Early Years

Jenna Paulden

Writer • Singer • Editor

Early years

Jenna came to Earth as a mystic Soul. When she was a very young child, Jenna communed deeply with flowers and animals. She lived in the place of Unitive consciousness where everything is alive and sentient, and for the most part, she hasn’t lost that awareness. Spending time in her grandparents’ beautiful rose, flower and vegetable garden enchanted her.

Jenna grew up in a loving, creative, and intellectual household, so she was not raised with religious dogma, nor was her imagination shut down. Despite her parents’ early divorce, she felt blessed by their love and support, for her parents always respected her unique qualities. If she felt afraid as a little girl, she sang songs to herself, and often felt the presence of Angels. As an only, but never lonely, child, Jenna’s time in Nature moved her into realms of Oneness and Joy. She also loved to draw and model with clay, and her artistic nature was encouraged by her parents.

Influences

Jenna read avidly as a little girl, devouring Folk Tales and old classics. One of her much-read favorites was The Secret Garden, published in 1911 by New Thought oriented writer, Frances Hodgson Burnett, who said, “thoughts--just mere thoughts--are as powerful as electric batteries –as good for one as sunlight is or as bad for one as poison."

As a young person, Jenna absolutely loved the writing of Madeleine L’Engle, who wrote so beautifully about the power of Love in A Wrinkle in Time. Jenna serendipitously met the author in the early 1970’s at a school library reading, and subsequently read all of her children’s books. As a teen, Jenna read all of Madeleine L’Engle’s brilliant young-adult novels. A Ring of Endless Light remains one of her favorites. Later, she went on to read L’Engle’s adult writings. Jenna also attended a wonderful writing workshop with this influential author in 1997.

Further early inspiration included all the novels of the English Anglican mystic writer, Elizabeth Goudge, who wrote with a deep understanding of the human spirit, a profound connection with animals and children, and an ecstatic delight in the natural world.

Jenna loved the writing of German young-adult writer Margot Benary-Isbert, particularly her novel The Ark, a story of hope, renewal and the healing power of animals and the Land. Jenna read and re-read this story in her early teens, and then read it aloud to her own children.

Some other influences on her growing mind and spirit included the memoirs of Yorkshire veterinarian James Herriot, Lives of a Cell by Lewis Thomas, John Lilly’s The Mind of the Dolphin, Reincarnation and Karma and On Atlantis, by Edgar Cayce, Thoreau’s Walden, and many poets— from Gerard Manley Hopkins to Hafiz and Mary Oliver. Ten Poems to Change Your Life by Roger Housden is one of Jenna’s cherished books.

A deepening of her adult literary and spiritual life was facilitated by the writings of Unity founders Myrtle and Charles Filmore, and many other Unity writers.

Some other seminal influences were: To Hear the Angels Sing- an Odyssey of Co-Creation with the Devic Kingdom, by Dorothy Maclean, The Perelandra Garden Workbook by Machelle Small Wright, Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain, You Can Heal Your Life and The Power is Within You by Louise Hay, A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson, Earth—Pleiadian Keys to the Living Library by Barbara Marciniak, The Field by Lynne McTaggart, The Aramaic Lord’s Prayer by Neil Douglass Klotz, The Power of the Magdalene by Stewart Wilson and Joanna Prentis, and The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. Jenna also read all nine books of the detailed historical/time-travel Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, whose brilliant depth of characterization and profound story of unconditional love go far beyond what is portrayed on the popular TV series.

Education

Jenna has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and Dramatic Literature from Grinnell College. This study propelled her into empathic connection with a huge range of human feelings, and honed her body as an instrument of their expression. One of her wise professors often said, “Everything feeds our Art.” Early ritual was the first Theatre; in Jenna’s Improvisation experiences, she often felt a sense of ritual. In many co-creative moments without a script, actors touched the numinous— the Reality beyond ordinary reality.

As part of her formal education, Jenna read, analyzed, and wrote about hundreds of plays, from the Greeks to the modern Western playwrights. She studied Voice, Dance and Improvisation as well as many academic subjects, ranging from Plant Biology and Ethnomusicology to French and Life Drawing. She spent one blissful semester in a deep exploration of T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets and nine months in a life-changing Off-Campus Program in India.

Jenna moved to Taos New Mexico 40 years ago, living off-grid in close relation with the elements—chopping wood and carrying water. Her first husband built a beautiful family home in the mountain foothills and Jenna developed the gardens. This experience, along with birthing her three children at home, grounded her immensely and re-connected her to the Land.

Taching & Practices

Teaching & Practices

Jenna’s parenting was informed by Waldorf philosophy. For years she had the blessing of being an at-home mother, and she filled her children’s early life with simple rituals, songs and rhythmic celebrations of the seasons and festivals.

In 1989, Jenna became deeply involved with Unity Church of Taos, serving on the Board of Directors, helping to hold the Prayer Circle and studying Unity principles. She also began a period of Rebirthing healing work. Jenna certified as a Rebirther and had a small Rebirthing and Past Life Regression practice until becoming pregnant with her daughter in 1993.

Jenna began volunteering and directing plays at her children’s Waldorf School in 1997. She trained as a Waldorf/Steiner School Teacher in 2003, and carried her class to the Fourth Grade. In 2007 she became a Waldorf Music Teacher for children in First Grade through Eighth Grade. During that time she also studied Storytelling, and for years she told unrehearsed pedagogical stories to her younger classes, with much-beloved characters that some of the children still remember vividly today. She retired from active teaching in 2020.

Transition

During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Jenna spent time as a Death Midwife to her great aunt, her father, and her first husband. On each occasion, she opened to higher frequency states with them in the days prior to their transition, and felt the numinous Bliss of the Other World brush her heart as the dying ones moved towards it. Through her communication with the beloveds beyond death, she discovered that the Other World is actually right here on a different level of vibration. One simply tunes the radio dial of awareness in a new way. Jenna’s profound experience with each passing expanded her mystical understanding in quantum leaps.

The 2004 to 2012 Venus cycle was a time of letting go and massive change in Jenna’s life. That’s when her first husband died, shattering her old comfortable life and forever changing the lives of her children, who were 18, 15 and 9 at the time of his passing. Jenna grew immensely through the challenge of raising her children alone while working as a Waldorf/Steiner teacher.

Druidry

In 2011, she attended a Summer Camp led by the Order in Oxfordshire England. Once back in Taos, her Theatre training and love of ceremony made it easy and natural for her to participate in Druid festivals for the Wheel of the Year on Solstices, Equinoxes and Quarter Days. Her novel, The Alchemy of Avalon, was inspired in large part by her studies in the Order.

In 2010, Jenna awakened to the path of modern Druidry and immediately felt its resonance with her ancient roots. She became a member of the international Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (www.druidry.org) and began her Bardic studies.

Venus Cycle 2012-2020

This Venus Cycle came around on a new frequency of Jenna’s evolution. She was not seeking a partner; she loved her job as a Waldorf Music Teacher; she had grown into more spiritual mastery and found much joy in her daily life. That’s when she met her current husband, apparently out of the blue, although in hindsight it was a beautiful orchestration of the Souls. After ten years together, they married on Beltane of 2022, in a new Venus Cycle.

Soul Lineage

Her haploid DNA matches that of “Cheddar Man”, a 9000 year old skeleton found 12 miles from Avalon, clarifying her connection with the Avalon Mystery School and the Druid lineage.As a Virgo in this life, and a wise woman keeper of herbal plant wisdom, Jenna feels a connection to the Fey. She has lived as an Oracle and Melissa of the Bees in ancient Crete, a memory which jolted her with its certainty at the tender age of six while visiting the palace of Knossos.

As the evolutionary times quicken our Galactic selves, these kinds of memories are spontaneously awakening in thousands of Souls. The witch-burning years are over; the Divine Feminine is arising in all her Love, Power and Wisdom. Our collective Voice can speak Truth again. It is time.

Everything in Jenna’s adult life has been experienced through the lens of the mystic. While not identifying with these things from an ego perspective, Jenna knows that her Soul lineage comes from many places in the Galaxy. As an old Soul, she has walked both dark and light paths, experiencing many perspectives in many spirals of evolution.

As a Kumara, she has incarnated many times as a keeper of the Way of Love, particularly in the Sisterhood of the Rose and in the circles around Yeshua and the Marys. Jenna has been a Knight Templar, a Brother of the Rose, as well. Recently, memories have awakened of Lemurian oneness with Nature, tending the ancient Rose Gardens of Atlantis with a beloved sister, and of a Baptism of Light in an Atlantean temple.

Knossos Crete

Vision

Jenna’s way of seeing the world developed in many ways, over many years.

It came from her freely-encouraged early mystical perspective, from her eclectic reading, her Theatre/ Improvisation education, her 35 year study of Unity teachings, her many personal Awakening experiences, her Co-Creative Gardening work, and her presence as a Death Midwife for several family members.

Furthermore, her perception was HUGELY informed by the inspiration of many beautiful teachers who supported her multi-faceted individual healing journey from victim consciousness to empowered, radiant embodiment.

In Jenna’s ever-evolving understanding:

~ Everything is energy, vibrating at different Sound and Light frequencies, but in essence it is all One.

~ All Time is accessible in the NOW.

~ The consciousness of Love is the true “dark matter”, the Mystery, the Great MA, which lives as a Divine Spark in all things.

~ Love is what really matters, in life and after death

~ ”Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God” –Teilhard De Chardin

~ All things and beings have intrinsic value simply because they exist as part of Creation.

~ Everything is awake; Everything has consciousness.

~ Life is lived from inside out; Our feelings and thoughts create our reality;

there are no victims in this worldview—only lessons for Soul.

~ Gratitude is key to heart coherence; specific loving intentions create harmonic geometries in the Plasma of the Field, which take manifestation in loving, “miraculous” ways.

~ These miracles and magic are the new consciousness we can live in, as we choose.

~ The 5th Dimension is not a far-off place; it is a Frequency arising from our coherent, loving hearts.

This Frequency of Love IS the New Earth manifest.

New Earth

Jenna is an optimist. She believes firmly in the power of positive thought, prayer and intention. Yet she also knows that this does not diminish the necessity for tending pain and suffering wherever and however she can.

As an optimist, Jenna has faith that many humans can choose to heal their trauma, and that collectively we can turn the outdated paradigm of war, poverty and eco-disaster around, co-creating an age of Partnership, Unity Consciousness, Diversity, Love, Sustainability and Joy. It starts by holding a heart-coherent frequency of Love and creating from THAT.

Though there is much reparation and economic balancing to be done, this New Earth is already happening when we have eyes to see. The Grassroots are rising; the People are finding their Voice. The Plants and Animals are helping; Gaia is speaking, often through Crop Circles and ancient Sacred Sites. At these and other places, Gaia’s Serpent/Dragon Lines are strengthening as more Cosmic energy penetrates to Earth’s core and ripples to the surface.

As Earth’s magnetic fields drop and the planet travels through the Galactic Current Sheet, we are flooded with unprecedented levels of Photonic Light, bringing us information and evolutionary support from the entire Cosmos.

That’s the game-changer.

At this chaotic shift point at the end of a 12,000 year cycle and the beginning of a new one, more and more humans are evolving, and the old dominator paradigm is collapsing rapidly.

As we heal collective trauma and move toward more grounded and simple ways of living on Earth, re-membering Indigenous Wisdom Ways will help bring us back into harmony with beloved Gaia— and humans will begin a new cycle as Galactic citizens.

The Druids and so many ancient and modern Indigenous cultures walk Earth in this way. We are being called to Awaken, Remember, and live with Humility, Gratitude and Joy.

If we can imagine it, we can believe it

If we can believe it, we can create it.

Blessed Be and SO IT IS.