A Path of Heart


By Janice Juliano, MSW, LCSW


therapy practice. It is a frightening time for so many, everything that was taken for granted has changed in what seems like an instant. It is also a time to pause and determine new priorities, to look at what has needed to change and what truly is the best or highest good for people and society in general. For me, it has been a time for self-evaluation. In many ways, I welcome this opportunity.


W This past year I was diagnosed with


breast cancer, had surgery and treatment, and I am doing well overall. I am work- ing to stay healthy through this in mind- body-spirit and taking seriously all the recommended precautions to stay safe. At times, as probably most have, I have felt fear, grief, anger. However, looking at the “big picture,” I now see this as a necessary break for the whole world. Noteworthy is the fact that this experi- ence, through which we are living, was predicted by various indigenous cultures. A connection with Earth and Nature is helping me along the way.


I embarked on my experiential jour- ney in Earth Spirituality and the Medicine Wheel teachings in 1994 with a mentor who is an intuitive and an artist. She re- sided in Connecticut at that time but had lived in many places in the West and the South. I had not understood at that time the impact her teachings would have on


hile I write this I am at home providing telehealth for my clients through my Psycho-


my life. At that time, I had been a social worker for about 20 years in various state agencies. I was stressed, depressed and physically exhausted. That year, I had lost my grandmother and I had also lost a sig- nifi cant relationship. I was searching for a deeper meaning for life and my life at that time was very dark.


I started work with my mentor in the fall with medicine walks. Simple enough, a medicine walk is a walk with mindful- ness and a deep awareness in the mo- ment. Immediately, I noticed how brilliant the fall leaves appeared to me. Up until then I had not really “seen” them. Over time with various experiences with her teachings, I deeply connected with the Earth and found a peace which I had never experienced. I learned to fi nd medi- cine objects – feathers, rocks, plants that seemed to give me direction. My mentor directed me to stay away from reading books and to stay out of my head. She en- couraged me to feel the lessons the Earth was sharing intuitively.


Looking at the lessons from this point, I placed myself in the mantle of the Earth (Gaia). I experienced Medicine Wheel Ceremonies, Bear Medicine and worked intensively preparing to embark on a quest for a vision in the spring in 1995 in Colorado. The experience was life changing, I opened to realms I had not known existed. I have since expe- rienced 3 more vision quests during the following years in New Mexico and in


Connecticut. They have all shaped my life in ways I would never have imagined.


Each Medicine Wheel Ceremony,


each Medicine Walk, each Vision Quest has brought me closer to Nature, Earth, Gaia. One can heal on this journey and through this, importantly, one can assist in healing the Earth. For me, these teachings and experiences have become a life-long quest. I continued to learn many profound lessons while residing in New Mexico from 1998 until 2006. The energy in the high desert in New Mexico is electric and intense on many levels. I was re-formed and re-molded in the fi ery kiln of the Southwest. I faced many personal chal- lenges and learned to face the shadow within, the part of me that could be self- destructive. I survived having little money, being the last hired and fi rst fi red when layoffs happened. I lived alone and missed my family in Connecticut as well. The journey was not an easy one, but it fi lled my Spirit.


While in New Mexico for one of my


social work jobs, I had the great honor of serving Native American populations. The people were grounded and so much a part of the land. Those who I met were respect- ful and grateful for the services provided. I felt so many commonalities with them. They valued respect and care for their elders, held respect for the land, recog- nized and honored the cycles of nature, understood that their youth are their future and even included their young people in


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