LAC LA BICHE - Maturing into spiritual awareness and finding one’s own path in life is the subject of a recent book by Aukje Kapteyn, an Edmonton-based author with roots in the Lac La Biche region.
Kapteyn's latest book ‘Fear Not Mystery’ comes two years after her debut, ‘Grounded Grandmothers,’ which was released in 2021, and has a five-star rating from 14 reviews on Amazon.
According to Kapteyn, her latest offering is geared towards those who have experienced obstacles and hurt from belief systems that stand in the way of them finding their true selves. It's a book helping people regain their confidence and self-love, she says, adding that it highlights the line between religion and spirituality.
“This book is about a journey from being heavily influenced by a dogmatic, fear-based religion, which even as pre-teen I questioned, to finding and trusting my own path,” she told Lakeland This Week.
Local retreat
Kapteyn lived in the Lac La Biche area for close to two decades, working as a counsellor at Portage College. She also wanted to fulfill her life-long dream of owning a retreat centre and writing. This centre, on the lake, became Miksau Retreat, a rural lake property between Lac La Biche and Plamondon where Kapteyn has been writing.
Living there created the ideal situation for finding deeper meaning through a connection with nature, wildlife, and serenity. ‘Fear Not Mystery’ includes stories about her passage into a mature spiritual awareness that took place at Miksau.
“The stories are about my dogs, the lake, the wildlife, and people who came to learn, grow, and find solace,” Kapteyn explained. “This was also during the time of my father’s passing so I write extensively about death and grief.”
Family connections run through the authors work, and while much of the inspiration for ‘Fear Not Mystery’ is derived from the stunning scenery of the Lakeland Region, the book itself is dedicated to her sister, who she says has walked the path of liberation with her.
“We understand each other implicitly and share the struggles, pains, and joys easily,” she said.
Writing
While Kapteyn has been writing for a long time-and has been published in magazines, weeklies and also published poetry-it wasn’t until her first book was printed that she started to consider herself to be an author.
What’s next for this author? More writing, she says, explaining that follow-up and sequels to what she has already written will likely follow in short order.
These future works, she says, will feature more anecdotes of her own experiences, but also the voices of those who she has met during the writing of her most recent book.
“The other books I am working on are journal-writing projects that have been of significant growth for me and that can be a wonderful template for others to use to move their process forward,” she told Lakeland This Week.
Book signing
In addition to writing, Kapteyn is also a primordial sound meditation instructor, having studied at Chopra University. She has taught meditation in Lac La Biche at several agencies as well as in groups.
‘Fear Not Mystery’ was released as an e-book on Oct. 23 on the Friesen Press website. The printed version were released a few weeks later. It is those copies that she will be bringing to Lac La Biche on Dec. 16 for a meet-and-greet and book signing at the Wolfe & Moon Market from noon to 4 p.m.
“This is my very first book launch in honour of the community that cradled my journey to wholeness,” she said.
