Q. Can you please tell us
a little about your memoir?
A. It
is the story of a US trained OB-GYN and
born in Haiti who could intuitively see the root cause of her patient’s
illness, struggling to reconcile Western medicine with her healing heritage. A
spiritual journey of self-discovery; an awakening to live “close to the bones”
of innate identity.
Q. What was the hardest part of writing your
book?
A. Having to relive the sad
moments of my life – which were many. Also realizing that I still struggle with
the stigma of having “Voodoo In My Blood” and being at odds still with society
and family members – even though I totally embrace the gift that I have
inherited being the granddaughter of a Voodoo priest and shaman.
Q. Do you have a favorite excerpt from the book?
If so, could you please share it with us?
A. It was in 2005, at a
moment where I felt totally lost and was given a book whose author’s life
paralleled mine:
While I
was reading, the message kept coming: “The answer is in Haiti … the answer
is in Haiti…” I made a frantic call to Haiti:
“Tante Hélène,
I’m looking for answers and I’m hoping you’re the one who has them.” Without
giving her a chance to reply, I went on a tirade. “How come I can’t just be
like other doctors, see patients, write prescriptions, and make a good living?
Why is it I see patients in such a totally different dimension that I often
scare them?”
“It’s
because of who you are and what you’re supposed to become,” she said.
“Who am
I?”
“You…have…been…chosen,”
she said softly but emphatically.
I was
stunned into silence.
“You’re
the chosen one,” she said. “We all know it in this family; we’ve always known
it. Your grandfather told us while your mother was still carrying you that you
would be just like him—a healer, a shaman, someone who would make a
difference in many, many people’s lives. He told us you would be the one
to rebuild the temple, and you did. You even took his last name, something
unheard of in Haiti.”
“But
Tante Hélène,” I said, “if I were destined to be like him, a Voodoo priest, a
shaman, an herbalist living in a poor village being paid with chickens and
fruit, why did I have to go through medical training, struggling so hard, and
now find out I’m unable to practice Western medicine because of my intuitive
gifts?”
“It’s
your own destiny. You had to go through all that so you could have more
knowledge and be able to help even more people than your Grand-père did. Anyone
from any healing modality will listen to you now because of your credentials.”
“I don’t
feel I know as much as he did. It’s been a struggle for me to try to understand
my vision of patients, being able to see what’s happening to them, as in
a three-dimensional video. And now this is making it impossible for me to
practice medicine as a gynecologist!”
“Don’t
worry,” she said. “You already know everything you need to know; now you have
to trust that whatever you still don’t know will come to you when you need it.
It’s your inheritance from your Grand-père.
Q. What
do you hope readers will take away after reading the book?
A. I still weep when I read it, my tears
sweetened by the knowing that others have also lived lives as intense as mine,
themselves harboring secrets that keep them from living fully. It is my fervent
hope that it will help readers let your truths out and let them shine, and be
encouraged to do as Bettie Youngs my publisher says, “live close to the bone”
or do, as my friend Dr. Christiane Northrup asks in her cover quote, “Are you
living the life you were meant to live?”
Q. What
was your writing process while writing this book?
A. I just kept on writing and eventually wrote
too much. It was hard having to cut out some powerful portions, otherwise the
book would have been too big. I was lucky to have Bettie Youngs my publisher
and my editors to guide me.
Q. Who
or what was the inspiration for the book?
A. There were many people who inspired me but
the most important one was my paternal grandmother – Grandma – a powerful and
very strong woman who raised me since I was 4 years old. She continues to
inspire me even after her death. While writing the book, I realized that I had
become her, and I am proud of it.
Q. Have
you had a mentor? If so, can you talk about them a little?
A. I have had so many mentors from all walks of
life starting with Grandma. There were so many over the years and what come to
mind is Louise Hay and Dr. Christiane Northrup. I can say that they all
believed in me and guided me so I could become who I am today.
Q. I
have heard it said in order to be a good writer; you have to be a reader as
well? Do you find this to be true? And if you are a reader, do you have a
favorite genre and/or author?
A. I
was an avid reader while growing up but as I went through my medical studies my
reading was confided to medical journals and books. Later on, I would read some
self-help books. I also go through informative blogs. I rarely watch TV so I
get the daily newspapers and scan through it to keep abreast of what is going
on; my favorite daily readings are “Dear Abby” and the comics; I also love to read
funny jokes that I receive via e-mail. The last book I read in its entirety was
“Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth
Gilbert in March 2011. I am presently reading, laughing, and being inspired
with Stepping off the Edge: Learning
& Living Spiritual Practice by Sandy Nathan.
Q. Is
there anything else you would like to share?
A. We should be more aware of our body signals,
look for the root cause of symptoms, the answer is always within if we listen.
We should be true to ourselves and remember that what other people see as a
stigma might be a blessing in disguise. Finally, it is okay to think outside
the box.
Dr. Carolle
Jean-Murat, MD is a board-certified gynecologist and medical intuitive. She
offers intuitive consultations (by telephone & in person). For more
information, please visit her website: www.DrCarolle.com or call 619-850-5030.
