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“In The Clue of the Red Thread, Julie Tallard Johnson reminds us that we can best navigate uncertain times by joining our inner truth with our words and actions.
In ways both poetic and practical, she invites us to make time and space for inward discernment, returning to the visible world better able to help advance the work of love, truth, and justice. I had the privilege of being in dialogue with Julie at several points during the writing of this book, and I can assure you that it is a faithful reflection of Julie’s life-work, all of it proven in practice. I urge you not only to read but to follow by finding your own red thread and tracking it into the fullness of life.” –Parker J. Palmer, teacher and activist, author of On the Brink of Everything, Healing the Heart of Democracy, Let Your Life Speak, and A Hidden Wholeness |
Wheel of Initiation: Practices for Releasing Your Inner Light
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“In this beautiful book, Julie Tallard Johnson—a gifted teacher and writer—brings fresh insight to an ancient truth: each of us must live from the inside out. This book, the Zero Point Agreement—full of resources that range from heart-deep insight to helpful practical exercises—can help us reclaim the treasure-trove of our own experience and being.” “For me the highest plane of creativity is found in one’s practice, and Julie offers the reader a real means to follow through on one’s creative and spiritual intentions. The read is straightforward and gratifying; the pilgrimage itself a worthwhile, even required engagement for the spiritual hero.” ~ Steven Pressfield, author of The War of Art and The Legend of Bagger Vance, endorsing The Wheel of Initiation “I was captivated by Julie’s accessible treatise on how we are all charged with making meaning in our daily lives. I found The Zero Point Agreement dazzling because it is so packed with actual, practical wisdom. I can honestly say it has already changed my life.” ~ Meg Cox, author of The Book of New Family Traditions |
Wheel of Initiation: Practices for Releasing Your Inner Light
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Intentions and spiritual principles, meditation and contemplation, ritual, and risk-taking are the conditions that comprise an initiated life. Regrettably, in modern society we do not have rites of initiation that break through the personal and societal illusions that instill and perpetuate negative habits that keep us in states of resistance. Lacking initiation practices, we often remain trapped in ways of being in the world that were formed by our past conditions and attachments. We tend to identify too strongly with the status quo, which must be challenged to prevent stagnation and to encourage happiness and authenticity.
Julie Tallard Johnson shows how to become initiated into an authentic life through practices of thought transformation, cultivating attention, journaling, storytelling, and rituals found in the four directions of the universal mandala. She begins the Wheel of Initiation in the South, where initiates set their intentions; then moves into the West, where they free themselves from habitual patterns and core beliefs; then into the North, the direction of cultivating attention and unity; and finishes in the East, the direction of regeneration and initiation. |
Drawing upon the life experiences of those who have successfully navigated the wheel, Johnson demonstrates that once fears, assumptions, and ingrained beliefs are confronted and transformed, initiates emerge ready to reenter society with renewed energy and vision that will enrich their own lives and their communities.
Wheel of Initiation is a guide to personal spiritual initiation through the transformation of habitual patterns, apathy, and resistance.
Wheel of Initiation is a guide to personal spiritual initiation through the transformation of habitual patterns, apathy, and resistance.
- Based on the Native American medicine wheel, the Vedic wheel, and the universal initiatory mandala.
- Enables readers from any tradition to initiate themselves through practices of thought transformation, narrative medicine, meditation exercises, rituals, and journaling.
- Facilitates breaking through personal and societal illusions that perpetuate resistance and apathy.
“For me the highest plane of creativity is found in one’s practice, and Julie offers the reader a real means to follow through on one’s creative and spiritual intentions. The read is straightforward and gratifying; the pilgrimage itself a worthwhile, even required engagement for the spiritual hero.” ~ Steven Pressfield, author of The War of Art and The Legend of Bagger Vance
“Wheel of Initiation combines wisdom and practices from multiple religions and belief systems, and it gleans valuable insights from a wide range of teachers. Stories of the author’s own initiation rituals and daily practices are combined with those from her students, people she has led in yearlong initiation circles. This book is both practical and inspiring, and deserves a wide readership.” ~ Meg Cox, ritual expert and author of The Book of New Family Traditions
“Wheel of Initiation is a well-written guidebook for transformation and intentionally living life’s most profound questions. Drawing upon a wealth of ancient teachings and stories of awakening, Julie Tallard Johnson guides you on a pilgrimage toward spiritual growth, meaning, and wisdom. Anyone of any faith will greatly benefit from the timeless journey and practices offered in these wise and kind pages.” ~ Donald Altman, author of The Mindfulness Code, Living Kindness, and Meal by Meal
“A useful and insightful guide to the purification and transformation of the bodymind, drawing upon the mandala wisdom of ancient indigenous traditions to create a practical alchemy of initiation and therapy for these modern times and our challenging ways of life.” ~ Peter Gold, author of Navajo and Tibetan Sacred Wisdom: The Circle of the Spirit
“In her extraordinary new book, Wheel of Initiation, Julie Tallard Johnson gives ancient wisdom a contemporary and relevant new voice. While so many of us today anguish over the need to ‘find ourselves,’ Johnson adeptly points out that ‘everything in nature knows what to do with its life.’ Therefore, she says, our true task is to become who we already are and fulfill that destiny. To that end, Wheel of Initiation is an essential guide that can lead us back into the magnificence of our own inner realm.” ~ Dara Marks, PhD, author of Inside Story
“The Wheel takes us out into the diverse directions of life/space. The Initiation leads us in, to the unifying point of source/center. This ceremony requires great courage, the courage to give yourself fully and SIMULTANEOUSLY to Father Sky and Mother Earth. The courage to let spirit tear you apart.” (Shinzen Young, author of The Science of Enlightenment ) “The Wheel of Initiation carries a powerful spirit of love and wisdom shared in an absolutely fresh, humble, and beautiful way. I was moved from the first words I read. It’s clear that Julie Tallard Johnson walks her talk.” ~ Tav Sparks, author of Movie Yoga and The Wide Open
“Hang on, this could be a bumpy ride . . . because somewhere between the life you are experiencing and the life you dare to dream, hides a precious jewel waiting to be unearthed. With Julie’s patience, compassion, and wisdom you are respectfully guided and facilitated to journey into the Wheel of Initiation . . . to the places that scare you, but ultimately to the places that heal you. A highly recommended course to mend your soul.” ~ Amy Bendorf Schertz, MS, LMFT
“Julie Tallard Johnson has once again given us a profound tool for self-exploration. The initiation processes, with Native American, Buddhist, and Christian teachings, were instrumental in bringing my power and wisdom to the surface. I have been able to integrate these teachings into my field of medicine. I believe the health of the individual and society benefits by the in-depth exploration of the self as promoted in the Wheel of Initiation.” ~Mary Ellen Sabourin, M.D.
Hidden Victims Hidden Healers: An Eight-Stage Healing Process For Families And Friends Of The Mentally Ill
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The impetus of this book began with a personal search of mine for support groups for families of those with mental illness. I had a brother with Schizophrenia. I was also finishing up my graduate degree in Social Work (back in 1982). What these groups for families of the mentally ill “supported” concerned me. What I typically found were dysfunctional groups supporting negative and even hostile mindsets. Most of them encouraged a victim mentality to the surrounding culture and to the mental illness. When I considered using other group processes such as the 12 Steps, it didn’t convert well enough to help family members struggling with a loved one’s persistent and chronic mental illness. I also recognized that mental illness happens within the context of a family – not just the individual. Too often these groups focused on the mentally ill person at the expense of the family’s over-all own mental health and the health of other family members. I discovered in my research that how the family responds to the mental illness will either be part of the antidote or continued problem. In any give difficulty we are either part of the problem or part of the solution. I intended to offer a means for family members and friends to be part of a solution. Furthermore, families and their individual members are all personally affected by the disruption and difficulties brought on through living with mental illness. Those living with mental illness secondarily through a loved one also needed an aggressive healing path to help them live with (and sometimes beyond) the mental illness. So, I developed the Eight Stage Healing Process.
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"A great help. I found this book to be very helpful to me. It has given me so much info to help me see my life with mentally ill spouse. I have learned the "rules" of dealing with a mentally ill person. I would recommend this to anyone who is searching for help on dealing with this issue." ~ Peter M. Seaton
Spiritual Journaling
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In Spiritual Journaling, Julie Tallard Johnson gives writers, spiritual seekers and spiritual pilgrims tools to explore on and off the page. Although this book is written with the teen in mind the writing prompts and exercises are tools used by all ages. A great resource for writing classes.
For teens and young adult Ms. Tallard Johnson shows that journaling is an informative and supportive outlet for those making the transition toward their own independent ideas and lives--and a powerful tool for awakening creative potential. Johnson encourages young people to discover their own unique voices by offering guidance on writing and other forms of self-expression and on learning how to listen to inner wisdom. |
“Throughout the book are stories, discussions, and exercises, all aimed at showing us how, through the tool of journaling, we can gain a clear view of our past so that we see where we came from, how we got where we are today, and how we can stay on our individual paths for the future. This book is meant to tear away the illusion of what we are hungry for, and allow us to discover what the real thing is, and how we can get it for ourselves.” ~ Angelfire.com, April 2006
The Thundering Years
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Everyone wants to experience purpose and inspiration in their lives, but the search for meaning often leaves a seeker in the hands of fate. Offering a different approach to self-discovery, one where we create our meaning from within rather than seek it from the outside world, Julie Tallard Johnson shows there is a science behind personal spiritual experiences and creativity. She reveals simple evidence-based methods that can be applied to any situation to generate enthusiasm, inspiration, and direct spiritual experience and transform the inner and outer landscapes of your life. Drawing from the Heart Sutra, the I Ching, indigenous wisdom, and the teachings of the Dalai Lama, Joseph Campbell, and the Kadampa master Atisha, Johnson outlines a practice centered on what she calls the Zero Point Agreement--the realization that you are the zero point of your life, that life’s purpose comes from within. She explains how to discover who you truly are by naming what you want to be and taking steps to make it a reality.
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An endorsement from His Holiness the Dalai Lama (an excerpt):
“Because the very purpose of life is to be happy, it is important to discover what will actually give us the greatest satisfaction. Everything we experience, whether it is enjoyable or not, affects either our minds or our bodies. Generally, it is our minds that have the greatest influence over whether we are happy or not. Our minds register everything that happens to us, no matter how small. As free human beings we can use our unique intelligence to try to understand ourselves and our world. But if we are unable to use our creative potential, we lose one of the basic characteristics of a human being. In order to find mental stability and peace, the mind itself can be trained. We can cultivate positive attitudes like kindness and compassion, tolerance and contentment. Julie describes many ways to create peace and happiness, some on your own and some with your friends."
~ His Holiness the Dalai Lama, July 1995, for "The Thundering Years"
Teen Psychic: Exploring Your Intuitive Spiritual Powers
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Teaches teens to develop and use their intuitive powers
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"This fabulous book is NOT JUST FOR TEENS. Teen Psychic is not just for teens! Many of us, who are now adults, were not taught how to listen to and act on our inner voice - our psychic voice. This book helps people learn how to do this, at any age. I teach a class where we focus on learning how to listen to your intuition in order to live a more fulfilling life. I refer to this book all the time for meditations, exercises, lessons, you name it. Thank you Julie Tallard Johnson for writing such a great reference book that is insightful, and easy to ready and understand. May we all find the ability to live our lives more intuitively and allow one another to be our truest self." ~ Circling Red Hawk Woman
I Ching for Teens: Take Charge of Your Destiny with the Ancient Chinese Oracle
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The only comprehensive guide to the I Ching especially for teens.
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"[Teens] can use this hip yet grounded translation to gain insight into a wide range of topics, from getting along with parents, friends, and romantic interests to finding direction for the future." ~ The New Times, February 2002
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©2025 Julie Tallard Johnson, MSW, LCSW
Mentor, therapist, citizen
Transformational & Embodied Counselor & Mentor
Most rights reserved. Admin
Mentor, therapist, citizen
Transformational & Embodied Counselor & Mentor
Most rights reserved. Admin