Renée Damoiselle - Storytelling Alchemy: Write Your Own Happy Ending

Praise for Storytelling Alchemy

Rene Damoiselle has not just created a tool kit for the would-be storyteller but turned it into a system of spiritual and magical transformation. Storytelling Alchemy is a must for anyone who wishes to follow the path of the storyteller but also wants to take it just that little bit further.

Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone, authors of A Witches' Bible,
The Witches' Goddess, The Inner Mysteries, and Lifting the Veil

An enjoyable and informative read about the magic of storytelling. Whether you're looking for inspiration for your writing or for your life's journey, Storytelling Alchemy will guide you on an adventure of discovery into untapped wells of mystery, magick, and motivation.

Melanie Marquis, author of The Witch's Bag of Tricks and
Modern Spellcaster's Tarot

Grab your sword and your shield or rather a gorgeous pen and a journal that speaks to you, because Storytelling Alchemy: Write Your Own Happy Ending by Rene Damoiselle is a beautiful, engaging, and fulfilling book that seeks to train men and women to fight their own battles where it countsin their memories. It is empowering, the storytelling appealing and attainable. You can't wait to see what you'll write!

Amy Blackthorn, author of Blackthorn's Botanical Magic

Our brains process information through stories, but what our conscious mind often forgets is that we can create these stories. Rene Damoiselle's Storytelling Alchemy reminds us of that and helps us make these tales magickally work for us.

Lilith Dorsey, author of Love Magic and
Voodoo and Afro-Caribbean Paganism

It has long been known by the wise that we are made up of stories, as much as we are of atoms. No doubt, you've been in the presence of a great storyteller that held you rapt within a tale seemingly more real than the room you sat in. There is a storyteller more powerful than the best you've heard, and they are always with you. It is the voice of your mind, your soul, that shapes the flow of meaning in your life. Storytelling Alchemy: Write Your Own Happy Ending teaches you how to become awake, aware, and capable of using this magick that is always present within you.

Ivo Dominguez Jr., author of Keys to Perception:
A Practical Guide to Psychic Development

This edition first published in 2018 by Weiser Books, an imprint of

Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC
With offices at:
65 Parker Street, Suite 7
Newburyport, MA 01950
www.redwheelweiser.com

Copyright 2018 by Rene Damoiselle

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC. Reviewers may quote brief passages.

ISBN: 978-1-57863-638-9

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available upon request.

Cover design by Kathryn Sky-Peck

Cover photograph by iStock

Interior by Deborah Dutton

Typeset in Adobe Garamond and Proxima Nova

Printed in Canada
MAR

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www.redwheelweiser.com/newsletter

This book is dedicated to Constance Ann Martin.
Mom, from the moment I could write, you told me I had
talent. You listened to my endless stories and always
complimented my writing. You lived in a way that I
wanted to emulate and your encouragement, support,
and love have helped me to write my own Happily
Ever After. I love and miss you.

There are many who deserve my thanks and appreciation for helping me throughout the writing and publishing of this book.

First, I would like to thank you, my dear readers. Without you there would be no reason to write, and since writing is my passion, life would be terribly dull without you!

A big thank you goes to my love and life partner, John M. Becker. You've always helped me to feel that taking the time for my creative endeavors was a good thing. You never made me feel like I was neglecting us. You've given me all the encouragement and support that I needed, but my favorite thing is the look of pride that you have when you see what I accomplish. That fills my heart with joy. I love you!

These acknowledgments would not be complete without thanks to two amazing women in my life. The first is Maggie Esposito, my beautiful, wise, and wonderful daughter. You've been such a great cheerleader and inspiration to me. You are the whole reason that I have strived to improve myself. I've known for a long time that your children don't grow up to be who you tell them to be; they grow up to be who you are. I've tried to be someone I would want you to emulate. You've exceeded my expectations, and our relationship is so gratifying and soul-filling for me. Thank you for being there with a happy and hopeful look on your face at the lantern festival where I wrote down my intention of publishing a book and we set the lantern aloft with fire. Dreams do come true. And having a daughter like you is a dream come true for me.

I must also acknowledge Maria Bird. My dear friend, my anam cara, you have carried my heart, mind, and soul through all sorts of changes and adventures! You were part of the inspiration for this work, when you brought people's personal stories into our rituals at Odyssey Ridge.

For Bernadette Montana, my High Priestess, my teacher, my surrogate mom (even though you're too young to be my mom), you've always challenged me and simply expected me to live up to my potential. No fussing, no cajoling, just Do this thing. You pushed me forward with such confidence in my abilities that there was no room for my own doubt. Thank you.

There are so many people who have given me encouragement and shared my excitement in this process. I thank you all, and I'll simply provide a list, though not exhaustive and in no particular order, of the people who've helped me to persevere through this process: Ellen O'Brien, Roze DeFabis, Roxanne Torre, Chuckie Betan-court, Sally Piotrowski, Daniela Hoffmann, Christine Malapanis, Nicole Wherry, Teresa Hall, Michael Kuehn, Val Rivera, Robert Mullins, all of the visitors to Witch in the World's Cottage, and too many others to name. Thank you!

I have to give a special shout-out to Miriam Yoeman, my dear friend and coven sister. You were one of the kindest, most loving, wise, intelligent, and giving people I've ever met. I miss you more than I can say. Thank you for your example and for the friendship and love we shared.

Finally, I'd like to thank my editor, Judika Illes, who gave me the chance to fulfill a dream of publication and then walked me through every step. Your kindness, wisdom, and experience have made this process joyful!

We all have a story. We've all experienced tragedy, challenges, and darkness. And when we continually hold that story in our mind, retelling it and thinking the tragedy through over and over, it becomes a part of the psyche. In fact, it casts a spell on us.

Whenever we experience difficulty, our emotions have a way of storing the beliefs generated around the situation in our unconscious mind so that, even when we are not consciously aware of it, we will continue acting on those deeply held beliefs. The problem is those beliefs formed in tragedy, pain, and sadness are almost always false.