Anodea Judith is an American author, spiritual teacher, poet, artist, songwriter and musician, an expert on the Chakra system, mind and body integration and somatic therapy, a Yoga therapist and a Reiki master. She has a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Rosebridge Graduate School of Integrative Therapy, a Doctorate in Health and Human Services from Columbia Pacific University, and has done additional doctoral work in Systems Theory at Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center. She is a past president of the Church of All Worlds (CAW) and a founder of Sacred Centers, a school for the study of sacred principles and transformative arts.
Born Judith Anne Mull on the 1st of December 1952 in Elyria, Ohio, Judith was the youngest and only daughter of three children, her middle brother is called David Mull while her eldest brother is the comedian Martin Mull. Judith spent most of her formulative years on her grandmothers farm in Northern Ohio, and there gained an early appreciation for nature and animals. In the late 1950’s her family relocated to Connecticut and Judith was enrolled at New Canaan High School to begin her formal education. During her teens while studying mythology at school, Judith began to identify with various aspects of the Greek Goddesses, and this caused her to re-evaluate Christian deities and research more into alternative religions.
Judith was aided in this quest when her mother married for a second time to a devout Christian Scientist, who kindled her interests in healing. Their belief is that all illness stems from the mind, and that the use of positive thinking techniques can perfect mind, body and spirit to effect cure. “This taught me how our consciousness can effect our reality, which is one of the foundational principles of magic”, she said. Applying such techniques in high school, she quickly became known as the healer. Christian Science as a religion however, had no appeal for Judith and she sought other systems in which to apply the same principles.
In 1971 after completing high school, Judith enrolled at Clark University studying psychology. She had intended a career as an analyst/therapist, but then changed her mind in favour of Art. She moved to California and took up studies at the College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, with additional courses at John F. Kennedy University. After finishing college she spent the next few years living and working out of an artists ‘attic studio’ in Berkeley, where she made a name for herself painting murals and “cloudscapes on ceilings”.
In 1975 realising that health and consciousness were essential components to the quality of her artistic expression, she determined to transform her spiritual self. She gave up smoking, turned vegetarian, became bisexual and started a on a serious study of yoga and mediation. This led her onto a life long study of the Charka system, as well as Acupressure, Bioenergetics, Yoga, Gestalt therapy, Radical psychiatry, Ritual magic, Shamanism, Psychic readings and Alternative healing. The results of her cumulative studies later lead to the publication of her first book: Wheels of Life: A User's Guide to the Chakra System (Llewellyn - 1987, revised 1999).
As part of her studies Judith spent two months living alone in a tent atop of a California mountain, where a friend had given her a five-acre plot of land. She describes him as “A crazy Israeli chemist, who disappeared after bequeathing it to me”. She spent her time there becoming one with the elements, during which she felt and received direct teaching from the Goddess. This caused her to re-think her name and change it to Anodea Judith (Anodea is an anagram of: Ano - meaning year of or one of, and Dea – meaning the Goddess). To Judith the meaning is clear - “One who serves the Goddess”).
After the initial success of her first book the: Wheels of Life in 1987, Anodea became a sought after teacher and speaker on the workshop circuit, presenting and lecturing at such well known events as the Starwood Festival and the WinterStar Symposium (*see additional information below). However, due to the demands of her travelling workshops and other commitments, her active involvement with CAW gradually declined, although she still remains a member of the Church Clergy.
Since then Anodea has spent the last 20 years working as a somatic psychotherapist, and now travels the world teaching through her own organization called “Sacred Centers”. Through Sacred Centers, she also runs an intensive Certification Program training other teachers and therapists in the use of her work.
Into the new millennium, as well writing books, she has ventured into the Audio/Video market and in March 2000 released a six-tape audio course called The Chakra System: A Complete Course in Self-Diagnosis and Healing. She followed this in 2004 with an award winning DVD, The Illuminated Chakras, co-created with her son, artist and animator Alex Wayne, and in 2006 produced a popular spiral-bound box set called Chakra Balancing.
Also in 2006 she wrote a double award winning book called Waking the Global Heart: Humanity’s Rite of Passage from the Love of Power to the Power of Love. This is a book that charts human history as a developmental process, and argues that we are now undergoing our global initiation from cultural adolescence to adulthood, moving from the third Chakra of power to the fourth Chakra of love as a social organizing principle. More books are planned for the future, she say’s.
Downloadable books (free):
Marion Crawford - The Witch Of PragueRoss Arthur - English Old Norse Dictionary
Swain Wodening - Anglo Saxon Witchcraft
