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  • ROBERT HARDING

    ROBERT HARDING
October 5, 2012

Author-healer to highlight exhibition

Matthew Bieniek Cumberland Times-News

CUMBERLAND — A man whose spiritual quest took him from the life of an ordinary salesman to author, songwriter and healer will make a presentation at the Blue Star Holistic Expo in Cumberland.

He refers to it as “the Blue Star” talk, something of a synopsis of his book.

Robert Harding will be available throughout the Nov. 3 event to autograph books and discuss his spiritual journey. Harding will make his presentation at 11:30 a.m.

Harding, a resident of London, said he discovered healing abilities as he made a spiritual quest, during which he’s traveled to the Hopi lands of New Mexico and spent considerable time in the United States.

Harding has written “Blue Star,” which is an account of his spiritual awakening. He’s also recorded a compact disc of his original music called “This Was My Life.” The book and CD will be available at the expo. The CD was issued by Assurance Records and Publishing based in Cumberland and Nashville, Tenn. The book already has local fans.

“It’s fabulous,” said Jodi Sweitzer, who is involved with the holistic health community in Cumberland. Sweitzer is the owner of Peace of Me, the site from which Harding will be operating during his stay. Harding will also offer healing treatments, organizers said.

The key spark for his spiritual journey was an apparition of Mary, which Harding describes in his book.

“As I turned back to take up my previous position, I saw the image of Mary I’d seen on the building in Clearwater hovering about four feet above the bed,” Harding wrote. The image Harding refers to is what many people believe is an image of the Virgin Mary which, in 1996, was found on the windows of a building in Clearwater, Fla. Harding had his vision in 1999.

While Harding is very serious about spirituality, his book includes incidents that show his lighter side.

Early on, Harding was afraid to tell family and friends about the healing gifts he was discovering. He was afraid “they’d think I’d gone mad.” Then, one day, he was sharing a bottle of wine “or two” with a friend who suffered from severe chronic ankle pain. Harding spilled the beans.

“The wine must’ve really loosened my tongue, and I found myself telling him about my ‘vision’ in Florida ... and all that had happened since. I asked him if he’d like me to put my ‘healing hands’ on his foot. Obviously the wine had affected him too, because before I knew it he’d removed his slipper and sock,” Harding wrote. Harding said his friend has not had pain in his foot again.

In the book, Harding admits this early healing effort went against the rules of holistic healing, especially since he’d been drinking. Harding later quit drinking permanently.

Harding will  be available for healing consultations while based here. He’ll also be traveling for a short “media blitz” in the region and making presentations for other holistic organizations, along with a side trip to Nashville, organizers said.

For more information or to make an appointment with Harding, call 240-362-7080 or email bluestarexpo@yahoo. com.

Harding’s website is at http://robertharding.net/index.htm. He is also on Facebook.

Contact Matthew Bieniek at mbieniek@times-news.com.

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