Contact
My life story
Everyone has their challenges in life. Sometimes already in early childhood he is confronted with drastic events, circumstances and incidents. They ultimately determine the course of the life that will follow. For example, as a 3-year-old boy, I decided to look for my father after he did not come home due to a fatal accident in the summer of 1965.
A decision that, as I gradually discovered throughout my life, made me veer off the beaten track to make discoveries I probably would never have made otherwise.
When I was 11, after reading Dee Brown's "Bury My Heart at the Bend of the River" as best I could, I made up my mind. The book, with many imaginative photos, describes the painful history of the Indians, the original inhabitants of North America and Canada, that I loved so much from my childhood. The last battle took place in 1892 at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. I decided that I would definitely go there (back).
Through many troubled wanderings, including my school days and later a career as a chef, I decided to focus on the deeper therapistship. I had a certain aptitude for that, as I already knew from the sessions I already did in addition to my normal work. The mysteries of life, the deeper motivations that put people in special situations, and the longing for worlds unseen to the naked eye drew me there. In 1997 I studied reincarnation therapy at the SRN where I graduated in 2000.
On a spiritual journey, my teenage resolution came true. Shortly after my mother passed away in 2000, I visited Wounded Knee, and that's how I found my old footprints, and reburied my old cold heart in Wounded Knee. An unforgettable event that taught me how previous life experiences relate to my current existence. The (medicine) wheel turned round again.
In 2001 I settled with my family from Rotterdam in Roden, Drenthe, in a beautiful place that has traditionally been called “Stille Wille”. In Frisian this means 'silent pleasure', roughly translated 'inner pleasure' or 'inward enjoyment'. Although this remains a personal experience, the common denominator may be found in a sense of satisfaction.
Unforgettable teachers...
Just as every human life also has its unforgettable teachers, inspirers and pointers, I met Rob Bontenbal and Tineke Noordegraaf, among others, who, with humour, sharpness, dedication and, above all, enormous professionalism, taught me the essential workings and logic of an abstract world, that of reincarnation therapy. , taught.
Through this course I came into contact with major teachers from the field, Dr. Morris Netherton and Dr. Roger Woolger whose modules I followed in the Netherlands, which provided an enormous depth and made me absolutely decide to fully commit to this work.
In 1997, at a special meeting in Stoutenberg, I met Archie Fire Lame Deer, a Lakota medicine man living in the USA who came to share his teachings in Europe. Like a bolt from the blue, he opened up to my memories of earlier Indian lives, which had a made an indelible impression on me and my soul journey and made clear the awakened childhood fascination for Indians in one fell swoop. In my current existence, this meeting has also led me to delve more intensively into Indian views, ceremonies and traditions.
Through this I met Ralph Oquendo, better known as Dancing Thunder, with whom I spent years living and from whom I learned a lot about Native American spirituality, the deeper meaning behind totems, dreams, symbols and the power of Native ceremonies.
My ensuing friendship with
Ishi Crosby, 'Fire Cloud', with whom I frequently associated and traveled to share knowledge, experience adventures and seek depth in ceremonial consciousness, broadened my imagery that I gained from reincarnation therapy.
During the 'Wolf Song' meeting in 1998 in the Archeon, Alphen ad Rijn, I met grandmother Sara Smith, a representative of the Mohawk Indians from Canada. She was part of a large group of representatives, wisdom keepers and so-called 'spokesman' from many cultures who jointly shared their visions of the future and knowledge. An encounter from which an intense friendship and spiritual bond would grow, and which would produce an intense connection with the Iroquois Indians in Canada. In 2009, during the 'Universal Peace Celebration' in Schweibenalp, Switzerland, grandmother Sara officially recognized me as her grandson. She gave me the name 'Rare Bird of Dazzling Colors'. A recognition that opened many doors to wonderful encounters with traditional, wise people in the reservations of the Haudenosaunee, or the Iroquois Indians.
Grandmother Sara invited me to her home on the Six Nations Iroquois Reservation in Ontario, Canada. Since then I traveled to this place almost every year, met many people and met many local people. A fruitful exchange of experiences ensued that brought me a deeper understanding of the effective suppression of these peoples by the residential schools, and especially of how these traumas worked through the generations. The result was that I started doing sessions there and gave training to local healers. At the same time I learned a lot from many initiated traditional people.
More encounters and deep friendships...
After my first visit to the Six Nations reserve in 2003 at the invitation of grandmother Sara, to which I returned almost annually, an intensive friendship developed and many contacts, encounters and exchanges resulted from it.
I had wonderful encounters with traditional, wise people. There was the meeting with 'Grandfather of the Grandfathers', sundance chief and medicine man of the Toltec Indians, Tlakaelel. A grandfather who became my mentor for many years, teaching me more deeply about sacred ceremonies, the medicine wheel and the views of the primitive peoples.
And meeting with Cayuga Indian, Jim Styres, with whom I spent many hours in his incredible home and workplace full of self-made (ceremonial) art objects, while he told me about the old times. Stories, peppered with deep wisdom, timeless insights with incredible deep realization moments.
With Art Johnson, faithkeeper of the Cayuga Indians and Lyle Anderson, well-known traditional musicians and interpreters of the oldest indigenous songs.
In exchange for campfire songs by famous country singers…. 'Good trade!'
I received the teachings of Cayuga chief, Jake Ezra Thomas, whose wife, Yvonne Thomas, was in Drenthe in 2006 to talk about the life of a chiefs wife and about the knowledge Jake gained during his life, which she has been archived at the 'Jake Thomas Learning Centre'.
And the meeting with Onondaga Chief Peter Skye, from whose hands I received 50 'wampum' shell beads confirming the friendly connection with the Haudenosaunee.
My deep friendship with Ken Maracle, Cayuga faithkeeper and Mellinda Trudeau, Ojibwe. Ken, who in his role as faithkeeper is a walking library who is expected to know and keep alive the entire history of his tribe and to propagate it where possible. And Mellinda who has the gift of dreaming, in which she receives visions and instructions about specific conflict situations, old events in humanity, receives images of the future and thus always knows how to make translations to the present.
In the second photo is clanmother Beatrice of the Oneida Indians in our midst.
Encounters and experiences during the many trips to Canada...
At the local traditional Haudenosaunee festival where the 'Smoke Dance' is central. A festival site, designated by the local authorities as you can see all the electricity pylons...
Special encounters at the Wikwemikong and Six Nations powwow...
Training, sharing and inspiring...
Back in the Netherlands....
Great teachers in the Netherlands during the 'Bringing back to life of old connections' seminar in Drenthe in 2006...
To be continued...
