More To Life Magazine

Hello Barbara, can you tell More to Life Magazine readers about your unusual name?

The name is not unusual in Scotland where Meiklejohn has its own crest and motto. Meikle means ‘big’ or ‘important’ and John is popular and has associations with the ancient guilds of Scotland. I married Shaun Free and combined the two names, along with my first name, Barbara, which means ‘foreign’ or ‘strange’ one – I was a changeling at birth! The numerology worked out well, I have a name number of 1 which is the number of leadership.

Can you tell us a little about your early life and what gave you a love of ancient cultures?

I was adopted as a young child and brought up in the highlands of Scotland where I played on the field of the Battle of Culloden where so many brave men died defending their lands. I was a very sensitive child. I saw in a vision a Native American standing at the bottom of my bed and saw another vision of my grandfather with shire horses. It was not until my adoptive mother was four weeks from her death that I was reunited with my birth mother. They were of the MacGiillivray clan and seership runs in this family. They were of St. Clair lineage. It was amazing to discover I was the only girl in a family of six boys. I was not good at book learning and found school very difficult. I was dyslexic and left handed and these were not understood by my teachers. I was quick to learn if someone personally took the trouble to show me something and I was creative and imaginative and had a great love of nature. In the highlands, people have a reverence for nature which they believe to be their greatest teacher. They also have a respect for their own ancient traditions. I met the man known as the Highland Seer, Philip Swain MacDonald, when I was twelve years old. He was respected throughout Scotland and he told me I would develop the gift of second sight. He took me under his wing and tutored me and when he died, he gave me his seer’s stone, and I inherited his title. It is a dark grey stone with a cup like shape that holds water and the seer gazes into it and sees visions of the future.

What things in your life have changed you?

I was struck by lightning, which is rather extraordinary as the Christian Saint, Barbara, after whom I was named, is the patron saint of sailors, stonemasons and architects and she is said to provide them with protection against lightening strikes. As a child, I suffered abuse and many soul woundings and later when I was raped at knifepoint I attempted to take my own life three times. I have been through many tests. As a result, I can empathise with others who are experiencing difficulties and hardships. I sought past life regression and finally I understood my soul mission which is to help others to achieve their true potential. I have overcome many early difficulties and now have a clothing range of beautiful ceremonial garments, and a flourishing practise as a healer, medium and consultant.

What do you most enjoy doing?

I especially love singing, dancing and making music which is recognised to be very therapeutic. I enjoy studying the oral traditions of ancient cultures around the world. I have vision quested extensively and been tutored by many native healers and wisdom keepers. I spend six months in Peru connecting to the Earth and the ancestors of this landscape and have been to many of the Native American reservations to study shamanism. In New Mexico I discovered the name of the Native American man who appeared to me as a child. His name is Touch the Clouds. I have visited the Aboriginal people of Australia to learn from them. I have even visited the people of the Amazonian Rain Forest to gather their knowledge of life. I was given a Hopi lightning stick by an elder to give me protection against any further lightning bolts. I love to take groups of spiritual seekers to sacred sites around the world, such as to Egypt, Hawaii, South America and trekking in the foothills of the Himalayas. My most recent work is in facilitating transition from one time of life to another by way of ceremonial rites of passage. In ancient times, and in indigenous cultures, names are very meaningful and important. If someone wishes to change their name to something meaningful for them, a ceremony endorses the name and future life path. From childhood to teenage years, we have a natural demarcation, but few people in Western society really honour this time of maturity as the body prepares to become fertile and be able to have children later in life. Handfastings and other commitments of adult relationships are extremely important and are often also missing from our society. Cutting the cords at the end of life is a way of saying goodbye to those who make the journey into the Otherworld

Do you have a message for today’s politicians?

They should look to the great politicians of the past, to Martin Luther King, Ghandi and others who spoke of peace and commitment to justice and the common good. They must focus on encouraging personal responsibility, to bring about unity and to replace the ‘me’ society with a ‘we’ society. I have many clients who come to see me, for readings, spiritual guidance and ceremonies. Some are very rich and unhappy because money doesn’t produce loyal friendships, ease of life or good health. Politicians must realise that many people are deeply unhappy with Western society and its way of life. We live in a time of the greatest of changes to our world. I think we must take greater care of our planet. The Icelandic volcano of April 2010 is both a planetary release of tension and just as the Jews followed a pillar and a cloud that led them into the Promised Land so we must also use the guidance of our planet to inspire us to create a better world for everyone who inhabits it, both now and in the future.

Barbara Meiklejohn-Free was interviewed by Wendy Stokes

To find out more about Barbara please visit www.barbarameiklejohnfree.com