who are we?

Lisa is something of an enigma. The 'mad' hair, London accent and 'colourful' language belie the real person - a highly sensitive, extremely capable, and uniquely gifted individual.

Although I have never considered myself as having psychic powers, I have experienced a number of unexplainable occurrences throughout my very varied life, dismissing them from further thought through lack of knowledge, or no desire at the time to delve further. Having Lisa in my life has opened my mind to recall many of these events, and now, when something inexplicable happens, I am beginning to question how and why.

People with the gift to communicate at levels beyond the norm, or who possess healing abilities that defy explanation have existed throughout recorded history. They have been given different terms - seers, prophets, medicine men, witch doctors, miracle workers, et al. There is no doubt that Lisa is one such person. She radiates an aura of serenity and extends a love for all forms of nature that far exceeds 'love' in the physical sense. She has 'oneness' with all things earthly, and with a higher power.

The next is self-written by Lisa.

I was born in London in 1959, of an English mother and a Spanish father, and grew up in an all female environment (mother, grandmother and an aunt). (My parents separated before my birth.) I believe this instilled a great longing and desire to know my roots and linage, and to understand myself on a deeper level, as during my childhood, half of my terms of reference, (as in my father) were not only missing, but also invisible (no contact, photographs, and, very little information).

Having always been a highly emotional and sensitive individual, this in itself was a difficulty, since the traditional English way is more about keeping up appearances - keeping the ‘stiff upper lip’ and never showing too much emotion. I felt like an alien in my own home most of the time, and my school years were a living nightmare, especially in secondary school. One day, aged around fourteen and a half, during a particularly boring and meaningless science class, I sat there wondering 'what on earth these facts, figures and theories had to do with me; how they would ever bear any relevance to my life'. I concluded they never would, and I simply left the school, never to return.

But that is my nature. When my back is against the wall, I usually pull the courage from within to take the appropriate action, and that is what I did. I have never regretted that decision, and it stands out as one of the most significant and appropriate actions of my young life. Even though many people may disagree with this, I feel that while education is of importance, it doesn’t have to occur in the often stifling and oppressive environment of the classroom. I learned far more after leaving school than during those years of sitting behind a desk, being taught what was imposed on me, rather than having the free will to choose the subjects in which I wished to engage my mind.

What brought me to Ireland? I came, more than 16 years ago, with my Irish husband, Thomas, and our three children. I was pregnant at the time, and gave birth to our fourth child in Limerick maternity hospital. The marriage was, to say the least, difficult, and after many years of abuse, which I now see as a combination of my low personal self esteem and Thomas’ over indulgence of alcohol coupled with a volatile temper, a desperate situation had developed. It came to the point where I had to choose whether to sink or swim, so on the 3rd of January 1994, I, and the children, then aged between two and ten years escaped into the night, along with our three dogs and the clothes we stood up in. I would add, I was virtually penniless.

We left in a beaten-up old Bedford van and drove to Dublin, to begin a new life, free of the hell of the past. Thomas probably assumed we had returned to the UK, and of course never tracked us down in Dublin. Life may not have been a bed of roses at times, but our needs were always met, and in general, life was good. We were able to laugh and relax, and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. The children could play and romp with no fear of reprisal. My only regret resulting from the decision to leave is, I should have done it much earlier, but I suppose there are many women who have been in a similar situation and think the same.

Having been asked on numerous occasions what it was that prompted me to get into this line of work, I have to say, it certainly wasn’t by intention, although I have always had a fascination with magic and mystery. I suppose my true initiation to healing and clairvoyance began after the death of my maternal grandmother, Ivy Mae Smith, my best friend and soul mate. Ivy Mae was a real Cockney (born within the sound of Bow Bells), a true 'character' and a wonderful person and friend.

Depression and misery were my constant companions after she passed on, exacerbated by the death of my father, Lionel, and the loss of my loyal companion, Jody, my German Shepherd dog. (I eventually plucked up the courage to trace my father, and we first met when I was 28 years of age.)

I reckon it was one of the darkest times in my life and seemingly nothing could relieve the inner torment I was experiencing. It is interesting to note that during this dark period, I had a recurring dream which had no meaning whatsoever at the time, but several years later revealed itself as a highly accurate prophecy in my healing and Shamanic training at the Glencree Centre for Reconciliation in the Dublin Mountains.

To read the Glencree story, click the link at the bottom of this page.

This hopeless situation continued for several years, until one day a random and meaningless act changed the course of my life forever. I was alone at a friend’s house in Dublin, and for no specific reason I began leafing through the Golden Pages that lay on the couch next to me. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular and had nothing on my mind concerning the spirit world, healing or any other such matters. As books have a habit of doing, the Golden Pages fell open at a certain page, listing the names of ‘Complementary Therapists’ and my attention was drawn to an advertisement offering Spiritual Healing, which, in my ignorance I assumed meant spirit contact, as in mediumship. I was still longing for some kind of contact with my grandmother. I wanted to know that wherever she was, she was OK. I needed tangible evidence, as up to that point, the only sign I had received that she was still around was her unmistakable and personal fragrance or scent. This was encouraging, but not enough to satisfy my desire for survival evidence.

I called the number and made an appointment to see Marie Nolan, a Spiritual Healer. Marie was not a medium, nor did she ever claim to be, but she was a Reiki practitioner and a very fine healer. She did predict that my grandmother would contact me in a very unique way, which did happen, and occurred again on several more occasions. After my first healing treatment with Marie, I left her centre feeling more alive, positive and at peace with myself than I had done for years. So my entrance to the realms of spirit and healing began with death, which I’m sure isn’t unique. It seems that trauma and pain are very often catalysts for deep inner change, which then reflects as an outward amendment in attitudes, beliefs and experiences of the individual.

It was some years later I decided to study the Reiki system of natural energy healing for myself, and that decision was followed by the appearance of my Reiki teacher Raeline Brady, who came all the way from Melbourne, Australia to Dublin at exactly the right time. As the saying goes ‘when the student is ready, the teacher will appear’. This is the truth in my experience, and also works in reverse, as in ‘when the teacher is ready the students will appear’. So that is how I came to study, practice and teach Reiki - the traditional Usui method.

I have found Reiki to be an extremely useful and practical instrument, and although it may first appear to be a subtle and gentle process, it actually works on a deep level, stirring and shifting old, trapped energy from deep within the system and bringing it to the surface. It is not as gentle as it seems at first glance, but of course that all depends on the nature of your own personal baggage. Reiki is indeed an excellent means of healing but is one of many. I consider myself to be extremely fortunate, as the Universe has guided me to the right people, places and situations that have facilitated profound healing and understanding, and changed my life in ways I would never have thought possible.

I have an ongoing desire to learn more and improve my abilities every day. I know that everyone has the ability to heal, and everyone has a degree of clairvoyance and intuition within themselves, dependant upon their openness, interest and willingness to apply themselves to the process of self-awareness and discovery. This means daily practice.

I have found the Tarot to be another excellent tool for healing and self-improvement, although here in Ireland there is still deep-seated misunderstanding and apprehension concerning this particular subject. However, the Tarot is simply a visual means of opening the psyche and expanding personal awareness. When I first began studying the Tarot around 13 years ago, it was purely for my own benefit and guidance, but as my skills improved, I was encouraged by several friends to begin reading for others. I was reluctant at first, as this was not my initial intention, and I had no real desire or interest in doing so. I also doubted, at that time, that my abilities would, or could be put to use to guide others. However, having taken the plunge, I was pleasantly surprised with all the positive feedback I received as to the depth and accuracy of my readings.

I do take the care to prepare myself, and the area where I am working, clearing, grounding and casting an aura of protection around myself, my client and the workspace. This ensures that the guidance received through the Tarot, crystal ball, runes or by any other means comes from the highest source and is for the positive and practical benefit of the client. I enjoy reading for others but my greatest enjoyment is teaching people how to guide themselves by connecting with their own allies and loved ones in spirit, and by improving and fine-tuning their own abilities.

I am an ideas person, and quite proud of the fact that I introduced clairvoyance and psychic development classes and courses into Ireland. Nowadays, there are many people teaching clairvoyance here, but there is a certain satisfaction, for me at least, to know that I was the first. I am pleased that others have followed, and now facilitate classes and workshops in their own areas. Spreading information and knowledge, and assisting others to explore their own talents and abilities is very rewarding, and long overdue. Intuition, healing, clairvoyance, dream reading - these are abilities as natural as speaking, walking or dancing. There is nothing unusual or sinister in using these abilities. Social conditioning has led us to believe otherwise, but that is only an attempt to maintain control over the masses. Nowadays, people are much more aware of these subtle and blatant attempts to keep people unaware, subdued, complacent and obedient, but thankfully, times are changing on a grand scale.
 

My knowledge is a unique blend of all of the training and teachings I have received, and of course, I continue to learn, explore and expand my understanding and knowledge all the time. It has become a way of life for me. I feel honoured and full of gratitude for that.

I cannot imagine anybody, who, reading Lisa's story, will not associate themselves, in part, to what she has experienced. There are countless women with young children who are similarly trapped, married to a husband who is abusive to them all. Lisa, as a single parent, has brought up her four children to be fine teenagers and adults, and can feel justly proud of that achievement alone, but to have also discovered herself, and from that discovery, put her abilities to full use...outstanding is a word that comes mind.

I love her beyond belief. She is not just in my life, she is my life, for without her, my existence, or what is left of it, would be worthless. We never argue, we discuss, we laugh all the time, we love a lot, She is a total joy to be with and it is pleasure to put a smile on her beautiful face.