What 53 Months of Ancient Wisdom Studies Taught Me

Four years and five months—53 months of Wisdom Studies—sounds like a significant commitment when I say it out loud. And it is. But here’s what I’ve learned through studying ancient wisdom: the most profound transformations don’t happen in a weekend workshop or a 21-day challenge…

How I Found Wisdom Studies: The Weekend Everything Changed

I almost didn’t go to that microschool builders’ conference in Beltsville, Maryland

At the time, my microschool had exactly four students—my two kids and two others. I’d been running it for a few years, but I was starting to second-guess whether it even counted as a “real” microschool. When I saw the Facebook ad for a conference at something called “the Good Knight Network,” I signed up on impulse. But as the date approached, I kept wondering if I’d just wasted money flying across the country for a random conference I’d found online.

The week before I left, I visited a local angel communicator to ask some questions about my school’s future. She took an aura photograph, and what appeared stunned both of us—a large purple figure hovering just behind my shoulder.

“That’s Archangel Michael,” she told me. “The conference you’re attending next week is extremely important. This is a new level unlocking for you.”

I didn’t know what to make of that. Angel cards had always felt like a “safe” way to explore spirituality alongside my traditional Catholic/Lutheran upbringing, but this felt different. Bigger.

When I arrived at the Castle (as the Good Knight Network grounds are affectionately called), I understood why I’d been guided there. The property held a statue of Mary that reminded me of my childhood at St. Augustin’s School in Des Moines. There were symbols from the Knights of the Holy Grail—imagery I’d always been drawn to as a fan of Renaissance festivals, King Arthur, and medieval literature. But it wasn’t just Christian symbolism. There were representations from ancient Egypt, honored gifts from North American and Indigenous leaders, a golden statue of Buddha, and the camp’s guiding principles came straight from Don Miguel Ruiz’s Four Agreements.

This was a place where ALL were truly welcome. Where love, compassion, and grace were held in highest regard.

I met the volunteers who ran the children’s summer camp—people who described themselves as “guardians of childhood.” As a microschool founder, that language resonated deeply. Their warmth, intelligence, and genuine kindness drew me in immediately. And yes, Archangel Michael presides over this network. It felt like he had orchestrated my arrival with perfect precision.

Within weeks, I signed up for the Wisdom Studies. I’ve been studying ever since.

From “Just My Imagination” to Sacred Creative Power

Before I began this journey, I thought I knew myself pretty well. I was confident in my abilities and talents. I’d always been the creative kid—the one with ten imaginary friends, the artist, the writer, the singer. I thought I had a vivid imagination.

What I didn’t understand was the true power that imagination holds, and its direct connection to Source.

The Wisdom of Atlantis lessons taught me that what I had dismissed as “just imagination” was actually one of my greatest spiritual gifts. My ability to sense, to visualize, to create—these weren’t flights of fancy. They were sacred tools for manifestation, healing, and connection.

This reframe changed everything.

I learned to work consciously with angelic energies. I studied breath work, meditation, crystal healing, and animal communication. I took Reiki training and developed my ability to sense what highly sensitive children needed to feel safe and continue loving learning. I practiced psychometry and divination, discovering where my natural strengths lay while building new capacities I hadn’t known were possible.

My microschool grew from 4 students to 5, then 7, then 16, then 27 (which was too big—we scaled back to 12). We obtained a beautiful standalone property in the country with 15 acres of rolling woodlands and a pond. I learned to feel my manifestations so clearly that receiving what I truly wanted became second nature.

But perhaps most importantly, I developed what I call my “observer perspective”—the ability to step back from reactivity and respond to life rather than simply react to it.

The Practice That Changed How I Move Through the World

There wasn’t one single breakthrough moment. Instead, there was the slow, steady strengthening of my observer muscle.

I practiced seeing the positives in any situation. I learned to “flip the script” when I wasn’t satisfied with how something was unfolding. I cultivated grace for other humans because we never truly know what someone else is experiencing. And perhaps most challenging, I learned to allow others to exist and make the choices they make, honoring that it’s their journey.

The lessons on responding versus reacting were transformative. They helped me recognize when I wasn’t in the observer seat—when my ego was running the show instead of my higher self.

Before this journey, I craved positive feedback and affirmation. My boundaries were something I struggled with constantly. As a business owner, I would often do what was expected of me or let other people’s needs dictate my choices.

After 53 months of study? Affirmation is still nice, but I don’t need it. I have an internal compass pointed firmly toward love, oneness, and a new earth paradigm where humans respect not only each other but the earth and all her creatures. My boundaries are firm. My observer perspective is solid most of the time. And I trust myself in ways I never did before.

What Wisdom Studies Actually Looks Like

People sometimes ask me what I actually do in these lessons.

I read each lesson and meditation multiple times a week (sometimes I listen to the audio version). Then I journal about my experiences. The journal is really where things process for me. Writing helps me understand what I’m seeing, experiencing, and learning. It helps me make sense of my dreams, my interactions with people and animals, the synchronicities that appear.

It’s remarkable how, no matter which lesson we’re studying, it’s always applicable to my daily life.

But here’s what makes this different from simply reading a book on spiritual development: the community.

Through our meetings, I became part of something bigger. Our group includes people of many ages, nationalities, and backgrounds, all working toward H.O.P.E.—Helping Open People’s Eyes. We don’t just discuss the lessons. We meditate together. We talk about current events through the lens of the Wisdom Studies. We participate in coherence exercises and meditations to help the world.

We ask each other for support—prayer, meditation, healing—without hesitation. This community held me as I navigated my senses heightening and changing. Knowing I wasn’t “going crazy” was huge.

The Things I Didn’t Expect

What surprised me most was how my perspective on the “woo woo” aspects shifted.

Atlantis. Interdimensional consciousness. Angel communication. Channeling.

I used to think I was “just imagining” these experiences. Now I know I’m not. By studying these ancient lessons—which you can find threads of throughout every religion and culture based in love—I’m pulling together and igniting the knowing that was inside me all along.

The other surprise? I learned from Sophia West that we don’t need a teacher or guru. The answers are always inside us. Her job—and now mine as I prepare to lead the next cohort—is to help you find your own keys to unlock those answers.

There’s no “one way” to do anything in these studies. Our community includes people from all different backgrounds and belief systems. We don’t agree on everything, and that’s okay. We listen to each other and try to understand where the other person is coming from.

Why Sequential? Why Not Just Jump In Anywhere?

You can join the Wisdom Studies at any time, but to receive the complete teachings, you’ll study each lesson sequentially. This is intentional. We’re filling in the gaps as we build our scaffolding of spiritual understanding.

Someone might come in thinking they already “know” everything about animal communication, but we still ask them to participate in that lesson. Why? Because learning is an upward spiral. Each time we circle back to a concept, we’re doing so from a higher vantage point, with more context, more integration, more depth.

The lessons use best practices from many different modalities—auric reading, breath work, Qi Gong, psychometry, divination, crystal healing, meditation, and more. This variety helps you discover where your natural strengths lie while developing capacities you didn’t know you possessed.

An Invitation to Join Wisdom Studies

If you’ve found your way to this post, chances are you’ve felt something shifting. Maybe you’ve “woken up” and aren’t sure what to do next. Maybe you’ve taken classes from many different teachers, searching for answers but not quite finding them. Maybe you’re experiencing heightened sensitivity and wondering if you’re losing your mind.

You’re not. You’re awakening.

I always tell people that our Wisdom Studies aren’t tied to any one religion, creed, or culture. We are light bearers. We need many different perspectives to help humanity continue to rise. If it doesn’t resonate with you, you’ll feel that. And that’s perfectly okay—there are many paths to the same summit.

If you’re called to explore ancient wisdom traditions, there are wonderful resources available:

But if the Wisdom Studies do resonate—if you’re feeling called to this particular path—I’d be honored to walk alongside you.

I’m leading the next cohort beginning February 4th. What you’re choosing when you sign up isn’t just the lessons (you could buy the book and study alone). You’re choosing community. You’re choosing a guide to help you find your own keys. You’re choosing to be witnessed and supported as you remember who you truly are.

For those local to the Stillwater, MN area: We’re offering a bonus gathering hour before each class at Awakening Wisdom School, a hub of the Good Knight Castle. Join us early to walk our meditative medicine wheel labyrinth, soak in the healing waters of our hot tub, canoe on the pond, or simply forest bathe on our beautiful grounds. We’ll also have reiki and healing exchanges plus informal networking time to connect and share about our work. No additional cost—just extra community time for those who can join us in person.

Fifty-three months ago, I thought I was attending a microschool conference. What I found was my spiritual home and a community of fellow light bearers. My school grew. My gifts awakened. My purpose clarified.  

The journey continues to unfold in ways I couldn’t have imagined from that first nervous flight to Maryland. 

If you’re hearing the call, trust it. Your own Archangel Michael might be standing right behind you, waiting for you to say yes.

About the Author

Amy Marotz, M.Ed., is Vice President of the Good Knight Network and Director of Awakening Wisdom School in Stillwater, Minnesota. She has been studying the Ancient Wisdom lessons under Sophia Key West since 2018 and now guides others on their spiritual journeys. Amy is a Reiki Master, homeschool and microschool advocate, and passionate believer in experiential learning that honors the whole person.

Ready to learn more about the Wisdom Studies? Register for the February 4th cohort here or visit goodknight.org. Questions? Reach out to us at thegoodknightnetwork@gmail.com.

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