Love is the highest dimension
BENEDIKTA ŠTOKELJ AND DRAGICA ČARNA, ENERGETIC THERAPISTS
They deeply believe that their therapies are guided from a higher sphere and that helping others is a gift to them as well. Dragica, who has a Master's degree in Italian and Slovenian literature, has worked at several foreign universities and is also a poet who is currently preparing a new trilingual collection of poetry. She dances flamenco for their soul, working as a Reiki practitioner and healer for 28 years. Benedikta, her daughter, has a Master's degree in holistic medicine, has been able to see the human aura since childhood, and is 'blessed' - not only as her name suggests, but also with special insights.
Exceptional sensing and perception are their inherited gifts - even Dragica's mother had clairvoyant insights. Despite receiving a different medical prognosis, Dragica's mother knew her child would not survive the night. "Her grandfather then helped her to the village cross, where she asked the 'god of the universe' for help. So, in the middle of a winter night with high snow drifts, Dragica's mother carried her sister six kilometers to the hospital as if she had no weight in her arms. Women visited her because she was reading from a cup of coffee. Her father was also clairvoyant, and my great-grandmother, my grandfather's mother, was the greatest clairvoyant in Dolenjska, which is also recorded in the parish books. We have that kind of heritage on my mother's side," says Dragica."
THE GIRL WHO SEES THE AURA
Since birth, Benedikta has been told in spiritual circles that she is a special girl, that this may be her last reincarnation, and that she is gifted with insights beyond measure. "She was rebellious, talked about past lives, knew different words in ancient Greek and Tibetan, but we kept her abilities within the family until graduation to protect her and prepare her for her mission as a healer," Dragica explains.
While Dragica feels the energy and dreams of messages, Benedikta sees angels, masters, guides, ancestors, and the deceased who come during the therapy to be forgiven by the person, then leave peacefully when the energy record of resentment, sadness, etc. has been erased. "We physically feel people's pain in places where there is no energy flow, where we put our hands, and we reestablish it," says Dragica. "The established information about the aura is inaccurate," notes Benedikta. "It must contain all the colors; where there is no color, there is no flow. Red, which represents the element of earth, is needed to ground ourselves; otherwise, it's like building a house in the air. We are without foundation. We have to put everything we do on the ground. If there is no red in the aura, people are often depressed and anxious."
BLOCKAGES BRING DISEASE
By examining the aura, Benedikta can identify our problems. If one of the colors is missing in the aura, it indicates a strong blockage in that area, which in turn causes a lack of flow. "If all the colors are present, but we still have blockages, it's like having a car in front of the house but lacking petrol. Conversely, if we have petrol but no car, we can't go anywhere. We need both a car and petrol," explains Dragica. "In the first chakras, our vital energy is represented by the colors red, orange, and yellow, which correspond to the elements of earth, water, and fire. The second chakra is associated with the element of water, and fears reside here. Toxins can accumulate in the body if they are not eliminated through the kidneys and other organs. Yellow represents fire, and it is our strength and confidence. The more yellow there is, the more intelligent we are; we know who we are and what we need to do with ourselves, even if there aren't many other colors present. The element of air is linked to green, which represents love, and it is located in the heart chakra. Healers, teachers, and people who deeply love and work with the heart have a lot of green in their aura. The frequency of the universe is love, so it is important that the heart is open and flowing. Blue, which represents the throat chakra, is emphasized by artists and speakers, and it is associated with Mercury. Our abilities are located here, and we express what we came into the world to do. If we don't use our abilities, we block ourselves and get sick. However, the universe supports us if we do what we were incarnated to do. Our soul speaks about what we came to Earth for through our desires. The color indigo, which corresponds to the third eye, helps us listen to ourselves through intuition." They point out that indigo is a rare color in most people's aura because it has been suppressed in our civilization. We have always listened to others - in school, the media, politics, and religion. "But we must listen to ourselves because all knowledge is within us. There is so much false information going out into the world that binds people to the energy of fear. Since their aura is mostly non-flowing, they automatically connect with it because there is so much frequency of fear in themselves that they resonate with it," they explain. Children with special needs and artists who write from themselves have indigo color. "If you want to be famous, it's driven by ego, and you can block your streams. A true artist has an open and flowing indigo color. Since we are all born artists, let's open these channels within ourselves," they urge and say that there are no negative experiences because they all help us to become better people. "Energy is one; there is no negative or positive. We give energy signs with our mind and awareness. Even if we break our leg, it can be a fantastic experience because it helps us learn something," says Dragica, adding that we can gain insights and connect with the true knowledge of the universe and our own through the crown chakra on the scalp. "Purple is the color of powerful healers. Until the first year of life, the skull is not closed, and the soul can also leave if it doesn't like the world. This is what we call white death in the crib."
THE AURA IS CHANGING
"Our aura is constantly changing. If the intensity of the emotion is stronger, the record is stronger, while superficial attitudes and momentary emotions are not imprinted. When a master initiates us into certain things, such as Reiki, blockages are released in people who are not flowing enough, which shows in the aura. Special events, such as shocks, accidents, deaths, and illnesses of children, that cause blockages are also quickly recorded in the aura. The recordings can last for 3 to 6 months or longer, depending on us and the work we do on ourselves."
"In the same way, if something really nice happens to us, the aura changes. Births and significant achievements bring major breakthroughs in the aura, as do initiations. 'We all have the ability to self-heal, and when we are flowing, everything else falls into place,' explains Dragica, while Benedikta adds that after a few of their therapies, the aura is completely different because you change something; you become aware of blockages, and you do the Taoist and yogic exercises they recommend. More colors are present, the flows are released, and life changes as a result. The state is maintained until we create new blockages. 'The aura can clear itself to a certain extent - even if a difficult thing happens to us, we can work through it if we don't add momentum to it with our thoughts and emotions. Our thoughts and emotions are the biggest fuel for the chakras,' she says. She adds that they worked with a severely blocked man with no color in his aura, and the doctors had written him off. 'After two therapies, he did the exercises regularly, and his condition changed. Let me add that people with a non-flowing crown chakra of purple color don't believe in spirituality, so we throw energy away by persuasion. Since they don't have these frequencies, they won't understand us,' Dragica points out."
CHILDREN AND PARENTS
"Children have a golden aura color until the age of 12. They are never broken. Children get the records and energy blocks of their parents. If children are sick or problematic, it is always necessary to work on the parents. They may also still be energetically bonded to the mother through the 2nd chakra, although from the age of 3 at the latest, they should no longer be. This energetic bond should be broken, otherwise, they are mutually depleting each other. Sometimes these links are broken only at puberty, but sometimes they are not, with serious consequences. The mother 'mistreats' the son in this way; he depends on her and does not listen to his wife. Otherwise, the mother makes him feel guilty. Or he unconsciously drains his parents - vampirism can go both ways," warns Benedikta.
The energetic connection must be through the heart and only with the baby through the 2nd chakra. When the children have problems, they first treat the mother and cut the energetic ties with her. "Children who sleep with their parents at the age of 7, 8, and 9 should immediately go to their room. You are harming them! Such a child will not be self-confident because the roots of two trees intertwine instead of having two independent, healthy trees," says Dragica.
"The child has the same aura as the mother - everything that she thinks and feels when she is pregnant, her energy state, how she is treated, what the birth is like, is transferred to them. When they are born, they are a copy of their mother with all the problems and energy records. It then adds its own traumas as we absorb everything from the environment. Still, records can also come from a previous life. Children who come into the world sick have decided on a soul level to gain this experience and teach the environment and healthcare about new diseases to help others. They have a special mission – to teach parents unconditional love, then leave when they have achieved that goal."
PINK COLOUR
The pink color of the aura is particularly highlighted by the practitioners. "It represents the aura of people who love and forgive unconditionally, who care about the planet and all living beings on it. Green is the color of love, but for oneself and one's family. If it's blocked, there's more ego and pain - we don't care that wars are raging as long as we are good. We don't know how to receive and give. Lilac in the aura is the color of the 5th dimension. It is a mistake to look at the latter with the expectation that the door to a certain dimension will open for us. This can be seen through the aura or pink color in it. We will come to that dimension when we are mature. We are energetic beings and will go nowhere unless we forgive and love unconditionally. Anyone with resentments, fears, and blockages is not going anywhere. We are the frequency," explains Dragica.
Benedikta adds that for the pink color to be present in the aura, white is necessary, which only clairvoyant people possess. Even individuals with chronic depression and schizophrenia who are not grounded can have the flow of the pink color. "With fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis, the aura has no color; autistics have white and indigo. The first three chakras are the most important for physical health. In depression, all three are usually blocked," she points out.
"Only those who truly give themselves with love have a golden aura - they can be nurses who give the most, people who work with addicts, special healers, artists who help others with their soul and heart. This is the embodiment of love - there are no other, higher dimensions. Love is the highest dimension that shows where we are as souls and people."
Magazine Suzy, 10.2.23
Written by Mateja Blazic Zemljic
The Universe is the Frequency of Love and Heart
Benedikta Štokelj and Dragica Čarna
Mother and daughter live in Brussels where they work as Energetic Therapists, but they also visit Slovenia frequently. Dragica has a Master's degree in Italian and Slovenian literature, has worked as a professor at several foreign universities and European institutions, is a poet, aphorist, and flamenco lover, a natural source of creativity and inspiration, and has been a healer and Reiki practitioner for 28 years. Benedikta is a Master of Holistic Healing who can see the human aura, the blockages, and the blockages in it since she was born with the gift of clairvoyance and insight into the spiritual world. In the challenging times we live in, they emphasize that we need to come from within, do what makes us happy, and be energetically fluid. Everything else brings disease.
Both point out that the Age of Aquarius is based on helping society with our individual abilities. "Already in Greek and Egyptian temples, each pillar represented a person. They realized that a building cannot stand on just one, no matter its strength. But today, as a society, we come from the negative, from fear. All those who manipulate with bad information are speaking about their own frequencies. Yet the light is stronger than the darkness, and the universe is the frequency of love and the heart," says Dragica. "Anyone who does not have an open heart, who is not fluid and grounded, is vulnerable and open to viruses."
"We can be like a cypress tree in the wind, which is broken by everything, or an oak tree - healthy and with a strong immune system," says Benedikta. At the same time, Dragica adds that when we are flowing, we are automatically on a higher frequency. "We keep meeting people like this and different people, not just those who vibrate with us because we reincarnate with the intention to learn. But we have the key to lock the door against outside intrusion."
Energy Protection
Benedikta sees angels as transparent energies of different colors. "We all have our lifelong personal guide; depending on the soul's development and mission, other teachers come at different times. Sometimes our deceased also bring us messages, but we don't call them out of curiosity or anything like that. They are in the world of another dimension, where they are not disturbed, except for therapeutic purposes, if we ask them for help," she explains. She also receives their messages but does not ask for them.
"So much information from the world throws us off balance, and we just have to turn off our 'cable' so it doesn't get to us."
And how do we protect ourselves from negative influences?
"The best way to take care of yourself energetically is to be grounded and imagine yourself in a bulletproof crystal egg, protected from the outside world, and then in a purple triangle inside it. There is a bulletproof white golden glass between you and the world, so nothing gets to you," says Dragica, adding that we can imagine this even when we have a hard time when we don't know what is true, when we want bad news to stay away. "Violet is the frequency that protects us, that heals us. At the same time, we trust that everything will be okay, we make sure our thoughts are loving, we take care of our flow and groundedness," she stresses, adding that we should work on ourselves rather than finding out where the fake news is coming from and what is true. "When we deal with people on lower frequencies than us, we don't insult or judge them, but we don't explain anything to them either. "Even if they are negative towards us, we send them the energy of love back. We will not change their opinion because they operate on a different frequency than us, which does not mean we let them insult, hurt or be rude to us. We show them our limits but let us respond with the energy of love." Dragica emphasizes and continues: "If someone provokes us, they draw energy from us. They enter our space and regulate 'our washing machine.' When we set boundaries, it's like switching off the electricity so it doesn't start. So we don't let outside influences get to us. So much information from the world throws us off balance, and we have to turn off our cable so it doesn't get to us. We have the key within ourselves. We can't influence what we are sold, but we can work on ourselves and influence the world."
Love instead of fear. Both agree that trying to convey anything to people who cannot understand certain truths is pointless. "The 'forcible Christianization' of others only brings us even greater enemies. With spiritual work, we are strong and protected, we activate our energy, we live in a vibration of love, in which we are joined by others who feel us and rise to our frequency," says Dragica and repeats: "If we just look for who wants what for us, we are on a frequency of mistrust and fear. Fear, however, is not a productive emotion. When we let everything external come to us, our 'washing machine' is regulated by others. It is only when we switch off the electricity that we are at our core and listen to ourselves. We go for a walk; we go into nature; we work; we are creative; we create our own life, not the media, social networks, online 'influencers,' colleagues, and neighbors. People voluntarily give up themselves and follow guided opinions."
"Believe what you feel, not all the nonsense others say. Everything has to come from within." Benedikta says that on Earth, we reincarnate from everywhere, and all come to learn and gain experience. "Naive and energy-unbalanced people do not believe in themselves, but in false propaganda. They are programmed to fear, believe lies, and spread them. The bigger the group, the stronger its frequency. But fundamentally, we are all light - and if we are energetically flowing, we can be nothing but love." She points out that our clairvoyance also opens up when we are no longer blocked by worry and fear, which can be seen in the aura as fog around the head. "Of course, we are compassionate, but as the Dalai Lama said, we are not the Christ to bear the suffering of the whole world. Doing this will not change anything; we will only destroy ourselves. So let's not focus on what's bad, but instead, let's think about what's good that will happen to us," she urges, adding that we must know that people who have done terrible things in past lives also come to Earth. "Now this is happening to them; it's karmic compensation. One of the karmically worst actions is if someone deliberately desecrates another's grave. Such a person is accompanied by misfortune in this life and the next. The souls of the deceased come most easily to their grave and connect with us there if they have not yet reincarnated again." Benedikta says that other souls join them there and that the grave is a sacred place. She advises that before buying a house, one should check the history of the land on which it stands. "If it's on a grave site, there are energies trapped there, the same as in places where someone has committed suicide. If we don't bring them into the light, the energy of pain and despair feeds on the negative and drains the living person."
Energies in a relationship: "We are always looking for causes of unhappiness outside ourselves, but when you're satisfied, you don't talk behind people's backs. When you're happy, you're not rude to them. We all have our energy flow, and everyone should enrich it by doing what makes them happy - as a hobby for themselves, if not at work. We need to be creatively playful. This awakens our vital energy, propelling us forward and making us different from others. So be aware that you have the keys to 'your car.' Don't cry in front of it, drive it, but don't give the keys to others to drive it," Dragica points out. "Believe what you feel, not all the nonsense others say. Everything has to come from within. Even in a relationship, each partner must have their energy, and the energies must not mix," she says. Benedikta adds that only a healer can enter our energy field if we allow them to. "We shouldn't solve our partner's problems if they don't ask us to; it's like an energy intrusion. We can feel bad for them when they are in need, but we must set boundaries, or we will get sick. The same applies to friends and taking on everything that is not ours. There is no common aura in a partnership. A relationship is healthy if both are independent, respect each other, and do not invade each other's energetic space. It can end the relationship when they start doing the latter with jealousy, anger, and reproaches. Working on yourself means listening to each other, hearing each other, and respecting that. Our thoughts and feelings are the basis for being independent and fluid. We need to be what we must be - anything else brings illness."
Magazine Suzy, 5.5.23
Written by Mateja Blazic Zemljic
Copyright translation in English by Benedikta Štokelj
Everything is written in our aura
JANA, Muses, by Urška Krišelj Grubar
Translation of the article - Urška Krišelj Grubar for Jana magazine, 18.10.22 - by Benedikta Stokelj
They were sold out this summer. More and more people want to know their aura, the human energy expressed through different colors. Today, there are measuring devices that detect the energy fields around human bodies and, in alternative medicine, help healers identify the causes of individual distress. Benedikta has this ability. The device that measures a person's aura and her "third eye" shows an almost identical picture. The lack of flow of energy reflects the diseases and problems within us. But what do the individual colors mean, what they tell us, had to be learned. There are many years of education for Benedikta and her mother, Dragica. Benedikta recently became a master of holistic healing. We have already presented the mother poet in our magazine, this time together with Benedikta, who bears a significant name- blessed.
One of the first rainy and cold days was when we first met. Firstly, they sensed the cold in me. This was followed by warming up from the inside with ginger tea. They waited until it had cooled enough to add lemon and honey. And Belgian dark chocolate was offered on the serving table. Dragica wrapped a green woolen blanket around my waist and wrapped another one in lilac shades around her stomach. "Blankets not only keep us warm, but they can also protect us, and Benedikta and I protect ourselves this way," she said. There was beef soup on the stove in the kitchen, which had been simmering for eight hours over moderate heat.
In addition, Dragica said how much collagen is necessary for women of our age, around 50, and that no tablet can replace it as nicely as a homemade beef soup cooked for a long time with beef bones. When everything was arranged, they sat me down in front of a white background because that way, Benedikta could perceive the aura more clearly. Meanwhile, Dragica told me how important it is that we do not allow ourselves to get cold from the inside at this time of year and that this should be an immediate alarm. When Benedikta announced the end, I could sit back on the sofa, drink a few sips of tea, and listen to them. Dragica, a kind of volcano of energy, sat down in a yogic position and "translated" Benedikta's vision into a language I could understand; this confirmed what I knew about my body.
Benedikta. The essence of her life is hidden in the name. Blessed. She only spent the first ten months in Slovenia, then because of her father's job, they moved- first to Spain and then to Belgium. She went to a Spanish and a European school in Belgium, but they always spoke Slovenian at home. Correct Slovenian, so Benedikta efficiently uses the dual form. Her voice has a special sound, and the sentences spoken with a certain sensuality and respect are like traces of a time that is no longer there. As a reasonable observer, she quickly realized how ‘attracted’ Slovenians are towards foreigners, whom we consider superior, however not really those coming from ex-Yugo nations. She also observed how contemptuous we can be towards ourselves, our language, our identity, and our people, which is why on many occasions so that she would not be humiliated (because of her academic Slovenian skills or if she didn't understand something) spoke to her compatriots in foreign languages. Since her father spent most of his time traveling due to his high diplomatic career, her mother, Dragica, dealt with Benedikta's development (she also has a brother Emanuel). Both Benedikta and Emanuel were educated outside of Slovenia. Still, contrary to most Slovenians who are educated in our country and then go to work abroad, they want to share their experience and knowledge with Slovenians. Benedikta recently received her master's degree in holistic medicine. At the school, officially called the Alternative Medicine College of Canada, she specialized in bioenergetics and traditional Chinese medicine.
She has seen auras since she was little. Benedikta perceived the invisible world from an early age. She was lucky to have a person by her side who did not make fun of her abilities but genuinely marveled at it. She supported and guided her and stood by her side in her fears and particular perceptions. And that person was her mother. It was not easy for Benedikta in the school system, especially since she "saw through" what was sometimes said. She had to learn to pretend and act invisible later. That is why she kept quiet most of the time. She could perceive colors around people. Along with humans, other species live among us.
How should she tell that to the teacher behind the desk? Dyscalculia (like the more widespread dyslexia, except that numbers and basic mathematical operations are mixed up) was the only diagnosis that was given to her. But not an adapted curriculum. Her mother quickly realized that Benedikta, with all the shortcomings the school system perceived in her, was actually a child with blessings. Blessed. They had the opportunity to begin researching her visions. These perceptions came in handy in the alternative medicine school she completed this year. When she took the entrance exams for psychology at the University in Madrid, she was at the top, according to the results.
Coordinated mother-daughter collaboration
"We complement each other extremely well. That's why we can work together. We exchange perceptions and feelings," says Dragica, who does not see colors the way Benedikta does, but she perceives energy in her hands and feels all blockages as physical pain. This is also how Benedikta perceives, and then these energy deficits or lack of flow are balanced, relaxed, and grounded with reiki. "When energy blockages are removed, the body heals itself". Both have an intense indigo color in their aura. They say this is rare, but it shows that they know how to listen to each other and can follow their intuition. They say that many of us can listen to everyone else but ourselves. Gold is also scarce among the colors in the auric field. Only a few have it; usually children somewhere up to the age of ten, and often with special needs. Most of them also have white, the color of clairvoyance, in the field. These children have different knowledge and perceptions. Society should build a new learning system for them so that they can develop their talents. Perhaps they are our saviors, the ones who will raise the consciousness of our civilization.
Children with special educational needs are often children with extraordinary gifts. "Look, mom, this lady is going to die soon. There are no more colors around her. I can only see black." Or: "Mom, my teacher, pretending to be nice, has so much dark red around him that I can't even look at him. And he blocks me when he's around me." Mother Dragica, who once gave up her academic career so her husband could assume responsible positions, devoted herself to her daughter. Everything comes in handy, including the fact that she is a poet. Ignored in the Slovenian space for many years, but in recent years her poetry is beginning to reach a wider circle of readers, especially women. Right in the middle of writing this article, she was nominated for the first time for the MIRA Literary Award as a poet.
"The aura contains us, our thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and even our talents. The energies of our ancestors. Clairvoyance. Genius. And all the energy blockades and non-flow."
They treated thrombosis and sciatica first at home; they had excellent results with fibromyalgia syndrome.
Benedikta sits relaxed in an armchair for most of the interview. A person feels that they are gently "examined" all the time, but it is possible to get used to this "scanner" in human form. First, they mention Dragica's mother, who had diabetes and several related cardiovascular diseases. Dragica’s mother should have gone under the knife for thrombosis with open wounds on the leg and half a leg in bandages. However, with Dragica’s help, the progression of the disease stopped, and her mom was walking again. Dragica, who is, among other things, a passionate dancer, remembers severe sciatica that attacked her after a strenuous workout. “It was August in the middle of Madrid. All orthopedists were on vacation. Reiki did not help. I asked Benedikta to connect with her guides. She was instructed to treat me with salt and water. After the first therapy, I felt a 60% improvement. "
Benedikta massaged salt into her painful areas; since then, she has helped many people with salt. She sees pain points and blockages and rubs them with salt and water. She is fully guided here. And now that she knows the energy points according to Chinese classical medicine, she also knows why she should massage those very points. On a physical level, the pain subsides immediately. They also have much success with people with fibromyalgia and skeletal-muscular syndrome; when you wake up stiff in the morning, you are often tired, your muscles and joints ache, you have trouble falling asleep, and you keep lacking energy. If you find yourself in this situation, Benedikta and Dragica are the correct address.
How else can you protect yourself and change your aura to repel psychological "pests" on its own? In addition to what has already been said, there is also ginger tea and much turmeric in these times, as well as taking care of your emotions. Do not drown in resentment. Avoid gossiping. Away with judgment! Let's do what really makes us happy. This is where the energy is hidden.
When the mother is well, the child is well. Recently, many mothers of children with so-called special needs are turning to them, as well as with children who fell into depression. Their care, their advice, and their therapy help. "If a mother comes with a child, we first help the mother. The child has the energy record of the mother in it—a special energy connection. And if a mother has problems, so does her child. The health of the mother affects the health of the child. "When the mother heals, when the mother is well, the child can also recover," Dragica says that it would be best if the energy bond between mother and child were to break after one year. If the mother is still breastfeeding, then the period is slightly longer. Puberty is the last time a child releases this energy. If this liberation does not occur, it has disastrous consequences for both, says Dragica. The relationship between mother and child is fundamental to all other relationships in life. And to be healthy, it is good to be energetically independent and flowing. They worked until the last hour when they were leaving Slovenia to return to Brussels. But now they have different "patients"; they joke a little. Many who work in European institutions turn to her, especially some secretaries who are perfect on the outside but broken and burned out on the inside, who have to carry so much weight and imbalances of their superiors. The effect of their therapy is long-lasting.
What resonated most with me was how important it is to react to the cold in the body as quickly as possible, so after arriving home, I went to the butcher. I cooked a beef soup until late into the night. Our aura is more colorful when we are warm... Well, what's more, Dragica and Benedikta rarely eat meat, but they don't give up a homemade beef soup.
JANA, Muses, by Urška Krišelj Grubar
Dragica Čarna, poet
Slovenia is trapped in its own literary ghetto
My first impression upon viewing the new website of writer Dragica Čarna was how beautiful women can be in all stages of life, as beautiful as her poetry. Transparent. Authentic. Unique. She has already authored six collections. On February 14, the day of love, she will present her latest trilingual poetry collection, "Lilith," at the Mini Theater in Ljubljana at 6 p.m., through which she will introduce herself to us: who she is as a woman and a creator. She presents herself to us as naked, wild, loving, rebellious. Her own. Primary.
Who is Lilith? How does one find her? How does one liberate her?
According to mythological interpretation, Lilith was the first woman created, equal to man. However, because she refused to submit to Adam, she was expelled from Paradise, and Eve was created from Adam's rib—a submissive, second-class figure throughout history. A maid responsible for his care, childbearing, etc., confined to prescribed roles. Lilith resides within each of us, repressed by norms and centuries of violence. How can we liberate her? How can we dare to be ourselves: free, alive, independent, outside society's norms and suffocating commitments?
I have been awakening Lilith within myself for at least 20 years, yet I still have a long way to go!
You connect with other women who have already succeeded in awakening the dormant aspects of themselves. How supportive are you, and how much do you hinder each other?
The more connected we women are, the stronger we become. However, not all are ready for it. Rivalries among women, regardless of accomplishments and influence, are prevalent. The status quo is defended by rejecting anything that threatens it. In every society, an elite enclave forms, and Lilith is the one who must sound the alarm and emerge from within. Only as a realized woman can I provide support to others, serving as an example. Tears are healing. Conflicts are necessary; they crystallize anyone's worth and strength. The path forward is open only to the brave, the bold, the daring.
Do you receive more support from the literary world abroad, where you have resided for some time, than in your home country, where you have only recently become more visible?
Support from literary circles in Slovenia is highly selective, despite my poetry performances in various languages alongside highly successful female creators worldwide. South American PEN centers, particularly, invite me to readings, as does the International Women's Writers Committee. I have been virtually omnipresent there in recent years, presenting my poetry in Paris, Brussels, and the USA. My last two collections are housed in the Washington Library of Congress. Slovenia remains ensnared in its literary enclave and must mature and embrace new and modern currents. It must change its perspective and refresh itself.
Last year, you were among the nominees for the Mira Literary Award. As a poet, how significant are such accolades to you?
Awards are transactional. It is absurd, however, that evaluators cannot reach a consensus on who holds weight within certain creative genres. Awards are spectacles! Niche marketing. I do not require them for personal status, nor for the quality of my writing. However, it is tragic that inadequately awarded prizes diminish the standards of art. Prosaic ramblings sell as poetry. Essay writing masquerades as mysticism. Poetry is vanishing.
Your poems are published in three languages, presumably your favorites: Italian, Spanish, and Slovenian. You also authored them in all three.
I chose these three languages because I adore them. Yet, I write in various languages because Slovenia's linguistic scope is akin to that of a provincial town. Writing in Spanish reaches almost a billion people, in Italian, to Italians. Of course, I express myself most authentically in Slovenian, but when I use other languages, I do not merely translate; I think and feel in them as well. These languages are my connection to the world beyond my homeland. They are not foreign; they are mine.
As Lilith is about to be born, at least three names appear as caring midwives: Federico, Elisa, and Zvezdana.
These are my loves. These are the individuals I collaborate with and engage with. Federico and I have shared a decade of joint projects and travels; he designed Lilith for me and captured all the photos within it. Elisa handled proofreading in Italian. Zvezdana, an artist and friend, provides support and operates effectively in Slovenia.
What do you believe is the key for art to resonate with people in the first place? And why does it often fail to do so?
Because materialism esteems only what yields profit, joy is reduced to consumerism. Art, poetry, music, creativity afford us the opportunity to reconnect with ourselves. Intuition thrives here; the most authentic spirituality is self-discovery, a journey inward. Only that which emerges from the heart in its purest form resonates with us, making art the most potent healing force.