When meeting Anna I had an immediate feeling of Inca’s and a strong sense of Egypt. A short but obviously strong lady of character and will,she felt there was nothing she wanted to uncover, the session was more for curiosity.
So we began with a relaxing meditation taken from the universe down so she could view areas of interest to her. Within minutes Anna was sinking into a deep meditation and she found herself in a country hot, dry and open.
I started by asking if she could look down at her feet and describe what she sees and go from there.
“My feet, I have nothing on, they are sandy. I am male, 37 years old and I am working on the beaches, it’s in the sixteen hundred time”. Interestingly the Dutch colonisation started in 1606. She called herself Richard, the Anglicised version of Rijkerd. From here we moved on to her name, place and reason for being there.
“My name is Richard, I am 37 years old and a fisherman in Australia by the beaches, it is remote. There are four of us in a group and we fish for the village”.
Looking around at the scene more information began to come forward.
“There are 11 of us, my brothers and sisters, I am the third eldest, there is a lot on my shoulders”. Anna rested for a moment in the memory and was clearly making sense of what was around her . We progress further.
“My wife (Anna had a huge smile on her face), Mary, she is 25 years old, we are waiting for our 1st born, I am so excited, I love her so much, that’s why I fish, to provide for my family and the village”.
As we gently moved on to the next significant scene in Richard’s lifetime her face warmed as her arms were making a cradling moment.
“I’m holding my baby, my first born, we named him Joseph, I’m overwhelmed, I didn’t know you could feel like this, this is new to me”. I asked whereabouts he was, “we live with the wife’s mother and father. It’s ok, good for Mary but not me”, and shrugged her shoulders. “I’m away a lot really, so as long as she’s ok I am happy”.
We were ready to move to another significant stage in the life of Richard.
“I’m 57 years old, still a fisherman. I didn’t want my son to follow me into fishing. My first son didn’t but my second son did”. I was just writing down that another child was in Richard’s life when he corrected me. “2 sons, Joseph and Jonathan and a beautiful daughter Bethany, they provide me understanding”. Understanding of what I enquired.
“Life is never easy but you have to give it your all, and with passion. Life is lonely (or can be), it is never easy. Fish are our bread and butter, I have no choice, it has always been like this, I have to do it, it has always been expected of me”.
We sat in silence for a while for the scene to pass. “I want to make it better for my kids. I make them have an education, they go to school, I can’t read or write, I don’t want them restricted like me”.
Anna sat in silence for a while before a warm smile presented itself and she began to rub her hands. “It’s my son, my first born, it’s his wedding, he’s marrying a good woman, more that good enough for him, I am so proud”.
I instructed her to look around and view the whole scene she began “I wish we were close”. We talked about this distance between them. “No, it is not distance in that way, he is going to another continent with his job. He is a carpenter, a good craftsman but there is no work for him here, only basic skills are required here. I’m happy for him but it is tainted in sadness because he is leaving us. I hope and have faith that he will come home. Me and Mary, we live for our family, but the sea tide out, I need to fish again with the other men now”, and was silent once more, falling into the chair deeper and resting.
When she was ready, Anna began to describe her next significant moment in that life. She became confused and rocked her head from side to side as if looking around frantically for something. I invited her to share what she was viewing. “I’m in Egypt, it has all changed”.
She was really puzzled by this but eventually settled in this scene and became more vocal. “I was offered a bigger boat, I’m doing more, but less fishing. I am taking people across waters, it is better money for me”.
This was quite a large jump from Australia so I enquired as to why the change. “My wife is not with me, I feel very lonely, it is a lonely life, I save money for my family every week, it is for them (family) I do it”.
“It is 1632, I transport workers and very rich travellers. The rich are not nice people but they pay my bills, they have no respect”. We went further into his journey. “I never know how long each trip is going to be. We sail from one place to another, then another. I get home about every three months if I am lucky”.
“The main man of the vessel is Jonathan Smith, big and strong, he runs it, he head-hunted me because I was a good seaman. Jonathan treats me well, he is more of a friend but you know your place”.
From here I asked Richard to move on to the end of his life and describe to me his location and whether there was anyone around, as there usually is at this time. Anna sunk in her chair, and winced, she began to panic and wriggle in her recliner chair. This required a few moments of desensitising techniques to defuse the image, and from there we continued.
“I’m in the middle of the ocean, choppy, waves, cold. I was sailing home to be with my wife, my wife”. Richard was clearly troubled but went on.
“Everyone is in panic, we didn’t stand a chance, at least a 100 of us, oh my God we are all in fear, it is awful, so sad”. I enquired as to the reason. “A lightning storm hit the boat, we didn’t stand a chance, all is lost. I’m drifting, just drifting, been like this for a couple of days, I’m very weak, so tired, I’m talking to Mary in my head, telling her I love her and am so very sorry, but I am weak now”.
We were clearing coming to the end of the life scene. From here, no pain or discomfort I asked Richard to lift his soul out of the water, to detach himself from the body and let me know what was going on around him.
“Out of pain, in my heart, had to leave them, couldn’t go on, I didn’t get to say goodbye, or tell them how much I loved them”. There was a long pause, after which, I encouraged Richard to discuss with me the scene before him.
“Nan is here, to help me cross over, she is holding her hands out telling me to come. I’m tired, so beaten and washed up, I go freely. I walk with her by my side, at ease but sad and tired, I know I had to come back, I couldn’t carry on”. I sought more information. “Only my Nan is here, my lesson was to stay close to home, to family, life isn’t worth being separated. I had a lot to bear, though I thought I was doing the right thing but I was so wrong. I just wanted the best for my family but I regret it, so many regrets”.
“I regret not watching the children grow up, and regret not being there to love my wife, I should have done more. I loved her so much”.
Anna was brought back to consciousness, she wiped her tears and composed herself. She now realised why she was so scared of the sea, or as she put it, petrified. She explained that she could sense the fear in her still and she can’t go above her waist to this day. She also has a fear of boats. Anna had always had an unyielding sense that she had brought something with her to this life today and it all began to fall into place.
She described how she had a big respect for the sea. As Peter, she felt very male, a grafter and very strong minded. Something else she had brought into this life.
Anna’s face warmed as she voiced her understandings from this life. She had always been drawn to Australia and the fact that she doesn’t really like to be around too many children at once but very much preferred her own space. I suppose being a family of eleven with such many responsibilities at a young age was sinking in. That responsibility grew as he had children of his own.
She smiled and said “Now I know why I’m not really child friendly at all. Don’t get me wrong I love everyone around me but only for short periods”. Her eyebrow rose as it all made sense, “Mary is my husband’s late mother’s name and for some reason I can’t explain, I know deep within me that we would have got on”.
Extra information was coming to the surface. “I couldn’t read then and am dyslexic today, though I am more than able to express myself verbally”, she smiled.
“When I was in the ocean, I felt the tears running down my face, the sun-drenched cracks in my skin and my body weakening, I was in the water for days”. Today Anna prefers the pool and with her feet firmly on the ground.
In this life, her family are everything to her, and as she put it, they are her world. She was brought up in the bustling city of London but remembers as a child always begging her parents to move to the country and buy a farm.
She lives in a village today, with plenty of lush fields around her. She has her family, her cats, dogs and horses and is looking to one day move to live on a farm.
Anna felt that the regression was positive and useful in increasing her understanding of previously disconnected emotions and thoughts.
