I continued my teaching career, as Art/Design co-ordinator for Middle Schools, brought my two girls up and balanced my spiritual life between, again, all three, the Trinity.

One day, I was given a vision dream that woke me up in panic and horror. I was shown the Earth changes in vivid reality: the responsibility: ours, humanity, for the pain and crippling demise of our planet. It was too much for one human soul to bear, and I went into denial. Three days later and three nights of recurring nightmare, I asked the question: “What do you want me to do?” “You are a teacher. Teach the children the Ways of the Earth!”
The nightmare dropped away and a project was born called Little Turtle Island, the student workshops teaching survival and wilderness skills, from Tom Brown and “Grandfather” Lipon Apache, as taught by Julian Drummond, and the Spiritual teachings and cultural ways of the Dakota Sioux. I spent my holidays travelling to Pipestone and to meet with the Dakota Sioux: to learn as much as possible about the true Native American ways, “walking the Red Road”.

Thirty-three boys and girls became Little Turtle Islanders and the teaching was circular, they taught us as much we taught them! Weekend workshops took place for four years and yearly camps in which wilderness skills were taught. Little Turtle Island came of age when four of the older students, were honoured with the Sacred Pipe, given by the leader of the Pipestone Dakota Sioux, and Pipestone 'Catlinite' Quarryman, Chuck Derby, (Running Elk). He had made the first journey from his reservation in Pipestone MN, to meet with and teach these youngsters on the Isle of Wight. These older ones also took a vision quest and honoured the oldest ceremonial, of the Rite of Passage to manhood and womanhood.

I left the teaching profession, my bread and butter job, through sheer disillusionment at the hypocrisy of the policies made by people with many hidden agendas, and not one of them in the true interests of the children!

I became part of a project to create medicine wheels and stone circles in sacred places through out the world, and give ceremony to the spirit of the land. It started in Iceland, at a spectacular place called Hellsnar, between a sacred mountain and a glacier. A global community that were in retreat for the two days I was there and they built the stone circle. I travelled from Iceland to Washington, and Canada, Quebec, also Hopi land and then Israel, where a stone circle was created above Jerusalem on All Hallows Eve. Both Jews and Palestinians came to the ceremony in honour of Peace.

The most important part of my global journey was the year I spent in Africa, living in the Township of Orange Farm, working with the families and children with AIDS and TB, and discovering alarming hidden truths about the reality behind “AIDS" and “HIV”. I watched beautiful Anna die from “AIDS” and I promised her mother KoKo, that I would tell the West the truth about what is really happening in Africa. I am completing the book, 'The Last, Last Apartheid' that tells this story. I lived in an orphanage in rural Africa, working with the brave and amazing children who are the future of Africa. Their bright and shiny smiles hide the most horrifying abuse and horror we simply cannot imagine; yet they are so honourable in their courage. They are the Spirit of Africa and Mother Africa will be saved because of these brave hearts! I love Africa and her peoples more than I could possibly imagine when I was still living in the First World. When you live in the Third world, you are forever changed.

I am now back in the UK, living on the Isle of Wight again and making Essences from the islands sacred trees.

Chuck Derby, a Dakota elder, has been a pipe maker and quarrier of the genuine sacred red stone Catlinite for over 50 years in Pipestone Minnesota, where he and his partner Gloria have their home.

Chuck has been a lifelong adherent to traditional values, and has served on many Native American committees and Boards, dealing with various things regarding historical and traditional Native American issues. Not least of these issues involve the quarries, pipemaking and ceremonials. He has been to Washington DC to testify to Congress on behalf of the Native Americans who use the Pipe. For the past 20 years Chuck has served as the elected spokesperson for the Original Pipestone Dakota Tiospaye (Community).

In the 1970's Chuck appeared in the film, 'Hiawatha Pioneer Trail' demonstrating both quarrying and pipemaking. His most recent movie experiences include 'Minnesota River and Fields' in May 2000. Among other venues Chuck participated in was the Festival of Nations in Minnepolis, where many countries exhibited their own unique crafts. He has exhibited in the Minnesota Historical Society at the State Capitol in St Paul and also at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, in the 70's where over 60,000 people visited his exhibit. In 1972 he again demonstrated his work at the Second World Conference on National Parks, where over 90 countries were represented, and at the Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha.

In recent years Chuck has concentrated on the educational aspects of quarrying, pipe making and cultural awareness and has been presenting cultural educational programs in both the States and Europe with his life and working partner Gloria since 1995.

Through the years of working with pipestone and making ceremonial pipes Chuck has associated with many Native American elders, spiritual leaders and medicine men, in 1998 he was adopted by the now late, Lakota Spiritual leader Joseph Flying Bye as his son, which was a great honor. He was taught many things by Grandpa Joe as well as by the spiritual leader, the late Amos Owens. By knowing these people and others he has learned many cultural and spiritual lessons. Due to these ancient teachings he has been able to incorporate traditions into his everyday life, just as his ancestors did many years ago.

Today in this new millennium Chuck continues to be a quiet, passive, proletarian working for Native American rights both in Pipestone and elsewhere.

Jay Beachus

Jay was born in the USA and is of Anglo/American parents. Her father's heritage was of the Comanche and Navajo peoples.

Jay is a natural psychic and healer. After marrying and having a family she undertook seven years of individual spiritual training, esoteric study and formal ceremony from 1986. This has informed all of her subsequent thinking, training and practice. Her mediumship and her relationship with Spirit and with the land has deepened and strengthened since that time.

After some years fulfilling her duties as wife, mother and foster parent she went back to higher education and qualified as a Person-Centred Therapist and Trauma Counsellor specializing in the treatment of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She has worked for ten years with an extensive client base from within the Charity sector and with mainstream NHS referrals, the statutory services and Industry.

She has made a personal connection through her work for Spirit between her professional skills, her therapeutic work with trauma sufferers and her own spontaneous past life recollections. She applied her particular toolkit of experience and began to offer therapeutic Past Life Regression work for individuals, which she has done for ten years and which she finds both fascinating and deeply rewarding. Her spiritual work has generated a eight year long study of Past Life regression work and she is at present co-writing a book about the Cathar - their beliefs and teachings and its relevance for us in the twenty first century.

She has founded and run women's groups and has worked in a number of community based arts projects, environmental projects and the Peace movement on a voluntary basis. As well as her trauma work, (both current and historical) she is at present undertaking training with the Spiritualist National Union as a Healing medium - (Spiritual Healing) and is also studying part time for a degree in Psychology. She is an artist, a singer and has lectured extensively in her specialist subjects.

Her spiritual practice has always strongly supported and sustained all other areas of her working and private life. She is fully committed to a Holistic and balanced approach to individuals, her work the environment and this beautiful Planet which we share with all other life forms.

Jay is a Pipe holder she has two grown children, TJ and Rowan, and lives with them and her husband just a few miles from the Avebury Circle.

Denise McCloud

We are hoping that Dee will join us in the venture. She and Gloria have been friends since the 70's.
More details will be put on here once the final arrangements have been made.