Mama2HRB said:
May I ask what nationality/religion you are?
I started a genealogy quest to get my facts straight concerning the folklore tales I was told as a child about my Cherokee heritage. I was relying on my memories from childhood and I wanted facts. I had assumed it was my Grandmother's Grandmother. She had told me it was one of her Grandmothers. I assumed people only had two. She did refer to her as a 'great-great Grandmother' - but as a child - I assumed that was a reference to how 'good' of a Grandmother she was. Searching through the various family trees I found the ancestral link. This Cherokee is written about on Wikipedia and she is sort of a controversial figure.
Much like the
Sally Hennings/Thomas Jefferson descendants, there are currently several lines of families who claim to descend from John Sevier and an unknown Cherokee Indian woman. Their daughter,
Winney Alice Sevier, was left at the
Henry Campbell farm in Russell County, Virginia, when the mother could no longer care for her. She fell in love with one of the boys who lived on the farm, Abraham Campbell, and they married and lived in a house on the adjacent farm. See:
Wikipedia John Sevier
My Grandmother was a Campbell descendant. The conversations have passed down through many branches of the family tree. It was heightened when I spoke of the 'vision' of the band of Cherokees haunting the 'Trail of Tears.' Prior to this - I had been speaking about visions of other ancestral spirits. My Mom's Grandmother passed away in 1967 and I kept having 'visits' from her spirit - as well as several others including a 'semi-famous' Reverend from my Grandfather's side of the family.
Rev. John MacGowan wrote a book
(among others,) with a title that reflects the 'near death experience' titled
"Death: a vision; or, the solemn departure of saints and sinners, represented under the similitude of a dream." [in some circles, he is considered the 'forgotten Protestant mystic.' And my family put the blame on the Cherokee family branch for my own mystical insights. :laugh:]
During the summer of 1969 after one of my many NDE's - I spoke of meeting the spirit of this distant relative when I was on the other side. My Grandparents had a photo album and I was picking out people (who had passed away) that I had seen during the greeting process on the other side. When my Granddad started quizzing and testing my testimony - I got confused about it.
"Grandpa - why you asking me dumb questions about something you was there to see and hear for yourself. You was right there in the mix of all of them -along with Grandma. How come ya'll can't remember it like I can?"
My Grandfather replied by saying,
"How you putting me in my grave when I ain't even died yet? How can I be in heaven and right here talking to you. No - if I was dead - I think I would be the first to know it."
Many NDE's say the same thing. The past, present and future are all one thing on the other side. I was giving testimony of this in 1969 and confusing everyone - including myself. I couldn't figure out how I could have a 'reunion' with the spirits of my living 'parents' and 'grandparents' in the spiritual realm - and then find myself back in the physical realm - while they were 'asleep' and totally 'deaf, dumb and blind' to the other side. I once told my Grandfather,
"I might as well go out and find me a rock to talk to about this subject matter and get a rock to make more sense of it than you are doing."
I giving accurate facts and stories about relatives who had passed away and they were being confirmed. Some concerned private conversation that no one else was supposed to have knowledge of.
My Grandmother inquired about her 'Great-great-Grandmother' and I promised to look into it the next time my heart stopped and I lost my breath.
(My way of referring to the loss of vitals due to the cardiac condition I walked with as a child.)
I was given sort of 'classified' information concerning this particular ancestor. (
Winnie Alice.) I had to have permission from the authority of spirit prior to passing on information from the other side. My Grandmother wanted to know who the mystery father was. I told my Grandmother,
"Grandma, if you knew what I knew about it you wouldn't be asking me. SHE is HERE again. You should be asking her yourself."
These memories have been pouring back into my conscious mind again and I don't have direct access to the visions as much as I have access to the conversations. It is like a puzzle I am trying to piece together and apparently I was making a reference to the fact that this particular ancestor had been reincarnated back into our family again.
It was shortly after this that I tried again and again to get my Mom to recall her own past lives and it was like pounding my head against a brick wall. My Mom had no belief in reincarnation and felt it wasn't biblical. She refused to even entertain the idea of digging back and finding latent memories of her soul - or any past life memories. I gave up and swore a vow and promise to her when I was 15 that I would never bring up the subject of reincarnation again with her. I had been warned by 'spirit guides' that I wouldn't be successful. I had been restricted to give the information my Grandmother was looking for directly. There was some sort of 'policy and procedure' involved and I couldn't violate the 'rules' concerning that sort of 'worldly knowledge.'
(Now I know why I don't try and get people I know are reincarnated friends to try and recall their past lives with me. Been there, done that.)
It is my theory
(based on what I have recalled so far) that I had insight to know that my Mother was the reincarnation of either Winnie Alice or the Mother of Winnie Alice. My Mom has passed away. I was told
(in spirit) that I couldn't speak on the matter verbally while she was alive. It was her place and I couldn't go against her spirits wish on the matter. I felt bad for my Grandmother because she wanted the answer for the sake of a family mystery. I don't have confirmation
(in spirit) but I am 90% at this point that was the deal between my Mom and I for several years. (1972-1975.)
[i could be wrong through.]
But your question led me on a quest for facts and this is what I have uncovered.
DKing