Introduction

My journey into the Light began from my very first memories of life. An only child, I spent a great deal of time on my own and was blessed with a clear awareness of the existence of other beings and other dimensions beyond the everyday reality inhabited by those around me.

When I was very small I knew instinctively how to call upon the angels to keep me safe during the night. Like many children I was afraid of the dark, but when I called upon them I knew I would be protected. I used to lie in bed with the covers firmly over my head. Eventually I would summon up the courage to peep out into the dark, by which time, of course, my eyes were dark-adjusted. The curtains in my room had a pattern that always resolved into faces if I focused on it. This used to terrify me, and I would have to go back under the covers for a considerable time before I could recover my courage and peep out again.

Before I could call upon the angels I believed that I had to have enough courage to see them arrive and take up their positions, so only when I had my nerve up would I peep out and in my mind ask God to send them. Almost instantly four seemingly massive winged angels would materialize, one at each corner of my small bed. They would stand strong and firm, with the faces of young men or women - they seemed sexless to me then, although I never really thought about the matter.

For many years, all through my childhood and beyond, I used to invoke the angels in this way. Because I went to a Christian school I always thought that everyone could see angels - it never occurred to me that they didn't. Angels seemed to be an important part of the Christian Churches' teachings. Commonly spoken of, they were the messengers of God - as in the angel who came to Mary to tell her about the birth of Jesus. So it seemed very natural that angels would be there to take care of me.

I firmly believe that many other people can remember that kind of awareness as well; unfortunately, as we grow up we are trained to forget it. My father was a sceptic and had no personal belief in God or anything other than the material world. My mother had psychic abilities, but she had never been trained and so, for her, much of what she experienced generated fear. But such fear soon dissolves as one comes to understand that sensing and seeing subtle energies is completely natural for us. In my own work, training channels, I see students experience great joy and express tremendous enthusiasm as they find themselves able to harness this potential.

During my childhood I had many deep experiences of God and higher states of consciousness. I was confirmed into the Anglican Church and took Communion, but in my teens I was disappointed to find that the Church could not answer my questions about the universe, about God and the reasons for our existence here on earth. It could not even come up with a convincing answer about life before or after our present existence.

I began to read everything I could about different religions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, and about the occult. At that time there was no New Age literature, but I did get a very thorough grounding in religion, theosophy, magic, the Kabbalah and lots more. It became clear to me that there was a lot more to human existence than I had been led to believe by conventional wisdom, but at that time there were very few 'alternative' approaches that were widely known. I was strongly influenced by the work of the Russian teacher Gurdjieff and his follower Ouspensky; their theories about humankind being 'asleep' explained a lot to me.

My own experience was that people seemed to be on 'automatic' - not questioning, not thinking about their existence and the reason for it. I used a number of Gurdjieff's practices to help me awaken and stay awake as a conscious being. I found a lot of inspiration also in the Kabbalistic writings of Israel Regardie, especially his detailed descriptions of practices such as the Middle Pillar exercise as explained in his book The Art of True Healing, which I thoroughly recommend. This exercise involves toning and breathing techniques to steady and centre your energy, connecting you with the light and energy of the higher realms. Alice Bailey, a channel through whom her 'guide', a Tibetan Buddhist master known as Djwhal Khul, made his ideas known, was a further influence: she both fascinated and confused me.

In my late teens I met my first spiritual teacher/mentor. At last here was someone as strange as me! He seemed to speak my language, and had read even more than I had. Gently he guided me through the many paths to knowledge, stressing the importance of individual practice: it was not enough just to read books - you had to do something as well. I began to meditate regularly and to follow various spiritual practices.

In my early twenties I travelled to America where I met an astrologer who lived in a Native American teepee in the mountains of Vermont. After reading my astrological chart he confirmed that I would be following the path of growth - my own higher purpose - in this life. It was a turning point for my growth because he recognized that service would be the key to my life. I also joined a Gurdjieffian group and continued my practice in this tradition.

During this time I came to understand much more about individual freedom, realizing that my path was just as valid as anyone else's. I developed a deep interest in psychology and trained as a counsellor, working as a volunteer on a Hotline (like the Samaritans in England) and wrestling with my own psyche, especially problems like the negative ego (the part of us that generates fear, anger, jealously, lack of self-esteem and so on).

On my return to England I studied psychology and sociology for several years, making this study part of my path of spiritual growth. Regardie says that to pursue an interest in the esoteric disciplines it is essential to know yourself. I agree with him: with self-knowledge and understanding everything else will follow. You don't need to study psychology as such, but you do need to understand your own strengths and weaknesses, the little traps of the negative ego.

A few years later I found I was able to hold and maintain a conscious connection with the higher realms where the guides, like Alice Bailey's Tibetan master, are. But at that time the concept of channelling was virtually unknown and, whilst I understood that the information I was receiving was from a higher source, I didn't identify my guide as a 'personality' for some time afterwards and I certainly didn't call it channelling.

I simply found that I could open up to this higher information. I remember saying to my partner then, 'Just ask me anything and I will know the answer.' My explanation was that I was connecting to the Karmic Records, that dimension where all that has been known and all that will be known is available, and which is sometimes known as the Universal Mind.

Later I began to channel a guide called Iskera, using the techniques developed by Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer through their guides Orin and DaBen. Ortan took over as my guide on the death of my teacher. Iskera explained that our work together was done. Ortan explained that it was now my time to begin to teach, that he was a teacher guide and that this would be our work together.

At this point I realized that I had to give up my 'normal' life and commit myself fully to my spiritual path. This was when I began teaching classes on meditation, spiritual growth and development, and giving individual readings with Ortan. Since then my focus has been on giving classes called Awakening Your Light Body (and classes for those who already have awakened light bodies), Opening to Channel, Working with Your Guide, and Advanced Channelling. Healing classes are also an important part of my work.

I have found the light body work, as developed by Orin and DaBen, profoundly transformative. Much of the work I have channelled and now teach, such as ascension, is for light body graduates. The awakening of the light body seems to be a major and fundamental step at this time of change (see Chapter 2).

This book is a result of my experience as a channel and a teacher of channelling. So many of my students have asked for a book, and my guide Ortan has pushed me from his side too! The book explains what channelling is and how you too can connect with your own guide. For those who want to develop their channelling, various chapters deal with particular kinds of work such as reading auras, reading chakras and reading on past lives.

We all have a guide. Reading this book will help you to understand that you will experience no difficulty in connecting with your own guide, sharing this marvellous experience and opening yourself to spiritual growth.