Cassandra Hamilton

I’m a disabled artist/writer who lives life and creates from dreams. I teach Active Dreaming (a synthesis of dreamwork and shamanism), theater, writing and art using over twenty-five years of experience. My events include live and online workshops. 

If you face a major crossroads, I help as one who’s “been there” to help you manifest your authentic change as I’m living proof dreaming and macrobiotics heal. I have a rare eye disease; failed surgeries destroyed the central vision in my left eye. I lived so many years on high dosage, three specialists in separate practices thought I’d soon die. I got radical; met Michio Kushi and changed my health with his macrobiotic healing diet. Then in one shamanic journey with Lewis Mehl Madrona witnessed by dozens in his workshop, I met my disease, learned why it visited me, agreed to do these things for myself and set the disease away. For over twenty years, the disease has not returned while others with the disease continue to become low vision or blind. My case has been followed by retina specialists and continues to be verified by fluorescein angiograms.Years later, I was diagnosed with unrelated multiple sclerosis. I was paralyzed over a dozen times; the worst paralysis involved both legs and an arm. After each bout of paralysis, I battled for months to walk again. So, you will benefit from one who knows how dig deep to fight for what one wants while facing fears.In 2015, a shamanic journey spurred me to draw after not drawing for pleasure for decades. Drawing dramatically reduced my chronic pain and I had no more bouts with paralysis. A 2018 Harvad study noted 50 minutes of creating art greatly reduces cortisol levels. (The study propones Art Therapy; I did self-directed drawings/paintings). You will benefit from one who restored her relationship to creativity and who can show you how to restore yours, begin anew or take your work to new exciting places.I learned from shamans influenced by their culture and those that practiced devoid of cultural influence. Some moments of note: In the early 90’s during a medicine wheel ceremony, Hyemehosts Storm named me a Thunder Being, One Who Reminds People Why They Are Here. I then prayed and dreamed with a wheel stone for a year and set it in a California sacred site to ignite the healing wheel in the US. ​In 1998, my mentor, Albert “Little Turtle” Dugas, gifted me his medicine bundle. I uphold Al’s work as promised and continue in my way as he insisted. In 2017, I completed Robert Moss’s Active Dream Teacher Training Programs Level 1, 2 and 3. In 2021, I attended his first online Dream Teacher Master’s class. My Master’s is a Special Field Study in Shamanism in the Arts from Wesleyan University. The theatrical edge to my work is influenced by my BFA in Drama: Production/Directing from Carnegie Mellon. Currently I study Bargue drawing and painting to more clearly depict images from my dreams.