We continue to invite all of our readers to download The Book of Us, offered for free, on the Store page of this website. In addition, we wish to express out deepest gratitude to all who have e-mailed, sharing the profound impact this book is having on their lives. We invite you all to send your honest reactions upon reading The Book of Us, and greatly appreciate being advised of any grammatical, editorial, or technical mishaps you might notice.
Sincerely,
Chuck Ketchel and Jan Ketchel
Please note that a correction has been made to The Book of Us where several paragraphs of text were inadvertently omitted on page 30 of the actual print version of the book (pages 44 and 45 in the pdf file).
In addition, we wish to express out deepest gratitude to all who have e-mailed, sharing the profound impact this book is having on their lives. We invite all to send their honest reactions upon reading The Book of Us, and greatly appreciate being advised of any grammatical, editorial, or technical mishaps you might notice.
Sincerely,
Chuck Ketchel and Jan Ketchel
In July 2006, Jan and I submitted our book proposal for The Book of Us to several publishers. We were extremely careful; selecting only those whose mission statements resonated with our own. In addition, we chose only publishers who accepted direct submissions from authors, wishing to bypass the middleman process of an agent. From its inception, we trusted the energy and value of the book to stand on its own and find its place, going against conventional practices and the energy of the times.
Over the past year, we have received many polite form letter rejections, and some heartfelt, personally written notes of encouragement to: “find a place for this very worthy book,” and this “fascinating story.” Presently, there remain three publishers who have been considering the book for over a year. On September 25th of this year, I had the very strong feeling that it was time to publish the book on our own. Jan and I had let only a handful of people read excerpts from the book, though many others have asked me about its publishing status on and off over the past year, anxious to read it. It suddenly dawned on me that we were holding back valuable information, while waiting for someone else to decide the fate of our book. I simply couldn’t justify that. If this book can help people now, I thought, it should be made available. In my characteristic fashion I proposed to Jan, “Let’s just do it ourselves!” Also, in characteristic fashion, I asked Jan to ask Jeanne for feedback, and she challenged me to question the I Ching, our two most faithful guides. Following, are the synchronistic commentaries from these two voices of infinity. First, Jan notes some interesting synchronistic experiences of her own before posing her question, while I was in another room asking the I Ching for guidance.
Dear Jeanne,
I have a question to ask you. Today, and yesterday, Chuck has been posing the question of whether or not we should publish The Book of Us ourselves, in E-Book format, and offer it for free on our website. I have been a little bothered by, what I call, his impatience, preferring to sit and wait. But I realized this morning, with clear insight, that my patience and ability to sit and wait is partially fear. I am still often afraid of public exposure, preferring to remain private, though I push it aside and keep going forward.
Today, as I walked Spunky down a tractor path in a field, I posed the question to you. “All right,” I said. “Just give me one sign so I’ll know if it’s time, now, for us to publish The Book of Us ourselves.” Then I waited, looking around, wanting a concrete sign, a blatant, apparent sign: A tattered old book in the grass, a slip of paper with the word “yes” on it, or straw on the path spelling out “Yes” or “No.” Then I thought, “Oh, she’ll make me work for it, as usual.” When I turned and started walking back, two butterflies, one white, and one yellow, flew out of the field in front of me, doing a lovely dance, back and forth in the pathway, and I thought, “Oh, The Book of Us.” Then a third, a yellow butterfly, joined them for a while, dancing with them, then flew off again. And I thought, “That’s Jeanne, that’s The Book of Us,” and I took it to mean yes.
Now, we’ve been talking about what to do. I feel sad and a little empty, but I think those are my own feelings about ending this very private and intimate life we three have shared. Going public and publishing the book, exposing ourselves to public opinion, also scares me a little, but the ending of that wonderful time we’ve had together really saddens me. So, I wonder if you can comment, right now, as Chuck throws the I Ching to ask the same question. Is it time now, to publish The Book of Us, as an E-Book that people can download for free? Can you give us guidance on this question?
Do not worry about what you lose, but think instead about what you gain as you allow yourself to be swept up into positive energy that is now awakening, even as the dark energy swirls about with such disturbing rancor. Underneath the darkness is there new light, a new sun, seeking to rise; and that new sun brings new light, new seeing, clarity, and energy that the darkness keeps hidden. Yet is it there, awaiting discovery, even in the darkness.
I do not advocate running from the inevitable, nor do I advocate hiding from the truth underneath the darkness. The light will abide by the rules of good energy, and this you must focus on. On top of light is there yet more light as it radiates outward, into the universe. Find your place now more firmly in this mission as you go ahead with your plans to publish, for life cannot wait any longer for dilly-dallying. I dare say it is the way to go, though do not be surprised by the progress that others hope to gain from it. By this I mean, monetary. Stick to your mission, no gain, only what you absolutely need, and give the rest away where it is best used, though monitor it sharply, for sharks and hustlers abound, even in the world of light.
You have come far, yet must you push onward to continually progress the mission. Yes, do it so differently that there can be no dispute that these two people have goodness of purpose, and undeniable love for the journeys of all, in their hearts. No personal agenda exists, just the spreading of the mission, and the opportunity for evolutionary growth. That is what these two people seek to offer. This I applaud, along with their courage, and their conviction to remain always growing, and changing, and meeting the challenges that arise. This is you two, my dearest Chuck and Jan, that I speak of. For my part, I am not attached to the book unless it is read, for otherwise I do not exist! If no one knows about me, and my group, then how can I exist, or have impact? Pick up your pens and pencils of the future, and begin the process now. Tell my story, and yours too, and let’s get the show on the road, moving now at a faster pace.
What about waiting for another, legitimate publisher?
Legitimate? Who is more legitimate than you? Let others catch up, that will be their fate, yet do I risk saying they will never, for that is not the method. No gain. Go for it.
Jeanne Marie Ketchel channeled by Jan Ketchel
September 25, 2007
For my part, I threw Hexagram #64, the final reading in The Book of Changes, with special emphasis on the ruler of the hexagram, 6 in the fifth line. This closing, optimistic reading in the I Ching, the time of Before Completion, depicts a time of transition, from chaos to order, from winter darkness to spring light and life. The seeds of new life, long germinating in the darkness of the earth, are about to spring forth with new life. The ice over rivers is melting, and the I Ching draws attention to the plight of the fox, moving circumspectly over such precarious fragility, suggesting caution over unbridled enthusiasm. Nonetheless, the ruler in this case, gives unbridled support to the light of the superior man, taken here to mean the book. All has indeed been prepared for, and this true light is favorable for accomplishing this transition to new life.
The future of this hexagram turns into #6, Conflict. Indeed, the controversial nature of The Book of Us will undoubtedly lead to conflict on many levels, from the decisions Jeanne and I made with cancer, to the validity of channeling itself. We make no claims to absolute truth, or the absolute “way”. The book however, is deeply the truth of our experiences and our journey, and is intended to support, and further, the journeys of those with whom it resonates. Both commentaries from infinity were extremely similar, and supportive of our decision, hence we launch The Book of Us.
Chuck Ketchel
Red Hook, New York
November 19, 2007
Additional quotes from The Book of Us have been posted. These are from Book 1, Journey in this World, giving you a taste of things to come, and an extra channeled quote from Book 2, All Worlds are One World. We hope you enjoy these glimpses into The Book of Us which will soon be released on our website, with access for free downloading for a limited time. We will also be publishing the Guide to Awareness, A Guide to Recapitulation, and Trusting Your Spirit Guide, three volumes that Jeanne presented during channeling sessions in 2005 and 2006. These will be available as free downloads, so look for them in the coming months as well.
Dear Readers of Jeanne’s Messages,
I have posted some new quotes in the Quotes sidebar today. They are from some earlier messages that are contained in our book, The Book of Us, which we will be publishing shortly, as an E-Book, hopefully over the next two weeks. We will be offering it as a free download through the holiday season; thereafter, it will be for sale at a very reasonable rate.
The Book of Us is, in the first part, a memoir, tracing the thirty years that Chuck and Jeanne Ketchel lived together, focusing on the journey these two very compatible beings traveled as they followed their spirits. This memoir includes their early years, personal inner struggles, a Jamaican retreat, professional life, work with Carlos Castaneda’s group, and their unique and exhaustive search through the world of alternative cancer treatments, ending with Jeanne’s final journey in leaving this life. The book is interspersed with journal writings, from journals Jeanne kept her entire adult life, with insights provided by Chuck, as well as channeled reflections as Jeanne was asked to comment on her past from her new vantage point. In the second part, entirely channeled, Jeanne describes transitioning from her body, and what she has encountered since leaving this world. In these early messages she is still figuring things out and often states that she doesn’t know how everything works yet, but in reading her messages now we discover how far she has continued to evolve, more sure of her place, and her mission.
We hope that you will not only enjoy this book, but also pass it along to others who may find it of interest, and in so doing become part of this mission of awakening that we, Chuck and I, had chosen to partake in. We will be sending out a notice of publication when the time arrives. In the meantime, we hope you continue to enjoy the messages. May they guide you on your journey.
Very sincerely, Jan Ketchel