For the last four decades, Karen has been on a long and often solitary journey of researching and writing about metaphysical and psychological systems, mythology, and spiritual teachers. She has blended the archetypes of the Goddess, Warrior and Hero with personal and ancient stories, reflective inquiry, directive codes, and artistic imagery. Like the ripples from a rock that is thrown into the water, the overlapping meanings revealed a system of visions and intentions. What evolved was A Toolkit for Awakening, a series of practical, motivational, life-changing, and life-enhancing guidebooks.

Karen La Puma has been a lifelong student. Always listening to and reading something new, she is driven to self-improvement and personal growth. A self-identified metaphysician who is knowledgeable in both western and eastern astrology, La Puma has been a practicing Western astrologer since 1979. Since the Western form is more her specialty, she is considered a “newbie” in Vedic Astrology or Jyotisa, even though she has studied years with the world-renowned Jyotish master Hart de Fouw. Karen is on the board of NCGR (National Council for Geocosmic Research) in San Francisco, which is dedicated to raising the standards of astrological education.

In the 1970s Karen studied Egyptian tarot with the late Angeles Arrien, using the Aliester Cowley deck, which integrates the astrological symbols. Karen created a new digital collage deck that blends astrology, numbers and the Tree of Life. Her first study while she was a flight attendant was to learn numerology and use it with her ever-changing crew members to pass the long hours. That is where she learned the power of self-inquiry. Loving spirituality and systems of self-discovery, Karen has gone on to study the Enneagram, acupressure, and bodywork, and to become a Reiki Master.

Karen is a regular greeter at the monthly meetings at BAIPA (Bay Area Independent Publishers Association) as a result she has received much assistance in the publishing process.

Taking up the woman’s cause for justice, Karen participates in peaceful marches.

Karen's goal and mission is to help others in their evolutionary processes. She plans to donate a portion of her profits for the development of girls' education.

Karen is an exercise advocate and goes to a gym in Fairfax regularly. An avid hiker, she is blessed to live near the Loma Alta Mountain and has used climbing the hills as a metaphor for ascending the heights of consciousness. In 2004, after finding stones in three circles, Karen took four and half months and single-handedly carried all the rocks to build the Oak Manor Labyrinth. The Marin authorities destroyed three years later, but with community support and the help of a friend, it was rebuilt. She was acknowledged for this on the front page of the Marin Independent Journal.

Karen was initiated into a sacred order of Priestesses of Isis at a convocation ceremony on 10-10-2010 at the Isis Oasis Retreat Center in Geyersville, California. She loves participating and being a dancer in many rituals, which have honored the many aspects of the Goddess or the Divine Feminine, such as empowering Mary Magdalene and Guadalupe as the feminine aspect of Christianity.

An active craftsperson, Karen is adept at working with yarns and crocheted hundreds of artistic hats, shawls, blankets and sweaters. She uses crocheting hats as a means for centering and going beyond mind. Each hat is infused with spiritual and heartfelt desires. These adorable self-expressions became rituals of blending colors and textures and entwining yarns into beautiful, multi-hued, jeweled circular “mandalas.” They are available for purchase under the label of LaPumaDesigns.

For fun, Karen likes to make healthy organic no-sugar desserts using a mix of stevia and just a dash of coconut sugar to disguise that taste. She has experimented with homemade dark chocolate, mixed with soaked dried fruits and nuts, granola cupcakes, almond bread with apple bits, nut balls and apple pie (made with apples from her own trees), She is repeatedly asked to make a healthy chocolate cake, whose secret ingredient is black beans and eggs and frosted with coconut milk, dates, dried coconut bits, Lily’s chocolate chips, and either walnuts or almonds.