“I thought, I’m about to turn 50 so I need to look at something that’s not so physically demanding. I met a guy who worked for an American travel company taking Americans around Australia. I’d never done anything like that but I applied and went for an interview in Sydney. You had to do a 5 minute presentation on anything so I walked in and there were 3 people on the interview panel. I said, ‘Ok everyone take off your ties, and your shoes, take your belts off’ and I taught them Yoga. (laughs) I got the job and that started my chapter as a tour leader taking Americans all over Australia. I was so nervous for the first 2 years as I was out of my comfort zone having to be on a mic. I learnt so much about our country. We went to Melbourne, Adelaide, Alice Springs, the Rock, the Reef, Tassie, Sydney, New Zealand as well. I worked in that job for 11 years and it only finished because of Covid.
In 2012 I left Mullum, put my stuff in storage, got in my Saab, drove down the highway and felt free as a bird. It was Winter, I went back to Esselen for a month then jumped on a train from San Fran up through the Rockies, over to Chicago and on to New York. I rented an apartment in Brooklyn for a month. I had an amazing trip visiting some Americans I’d taken on tour. I got looked after very well. I came home, did a couple of tours and then returned to do 2 year course on Energy Medicine In Marin, San Francisco where I got an apartment, bought a futon and did Shiatsu while doing the course part time.
I had to leave the country for a week and then I could go back to NY so I decided to go to Amsterdam. I knew Yohan lived there and I hadn’t seen him for 20 years. I thought I can’t be here and not get in contact. I wrote him a postcard and I wasn’t even sure if he still lived there. I didn’t hear back so I went back to NY. I zipped up to Cape Cod where all the people from one of my tours were having a reunion. That was incredible. In the meantime I came back to Australia and had an email from my Amsterdam friend. He told me his partner had passed away. They’d been together for 30 years. We kept in touch for a few months. We met at one time when I was back in Australia and the love was still there but it had only been a year since he lost his partner so it was too soon. We ended up meeting a few times but just didn’t really make it happen. He want’s to come out to Australia now but obviously can’t. There’s this love you don’t find too often in your life but anyway….
In 2015 I was still doing the tours and living and working back in Balmain. In the meantime my father was dying in Cowra. My sister talked to my 10 siblings. There were 2 of us in our whole family who didn’t own a house. She talked to everyone including Dad and said, ‘How about we give the money to Mara and Jane so they can buy a house.’ I talked to a friend here in Lismore who told me there were houses in Lismore for $200k. I’d saved cash as well. I saw this house on line and thought…that’s my house. I couldn’t get up for 3 months to see it but it didn’t sell. I finally got up here, walked in and knew it was mine. I just slipped in to the market I and moved in July 2016. I built a deck, kept doing the tours and paying it off. In 2017 we had the big flood and I got to meet this amazing community.
I turned 60 in 2019 and thought, Will I paint my house or go on a trip? All my family put in money and I went to California for a month then Mexico for a month for a Yoga Intensive.
Last year..January 2020 just before Covid I was on the bus with a tour from Alice Springs to Uluru and it was the conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn which was happening right at the time I was going to be at Uluru, one of the energy spots on the planet. A lot of Astrologers were out there at that time and it just so happened that my tour was going to be there then. Even though I was into Astrology I didn’t really take that into my tours but I said to them…’There’s going to be a lot of people at Uluru when we arrive because there’s going to be a massive energy shift happening this weekend with the planets. What happens this weekend will change how we live in the world.’ I didn’t know Covid was coming. I knew in my gut that was going to be my last tour even though I had another 2 tours booked. A couple of months later all those people emailed me and said..How did you know that this was going to happen? I said..I’m an Astrologer and we have to learn to live a different way in the world. We won’t go back to normal.
After we went into Covid I’ve been Lismore bound. I bought a computer so I can do Astrology charts professionally online while Covid is happening. I still do Shiatsu and Bowen therapy from home. I do Energy work as well. I teach Yoga. I love living in Lismore. Since I’ve come here three of my nieces have moved up here. I never had kids but I have 18 nieces and nephews which is lovely. The Iyengar Yoga studio is in Keen St and I’m there 3 days a week. Look at the gems I’ve found here in our neighbourhood. I’ve got to know you. I was in and out and didn’t know my neighbours and now I do. I cycle everywhere and I love this neighbourhood. Everyday I wake up and I’m so grateful for my life, for my family and my community. I have a home and I have my health and I’m so grateful I’m living in Lismore.”
In 2012 I left Mullum, put my stuff in storage, got in my Saab, drove down the highway and felt free as a bird. It was Winter, I went back to Esselen for a month then jumped on a train from San Fran up through the Rockies, over to Chicago and on to New York. I rented an apartment in Brooklyn for a month. I had an amazing trip visiting some Americans I’d taken on tour. I got looked after very well. I came home, did a couple of tours and then returned to do 2 year course on Energy Medicine In Marin, San Francisco where I got an apartment, bought a futon and did Shiatsu while doing the course part time.
I had to leave the country for a week and then I could go back to NY so I decided to go to Amsterdam. I knew Yohan lived there and I hadn’t seen him for 20 years. I thought I can’t be here and not get in contact. I wrote him a postcard and I wasn’t even sure if he still lived there. I didn’t hear back so I went back to NY. I zipped up to Cape Cod where all the people from one of my tours were having a reunion. That was incredible. In the meantime I came back to Australia and had an email from my Amsterdam friend. He told me his partner had passed away. They’d been together for 30 years. We kept in touch for a few months. We met at one time when I was back in Australia and the love was still there but it had only been a year since he lost his partner so it was too soon. We ended up meeting a few times but just didn’t really make it happen. He want’s to come out to Australia now but obviously can’t. There’s this love you don’t find too often in your life but anyway….
In 2015 I was still doing the tours and living and working back in Balmain. In the meantime my father was dying in Cowra. My sister talked to my 10 siblings. There were 2 of us in our whole family who didn’t own a house. She talked to everyone including Dad and said, ‘How about we give the money to Mara and Jane so they can buy a house.’ I talked to a friend here in Lismore who told me there were houses in Lismore for $200k. I’d saved cash as well. I saw this house on line and thought…that’s my house. I couldn’t get up for 3 months to see it but it didn’t sell. I finally got up here, walked in and knew it was mine. I just slipped in to the market I and moved in July 2016. I built a deck, kept doing the tours and paying it off. In 2017 we had the big flood and I got to meet this amazing community.
I turned 60 in 2019 and thought, Will I paint my house or go on a trip? All my family put in money and I went to California for a month then Mexico for a month for a Yoga Intensive.
Last year..January 2020 just before Covid I was on the bus with a tour from Alice Springs to Uluru and it was the conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn which was happening right at the time I was going to be at Uluru, one of the energy spots on the planet. A lot of Astrologers were out there at that time and it just so happened that my tour was going to be there then. Even though I was into Astrology I didn’t really take that into my tours but I said to them…’There’s going to be a lot of people at Uluru when we arrive because there’s going to be a massive energy shift happening this weekend with the planets. What happens this weekend will change how we live in the world.’ I didn’t know Covid was coming. I knew in my gut that was going to be my last tour even though I had another 2 tours booked. A couple of months later all those people emailed me and said..How did you know that this was going to happen? I said..I’m an Astrologer and we have to learn to live a different way in the world. We won’t go back to normal.
After we went into Covid I’ve been Lismore bound. I bought a computer so I can do Astrology charts professionally online while Covid is happening. I still do Shiatsu and Bowen therapy from home. I do Energy work as well. I teach Yoga. I love living in Lismore. Since I’ve come here three of my nieces have moved up here. I never had kids but I have 18 nieces and nephews which is lovely. The Iyengar Yoga studio is in Keen St and I’m there 3 days a week. Look at the gems I’ve found here in our neighbourhood. I’ve got to know you. I was in and out and didn’t know my neighbours and now I do. I cycle everywhere and I love this neighbourhood. Everyday I wake up and I’m so grateful for my life, for my family and my community. I have a home and I have my health and I’m so grateful I’m living in Lismore.”