Go With Love

On October 4th 2022, my good friend and spiritual teacher LaWanna Rine transitioned at 96 years of age. Her memorial was on Saturday. I had many thoughts that I wanted to share, but I found myself more emotionally overwrought than I thought I would be. I knew if I tried to speak, I wouldn’t have been able to share anything but tears. So I wanted to share this story in writing of how I met this amazing woman and just what an incredible influence she ended up being in my life.

In the summer of 2001, I had just moved back to Ohio from North Carolina after a failed career teaching high school students. I was feeling lost and confused about the direction I wanted to go in my life and had just started studying a different way of thinking about spirituality. But it was all very new to me and I wasn’t sure what was truth and what was just my imagination. I had been meditating for a couple of years and was reading just about every spiritual book I could get my hands on. My bookshelves were bursting full and the moment I devoured one book I was on to the next. I couldn’t get enough. During my meditation sessions, I started to encounter various different spirit beings, who I later came to know as my Spirit Guides. I would have conversations with these guides and I would fill journals with the information I received from each of them. The interactions all felt so real, but it wasn’t until later in my journey that I would realize JUST HOW REAL they were. There was one particular guide that always stood out to me. I couldn’t see her face, but I could feel her energy, which always radiated with a purple glow. I came to know her as my primary guide. One day I was working at my mom’s produce stand in Strasburg, when an older lady pulled into the parking lot. Over the years we had lots of unique people come through our market, but this person was unlike anyone I had ever seen before. She was dressed from head to toe in purple with bright red curly hair that was adorned with an enormous straw hat and another gorgeous purple ribbon. Her neck was drenched in crystal stone necklaces of every color of the rainbow, and her hands were adorned with rings that had massive stones as well. I was immediately drawn to her energy and jumped up quickly to offer help. “Why hello there hun!” She cheerfully greeted me in that slightly southern drawl I would come to know so well. I responded with a fumbled attempt to grab a bag and start weighing up the vegetables she had chosen. I asked her how she was and if there was anything I could help her find. In that moment, she stared me right in the eye and pointed her finger at me. “I KNOW YOU...” she said with a bright smile on her face and a look of assured confidence. “I know you too...” I said almost instinctively. Immediately I made the connection in my mind to the beautiful spirit guide energy dressed in a purple aura that I had been communicating with for nearly a year now. “You need to come see me at my retreat center here in Strasburg.” I shook my head in agreement as she handed me a brochure printed on purple paper with the words “LOTUS LODGE” written across the top. “I’m LaWanna” she said. “That means love.” I thought to myself, how appropriate. For I could feel the soft, loving energy that emanated from her. “I’m Brian.” I said. Still not sure exactly what to think or feel. “May I send you some energy?” she asked. And I said, “Yes, please!”. She grabbed my hands and told me to shut my eyes. I could feel once again the soft loving energy flowing from her being and immediately in my mind’s eye I could see the glowing purple of my spirit guide that I had been talking to for the last couple of years. My eyes filled with tears and I knew immediately this was my connection. It would take me a while to finally muster up the courage to call that number on the LOTUS LODGE pamphlet. But eventually I did and was greeted again by that unmistakable voice full of love and laughter. We set up an appointment for the following afternoon and it filled me with excited anticipation. As I followed the directions to the lodge (we didn’t really have gps back then, so I was following hand written directions) the lane was a long drive into the woods. I slowly followed the drive up the path. On my right was what looked to be a labyrinth with different size stones, statues and candles at various points. I kept driving until I began to see a house on the right and what was clearly a wood lodge in the front. I parked in front and just sat in my car for a moment, getting the courage to get out and go. On some level, I think I knew this encounter was going to change my life. I got out of my vehicle and suddenly, out of nowhere, what looked like a giant white wolf came bounding toward. For a moment, I thought I was a goner. Haha. But then out came LaWanna, holding a little curly haired white dog. This time she was dressed in sunflower yellow, bright as can be, with the curls of her red hair glimmering in the sunshine that poured through the trees. “Gatama” she shouted out, then she waved at me to come on in. “He won’t bother you,” she said. I nervously went to the door. Gatama sniffed me and when I felt safe, I reached out a hand to pet his big strong furry back. “What a beautiful dog.” I exclaimed. “He’s part wolf.” LaWanna proudly exclaimed, and then began to tell me the story of how she came to have him. As we walked into the lodge, I was greeted by a Christmas tree (in July) full of beautiful purple and white lights, with gorgeous ornaments adorning every branch and an even more beautiful angel on the top. The lodge had a very woodsy smell and the mismatched furniture gave it a very eclectic, cozy feel. We sat on the couch together and the white curly haired Bichon she called Jonna Mae tucked up beside us. I looked around the lodge at all the beautiful paintings and statues. I would later come to find out these were all various ascended masters and teachers and even some beautiful paintings that LaWanna had created herself. “So tell me what’s on your mind,” LaWanna asked. Somehow, I knew she could feel the pain and confusion I had inside. My eyes filled with tears again as I spilled out my story and the struggles I had been going through over the past several years. I don’t even remember what her specific response was that day, other than she was filled with so much love and caring. I knew I had found someone who could offer me support and guidance on my spiritual path. For the next ten years, I would spend many days listening, learning, working, traveling and exploring with this incredible woman...

I learned about the ascended masters and their place as guides and teachers in our lives.

I learned about the colors of the week and how each day has a special color and meaning and how that relates to how we feel and the energy we express.

I learned about numerology and the meanings behind the various numbers and frequencies that they carry.

I learned about Mt. Shasta and the powerful energy that resides there. She was the first person to tell me about this magical place that I would eventually come to hold my first retreat at and spend weeks and weeks exploring the energy of the mountains, rivers and valleys that cover this sacred land in and around the mountains.

I learned about the ‘hidden pyramids’ in the mountains and how they hold powerful energy vortices all around NC, California, Ohio and other secret locations around the U.S.

I learned of the powerful energy of INTENTION. One time while we were traveling to North Carolina, we had noticed that people seemed to be swerving toward us from the center line. LaWanna wasn’t having any of it. So she started shooting out energy with her right hand, ordering the cars to ‘Stay on your side!’. I laughed as the cars were quite literally staying on their side and even starting to swerve right toward the curb. I said, “LaWanna, stop that! You’re gonna send someone off the road!” We laughed so hard together on that trip. But we got to our destination safe and sound! Haha.

I learned about the 6 pointed star and the power of the merkaba energy.

I learned about creating intentions and manifesting your desires through focus and the Law of Attraction.

I learned the importance of the phrase I AM and how its use brings power into any statement of intention. LaWanna also ordained me as a minister of the I AM Temple of Radiant Lights.

I learned about the powerful healing techniques of yoga and how at any AGE or SIZE there was benefit to aligning the body and mind in these powerful positions. At 80 years old, LaWanna was STILL teaching yoga classes. Being one of the FIRST teachers in our area to really celebrate yoga and one of the FIRST to hold televised yoga classes, I felt honored to be taking yoga classes with her. It was me and LaWanna and one other student. Another female whose name I have forgotten. We would get together weekly and align. LaWanna didn’t care that it was just us. She gave us just as much attention and focus as if there was a class of 100 people in that room. I still remember those sessions and how I always went home feeling refreshed, renewed, and aligned.

LaWanna introduced me to Fred Payne, who I would eventually learn all the Phoenix Vibrational Healing techniques from that I now utilize daily and teach in my spiritual practice.

LaWanna taught me about herbs and the many uses of supplements to help strengthen, heal and preserve the body.

But most of all, LaWanna taught me the importance of LOVE. Every message she ever spoke always hinged on the concept of LOVE and how we can bring more LOVE into this world. She never said goodbye, but instead would always say GO WITH LOVE. To this day I end a lot of my messages and texts with a purple heart in honor of this beautiful being who brought so much JOY, LOVE and DIRECTION to my spiritual path. I will miss her dearly, but I can still feel and see her purple radiating glow when I close my eyes in meditation. A guiding LIGHT of LOVE in this world. And my goal in this life is to always honor her and her message by taking and giving LOVE wherever I go.

With Love Always,

Brian Borell – Spirit Speaker