Barratt, Iris K. 1954–

PERSONAL: Born October 18, 1954, in Salt Lake City, UT; daughter of Don R. and Ethel (maiden name, Mellen; present surname, Dieckmann) Betts; married Mike Barratt (a school administrator), June 14, 1997; children: Lissa Austin, Leah Austin. Ethnicity: "Caucasian" Education: Certified clinical hypnotherapist and massage therapist. Politics: "Peace activist." Hobbies and other interests: Dowsing, palmistry, peace activism.

ADDRESSES: Home and office—3700 N. Hwy. 101, Depoe Bay, OR 97341. E-mail—iris@wellnessgoods.com.

CAREER: Universal Life minister. Worked as transpersonal hypnotherapist, ten years, in "visionary palmistry," twenty years, and as private investigator, twenty years, all in Sun Valley, ID. Planet Peace Project, member of board of directors.

WRITINGS:

Divination for Decision Makers, Awakening Visions (Bellevue, ID), 1989.

The Power of Forgiveness, Awakening Visions (Bellevue, ID), 1989.

Advanced Investigative Techniques, Awakening Visions (Bellevue, ID), 1996.

The Divination Workbook: An Expert's Guide to Awakening the Power and Wisdom of Your Soul, Awakening Visions (Bellevue, ID), 1998.

Surgery: Before and After, Awakening Visions (Bellevue, ID), 1999.

Intuition, Divination, and Dowsing Skills with Hypnosis, Awakening Visions (Bellevue, ID), 2001.

SIDELIGHTS: Iris K. Barratt once told CA: "My primary motivation for writing each of my works is to empower the individual to use inherent powers of divinity and gain greater soul awareness. I wrote The Divination Workbook: An Expert's Guide to Awakening the Power and Wisdom of Your Soul, to teach divination techniques, which I have used for over twenty years to enhance literally every area of my own life. I wanted a versatile and simple tome on divination and dowsing for both the beginner and advanced student.

"My work as a clinical hypnotherapist has inspired me to assist others in being clear about what they do want and to be part of the solutions in life, rather than passive victims in many challenging areas, such as surgery, where one feels especially vulnerable.

"I have always loved investigating, even as a small child who loved Sherlock Holmes. My curiosity about life and my search for the truth have always been strong. I realized at a young age that the search for truth and living the truth to the best of my ability enhanced my clairvoyant, visionary tendencies. My personal definition of a visionary is 'one who is gratefully inspired and haunted by humanitarian ideals.'

"I have learned that self-trust is the foundation of inner knowledge. My personal belief is that divination and dowsing work because we live in a universe of spirit or divine spiritual intelligence, sometimes referred to as the web of life. It is the basis of vitality and is another name for our soul connection to universal consciousness.

"I have learned that spiritual evolution and divination are not always rational processes. Therefore my passion (and book) is about moving beyond an either/or mentality to one of inclusiveness and evolution of our soul awareness, our divine connection to the whole of consciousness."