I assumed that Gilly Colledge would be my name for the rest of my life, but it’s always a mistake to make assumptions. Many years later, in September 2007, I received a channelled message delivered by my friend Armukara Angel, in which her guides spoke of a major shift of energy that I would experience during my trip to Egypt the following year. Armukara had participated in one of my first Opening to Channel workshops, during which she had made a very strong connection with the Sirian Councils of Light. I trusted her channelling implicitly and always paid attention to messages she passed on, for our destinies were intertwined. The message from her guides read: Egypt will be a major shift for Gilly, and will change her. She will be given a new name, which she must use, for this is who she will be from this point on. She will change. People may not understand, but it is the next stage of her path that she must take, and she already knows this. My initial reaction to the idea of being given a new name was less than enthusiastic. I liked Gilly Colledge, and also had a wide client base who knew me by that name. My previous experiences had indeed proven that “people may not understand” if I chose to change my identity. I also had reservations about the idea of taking on a spiritual name, concerned that it might seem presumptuous unless I was given one by a guru, as some devotees are. I let go of the idea for the meantime, as my Egypt trip was still some months away. ​ Six weeks later, at a community celebration in Wales led by Roy Littlesun, I asked a new friend, Urtema Dolphin, about her name. Urtema is a powerful Goddess of a woman, and I was slightly in awe of her. As I’d guessed, Urtema wasn’t her original name, and I asked what had inspired her to take on a new identity. “Oh, my guides just started calling me Urtema,” she said. She was so matter-of-fact and confident about the process of taking on her true name, that over the course of our conversation I let go of my fears about the impending change and started looking forward to it. That opening manifested an almost instant result. The very next morning, on the 28th of October 2007, I channelled a powerful Mayan elder spirit who pronounced in a deep, authoritative voice: I am a warrior guide, a connector for you in the times to come in which your warrior status is revealed to all. You are one who awakens to your path indeed! Solara is your name – one who holds the power of the sun within her soul; within her words – the power of transformation. Yours is the way of power; the way of the warrior. Your way is one of impeccability and integrity. You are a Warrior of the Light! Your new name assists in the vibrational change to come. ​ When I shared the message with Urtema over breakfast, full of excitement, I said, “Well at least I like the name Solara, it’s pretty – it would be difficult if I was given a name I didn’t like.” She burst out laughing. “Now, why on Earth would you take on a name that you didn’t like – you do have some say in the matter you know!” Sometimes I do need to be told! She then proceeded to call me Solara for the rest of the weekend, which felt both strange and wonderful. The following morning, in the early dawn, the Pleiadian Councils of Light commenced a transmission by singing, “Sooooo-laaaaa-raaaaa” three times. The vibration of the name echoed through my heart and soul, bringing tears to my eyes. This was an initiation into the vibration of SO-LA-RA, which was a higher frequency than I presently held. They explained that using the name and hearing myself called Solara would activate codes in my energy body and help me to integrate my Pleiadian Higher Self aspect. ​ On my return to London, I asked the universe for a very clear sign that this was indeed the new name of which Armukara’s guides had spoken. My confusion was that it had been given before, rather than during, my journey to Egypt. The sign arrived a few days later when I met up with Urtema for a cuppa. “I’ve got something for you,” she said with a mysterious smile while fishing in her bag. She told me that on her return from Wales she had started browsing through her books, pondering to herself, “Solara, Solara … I know I’ve come across that name before.” ​ After a dramatic pause at this point in her story, she pulled a white book out of her bag and placed it in my eager hands. Time stood still as I found myself staring at my new name in silver print with a rainbow sheen: SOLARA. The book was titled The Star-Borne: A Remembrance for the Awakened Ones, and the picture on the front was of a star radiating waves outwards like a radio signal. ​ As soon as I returned home I jumped onto my bed, preparing myself in a state of great anticipation to open the book for the first time. I closed my eyes and asked to be shown any significant message in it immediately. I then opened it at random, landing on page 82 – the start of a chapter explaining the purpose of taking on your Higher Self name! The first words I read were: This name could be termed your multi-dimensional or starry name. And once received and used, the resonance of its vibration will serve to trigger and reactivate your pre-encoded cellular memories, allowing you to receive and harmonize with even higher frequency energy fields. ​ This was almost word for word what my guides had already explained about the purpose of my new name! To top it off, the author Solara went on to say that there are often a group of humans with the same “starry name,” and that there were several Solaras. She mentioned having met another woman by the name of Solara in Sedona and being amazed at the similarities between them. ​ I was totally overwhelmed by this stupendous synchronicity. The universe had now given me a massively clear sign about changing my name that under no circumstances could be ignored. I found Solara’s website and read about her in complete fascination. She was a beautiful, dark-haired American woman who had published many spiritual books long before I was ever awake. She had been a great leader in the Harmonic Convergence gatherings in 1987, and was one of the first people to talk of star gates. There was a picture on her website of her house in Hawaii, then for sale, and the way it was decorated looked so much like my house I was astounded! ​ I asked my guides if they could give me a second name, so I could distinguish myself from the other Solara in my work and future books. They said that if I wanted another name I should choose one myself. Easier said than done! Solara Colledge didn’t work – it sounded too much like the name of an actual college – and why would I want to keep my married name anyway, when Jeremy and I had already been separated for three years? Solara Sheer sounded okay – but I couldn’t imagine reverting to my maiden name either; it didn’t feel right. ​ After much contemplation I chose An-Ra, in honour of the Pleiadian Archangelic collective by that name. According to Amorah Quan-Yin, author of The Pleiadian Workbook, this collective is of a green frequency. As my incredible Pleiadian activation in Knysna had involved an intense turquoise-green light, I decided to honour the experience and my Pleiadian friends with this second name. ​ I went through the official procedure of applying for a “deed poll” to make my new name legal, which was surprisingly easy; followed by the much more long-winded process of changing every single document and account in my life. I was amused at having to pay an additional four pounds to change my title from “Mrs” to “Ms,” rather than “Miss” – a tiny penalty imposed by the authorities for refusing to declare myself either married or single. ​ My approach towards any clients and friends who protested about the change was to be totally in my power about it. My guides were absolutely adamant that it was not an option for anyone to call me Gilly – it was no longer my name, and that was that. My children were massively supportive, respecting my wishes without question. This was no doubt helped by the fact that I was a popular mom with their gang of friends, who hung out at our house constantly – they thought my new identity was a cool eccentricity. Like Urtema, the teenagers accepted and used my new name immediately. As I drove down the neighbourhood streets, groups of kids would shout “Safe, Solara!” at me, knowing that it would make me giggle. ​ The strongest resistance to a name-change usually comes from close family. Shortly after changing to Solara, I went to a family birthday lunch with the children, and someone raised the subject. Predictably, a few people looked uncomfortable, and I was just thinking that I wouldn’t force the issue, when thirteen-year-old Gabby piped up innocently, “I think it’s rude for anyone to call mum by her old name when it’s so important to her – it’s just disrespectful not to call her Solara!” After a few seconds of stunned silence, my brother-in-law smiled and said, “Congratulations Solara, lovely name!” That was the end of the subject, and I have been called Solara by the whole family ever since. Out of the mouth of babes! ​ At the dawn of 2008 the Pleiadians said: "This name has come to you in order to activate your new path. This year, Solara An-Ra, Warrior of the Light, all flows in readiness for the plan. Your sword is illuminated, slicing through the veils, awakening all who come into contact with you on your path. Solara An-Ra, you pass the message on now from the Star Keepers of Knowledge. The time that has been appointed has come – a time of dedication; a time in which procrastination evaporates as the powers of the ‘Higher Ones’ are felt. Reconnect with your original intention. Step forth on your path of light!" ​ At first I was puzzled by the term Warrior of the Light, as I had previously considered myself a light worker – and the term “warrior” had implications of “fighting against the dark” with which I didn’t resonate. The P’s explained that the most important quality of a warrior was fearlessness. Fear was the primary tool that had been used by the manipulators, and one of my gifts was to possess an in-built fearlessness in the face of all beings and programs that sought to disempower people. The acceleration I experienced on my path once I took on my new name was phenomenal. I felt the energy of my Higher Self activating me every time I heard my name spoken! My life was different, and I was changing, as Armukara’s guides had predicted. I was truly discovering the joy and empowerment that comes from stepping up to the mark and following the call of your true path.