to the shame or guilt pattern of our youth. Because each of us has experienced shame to some degree, the ones of us that have had a moderate to severe imprint of shame will almost always consider how or what we did to cause any kind of suffering in our life. Even those with a mild shame imprint will have the fleeting thought of guilt because it is hard for our brains and emotional bodies to rationalize how something so painful could happen for no reason, or for a reason we can\u2019t justify, therefore it must have something to do with my actions, looks, self-worth, or whatever the reason we conjure.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">MS: Do the healing principals work for those who perhaps haven&#8217;t had an emotional\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">trauma? For example, someone may suffer from chronic depression, caused by chemical imbalances in the brain, not a particular event in their past. Would they and others like them benefit from The Fearless Path?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>LG<\/strong>: Yes, very much so. The Emotional Workouts, meditations and other exercises and philosophies are usable and impactful for any person who is experiencing imbalance, pain or trauma. Not to say that these concepts should be used exclusively, there is certainly room for medical care and other approaches to wellness. But the ideas are deep and profound in some instances, yet the very base root of their meaning is applicable and usable for all. Chemical imbalances can be helped by medicinal approaches for sure, but also, we know that diet, emotional stability and a connection to our true selves help to create balance as well. They should all be used together.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">MS: Obviously, and as your books states, there are no quick fixes, but are there simple, everyday things that everyone can do to stay connected to their Self and Soul?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>LG<\/strong>: I included the Emotional Workouts in the book for this very purpose; to give people ways to daily and simply stay connected to their Self and Soul. Gardening, journaling, meditation, helping a stranger, chanting or any of the others are wonderful examples of ways that we can get stronger and more connected day by day. We don\u2019t turn fear or shame around with a simple decision. We have to solidify a stronger framework from which we operate and we do that by small acts of self-care and Emotional Workouts.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">MS: Who is your biggest inspiration?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><strong>LG<\/strong>: I\u2019ve never put any single person on a pedestal. There are so many people who inspire me for different reasons. The truth is I don\u2019t know the names of most of the people who impact me the greatest. Yesterday I passed a man on the street who was struggling to walk. He had very worn and tattered clothes on and teeth that were never cared for. He was carrying two heavy grocery bags for what seemed like blocks and the look on his face stopped me in my tracks. His eyes and the lines on his face were saying that his experience alive had been hard but his determination, pride and his purpose was so very much worth living for. I walked by that man and was struck with humility and inspiration and the desire to have half of the strength that he showed.<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>MS: Do you have a favorite place to relax, or a place where you feel most connected to yourself?<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><strong>LG<\/strong>: I love being in nature of any sorts. I love paths\u2026 walking paths, bike paths, beach paths. I\u2019m a very purpose-oriented purpose, meaning I enjoy time and space when I\u2019m creating ideas or art, gaining new perspectives, helping others or purposefully taking time to connect to nature or myself. A path is very symbolic to me. I feel inspired to keep going forward and seeing what new there is to discover.<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">MS: What other projects do you have on the horizon?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>LG<\/strong>: I just recorded my first meditation CD, Guided Chakra Meditations for Emotional Healing. It\u2019s inspired from the meditations in the book, but with music, visualizations and even a walking meditation practice. I\u2019m in awe of this project as me and the musicians got together, without rehearsal, and flowed with the energy of the meditations without flaw. The CD is raw and uncut! I\u2019m also planning some online webinars and private teachings, which I\u2019m excited about also!<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>MS: Should we expect more books in the future?<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>LG<\/strong>: Yes! I\u2019m already working to expound on a couple of topics from The Fearless Path. Some of the key ideas in that book are the PTED, or Post Traumatic Emotional Disorder, and Spiritual Mapping to name a couple. <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>MS: And finally, what are you looking forward to most in 2017?<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>LG<\/strong>: I\u2019m looking forward to broadening my horizons. The past several years I have been hunkered down building a healing center and writing the book. I\u2019m beginning to experience the many opportunities that are arising from those things and I\u2019m eager to get back on the road, meet new people and hear their stories, as well create more stories in my own life.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><i>Leah\u2019s book <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Fearless-Path-Leah-Guy-ebook\/dp\/B01MUR9UGZ\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1493638990&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=the+fearless+path\" target=\"_blank\">The Fearless Path<\/a><i> is out on 15<\/i><sup><i>th<\/i><\/sup><i> May 2017 and is available for <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Fearless-Path-Leah-Guy-ebook\/dp\/B01MUR9UGZ\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1493638990&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=the+fearless+path\" target=\"_blank\">pre-order<\/a><i> now. You can follow Leah on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LeahGuyTheModernSage\/\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/agirlnamedguy\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a> or her <a href=\"http:\/\/www.modernsage.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">website<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Mabh Savage is a Pagan author and musician, as well as a freelance journalist. She is the author of <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Modern-Celt-Seeking-Ancestors\/dp\/1780997965\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1487891549&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=a+modern+celt\" target=\"_blank\">A Modern Celt: Seeking the Ancestors<\/a><i> and <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Pagan-Portals-Celtic-Witchcraft-Modern\/dp\/1785353144\/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8\" target=\"_blank\">Pagan Portals: Celtic Witchcraft<\/a><i>. Follow Mabh on <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mabherick\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a><i>, <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MabhSavage\/\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a><i> and her <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/soundsoftime.wordpress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">blog<\/a><i>. <\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Author Leah Guy: The Modern Sage &nbsp; &nbsp; I was recently sent a copy of a book called The Fearless Path, and was immediately drawn to the ideas within the pages. The book addresses very real and modern concerns about healing in practical ways, but instead of telling us, as so many other sources do, to let go of our pain and past, it leads us down the more rewarding path of putting ourselves back together. Leah was kind enough to answer a few questions about the book and herself for Pagan Pages. Mabh Savage: Thanks for talking to us Leah. To start us off, can you describe yourself in three words? Leah Guy: Sensitive. Determined. Sassy. MS: Your book, The Fearless Path, is tagged as a &#8216;radical awakening to emotional\u00a0healing and inner peace&#8217;. What prompted you to write this book at the time you did; what made you feel &#8216;now&#8217; was the time to share your approach to healing? LG: Honestly, there are two reasons. One is my personal timing. When I felt grounded enough, emotionally mature enough and ready to extend this part of my world with the masses. Secondly, and this sounds like cosmic fluff, but I was told to write the book, once by a voice in a dream that woke me and the other by a voice in a meditation. I don\u2019t often hear voices, nor do I act on them, but this was something different. It was like a charge, a torch that was handed over to me to run with and I felt it was the right thing to do. It felt like the right time and my next step and almost a \u2018duty\u2019 or \u2018calling\u2019 if you will. MS: Who would you say your book is primarily aimed towards? LG: I used the dedication to reach out to all who suffer, yet have the courage to love. There is not one person that couldn\u2019t benefit from the principles in the book because we all know pain, fear, heartache, guilt. We need to learn how to have a better relationship with suffering as it is a part of life. So I aimed the book at those, like me, who have had addictions, eating disorders, trauma, anxiety, low self-worth or other kinds of deep wounds. MS: What was the biggest challenge in putting the book together? LG: Starting! After I got started, the biggest challenge was allowing myself the freedom to speak openly about my experiences, many of which I\u2019ve never spoken about publicly at all, and relating those in an honest way so that others can benefit. MS: And what did you enjoy most about the writing process? LG: Every step of the way I felt very supported. It felt as if I was supposed to be doing it and there was no time to wait. Although I practice what I write and teach, there\u2019s a good deal of guidance in the book that was inspired and channeled, meaning that I had to get my own agenda out of the way and just listen. Before each writing session I gave myself 5 minutes to sit in meditation and listen, then trust that when I got to the computer I\u2019d have something to say. MS: How did you become introduced to the idea of chakras and energies within the body? LG: When I was on my own healing journey, a couple of years after the sexual assault, I was encouraged to go to a metaphysical \u201cschool\u201d in California. There is where I immersed myself in energy healing, meditation and learning about the chakras. Since then I\u2019ve continued to work with energy and the chakras as a way to guide me to information within the body system, the emotional bodies and spiritual energies. I don\u2019t base all of my work on the chakras, but they do offer information and guidance and I believe should be better understood in the scope of our overall wellness. &nbsp; &nbsp; MS: During the introduction to the book, you tell us of your own traumatic experiences, and one of the questions you asked yourself at the time was &#8216;Is this my fault?&#8217;. Do you think this is common of many victims, to question their own culpability first and foremost? LG: I believe one of the first thoughts that comes to a person who has been victimized is the self-inquiry \u2018Is this my fault?\u2019 Once the initial shock and fear of an incident has worn off, we immediately go to the programming and patterning that we know, which often results in kicking way back to the shame or guilt pattern of our youth. Because each of us has experienced shame to some degree, the ones of us that have had a moderate to severe imprint of shame will almost always consider how or what we did to cause any kind of suffering in our life. Even those with a mild shame imprint will have the fleeting thought of guilt because it is hard for our brains and emotional bodies to rationalize how something so painful could happen for no reason, or for a reason we can\u2019t justify, therefore it must have something to do with my actions, looks, self-worth, or whatever the reason we conjure. MS: Do the healing principals work for those who perhaps haven&#8217;t had an emotional\u00a0trauma? For example, someone may suffer from chronic depression, caused by chemical imbalances in the brain, not a particular event in their past. Would they and others like them benefit from The Fearless Path? LG: Yes, very much so. The Emotional Workouts, meditations and other exercises and philosophies are usable and impactful for any person who is experiencing imbalance, pain or trauma. Not to say that these concepts should be used exclusively, there is certainly room for medical care and other approaches to wellness. But the ideas are deep and profound in some instances, yet the very base root of their meaning is applicable and usable for all. Chemical imbalances can be helped by medicinal approaches for sure, but also, we know that diet, emotional stability and a connection to our true selves help to create balance as well. They should all be used together. MS: Obviously, and as your books states, there are no quick fixes, but are there simple, everyday things that everyone can do to stay connected to their Self and Soul? LG: I included the Emotional Workouts in the book for this very purpose; to give people ways to daily and simply stay connected to their Self and Soul. Gardening, journaling, meditation, helping a stranger, chanting or any of the others are wonderful examples of ways that we can get stronger and more connected day by day. We don\u2019t turn fear or shame around with a simple decision. We have to solidify a stronger framework from which we operate and we do that by small acts of self-care and Emotional Workouts. MS: Who is your biggest inspiration? LG: I\u2019ve never put any single person on a pedestal. There are so many people who inspire me for different reasons. The truth is I don\u2019t know the names of most of the people who impact me the greatest. Yesterday I passed a man on the street who was struggling to walk. He had very worn and tattered clothes on and teeth that were never cared for. He was carrying two heavy grocery bags for what seemed like blocks and the look on his face stopped me in my tracks. His eyes and the lines on his face were saying that his experience alive had been hard but his determination, pride and his purpose was so very much worth living for. I walked by that man and was struck with humility and inspiration and the desire to have half of the strength that he showed. MS: Do you have a favorite place to relax, or a place where you feel most connected to yourself? LG: I love being in nature of any sorts. I love paths\u2026 walking paths, bike paths, beach paths. I\u2019m a very purpose-oriented purpose, meaning I enjoy time and space when I\u2019m creating ideas or art, gaining new perspectives, helping others or purposefully taking time to connect to nature or myself. A path is very symbolic to me. I feel inspired to keep going forward and seeing what new there is to discover. MS: What other projects do you have on the horizon? LG: I just recorded my first meditation CD, Guided Chakra Meditations for Emotional Healing. It\u2019s inspired from the meditations in the book, but with music, visualizations and even a walking meditation practice. I\u2019m in awe of this project as me and the musicians got together, without rehearsal, and flowed with the energy of the meditations without flaw. The CD is raw and uncut! I\u2019m also planning some online webinars and private teachings, which I\u2019m excited about also! MS: Should we expect more books in the future? LG: Yes! I\u2019m already working to expound on a couple of topics from The Fearless Path. Some of the key ideas in that book are the PTED, or Post Traumatic Emotional Disorder, and Spiritual Mapping to name a couple. MS: And finally, what are you looking forward to most in 2017? LG: I\u2019m looking forward to broadening my horizons. The past several years I have been hunkered down building a healing center and writing the book. I\u2019m beginning to experience the many opportunities that are arising from those things and I\u2019m eager to get back on the road, meet new people and hear their stories, as well create more stories in my own life. Leah\u2019s book The Fearless Path is out on 15th May 2017 and is available for pre-order now. You can follow Leah on Facebook, Twitter or her website. Mabh Savage is a Pagan author and musician, as well as a freelance journalist. She is the author of A Modern Celt: Seeking the Ancestors and Pagan Portals: Celtic Witchcraft. Follow Mabh on Twitter, Facebook and her blog.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":206,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13819","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=13819"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13819\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}