This website and my online business are not about me, Dries Cronje, or my journey.
Yet, I need to give you some of my backstories for your journey to make more sense. Years ago, in a conversation with one of the most profound spiritual teachers I have ever had — Elizabeth Peru — she mentioned that I would need to be a role model to live out my calling. And for much of what will be on this website to make sense, I need to tell you my story.
Let’s Start with Some of the Facts about Dries Cronje
I am a South African — born and bred.
Dries Cronje is short for Andries Lodewikus Cronje. Now there’s an Afrikaner name if you’ve ever heard one.
I am a man. A husband to a beautiful wife who is my perfect soul partner. I am the father of two exceptional, strong children (and I am not entirely done yet — watch this space). I was born in 1977, which makes me 46 years old at the time of writing this.
South Africa is the only country where I lived. I grew up in Gauteng (then Transvaal), but shortly after finishing a B.Sc. degree in Actuarial Science in 1999 at the University of Johannesburg (then Rand Afrikaans University), I moved to Cape Town with my girlfriend. She would eventually be my first wife (more on that below).
I started my career intending to become an actuary. I did my post-graduate studies through the Institute of Actuaries in the UK and the Society of Actuaries in the USA.
But I never fully qualified as an Actuary. Why not? I was really good at the technical, mathematic-heavy subjects. I lost focus and interest in the law- and regulation-based later subjects.
In early 2006, I left my career path after reading a Christian book that encouraged me to follow my dream. At that stage, I wanted to be a nature photographer (yes, you read that correctly — from actuary to nature photographer — I was clearly unhappy). But looking back, that decision to leave my career and follow my dream was the inciting incident on my personal hero’s journey.
What Gives Dries Cronje Insight Into Angelic Guidance?
I have been on a contemplative spiritual journey since 2007, and it has been incredible. Yes, I faced many obstacles — there is no denying that. In fact, at times, my life reads like a Shakespearean tragedy. Yet, it has been a good journey.
According to some spiritual teachers, it takes great love or great suffering for a spiritual awakening to occur. I am unsure I can call myself awakened, but I have had plenty of love and suffering.
It took me 15 years to learn some of the critical lessons of the contemplative journey. Or it took me that long to unlearn some of the folly my ego clung to. Or did I need that much time to die to myself?
That is the beauty of it. You look back at all these moments where things happened and changed for you and where you were guided or supported from another realm in ways that can only be described as miracles.
The Power of Now
The first time I read The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, I threw the book into the rubbish bin. This must have been in 2006. I thought it was complete and utter nonsense and against my then-Christian faith.
Then, certain things happened inside the Christian church, and my journey led me back to that book. And the book was incredibly instructive to me around the end of 2009.
In mid-2010, I went on a spiritual breakaway to the Taizé monastery in France. This trip was sponsored by a Christian ministry that I was working with at the time.
While I was there, away from my ex-wife, I believe she started having an affair with my ex-friend. A couple of years later, I found out and got a divorce.
I met the love of my life not too long after. It is like Joseph Campbell said: “Where you stumble and fall, there you will find gold.”
And then came the call! In the following two years, I started seeing number sequences.
Seeing Angel Number Sequences
First, I started seeing 911.
I have had a hobby of financial market trading for many years. In 2013 and 2014, I was mainly trading the SA40 Index Futures. Frequently, the market traded at 43,911 (or something similar) just as I looked at the screen. Not long after, it would be trading at 44,911 or 42,911.
Then, on my way home, I would see a car with 911 in the registration number or a billboard with a phone number that included 911.
I would watch a video online, a movie, or a show and look at the elapsed time exactly at 9:11, 19:11, or 39:11…
This went on for a couple years. It was unbelievably frequent that I saw these numbers. At some stage, my then-girlfriend, now-wife, thought I was going crazy. I was not convinced that she was wrong…
Not long after seeing 9:11 everywhere, I started seeing the number sequence 11:11. I would look at my watch at precisely 11:11 or receive a message at exactly that time with an unreal frequency. I would again see the time on a podcast I listened to at exactly 11:11 or 1:11:11. It was uncanny.
Elizabeth Peru
On 11 January 2015, at around 11am, I saw a Facebook post by my wife’s stepsister. She posted something that explained visions of 11:11. That led me to one of my most fabulous spiritual guides alive on this planet, Elizabeth Peru — the teacher I mentioned earlier.
Elizabeth Peru writes, as she calls it, The Tip-Off. It is an energy forecast for the globe, and I’ve been a subscriber to Elizabeth’s Tip-Off since early 2015.
The Tip-Off is a miracle in and of itself. Elizabeth’s guidance there has been instructive, uplifting, encouraging, and supportive for me on many occasions.
My life would be infinitely more challenging if I could no longer read the Tip-Off daily.
Numerology
Not long after first subscribing to The Tip-Off, I saw Elizabeth had a section on numerology. I started exploring this and found that my life path number was 9, and my destiny number was 11.
Coincidence?
Not!
It was as if the numbers were shouting, “Dries Cronje, you are called!”
Here, finally, was the reason for me seeing 911 everywhere. I was being called to step into my personal life blueprint — or, as I like to call it, my soul path.
I paid for a personal coaching session with Elizabeth — I still have the recording stored safely. It was a wonderful conversation where she said that one day, I would need to be a role model for others on spiritual matters.
Well, that day arrived roughly 8 to 9 years later. And here I am.
My Calling
This calling serves as a clear, miraculous, unexplainable-in-any-other-way message from Higher Consciousness / Source / the Angelic Realm to do more with my life than merely build an existence for myself and my family.
And then — true to the Hero’s Journey story framework — I refused to follow that call for many years. I was a trader and online entrepreneur, and I focused on that. Until I got bumped off that horse… (We’ll get to that soon.) The refusal of the call can only be considered in the past now that I am building this business.
So, it took me eight years to accept the call and firmly step into the role of helping others. I am not proud of that. But maybe that is also how long it took me to be fully ready or to drop my bullshit.
Of course, as with any Hero’s Journey, the acceptance of the call after the initial refusal comes with the introduction of the guide. We will look at that in the next section below. Today, my life and business are set up to help my readers (or listeners) find their soul path, approach it with Mindfulness, and start walking along the path with self-discipline. And, of course, to be guided strongly along that path by their own angelic guides.
My Personal Angelic Guide (Meet Odi)
After sending me signs and messages for many years, my angelic guide finally introduced himself to me in 2020 — his name is Odi. Just for clarity, angels do not strictly have a gender, but they can choose to reveal themself in a way that resonates best with the human they are working with. Strictly, Odi is not male, but I have always thought of Odi as a him.
When I first ‘heard’ the name Odi clairaudiently (or with my inner ear of intuition), I looked it up. I write ‘heard’ in quotes since no physical hearing was involved. I somehow knew how the name was spelled when it came to me.
My Wealthy Defender
When I looked up the name meaning of Odi online, I found “Wealthy Defender” or “Prosperous Protector.” I immediately resonated deeply with the meaning of my guide’s name.
It meant a lot to me as, at the time, I was coming to grips with a large amount of consumer debt that I had fallen into over many years of fluctuating income. I sometimes made incredible amounts of money from trading and my online business, so financial institutions were very generous with credit. However, when my revenue dropped, I continued living at a certain standard and ran into significant debt.
Yes, very stupidly. And Odi is helping me overcome the effects of that. I have paid almost 80% of my debt over 5 years since then.
When my brother committed suicide in 2017, I went into a downward spiral. I stopped trading and neglected my business. I spent my trading capital. Things quickly got out of hand.
The support that the name Odi gave me when it came to me meant a lot. However, if I were to say what Odi means to me today, I would say the name means “Mindfulness and Discipline Angelic Guide.”
Self-Discipline
Self-discipline, Mindfulness, surrender, acceptance, meditation, sobriety, peak performance, health, and responsibility are some phrases that come to mind when I think of Odi and his guidance.
The theme of our journey together has been getting and keeping me on the right (narrow) path. And Odi didn’t come and save me. No sir… Odi helped me start the long journey of taking full ownership and responsibility and cleaning up my mess. Odi shows me what it takes to save myself.
I didn’t win the lotto. I restructured my debt, told everyone involved about the mess I made, and started paying back every cent I owed over five years. As mentioned, I am still busy.
Odi is also steering me toward better solutions. Sometimes, I needed to be encouraged to pursue foolish things (like egoic manifestation), only to fail miserably — so that, eventually, I would find the path leading to my soul’s True North.
The angelic realm is real; your guide is waiting for you to start working with them. The guidance is accurate and helpful.
And the angelic realm can even intervene in your life circumstances if you urgently need help.
A Miraculous Job
I needed a job fast after messing up my online business, spending all my trading capital, and going deeply into consumer debt. The problem was Dries Cronje’s CV was flimsy and had significant gaps.
Ever since I left the corporate world in 2006, I have worked in fields as diverse as:
- Nature photography,
- Web development,
- Web design
- Online ministry,
- Online entrepreneurship,
- Business coaching,
- Futures trading,
- Trader coaching, and
- Property development.
To say that my CV was colorful was an understatement.
Then, in early 2018 — after messing things up after my brother died — I needed a job.
Who was going to appoint me, given that job history? Also, this was post-apartheid South Africa, and I am as white, middle-aged, male, and Afrikaans as they come.
However, an old recruitment contact phoned me one day and offered me an incredible opportunity. It was perfect. A large South African wealth platform needed someone with an actuarial background who was not necessarily a fully qualified actuary.
My lack of a focused CV did not present an issue. Thankfully, the company I would be contracting through had the necessary empowerment credentials for my ethnicity to not be a problem.
Coincidence or Miracle?
It was a perfect and improbable solution for someone who wasn’t even looking.
This was an incredible event in my life, and looking back, it saved me (and some of my key relationships) in a big way.
I remember the day of the phone call so well. At the time of the phone call, I was driving while listening to Eckhart Tolle’s book (unsure which one — The Power of Now or A New Earth). My wife and I were headed to a little town called Montague for a weekend away with our cat. I was firmly focused on prioritizing Mindfulness for that segment of my life.
I often alternated between thinking I was in complete creative control of my life (think the Law of Attraction) and prioritizing a Higher Consciousness (and surrendering most ego power). This “miracle” of finding a job came to me at a time of surrender and trust in Higher Consciousness.
I’ve worked the same job as a contractor for almost six years. I still appreciate and thoroughly enjoy the opportunity every day. Who knows, maybe it will be my forever-day job? Or Source may need me elsewhere. We will see. Either way, I am at peace.
Dries Cronje… To Be Continued!
So, there you have it. The story of Dries Cronje is to be continued. I am still alive and kicking and finally bravely walking my soul path. You can share the journey by hanging out on this site or listening to my podcast!
Thank you for reading. I promise to make all the other pages of the website less about me and more about you!
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