I grew up in an unstable Midwestern household, full of adorable brothers, financial struggle, a lot of laughter, just as much sorrow, a mother who worked several jobs at once, and a whole lot of Christian fundamentalism.

My dad — a huge influence on my life and work — was a very mentally unwell man, carrying deep wounds from being a young man drafted into the Vietnam War. I was born a few years after he came home. Looking back on my childhood, it feels like a yard sale of heirlooms left out in the rain: nothing cherished, mostly unwanted. I started learning grief at a young age. At the same time, I discovered the art of wonder, the power of imagination, and found secret sanctuaries for the gods of whimsy.

Though I wasn’t able to know my dad’s side of the family intimately, I always felt their blood singing in me. Family estrangement started early for me. I’ve always had an affinity for Jane Eyre, if you know what I mean.

My Grandmama Elizabeth — my middle name namesake — was a little old witchy woman who passed her witchiness down to me, though it wasn’t until my twenties that I realized it. My uncle and aunts — my dad’s siblings — were gifted with the clairs. My dad, on the other hand, denied his gifts and sometimes drowned in his unacknowledged mysticism.

It was through my dad’s suffering, and the suffering he caused, that I was guided to find the light. And eventually, I began showing other mystics how to find it too. Since 2015, I’ve been counseling others through my Enchanted Life Guidance offering.

After graduating college with a degree in Performance Studies, I moved to Chicago, where I spent my roaring twenties. To pay the bills, I became a nanny — a path I ended up following for nineteen years.

During my thirteen years in Chicago, I developed a soul-crush on Kundalini Yoga. I drank the Kool-Aid. Sometimes I think ex-cult kids find themselves drawn into similar organizations, at least until they come to find God on their own terms.

I was born loving God, and I was always longing to know her intimately. Eventually, the Great Primordial Mother called me to Her lap. My church is play. My devotion is play. My prayer is play. I am a forever-child with an ancient soul, always within Her sight.

I still practice Kundalini Yoga and meditation when needed — it just works! But I’m no longer involved with yoga organizations.

In 2013, I moved to Atlanta with my then husband. After settling in, I began teaching yoga very regularly and also became involved in the art community there.