Are you struggling with trauma, of health, mind or spirit?
There is a new book, “The Golden Butterfly: My Journey to Heaven on Earth” by Aily Carranza that helps people learn how to heal in all three areas, and find their own heaven on earth.
The book won first place in the BMS awards (Body, Mind, Spirit Book Awards) in the Angels & Spirit Guides category and was a finalist in the Spiritual Healing category.
Carranza said “The Golden Butterfly” is an inspirational and healing memoir of how she survived and thrived, despite the multiple health issues and tragedies in her life.
“True healing comes from facing your traumas, tragedies, and health challenges head-on, clear-eyed, with compassion and love for yourself and others,” Carranza said. “Often times, we are conditioned to give up our power, to lose our voices, and to accept abuse and illness as somehow a deserving fate. However, I am evidence that every human being has power, has a voice, and everyone has the ability to soar above even the worst situations to find true healing and their own heaven on earth.”
To get a better understanding of the book, Carranza spoke with SA Live for an exclusive interview.
What inspired you to write this book?
“I wrote this book to encourage and empower other readers to triumph over their own tragedies and illness,” Carranza said. “You can come out the other side happy and whole. It sounds like the plot of a Greek tragedy with a romantic and adventurous twist, however, I’ve been through the murders of my beloved father, my dear uncle and older cousin, the untimely deaths of many loved ones, sexual abuse, rape, kidnapping, a dangerously abusive first marriage, flatlining during the birth of my daughter, cancer, thyroid disease, and so many other challenges. In ‘The Golden Butterfly,’ I tell that story. I want others to know that they have the power in them to heal, thrive and survive in this world and empower my readers how to do so by gifting everyone with what I have found to be the keys to Heaven on earth.”
Why “The Golden Butterfly?” and what does “finding heaven on earth” mean to you?
“I call myself the Golden Butterfly because the life and transformation of the butterfly is much like my own, and others who are struggling,” Carranza said. “We crawl along like a caterpillar, then hole up for years in a cocoon of pain and sickness. But eventually, we can break out as a butterfly and soar. It’s an image that speaks to me, and I hope it speaks to others who feel stuck, as I did.”
What are some of the things that you recommend that readers do to find their own “heaven on earth?”
“First, you have to gather the courage to remember who you are and where you come from, then, plant the seed of compassion in your heart to cultivate forgiveness and empathy to be able to forgive all those who physically and mentally abused you,” said Carranza. “As I write about in the book, I had to forgive the murderers who killed my father. It’s difficult but it is about cultivating compassion. However, you also have to make tough decisions to finally let go of toxic people who keep you stuck in trauma and illness.”
“For me, prayer and various meditation and ritual techniques were an important part of this. Many of us lose our voices along the way -- I did,” the author said. “I spent decades not speaking up for myself. Interestingly, many who lose their voice actually develop thyroid problems. But when you take care of yourself - body, mind, and spirit - you can heal, regain your voice, and use it. For me, that was radically changing my diet, never giving up on finding the right doctors and using holistic healing approaches.”
You talk quite a bit in the book about your thyroid issues. Why is that important to your story?
“There are many individuals who have undiagnosed thyroid conditions,” Carranza said. “In fact, the majority of us don’t even know due to the multiple yet different symptoms for each individual. I went undiagnosed for decades. During that time, I gained over 100 pounds, was depressed, lost my hair, and had to ride around in a scooter. I was very sick, yet, I was told it was all in my head. It was my hormones.”
If you are interested in purchasing The Golden Butterfly, it’s available locally at Natural Remedy Store at 1713 SW Military Drive, and at The Twig Bookshop located at 306 Pearl Parkway and online here.