El Collie was a great spirit, wise, generous and compassionate. She gave much of the last decade of her life promoting awareness of the Kundalini process and helping other awakened people in difficulty, even tho her own life and process was marked with chronic pain and illness. Yet, she rarely mentioned her difficulties, and her sharing on this list was often very humorous as well as insightful. She continued to reach out and help others, to share her wisdom that it might benefit any who might be in need.

This cyberspace community that so many have gained so much from, would not exist but for El. The impetus and support for the creation of the K-list came from El, it was inspired by her "Friends online" site which was the first website to offer a place of community and comfort for awakened people.

El Collie describes the K-list's origin:
  In July, 1995, Haakon Rian Ueland began a sporadic digest-form Kundalini mailing list (the first one on the Internet to my knowledge). A few months later, Bill Peay put together the Kundalini Resource Center to provide a broader information base on the Internet. At that time, Bill introduced himself as KRC's webmaster and named Haakon as its host. In November '95, El Collie and C. Kress (who had been publishing the Kundalini-support newsletter 'Shared Transformation' since 1993) created their website of the same name. In May '96, Richard Satin, one of the original Shared Transformation "Friends Online," volunteered to begin another Kundalini mail list (Haakon's was defunct by then). I sent Richard 50 email addresses of everyone who had by that time contacted 'Shared Transformation.' regarding Kundalini. Richard notified them all about the new K-list. About 30 of them responded, including Bill Peay, who gave the early list its home page on KRC, where it rapidly built up membership.

All of us have found comfort from her work: the signs and symptoms page, her writing, poetry and her own ground breaking print magazine and website, gone now but her book is hosted on Wordpress. It is my hope that these pages will help to keep her wisdom alive. She so loved to help people. I seek to honor her memory by making certain that her work will remain available continue to help awakened seekers who come looking for her wisdom, as they always have.

I am greatly in her debt, and I am very glad I told her so, in July 2000, when she retired from active participation in this list, citing health problems and a need to invest energy elsewhere, and think about something besides the process. After so many years of caring and activism, she certainly earned the rest.

At that time, I wrote:
"You are one of the true Pioneers of the Western Kundalini phenomena.
Few people know that about you. Now, it seems that gradually you are retiring from that activism, and truly you have earned it. Your influence on this entire social subgroup of awakened folks has been tremendous, and you have always been an inspiration to me. From back when I first came online, and came across the "Signs and Symptoms list".. it changed my perspective of my entire life.
It makes me think of the early feminists, and the brilliant blazing torch they passed on the succeeding generations. My career as a Kundalini activist has just begun, by comparison, and it would not Be, if not for your efforts in creating the legacy which I, among so many, are heirs to.
It saddens me tho, to see you departing the field. Those of us who are just starting out, still need you. We need your wisdom and insights. Your passion.

Last time I wrote to her, she said she was mentoring new writers. Yet, I noticed when her name reappeared in the member list, although I did not mention it to anyone. She chose to be in seclusion and I respected that, and did not disturb it ... but it gave me great joy to know we were again blessed by her presence... and I am sure in her own way, she will continue to move among us, sharing her love..

Thank you, El Collie, ... you gave us all so much.

... and as we say on the list when a member departs...:

Happy Trails to you
Until we meet again...
Happy Trails to you...

Mystress.

Kundalini Gateway Memorial Tribute to El Collie.
Members Remember El.
El Collie in her own words
Selected posts.
More selected posts..
Her Poetry.
Her Beloved Charles.
Her thoughts about the K-list.
Archive of all her posts.
Signs and Symptoms of Awakening.
Kundalini Mailing List Archives.
Kundalini Gateway Index.