The framework of this extraordinary work in which eventually the dream world and the waking world interpenetrate is organized according to three phases: Immersion, Amplification, and Engagement. This unique process enabled Yana to encounter the numinous presences, amplify their interpretation by exploring their archetypal symbolism, and finally, engage with them through ritual and ceremony in order to integrate one world of reality with another. The result of this ambitious and extremely accomplished project is that through the dream gifts, Yana was able to acquire knowledge of the deepest parts of the psyche in its relationship to the entire cosmos enabling her to recognize her origins, her soul’s true path and her passion and purpose in this lifetime.
As a revised iteration of her doctoral dissertation, Yana Womack Castle has expanded the contours of what research consists of in relation to self-inquiry, personal growth and the sacred. She follows the dictum that the journey towards multidimensional knowledge on a personal and interpersonal level is a spiritual journey, even when it fulfills the requirements of an academic degree. I was personally moved that she expressed this so clearly, as I have always known people who felt this way, and were, perhaps, too uncomfortable to speak of their research in these terms. Her work is multidisciplinary as well as multidimensional. She has chosen to engage with the power of Sound— sounds she primarily encountered in her dreams, with the Great Mother and the many mothers relating to the dream gift she received of a Matrioshka Russian nesting doll, and her engagement with Skywomen from various cultures and traditions ranging from the Bird Women of Lithuania to shamans and dakinis. Through exploration of her numinous dreams, Yana was able to recover ancient knowledge to fill in the lost and forgotten wisdom of her heritage, making it clear that pilgrimages, rituals, meditations, visions and dreams bring forms of awareness that we may not ordinarily have access to. This is a most inspiring and educational work, as well as an outstanding form of spiritual autobiography.
Ultimately, Yana realized that she had been experiencing a parallel life in which she could cross over between the worlds and expand her knowledge of how to access the numinous presence of divinity in both worlds. Working with the numinous ‘guardians of the gate’ is consciousness expanding. When our capacities of learning are extended to include teachings provided in both waking and in dreaming states, we are offered a wider vista to the many faceted gifts life has to offer. In my estimation this process is a true Vision Quest, partly shamanic and partly scholarly because all these paths are valid journeys towards sites of revelation, transmission, and initiation. They are portals to expanding our consciousness towards the acquisition of a fuller awareness of our multidimensional place in sacred reality. By declaring that the realms of the numena are REAL, Yana has opened a potent pathway towards nurturing and expanding the evolution of our consciousness. I recommend this book to all who have not yet made this extraordinary journey and seek to encounter the presences in the domains we call invisible. Now that we are made aware of the possibility of experiencing this kind of awakening, we may follow the path delineated by Yana Womack Castle’s impressive Search and Re-Search, and expand our consciousness and life experiences as we profoundly interact with visitations of the Numena from the multiple realms of the Real.
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