My spiritual path has unfolded through out my whole life. My first journal entry was at age 12 when I thought I had the answer to Life! But I have strong memories of an awareness of the sacred all around me as I grew up.

I remember building houses for fairies and making offerings to the scary things in the deep, dark hole behind the big rocks at the bottom of our garden so they would leave me alone in my dreams.

I often got up in the dark and went with my dog to stand in the middle of the local oval, in the ghostly mist and wait for the sunrise before sneaking back to bed. I braved angry adults to save a terrified joey because I could feel his distress.

I brought home rocks and crystals from where ever I went because they spoke to me about the land they came from.

I imagined myself a mermaid who danced with dolphins and a wild haired maiden galloping bareback across the plains.

More about Tamara...

My Development as a Celebrant

Qualifications and Experience

Tamara's Musings

So it seems like a natural progression for me to have turned to Nature as an untainted, non cultural, completely beyond human construction or control way of connecting with the Divine. I organised my spiritual practice via the seasons and directions and then the elements. I did this intuitively and logically. I drew on my imagination and the many fairy stories, myths and legends that I was familiar with. I used my knowledge of the sciences; astronomy and biology. I found inspiration in the arts; from my family home and exhibitions I had visited. Later I discovered that there were traditions that used the same kind of framework I had developed and they described themselves as Pagan. I was wrapt to find kindred spirits. I made an effort to meet these people and discovered over time that, same as any community, there were those I liked and those I didn’t. But I finally felt I had a “place” and people who understood me.

I guess I would list myself under the heading of Pagan but in truth my path is an eclectic mix of the many spiritual traditions, cultures and ideas I have come across so far, as well as my own creations. Mostly I feel, as I always have, that the Earth is a sacred being and that we (humans) are but part of her expression. We call this expression Nature. Thus I am a child of Nature ? As such, my path is one of attunement to Nature. I honour the Solstices and Equinoxes and Lunar Cycles. I try to live with and in the seasons as they occur around me. I have a dedicated space for spiritual practise – a place where I can read and create, pray and meditate. I am becoming more aware of my own temple; my body, and how to use it to increase my awareness and experience of my path as it travels through my spiritual landscape.

I have over many years enjoyed the meeting of Science and Mysticism. My intellect enjoys the analysis and logic of research and “evidence” of science. My soul enjoys the faith and magic of the mystical. As a child my dream was to be a dancer and now find that I am being drawn to sound & dance as a method of accessing higher consciousness and Spirit.

Aesthetically, I have a preference for Celtic symbolism and motif but find beauty in any sincere expression of spirituality. I believe some of the reason for the leaning to the Celtic is my strong recent family history. On both sides, for the last 20+ generations, I have Celtic ancestors. This means that my spiritual landscape includes the lands of my ancestors; Ireland and Scotland as well as the land of my birth; Australia.

I was born in Tasmania & travelled around the country with my sea captain father and artist mother. I spent most of my youth in the north west of Western Australia and developed a love of wide open spaces and big sky. I spent most weekends barefoot on my bike exploring the hills and beaches, swimming holes and sand dunes of the Pilbarra. Later, in my early twenties I spent three years travelling the world with only my back pack as a constant companion. This trip enriched my being and changed my life. I was moved to tears by the ethereal sounds of Latin Plainsong in the capital of Gaul. I was nearly crushed by the weight of history and the denseness of the energy in the Holy Land. I pressed my ear against ancient Redwoods for hours as the snow fell all around us. I was humbled by the enormity of Nature and insignificance of me as I stood on the South Rim. But it was in the Emerald Isle that I felt that I had come home. The misty quiet green soothed my soul and lifted my spirits. I felt connected, it was a sense of something that was part of me, it was in my bones, it was old and it called to me.

My maternal grandfather believed in Magic and was a student of the Grail Legend. He taught me about the Merlin and magic, Arthur and honour, Lancelot and self knowledge, Guenivere and love and about our search of our own Divinity; the Grail. My paternal grandfather taught me very simply about faith and the peace found in acceptance. My maternal grandmother taught me about physical strength and the power of the mind, while my paternal grandmother taught me about humour and appreciation for the good things in life- wine, strawberries, friends and family.

My parents were very clear about my brother and I having our own choice of belief system. They did everything they could to expose us to as many different spiritual and religious systems and traditions as they could; Christmas was spent in a different place of worship each year. Dinner was at the table and involved in depth discussions where Dad would really challenge us about our beliefs, and make us really think things through especially morals, ethics and values. My Mother would bring feelings and emotions into the discussions. They both loved art, theatre and music and were very well travelled. As a result our home was filled with things from around the world that they had collected; a spear from New Guinea, a print from the Da Vinci collection in Italy, a brass lamp from Turkey, a porcelain doll in a glass case from Japan, china bowls from China, ebony elephants from India, shells and coral from Pacific Islands, chopsticks and bamboo baskets from Asia, Aboriginal bark paintings, lots of local art and music from everywhere...

My home is now in the Fremantle area and I enjoy the energy I find here. There is a strong sense of community and acceptance, even encouragement of the individual. As a teenager I enjoyed this acceptance of my non conformist self expression. I felt able to breathe when I wandered around Freo: I still do. I share my home with the beautiful man who is my husband and two aging mongrels called Sadie and Taylor. I am lucky to have great friendships with the three lovely people who are my husband’s children. Like many Fremantle residents, we have been renovating our little weatherboard worker’s cottage for what seems like eons!

In the last few years my life has changed quite significantly. After 10 years I became disillusioned and burnt out by my job teaching extremely marginalised and disaffected youth. The opportunity to purchase a “spiritual” business presented itself and I jumped at it. Thus I have moved from being a government employee to being self employed and in doing so I have brought my mundane life and my spiritual life closer together. I have been at the Sun Moon and Star since July 2003 and in that time I have been able to continue the vision of the Sun Moon and Star Spiritual Centre. I have discovered a love of Tarot & an ability to read the cards via a dream. I have been able to teach others about the wheel of the year & learned more about the day to day challenges of “applied spirituality”. Recently I completed a program which has equipped me to facilitate Sweat Lodge. I am also an authorised Rite of Passage facilitator and have a Diploma of Marriage and General Celebrancy.

I now endeavour to be as present to the unfolding of my path as possible and encourage others to do the same.