Sparrowhawk (Jay Ray)

Who I am Now:

I am Sparrowhawk, alias Jay Ray. Or Jay Ray alias Sparrowhawk. I have written and worked under both.

I began the journey in London in 1947, and lived in Australia from 1958 until 1996, when I felt called to move to Dunedin NZ. It was here that my transformation began from a psychosynthesis therapist, to the multi-disciplined  wisdom seeker,  shaman,  psych0spiritual therapist, teacher and writer that I am today. To be fair, the threads began their weaving on a trip back to England in 1969, where my connection to the land of my birth put me in touch with my ancestral line where I gained an experience of the Earth as a sentient being. It was a soul searching journey that will never end.  My DNA continues to inform me of the lessons of the past as well as their relevance to a world in crisis. Seeking the deep spirituality of my people established in me an understanding that the Hopi have always known; that each race hold specific knowledge. When brought together the wisdom we need to survive, and thrive as a species, becomes available to all. But to do that we must move into connection with each other, whilst holding our own uniqueness. We must find the synthesis. A big ask in a world built on opposites, but that's the challenge.

How did I get here

In their greeting, Maori peoples would ask on what waka I  arrived to Aotearoa . In my case, I suppose the literal answer to that question would be a Boeing. There are reasons for that question put by them. It helps to establish the connections that we have to each other. Or not. In a population devastated by white settlement, this question is very relevant. The interweaving of heredity are contained in the answer, establishing relationship to each other. In my case it places me exactly where I fit: in a tribe known as Ngati Pakeha. A white settler. But the means of travel to who I became today is a deep journey from crisis to healing. In this I am not unique. It applies to most of us on our life's journey. I struggled to stay alive throughout my first decade, with at least one NDE that I can recall at age 8. I guess that memory left me with a certain flavour, leaning towards the unknown, whilst trying to understand it as I pleaded daily to be able to keep breathing. Growing older, often from a bed,  saw me avidly  reading for want of other permissible activities. I'm not complaining.  The stage was being set for the question life, death, and everything in between that has continued to inspire me. Understandably, I arrived in adulthood with social anxiety and zilch skills in relating to people. In the pits of it all, with another bout of pneumonia, I had what some call a peak experience. Trying to sleep after a deeply philosophical discussion with  a visiting friend about free will verses determinism, it was as if  my mind suddenly opened up to a stream of flowing information. No beautiful dynamic colours or visitations. Just a door opening to things I knew didn't exist in my brain.  Connection after connection I experienced , all linking into what can only be described as a thesis on everything. As it came to an end I asked the question, the answer to which changed my life, forming the template for everything that followed. The question was "How do I find the key to all this?" And the answer came "The Key to it all is in your unconscious". So, I set off to find that key; course after course, practice after practice, teaching after teaching. As I look back over the last 40 year, to all the work that I have done in that time, I see that it  comes right back to the answer of that answer. Its all in the unconscious. Not just mine, but everyone's. I have dedicated my life to mining my unconscious, learning how to finding the answers, teaching those skills to anyone that's willing to listen.

My Work: The Practice

My work is personal and it is universal. On the level of the individual, I have a private practice in Dunedin where I conduct 90 minute long individual sessions via the Zoom platform. It is long term transformational process based on understanding of pattern that occurs as we continue to make choices based on the programmed neuronets our brain has formulated from experiences in childhood. These unconscious patterns from the past are triggered by events in the present, causing us to make the same choices we have always made, regardless of the consequences that continually occur.  To change our mind we must make these patterns conscious, so that we can make more appropriate choices based on the present time feedback. To do that,  we must learn to listen to our feelings instead of the mental programming. Feelings always occur in the present moment, providing feedback from the whole of our current environment. The mind only knows what it has experienced, not what it is capable of. It is not rocket science to change them, but it does require commitment to change both external and internal worlds.

My Work: Globally

I write the books and articles  featured on this website. I also have a blog to update you on the publishing aspects of my upcoming books, and whatever else filters through my mind that isn't book or article material. You can find me on Facebook  on  The Wisdom of the Journey. The books are reasonably priced  as my intention is to share, not make a million. Everything else is free for you to enjoy and hopefully gain from. I update this work regularly. If you would like to go on my monthly newsletter list, please subscribe below.