Guided By A Greater Hand

In every life, there are moments which transform us entirely. These moments grant us a different view of the world. For Ravensworth Farm author Lewis “Lew” Tagliaferre, it has been no different. For nearly thirty years he has written about his own personal experiences in order to help others with personal pain.

Lew was born in Ridgeley, WV, and grew up Cumberland, MD, where his family had moved soon after his birth. He served a tour in the Air Force, then married his sweetheart, Rosalene.

He went through a variety of careers, from logistical support for defense contractors to Director of Marketing Services at the National Electrical Contractors Association. At NECA he began writing in earnest, producing regular articles in Electrical Contractor magazine.

In 1985, Rosalene died from complications related to breast cancer. Lew's world was destroyed.

He sought refuge in therapy, and in therapy he was urged to journal. Herein Lew explored alternatives to his Baptist faith, which no longer comforted him. From these journals came the basis for his first book, Recovery From Loss: A Personalized Guide to the Grieving Process, which is still published by the Center for Applications of Psychological Type. A second book, Kisses Aren’t Contracts, is a guide to harmonious living for unmarried couples.

Lew’s experiences dealing with grief took him to Sedona, Arizona. The city's mystical character spoke to him, and he would visit it many times while writing his next book, Voices of Sedona. This book, along with its sister volumes – Lessons from Sedona, Baby Boomer Lamentations, Voices of Sedona II and Theofatalism: Personal Reformation for Troubled Souls – would lay out the principles of Theofatalism, the philosophy which Lew has formed from his experiences and studies.

It is through this philosophy that he wishes to help others who have both suffered and have yet to suffer. By perceiving events and one's own actions as being entirely chosen by God instead of the product of free will, Lew seeks to spread a message of comfort through the worst events.

The latter half of Lew Tagliaferre's life has been a struggle in the face of considerable pain, and yet he has made it through relatively intact. At age 78, he reflects upon what he considers the twilight of a bittersweet existence.  With no one to carry on his work, he worries that it will vanish with him. Yet he finds peace in his message. He continues to share it with those who have suffered pain similar to his own.