My interest and passion for self-exploration began early in the 1970s with Transcendental Meditation and experimentation with a broad array of hallucinatory, mind-altering drugs while at university. These psychedelic experiences helped influence me and piqued my interest in all things Asian.
In 1975, I was graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Emory University in Atlanta- with a concentration in Exceptional Children and Asian Studies. These studies were, at the time and still are, a natural fit for me.
What took you so long? My first real exploration into self-discovery and the “new age” movement began in 1978 while living in Oklahoma City at the time. On my way home each day, I would pass a metaphysical store called House of Shadows. I’d drive by and think to myself, hmmm, I should go in and check them out. Well, it took me over a year before I finally did, and when I did, it changed my life completely. I had just entered the storefront, when this tiny, elderly lady with granny glasses and a bun on top of her head shouted out to me, “Hey, what took you so long!” “Excuse me,” I said. “Yes, you, what took you so long to come in? I’ve been waiting for you. Come in the back with me! I’ve got important things to tell you.” She consequently took me to the reading room in the back and gave me a reading that blew the doors off my mind in regard to who I am and what my purpose in this lifetime is. Thus, I met Angel, the Grand Dame of Astrology in Oklahoma, and my first mentor. She was truly an angel. Little did I know at the time that she would help kick-start me on a journey of self-discovery and transformation.