1.What led you to write your book(s) and was there a pivotal event you can share?
Meeting a “man of Knowledge’ who taught me the art of mastering conscious dreaming and suggested sharing this knowledge.
2.How do you approach the creative process when you decide to write?
My book is non-fiction and I didn’t work with an outline or anything before I started, so the writing-process went quite organically. During the years that Running Deer, my dreaming teacher, taught me the art of mastering conscious dreaming, I carefully recorded my personal experiences which has finally led to this book.
3.Are there any influentials in your life that have encouraged you to stay the course as an author?
The Art of Dreaming is one of the teachings of Totality I write about. My dreaming teacher, Vidar explained there are four practices that guide the apprentice into the totality: the art of dreaming, stalking, hunting and the art of the warrior. He said: “Gradually you will learn to master all of them, but because you are a dreamer the art of dreaming is the most important one for you. On the way to the totality you will learn to master your dreaming, which means that ordinary dreams will come to a halt and will be replaced by the dreaming of the spirit. Ordinary dreams come to a stop, disappear because they are primitive, and take up too much energy. As you master your dreaming, you will have medicine dreams and visions that guide you into the totality.” More about that you will read in my first book.
To answer your question: my learning process continues and my second book will be about the art of stalking, as I explained, one of the next teachings of Totality.
4. Can you explain the premise of your book?
The premise is usually an open question in the form of ‘what would happen if… ?’
The premise of my book is about finding the totality of the Self. Here the question is ‘what would happen if you find the Totality of The Self.’ What else in life is there except for this material reality because there is also a dreaming reality. In my book I explain more about these separate realities and finding the Totality of the Self.
5.What have been some of your high and low points in being a writer, and in the process of promoting your book?
I explained before that the writing process was organic(non fiction) and because of that I guess I didn’t t know low or high levels. I loved writing this book. But it wasn’t always easy to transform my experience into words. However, I managed:)
About promoting the book: every independent writer knows that it is a lot of work, and you have to make the right decisions to promote your book and sometimes that’s difficult. But I trust that there are people interested in the topic of conscious dreaming, shamanism and the sorcerer’s world and that my book finds the way to the right audience.
6. Apart from writing, what other endeavors, or hobbies are you involved in?
I’m doing different things at the moment: I am a (freelance) journalist and publisher and besides that I have a healing practice and I give workshops about the Art of Dreaming. And of course I write, but not full time, so you can call that variety:)
I write throughout the week because I love it and make time for it in the evenings and also a few hours in the weekends.
7. What would you say to someone thinking about becoming a writer?
Go for it!
8. Do you have any plans for the future- work related and/or personal?
I am exploring other worlds and I want to share that with ‘the world’ and because there is a lot more to explore in my perception, and my plan is to continue that process! But it is not only about knowledge, it’s also about wisdom. I can be very impulsive but that’s not always very wise, so my plan is to take it easy from time to time.
9. Describe a typical day in your writing life.
When I once start a ‘writing project’ I really want to continue, but I need to build in some stops. So I start the day (after breakfast) taking a walk in the dunes where the fresh air and the beautiful nature gives me new inspiration. When I come home I make a pot of coffee for myself and writing starts at about 10 o’clock. I take a short lunch after about three hours and continue to let’s say five o’ clock. I prefer non-stop writing but that’s impossible, however, after diner and after bringing my daughter to bed, I usually start writing a few more hours. I just love it!
10.Tell us something about yourself outside of the job of writing- your interests, an experience you want to share, something you are proud of / or have overcome.
My book is also a memoir and that is why I would love to share an excerpt with you and your visitors about something I’m very proud of during my apprenticeship, especially because I survived this ordeal:). I cite this one from my book after I took magic mushrooms in a special ceremony which is presented to those who are following the teachings of Totality. One of the features of this ceremony is experiencing an intellectual death and letting go your fears to be able to travel into the unknown and to reach the totality of the Self and finally discover you are the creator of your own reality:
‘My life has been scattered in hundred thousand pieces. My life, I have complained and nagged about it so many times, but I would die to return to it. From a distance I see myself lying motionless on my right side and finally realize I am dead. I have always been curious about how it would be and now I have come this far. Now I know your spirit just continues living. From a distance I watch my past life. I had a wonderful life, but I just did not see it and what was I worrying about? The worst thing is the fact that my daughter has a future without a mother. I feel guilty. What a way to say goodbye.
I have lost my physical body, but some way or other I have the sense that my torso has been turned and my legs are somewhere behind my head and I wonder how to get it back in shape. Slowly it dawns on me that I have left the world and ended up in the second reality.
My life passes by like a circus, only now I count my blessings.
Now there is nothing left but me and the extremely dull everlasting present. Only now I understand the meaning of the often heard expression ‘it doesn’t matter who you are or what
you do as long as you are happy and you mean something to others.’ No matter how small. It seemed a sort of platitude and a cliché, but it is true. I look back on a life in which I was very busy, fretted about the tiniest details and lashed out at everything.’
Synopsis
This autobiographical adventure is about a journalist who meets the enigmatic sorcerer, Running Deer, and her initiation into the sorcerer's world and mastering conscious dreaming. This book, that follows in the traditions of Carlos Castaneda and others, takes the reader through the magic realms of the unknown and gives a new approach to the traditional training of women sorcerers. It takes place not in some fantasy world, but in a contemporary society, and addresses the things we face on a daily basis in our everyday lives.
Bio: Alysa Braceau, Dreamshield
I live in the Netherlands (Europe) and I’m a mother of a 6-year old daughter. I've studied social work and the last ten years I have worked as a (freelance) journalist and publisher. Besides that I have a healing practice and I give workshops about the Art of Dreaming.
The Sorcerer’s Dream is my first book. The theme of the passed years have been the sorcerers tradition and mastering conscious dreaming. I have carefully recorded my personal experiences which has finally led to this first book.
And here’s a short pitch on where to buy my book, my web site, blog, etc.
The Sorcerer’s dream, an initiation into the sorcerer’s world and mastering conscious dreaming. Buy it at:
http://www.booklocker.com/books/4654.html
The book can be ordered on Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Sorcerers-Dream-Dreamshield-Alysa-Braceau/dp/1609101561 and everywhere they sell books
Please visit my website: http://www.dreamshield.nl
Blog: http://dreamshield.wordpress.com
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