Wendy Stiver OSB Obl. is a Benedictine oblate in the community of St. Brigid of Kildare Monastery. She was born and mostly raised in the Pasadena area of Southern California, and lives in a 95 year old house in South Pasadena with her blind, deaf, and demented [aka canine cognitive dysfunction] Great DaneBull Sassy, her adult daughter preparing to launch, and a community of fictive kin brought together through need and circumstance. Wendy finds that the commandment to love each other as God has loved you is often easier said than done, the neighbors definitely don’t understand radical hospitality, but walking this path certainly makes for some interesting stories!!!!
She has worked as a Registered Nurse since 1981, in diverse settings and specialties, ranging from ortho/trauma to university teaching to hospice to case management. She currently studies holistic healing modalities ranging from essential oils/aromatherapy to energy work to reflexology, she is dedicated to the healing powers of yoga, tai chi, and qigong. Although on permanent disability, Wendy continues develop continuing education courses for nurses and write online programs on current topics such as the opioid crisis and human trafficking. She is passionate about how nurses can be change agents for healing of both individuals and the broader society, and advocates for nurses to play a much larger role in policy formation and politics because nurses know how to make things work.
Wendy is also trained as a musicologist, with a Master of Arts in Music History and Literature from USC. She has performed as a classical pianist in a variety of settings, and currently studies classical voice. She also loves the fine arts, and has exhibited her collages at Brand Library Gallery in an exhibit title “Artists do Opera.”
Her journey to Mago began on a yoga meditation retreat to Sedona, AZ., which included several guided meditations focused on Mago, the Primordial Mother. This led to more research to learn about Mago, and contact with Helen Hwang. It has been a true blessing to become part of this community, to learn more about Magoism, and to begin the path of Magoist Studies.