Interview with Tanis Helliwell

Date September 14, 2015

Interviewer Ed Farolan

It was a kharmic encounter interviewing Tanis. It was like we'd met before in a past life, after all the coincidences: we were at the University of Toronto at the same time in the late 60s, I, a graduate student and she, an undergraduate.

I was asked four years ago by her agent to review her book Pilgrimage with the Leprechauns, which I did, and today, she gives me a copy of her book with the dedication: "Ed, what a wonderful life to meet you again". With emphasis in AGAIN. Have I met her in a past life? She surmises: "I was a Flamenco dancer in my past life and you were my Flamenco guitarist". Strange but possibly true.

She knew immediately about my Spanish roots without my even telling her. She narrates about this extra-sensory gift she inherited from her Irish mother and grandmother. And how her grandmother was ex-communicated from the Catholic Church because she worked and women weren't allowed to work in those days. She recounts an anecdote when her grandmother, who owned a store, knew what a customer wanted to buy. And when the customer asked her "How did you know?" She gave as an excuse, "These just came in and I thought you were interested in buying". Because it was forbidden to have ESP in those days. You could be burned at stake as a witch.

Then I asked Tanis, "How do you get people to go back and talk about their past lives? Do you hypnotize them?" And she says no. Then she tells me, "Close your eyes. Imagine a rose. What colour is it? Does it have a stem? Does it have thorns?" Then I open my eyes and she says, "Everyone sees a different colour in a rose, and that's how everyone differs in past lives."

Her new book Hybrids has just been published and will be launched at her International Institute for Transformation at Ecossentials, 6812 Alberni St., Powell River, BC, on September 17 (7:30-9pm) and again on October 16 (6:30-8pm) at Banyen Books & Sound, 3608 West 4th Ave.Vancouver.

© 2015 Ed Farolan