Jill Townsend-Sorel
Jill Townsend-Sorel
Jill Townsend-Sorel and her granddaughter, Sorel
I was born in Santa Monica, California, on January 25, 1945. I grew up In Locust Valley, Long Island. I graduated from The Mater’s School, Dobbs Ferry, New York in 1963. From there, I attended The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England.
My first theatrical role was on Broadway (Belasco Theatre, then Shubert Theatre) in the British play Inadmissible Evidence by John Osborn. From there to Hollywood, and back to England in numerous leading roles on film, stage and TV, winning a British Academy Award in the late 70’s.
Retiring from the theatrical world in 1979, I began studying at The London School of Journalism until I got my own page in the financial section of The Daily Mail.
Between 1979 and 1981, I researched and worked on existing and proposed environmental legislation attempting to find ways to stop the prolific dumping of toxic and nuclear waste in Britain. I stood for political office as an Independent to bring attention to the total lack of environmental protection for the British people. Being an American, my standing for office was totally illegal. I had been in the country for so many years that no one knew I was American… no one questioned my running for a political seat. Thankfully, I lost by 80 votes!
Soon after, I became the Assistant to the Chairman of Windsor Cable Television, helping to develop the first U.K. franchise; marketing, public relations and program development.
Between 1981 and 1989, I studied briefly at The University of Surrey Behavioral Aspects in International Relations until I went to Cambridge, Mass. To Harvard Law School as a Teaching Assistant for 3rd year law students on The Program on Negotiation. This led to becoming a Teaching Assistant on the Law School’s Program of Instruction for Lawyers.
During this time, I became the Deputy Director of The Foundation for International Conciliation based in Geneva, Switzerland. Our purpose: upon request, bringing together all constituents to a conflict and developing formats for discussions and negotiations. My field work was in the Middle East, South East Asia. Southern Africa and the South Atlantic.
On my birthday in 1989, I moved back to the States, ending up in California. Form then until 1995, I became a Council Trainer and Facilitator at Crossroads School, Santa Monica, The Ojai Foundation, Highland Hall School, Pasadena Waldorf School, Meadow Oaks School, New Roads School, Seven Arrows Elementary School, The California Youth Detention Facilities, The White Buffalo Calf Woman Shelter for Abused Women and Children (South Dakota), Zen Center, LA, Mountain Zen Center, Santa Monica Zen Center, Hazy Moon Zen Center and UCLA Extension.
From 1993 to the present:
Director of Leadership Directories, Inc.
I have a son, Luke, who spends his time working Farmer’s Markets for Scarborough Farms in southern California, and visiting and helping his father who lives in England and in Greece.
My husband, Bob, and I live in the Los Padres National Forest outside Ojai. Together we lead Rites of Passage programs and Vision Fasts. We are Pipe Carriers. Years ago, we were adopted by the Lakota in a Hunkapi Ceremony and given our Lakota names. Our brothers came to our land and built an Inipi – a sweat lodge – where I pour water for the people.
I am a Spiritual Counselor, a Minister and a Ceremonialist. I listen. I give readings. I am an intuitive. I offer energy healings.
I traveled 1800 miles across the Sarah Desert with the Tuareg Nomads and founded a little school there in a place called Imalole.
I founded The Council of Grandmothers with the greatest help from Ann Stein and Marilyn Salas. At this time, we put out a call for the WisdomKeepers – women over the age of 52 – This is the time when we find our “gifts”, our “medicine” which comes from years of experience and knowledge. We can now transmute that into wisdom. We all have great gifts .. so we ask ourselves ‘How can we use this wisdom, these gifts, to make the world a better place’? The call is still out there……
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
Hello Jill, so happy to hear about you and read this. Are you familiar with Sharon McErlane’s books A Call to Power and Our Love is Our Power? She received guidance from “council of grandmothers” messages & vibrations. I hope you will someday meet ea. other….both so great! Look forward to getting more info. from you and your group. I’m 65 yr. young Grandmother of 2 and former original Mouseketeer on TV. Enjoyed reading about your background, and thanks for making such a great difference in the World! ox
Jill & Bob, I haven not seen you guys since my cousins wedding in LA about 18 years ago. Jill if you recieve this email….please have Bob send his old friend from Connecticut a hardy hello. I hope you guys remember me…as I spent some time with you both in Hollywood hills, Ojai and S. Dakota.
Dear Miss Townsend I am not sure if you remember me, but I am sure I will never forget about you!
I was your worker somehow back in 1978 when Luke was 5 and you were for me like an angel in the earth.
I have been looking for you for so many years and today my daughter found you and send me your webpage.
Please let me know if I can get hold of Luke and if I can come to USA to see you again, I work with the angels giving readings, I am an intuitive as well.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Patrciia
Were you known as Penny while a teenager? I spent a summer in Glen Cove summer stock with a young actress to be named Penny Townsend who bore a striking resemblance to you as Jill in Poldark and The Golden Bowl. I have been one of your greatest fans. I think you also had a friend from school named Tippy who was later in the World of Henry Orient. Or am I terminally confused?
diana
Hello Jill, You don’t know me, I am a good friend of Vicki Cohen’s,
my son Michael Dawkins, he works for the OVN, suggested I contact
you and learn about the Council of Grandmother’s. Vicki has told
me a little about the organization. Are you accepting new members?
I don’t know when you have your meetings, I do work during the week
at the Oaks Spa but I usually have a Saturday or a Sunday off. If
you have time I would appreciate hearing from you, thank you dora
Hello Jill,
How strange (and wonderful!) to find myself writing to you, after learning of all the marvelous, healing work you do. I was a huge fan of Poldark when I was in college, and remember you so well from that stellar series. You were quite wonderful as Elizabeth Poldark! It is quite a revelation to find out about the direction your life has taken since you left acting. I love the idea of the Council of Grandmothers. Though I am not one myself yet, I hope to be someday, and it’s wonderful that the women’s wisdom is being celebrated in this way. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do!
Greetings Jill, I have been searching for you and Bob for some time. I will never forget how generous you both were some 20 years ago to let me live in LA with your family. I spoke to Luke once or twice on FB lately, but he is not registered anymore. I have recently found my way back to the spirit path that I learned so much about while with you and Bob. I am in Philly and actually found a sweat near here. I look forward to checking it out. So many years, I thought of you all often. I am eternally grateful for the wisdom you showed me. I have so much to catch you up to speed on. My family, my career, my education…my path.
Peace, Jason
Hi, Jill:
You may or may not have seen the “Dorzak” episode (my favorite episode in large part due to your wonderful performance of “Space:1999″ in which you played the character “Sahala”. Your endeavors since that filming are the types of things Sahala would have done – work for peace and making the world a better place. I always wanted to contact you but wasn’t sure on how.
My wife is 65, born 9/2/45 (I am 54) and I shared your website info with her. She has 7 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren and I am sure they can and will benefit from her years of experience and wisdom.
I would like to hear from you just to know that you read my email and your thoughts about how much you and Sahala are alike. Your fan, Jim.
Dear Jill:
I hope you spend a nice time in El Salvador, Indhira & myself wishes that you stayed confortable in our home.
You are very welcome if you decide to come again to our country.
Regards
Rafael.
Dear Jill,
So pleased to read about your wonderfully productive and varied life since our time together in Poldark when I played Drake Carne in series 2. I am in LA now. I wish you the best for the future.
Kevin
jill,
so great to read the entirety of your timeline, so much more than i knew. can’t wait to see the crescendoing results of the grandmothers as they begin the cleansing wind process. i look forward to sitting in your presence.
hi jill wonderful piece of acting in the first ever episode of the sweeney i wonder if you have any happy memories from that episode?
Hello Jill,
What a wonderful, fulfilling direction your life has taken. I stumbled, quite accidentally, upon this website. I find myself in my mid 50′s and although I am not yet a grandmother, I hope to be able to one day offer the wisdom and insight that my own mother instilled in my children.
It would be lovely to hear from you and how I can become part of this much-needed organization.
Thank you,
Karen
Jill, Someone just emailed me the poem you wrote “A SPIRITUAL CONSPIRACY” so I had to look you up and found you doing good and necessary work. I just wanted to send you thanks for the encouragement you gave through your poem. In my life it has been the grandmothers who have spurred me on most in music, art, and life. Keep up the good work and know that you are appreciated greatly by people like me who have heard you and been helped by you and others like you.
Mark Larsen
Beloved-
So much of your biography I didn’t know about… funny to learn that we both grew up on Long Island (I was from Levittown)!
But always, since our very first meeting in the 13 Moon Mystery Circle, always, you have been my heart-sister, friend, inspiration, mentor. How beautiful you are, how freely and completely you have devoted your life to the Truth of Who You Are. I am humbled and so grateful for your presence in my life. Te adoro…
cimmaron strip was on ‘retro’ network tonight…cimmaron was my favorite show in 67-68…and after it premeired my favorite movie…the great escape aired…unforgettable for a kid…it is nice to see that there is a “life after” for actors and actresses…i read up on you this evening…you have had an eventfull and productive life…good for you…
Just watched an episode of Cimarron Strip titled “Battleground.” I’d forgotten how much you brought to that old show. This is a couple of days late, but Happy Birthday.
Hi Jill
I have been trying to contact you for a while and this is the only way I can find. We met about 10 years ago in Belize. I was traveling with my then boyfriend Sam and we spent a lot of time with you and Bob. We also came and stayed in your ‘womb room’! Do you remember? Anyway, I often think about you and Bob and would love to hear from you xx
Around 40 years ago I was married to Max Palevsky and was a good friend of your sister, Joey, as well as your mom. Most of the stuff back there I’ve forgotten but not some things Joey said to me (how many people have dinner with the Rothschilds in London, anyway?), or spending an evening with your mom in the kitchen at Maxes house. It was my house but she introduced me to the kitchen! Jill, we have very much in common now. It is a miracle to have survived some of those decades but I did. I took my mothers maiden name (Emrie) and lived in NYC 1976-2002. I would be a grandmother but never had children – I did adopt a boy from Guatemala who is now 14, Manny. I was led to the ONLY social worker in NYC who understood my spirituality! I am very interested in what you do. Just took Manny to the annual Pow Wow here in Denver. I want to introduce him to a spirituality that is more in line with his birth culture. My feeling is that he has been put in my care until he’s grown. He is lovely. Namaste. Love to Joey and your family. Sara Brown (Palevsky) Emrie, Interfaith Minister
Dear Jill
You are answer to my prayers about a year ago I moved down to So. Calif. my husband and I lived in Northern Calif where I became aware of the the Thirteen Grandmothers and met a couple of them Agnes Barker Pilgrim, Flordemayo, Beatrice Long at an event in San Francisco we prayed and we celebrated in ceremony, my heart opened up and I know this is the group to follow, we have since move to Santa Clarita in So Calif, and have. Even looking for the same love and healing work please place me on your mailing list
Blessings
Alicia