This One Starts in the Dark

A hand holding a beautiful cut jasper whose cool colors match the sky over the mountains. A shadowed figure stands off to the right.

The Shadow Seekers’ Dispatch, edition 8


This One Starts in the Dark

I’ve been on an absolute tear with the pen lately—something relentless keeps pouring out. The Shadow Desires Series is shaping into something I’m genuinely proud of. Each piece is a deep look, a dare, a mirror. They’re not feel-good pieces. They’re feel-honest.

If you haven’t read the first one yet—Shadow Desires: Secret Fantasies, Sacred Longings, and What They’re Really Trying to Tell You—it’s a hell of a place to start. And if something in you stirs while reading, especially something uncomfortable—I’d love to hear about it in the comments or in a reply to this Dispatch.

In this issue: an artist who lets the rocks tell the story (and has something to say about aliens, Thundereggs, and what it means to leave your last rock in the saw vise), two new power-infused creations in the store, and some shadow-leaning stone and herb pairings if you’re looking to support what’s unraveling within.


Two views of lapidary art and a close-up of the aliens discovered when artist Dale Bertram cut the rock.
They Want This Planet But They Do Not Want Us, lapidary artist Dale Bertram. (Purchase this piece.)

Story Stones™ : Dale Bertram and the Art of Letting the Story Speak

When Dale Bertram cuts open a rock, he’s not just looking for patterns—he’s listening for a story.

His work, which he calls Story Stones™, began with what he describes as a visual epiphany: “At Quartzite I watched a guy cut a huge chunk of Landscape Jasper on a big slab saw. When the cut was finished, the cut surface revealed an awesome desert mountain scene complete with a sunset. There was a story in that scene just waiting to be written.” That moment lit a fire. Dale didn’t only want to make something beautiful—he wanted to unearth meaning.

And unearth he does. His art is part geology, part philosophy, and all soul.

Dale sees creativity everywhere—in coral reefs, in the Amazon, in the “night sky over the islands of Palau.” It’s no surprise that he sees it in rocks too. But he doesn’t try to force meaning onto the stone. As he puts it, “God is an artist, it’s everywhere, just look around you… In light of all that, what is an artist to do, but ‘create’!”

That belief—equal parts reverent and irreverent—runs through every piece he touches. He blends biblical texts with alien lore. He crafts sculptures that reference scripture and sculptures that house visitors from beyond. When asked about the spiritual thread through his work, he says simply: “Art tends to be very spiritual for me.”

But perhaps the deepest layer of Dale’s work is how it connects him to the people he loves—especially his daughter, Rachael. Born with what he describes as “special needs,” Rachael has her own way of being in the world: “Rachael is a ‘teacher’. Come and cut some Thundereggs with us sometime. Rachael will teach you what Love is. It’s simple, pure, uncomplicated, it keeps no record of wrongs, just like Rachael.”

Family, wonder, and storytelling all converge in his shop—and he’s thought about the day when he’ll cut his last stone. “… I always leave a rock in the saw vice when I am done cutting. There is one there now.” It’s not morbid—it’s mindful. It’s a reminder: our time here is limited, but the stories we reveal can outlast us.

Dale’s Story Stones™ remind us that meaning isn’t something you invent—it’s something you uncover. One cut at a time.

A cut thunderegg sits atop live-edge Big Leaf Maple Burl wood. Created by lapidary artist, Dale Bertram.
What mysterious scene appears in this thunderegg? (Purchase this piece.)

Now Haunting the Shop


From the Shadow Seekers’ Journal

How to Integrate Your Shadow Without Fearing What She Holds

Integrating your shadow isn't as scary as it looks. In this image, the shadow flails in front of a woman but remains unseen. The woman has symbols marked in black and red. Image is AI generated, greatly edited.

The Dark Mirror: What Jealousy, Cringe, and Obsession Reveal About You

The dark mirror isn't meant to show you the pretty things, and here, the young woman is surprised to see the angry face of jealousy staring back at her from the hand mirror. AI generated image, altered.

Erotic Energy and the Dark Muse: How Desire Fuels Creativity

erotic energy splashing into a clear bowl and transforming into flowers

Healing Through Art: A Guide to Creative Expression, Emotional Processing, and Personal Growth

A woman's paint-covered hand draws an imaginary line across a wall painted in matching colors, an AI generated image that serves as the header for "Healing Through Art".

Shadow Desires: Secret Fantasies, Sacred Longings, and What They’re Really Trying to Tell You

a woman noticing her shadow desires of dreams and forbidden longings

Energies for Shadow Work

Shadow Revelation and Stabilization

This combination is for Seekers who are ready to confront buried truths, trauma, or difficult realizations head-on, needing both protection and intuitive access.

one polished, wavy black rock called obsidian with some sharp looking edges.

Obsidian grounds spiritual energy, shields against negativity, and helps surface hidden patterns and truths.

It’s the knife that cuts through illusion, sharp but protective.

This stone has beautiful blues surrounded by grayish green rock.

Labradorite is linked to transformation, intuition, and surfacing repressed memories.

It strengthens you to see what’s been hidden.

Valerian has tall green stalks (up to 5 feet tall) and small flowers that range from white to soft pink. Image from the Center for Complementary Medicine.

*Valerian Promotes calmness, supports dream work, and protects psychic space.

Ideal when truth starts showing up in unexpected places—like your sleep.



‘Til Next Time

I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Shadow Seekers’ Dispatch. I’m scaling back on social media to keep my focus where it belongs—on the work that matters. But you can still follow along on Facebook or Pinterest for updates, new releases, and a steady dose of shadow-drenched creativity throughout the month. The buttons to click are right below my signature. I’ll see you next time.

Warmly,

Kellie Jo Close signature in white

Kellie Jo Close
Artist & Author
Transforms Shadows into Light


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