Author: Cat RunningElk

ISBN: 0-9767094-0-6

Cat explains that she has always listened to her dreams -- as if they were telling her what could be. She tells of one dream where a black-skinned woman steps out of the throng of other women with children and speaks to her in a foreign language. Cat believes this may have been The Earth Mother. She tucks the message away, recalling it as a warning instead of a blessing. Besides, she is busy raising her young daughter and her husband has chosen to leave his law practice for teaching.

Runningelk finds herself pregnant and involved in another dream. This time, the fetus is on the outside of her body and clinging to her. A hand comes to take the child -- she screams, "No!" The no-gender voice claims that this is not the way and assures her that she will "get her back." By noon, she is bleeding and knows that she has lost her baby.

The miscarriage did not stop Cat from getting her daughter. She and her husband adopted a child from India -- Kripa (Grace of God). Now, they have two daughters -- Lauren and Grace. Just as the voice had promised, she had her daughter back.

With Grace not sleeping at night and the girls active during the day, Cat's health started to fail. She hadn't been taking good care of herself -- she was a mother and her hands were full. During a visit with her physician, she learns she is dehydrated, has an inner ear infection and is suffering from bronchitis. Her doctor tells her she will have to take better care of herself, but she isn’t sure where to begin. How could she meet the girls' needs and still have time left to take care of herself?

Her first mommy's-day-out was to be a scheduled massage for her 30th birthday. Was she ready for a day out alone without her family? She used to be a free spirit, but along came the family and this was now her whole life. Cat keeps the appointment and begins to relax under the experienced hands of Stacie. Runningelk recalls that she has always known spirits to be around her. They want to tell her important things, but she isn't ready to hear them. Stacie finds the old skiing injury and this brings back some memories for Cat -- she prays for a little more time and the spirits leave her -- as does the pain Stacie has drummed up from massaging her once-injured knee.

Cat's husband finishes his Master's degree and is ready to start his new career. He has left the confines of being a lawyer and steps into the world of teaching. This means a move for the family -- to Colorado. With this move also comes a regression -- Reiki class. Cat has a little experience, but wants to learn more so she may be a healer to others. She breathes as instructed, feels her hands inflate to the size of footballs and finally, she is leaving the confines of the building -- floating among the stars. She is instructed to come back to earth; she hovers over Africa. She recognizes the woman she now is -- the dark-skinned woman from her dream. Cat visits different stages of her life -- from no children to many. She also knows that she is the daughter of the tribe leader. He is passing, releasing his spirit, and the dark-skinned woman's husband is chosen as the next leader. The woman was not happy. Why had her father, knowing she had gifts that would have been useful to the tribe, chosen her husband? She was now and forever the mother figure within the tribe. She was unable to use her gifts and felt as if she were dying. She was filled with resentment.

It would come to pass that the village needed rain. Everything was dying off and the only thing that would help was water from the heavens. The new chief was not in the hut or anywhere else. No one knew where he was or when he would return. She later learned that he was out "making rain" for his village. In doing so, he had exhausted himself. Just as the old chief had passed, so passed Cat's husband. His spirit was released to choose a new chief. Just as her husband had become Chief by the outgoing chief, Cat made the new chief. She was now the medicine woman of the village. She felt as if her life was now beginning. Just as she was tending to her tribe's needs and interacting with her sister (a moment she enjoyed), the Reiki instructor told her, "Go to the time of your death." As her father and husband had done at their passing, Cat had chosen the next chief -- her eldest daughter. The Reiki instructor summoned the students back to their awareness of their body in the room where it had begun. When sharing the experience with the other students, Cat realizes that her African husband is another student in the room -- Trevor. She thought she had recognized him before the session had begun, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Now, Trevor jumped up and identified himself. He had known she had been angry with him as her husband and he explained where he had gone -- to literally connect with thunderclouds and drag them back to the village for his people. This is what had exhausted him so and he had died from that last heroic effort.

Throughout the book, there are hints of how we find our true selves -- even with busy schedules, hectic lives and yes, even children. We can, after reading "Mystic Mommy," learn to trust our visions and make time for ourselves. "It's time!"

Cat RunningElk (Juli), Ted and their three daughters, Lauren, Grace and Amber, make their home in Sedona, Arizona.

The above review was contributed by: Sue Vogan, Writer & Author of NCO-No Compassion Observed: To read more of Sue's reviews Click Here