A Memoir of Madness, Magic, and the Making of Me
by Rilee Astraea
A genre-blurring memoir of ego death, shadow work, and spiritual rebirth—for anyone who’s ever unraveled and wondered if it was the beginning, not the end.
What if everything you believed about yourself—about reality—was never yours to begin with?
What if your suffering was not a punishment, but a rite of passage?
What if your darkest night was not your downfall, but your doorway?
At the height of what the world calls a “psychotic break,” a young woman is catapulted into a spiritual initiation that shatters her identity and severs her from the reality she once trusted. Hospitalized, dismissed, and misunderstood, she is forced to sit in the silence—where the unraveling begins.
Told through raw prose, poetry, and meditative reflection, The Other Side of Awakening is a genre-blurring memoir of ego death, shadow work, and soul remembrance. It follows the journey of a modern mystic as she navigates the terrifying terrain of the mind, communes with the divine, and discovers the quiet power of becoming.
Blending spiritual autobiography with existential philosophy and dreamlike poetics, Rilee Astraea invites you into a reality where madness becomes medicine, illusion becomes insight, and the fall becomes the path to flight.
Because the truth is, you were never broken.
You were only remembering.
“A deeply meditative, emotionally resonant read. It felt like a conversation with my soul—poetic, vulnerable, and wise.”
Rakhi N.
“Reading the first nine chapters felt like stepping into a work of living art. Rilee’s words are not just written—they’re felt. It reminded me of The Untethered Soul.”
Rachel M.
“This book felt like someone finally put words to the chaos inside my head.”
Emily C.
“I’ve read a lot of spiritual memoirs, but none have been this raw, human, and transformative. It’s like reading poetry in the middle of a storm—terrifying and beautiful at the same time.”
Sophia J.
Rilee Astraea is a Poetic Author, Creative Mystic, and Somatic Identity Coach known for her genre-blurring nonfiction rooted in identity, psychology, and transformation.
Rilee Astraea is a Poetic Author, Creative Mystic, and Somatic Identity Coach known for her genre-blurring nonfiction rooted in identity, psychology, and transformation. Writing publicly as Mystic in the Matrix, she guides others through reinvention by weaving story, shadow work, and somatic expression into accessible pathways of change. A former communications strategist for Fortune 500s, Rilee spent nearly a decade shaping narratives and leading behavior-change projects before a profound awakening unraveled and reassembled her truth. Her first book, The Other Side of Awakening, is a lyrical exploration of ego death and spiritual rebirth. Her second, The Art of Anastasis, extends her poetic style into a practical framework for personal transformation. Her forthcoming titles continue this vision, blending poetry and psychology into accessible guides for soul-rooted living. Through her studio, House of Astraea, she and her husband Tim blend story, soul, and sustainability—offering books, music, mentorship, and embodied experiences that bring meaning back to the everyday. Her work is a living reminder that you are the story—and you can always write a new one.
Your Main Character Rebirth Using Shadow Work, Story, and Somatics
by Rilee Astraea