Selma Harwell has been led to develop her intuitive gifts since childhood. An artist herself, she has been married to her artist husband for 49 years and counting. Selma realized her childhood dream of being a mother by age 23, then began self-studies in midwifery, fulfilling on her dream of a homebirth 5 years later. Her grown children remain her pride and purpose in life fulfilled and she stands for Motherhood as the Source of World Peace. Other roles that bring Selma joy include spiritual advisor, potter, poet, storyteller, and modern day medicine woman. Her next chapter is being in service to the world as a Bridge between Ancient Healing and New Science with Magic, Power, and Peace. And she will soon be a published author.
1. What is your idea of a moment of perfect bliss? I help people discover the many practical ways we already have moments of bliss that are available to us every day. One example: In a rare moment of meditation, I reached a sacred space of timelessness, feeling as if all that was left was being an empty vessel ready to be filled. Another such moment, I asked, "What is possible for me now?" and clearly heard the reply in my ear: “You are God Source Creation” and was taken aback. I later learned that that response was not personal to me, but rather, for all humans.
2. What was one of your biggest “aha” moments? In a course, I created a project to teach pediatric cancer patients to make dolls representing their healing because dolls represent the Self. Miracles happened on the night of the event: 17 children ages 2 to 12 attended. Each made a Waldorf-style, wool-filled doll in 3 hours. One two-year-old left without attaching a tuft of wool under her doll's elf hat. I thought. “Ah, she has no hair" because many had lost their hair. But she returned that instant saying, “We forgot my hair!” When I shared the event, the course leader said, "Selma, you don't get that you are about magic." My aha: I finally realized it was possible for someone else to recognize and understand that about me. It was something I’d kept to myself since I was too young to remember.
3. What hopes and dreams did you have twenty years ago? By age 30, I was part of a community of 12 women who had fun celebrating monthly ceremonies for a dozen other women. We spent 18 years practicing and studying Shamanism together. Twenty years ago, I renewed my commitment to offer women health and spirit support at any age…so the dream continues.
4. What do you love about aging? I love that I can feel like I am 25 years old - no matter my age. Because of that mindset, I was guided to learn dozens of healing modalities that help me stay youthful, and I now serve as a resource for others.
5. What talent would you like to have? Voicing the healing guidance I was led to master such that I can contribute wellness to Mothers by teaching classes, adding to the “Superhero” talents that moms already embrace with the birth of a child.
6. What are you most proud of yourself for? That I followed my guidance to self-teach Yoga in 1971 when I was only 20-years-old. I devoted 5 hours a day for over 5 months resulting in complete healing of my childhood trauma. This allowed the opening of spontaneous gifts of such as lucid dreaming and out-of-body experiences.
7. What would you like to be remembered for? Helping people discover that everyone is born with capacities for healing and when those are accessed with ease we are able to keep ourselves (plus our families and friends) in our best health.
8. What do you most treasure? The memory of traveling for a year as an artist family in a Step-Van when my kids were 6 and 9 months old. We spent 3 mos. in Tucson doing street fairs; 3 mos. in Pasadena that included a UCLA show; 3 mos. at Lake Tahoe during their weekend summer shows; and 3 months in Palo Alto at a Christmas show. Our little family of four bonded newly.
9. If you could invite 3 people - living or dead - to dinner, who would you invite? Bonnie Raitt, Meryl Streep, John Lennon.
10. If you could have one great adventure, what would it be? Traveling to Italy to see Cities of Art and Design like Rome, Florence, and Turin – cities that beguile me with every step I take and where I can indulge in my favorite food!
11. What’s your favorite word? Magic
12. What’s your favorite sound? A baby's laugh
13. Who’s your favorite musician/band? The Beatles - forever!
14. Among the places you have traveled to, what was your favorite? New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment
15. What’s a place you would love to travel to and have never been? Hawaii
16. What is your favorite guilty pleasure? Enjoying the best homemade vanilla ice cream.
17. Why did you choose to be a Love of Aging Community Circle Host? To spread the word that aging is inevitable but living healthily is a choice we can continue to make throughout life!