The Light in the Storm

Nikki, Eileen, and Darrell board the ferry Stena Normandica, going to Ireland for Christmas 1981. But the crossing transforms into an adventure they’ll be lucky to survive—linking them forever to the Penlee lifeboat disaster. What does the foregoing have to do with Hurricane Alicia, a storm that struck Texas in 1983? Is there a deeper context for our lives than we usually realize? These are stormy times of great shifts and spiritual growth. How do we adroitly navigate them?

It’s December 19, 1981. Nikki, Eileen, and young Darrell board the ferry Stena Normandica in Fishguard, Wales, happily anticipating Christmas and New Year’s with friends and family in Ireland. But this ordinary start to their holiday travels soon transforms into an adventure they will be lucky to survive, and it will link them forever in heart and mind to a tragedy unfolding nearby: the Penlee lifeboat disaster. What does the foregoing have to do with Hurricane Alicia, a storm that struck Texas in 1983? Is there a deeper context for our lives than we usually realize? Storms affect each of us at some point, and these are stormy times of great shifts and spiritual growth on our planet. How do we adroitly navigate them?

Nikki Lynn Ragsdale was born into a traveling family; nomads, they followed her father’s work. By the time she was six, they’d lived around her native California, in Canada, and in Italy…new places, friends, languages. She learned it’s the heart that makes a home. Traveling brought wonders. One was her first job out of school—as a rock club DJ in Munich. Immersed in the music and forming friendships with bands playing there, she continued living in a rock-and-roll world during thirteen years spent in London. Irish culture found her heart: Nikki now speaks Irish and is a singer of sean-nós songs. In the tradition of preserving these old songs, she made a CD, Seansaol na h-Aislinge (Old Life of the Dream). She’s appeared on Irish radio and TV and in 2010 was the subject of a documentary: Rock Chick an tSean-Nóis (The Rock Chick of Sean-Nós). Another aspect of her involvement with Irish is an annual Irish language immersion weekend that Nikki’s organized in San Francisco since 1999 (called Deireadh Seachtaine Gaeltachta). Native speakers fly in as teachers for the event, which is attended by people from all over the country. From love of languages springs love of writing: Nikki has published articles and poetry in periodicals like Hand Analysis Journal, Irish Wolfhound International, Species Link, and The Irish Herald. For decades she’s provided graphic design, editorial, and writing services. Spirit is a constant, calling her to explore metaphysics and healing. In London Nikki attended the College for Psychic Studies, Centre for Transpersonal Astrology, and other schools. In California, she completed postgraduate training at the International Institute of Hand Analysis and in 1988 joined the faculty, teaching for eight years. She’s read thousands of pairs of hands. She earned a certificate in Eriksonian Hypnotherapy and Changework from Transformative Arts Institute (TAI), and is certified as a master in Usui Reiki. Nikki lives near San Francisco with parrot, cat, and Irish wolfhound.