Excerpt from The Compass, pages 1–5

The smell is pungent: old newsprint hangs on wooden racks. Aged books with canvas and leather covers sit on shelves waiting to be opened. The air is musty and slightly sweet. Like an earthen floor in autumn. I’m in a library and it’s dim. Green glass banker’s lamps are at the end of each aisle for illumination, perched on small wooden desks ready to help.

As I walk towards a center table the depth of this room begins to reveal itself. Before I get a sense of how long it is, I see Madame Blavatsky standing near the edge of a solid oak table. Helena Blavatsky was a wealthy, Russian American mystic who cofounded the Theosophical Society in the 1800’s. She traveled the world in search of esoteric people and sacred teachings. A green canvas-backed book sits in the center of the table. A simple gold leaf title is etched on its side. This woman rarely smiles in my presence. I can’t tell if that is her normal demeanor, or if she simply doesn’t care for me.

Madame Blavatsky: That’s your book. That’s The Compass.

I don’t dare open it. It’s at least two inches thick. I don’t think of it as my book. It’s our book. A group effort.

There is someone here to meet you.

Jesus walks in with a gentle smile. Oh thank God…someone who’s warm to me! He wears a plain tunic and sits down in front of the book. He extends his arm to a chair, and I sit next to him.

Jesus: I’m here to help you write your book. To be a companion for this… adventure. You have Dalai of course. I wanted to join you. Let me ask you a question:  

When you think about what is most important to you, what is the essence of your being here, what comes to you?

I’m not used to such a somber, serious atmosphere. I close my inner eyes and breathe deeply.

Me, eyes remain closed: Wholeness. Embodiment. Sensing the river of life. Being present.

Jesus: Good. Yes. Stay with this.

I hear the waters of a river. As I listen to the rush, the words of King Midas come back to me: “If life is a river, technology is the riverbed.”

Me, still contemplating: Connection. Fun. No! Enjoyment.

I open my eyes. The book is now next to a kaleidoscope. It stands about eight inches tall. I look at Jesus. In my mind I recall his words, “memory is like a kaleidoscope.” He blinks slowly in affirmation. This seriousness is a bit stuffy for my taste.

Me: You know, it occurred to me this morning that the word kaleidoscope sounds an awful lot like collide-a-scope.

Jesus looks down at the rug and stifles a chuckle, folding his hands.

Jesus: I’m going to enjoy this.

He raises his gaze, narrows his eyes and returns to his Rabbi self.

Jesus: You want wholeness? Embodiment? This is the way. He taps on the book.

It is time to begin. You are ready.

*

My name is Sally. I live in two worlds: one that is visible and one that is magical. The ethereal world slowly revealed itself when my working memory began to evaporate and morph into something I didn’t recognize. I told Sandy, my hospital chaplain supervisor, how I was able to locate items in stores by trusting my intuition. Driving a car, she glances at me in the review mirror and says, that’s amazing. Follow it. For years I followed different clues out of sheer curiosity, and met gifted healers, masters, leaders or changemakers on their own journeys. I’ve time traveled, although this wasn’t the most protected choice, so I put that practice on the shelf. Once, in meditation, I told Spirit I wanted to get to know the world of energy. It asked me who I wanted to meet. I decided to shake hands with the internet. Big mistake! This blew out much of my inner vision. Have you seen the old cover of Pink Floyd’s album “Wish You Were Here?” A man is meeting his body double that’s on fire? This seems like a valid comparison.

This all began in 2013 when I began to listen to Oprah Winfrey & Deepak Chopra’s meditations for twenty minutes a day. I’d lie down on a blanket, knees supported, light a candle, close my eyes and allow the guided meditation to open a place inside of me I wasn’t aware existed. I would breathe fully and feel my energy travel down through my meditation mat and into the floor of my condo. Later, after I moved from Seattle, a pause was introduced so my spiritual roots could penetrate through the foundation of my home into the earth below. This process developed slowly over about six months of dedicated morning time. I don’t remember how long it was before a male voice started showing me triangles and sacred geometry in my mind’s eye. After a year, it took about a minute for my spiritual roots to descend through a kind of laundry chute into the earth.

Eventually I gained the ability as a medium[1] when someone I knew died and I could hear her speaking to me in the depths of silence. I briefly talked to her in meditation as I would have as a hospital chaplain. There were months of more sacred geometry and then I recognized several beings were talking to me, not one. I shared this with a Reiki master who helped me begin to make sense of what was happening. It wasn’t long before I gained telepathic abilities[2], as well. I could hear the beings. It was much easier to hear than see.

Let me be clear: I know this sounds like a lot of malarky. I wasn’t sure what was happening, and I knew it was bizarre. But it continued day after day. And it was never frightening. So, I sought out help.

I wasn’t looking to become a medium and channeler. I just wanted more relaxation and less body pain. Meditation was an experiment. A means to an end.

¨

The major events that ensued over my life, especially this past decade is the framework of this book. Using my own circuitous route as illustration, I offer the compass I used to help you navigate a path to become your own spiritual guide.

The idea to write this evolved from several ascended masters and my work partners encouraged me. Each day I would meditate and immediately after finishing, write down the conversation in a journal. Over thirty journals and a full website of conversations later, I still wasn’t getting the public’s attention. It felt selfish to not distill it all and share this. If we couldn’t attract people to our award-winning website, then I would just bring the experience to you. 

In 2023, I attended Deepak Chopra’s final retreat on the Sutras in Hawaii. I had no idea it was the last one. It was only the 2nd Chopra retreat I had attended, despite having used he and Oprah’s meditation series for years. I was reading the Dalai Lama’s book, My Spiritual Journey[3], on the plane ride there when Dalai and I spoke telepathically about his book. He told me he wanted to help me with my book, and I was overwhelmed with gratitude! Then he said “No, you don’t understand. I want our conversations to be the book.”

When I heard this, I went into shock and my hands began to tremble. I carefully put down my pen, squaring my journal and the paperback book on the airport tray. I stared into the air, taking a slow, deep breath. I nervously patted my husband’s arm to get his attention. I tell Mike what the Dalai Lama told me, taking a deep breath as I said it. Mike tells me that’s great and returned to his movie. I close my eyes. Dalai then tells me in his compassionate tone, “I have only one condition. I don’t want you to call me the Dalai Lama. Does anyone call you ‘the Sally O’Brien’?!” and with that welcome bit of levity, I slowly engaged in a conversation which changed the course of my life.

Dalai Lama has some words he wants to share with you now:

This book is an invitation to you. I ask that you read it and take our conversations to heart because I am speaking to each of you, too. This book is intended to reach you precisely where you are at. It will answer questions, and it will fill you with more questions. It will make you wonder about the world and your place in it. All good books do this. I express gratitude for your taking the time to do this. I believe you will be richer for the experience.

Regarding conversations, both with Dalai and with the other Ascended Masters, we have purposely not edited what is presented here (i.e. we just revised for clarity when necessary). This is a sacred transmission.[4] 

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How to use this book

Welcome to world of The Compass

This book is a compilation of experiences and lessons from my Spiritual world. It is narrated and graciously led by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. You will meet a whole host of Ascended Masters and characters along the way who are eager to help and guide you.

In this book, you’ll find lots of juicy gems to reflect upon and return to.

• When you come across a bolded word, my interpretative meaning will be found in the footnotes of the post. Think about what the meaning of that word is for you.

• If you come across a bolded statement, it is something Dalai or one of Masters really wants you to pause and think about for yourself.

• If you read a reflection question like this – it is a question that is being asked of you, the reader. (They are not just asking me these questions. That would get real boring very quickly. I can’t stress this enough.)

What this means, is that as your life circumstances change, so too will your experience with this book. What a beautiful thing!

A suggestion: create a reading ritual with the book. Choose a safe and comfy place to return to, have a journal ready and light a candle. Check in on how you are feeling beforehand and then dive in. Journal nothing or annotate with abandon. Share your aha moments online with the group. When you’re ready to stop, check in again. What resonates most? What left you saying Meh…?

Eggcellent! You’ve just completed your first high/low. You are already on your Way!

Dalai & Sally

[1] "Medium" means to me: I'm able to hear entities from other realms including the voices of ascended masters and those souls who have not transitioned.

[2] "Telepathic abilities" means to me: the ability to converse with people or entities in real time. For example, I can talk with the Dalai Lama in real time if I'm centered and calm or in meditation.

[3] My Spiritual Journey is a recommended book about his life.

[4] "Transmission" means to me: a transformation that automatically occurs through a vibrational connection. As an example, this occurs when you mindfully read sacred writings, make a connection through a spiritual counselor, or read documents like The Compass. There is a change of consciousness.