Secrets of Shamanism

(^4) SECRETS OF SHAMANISM
rest of my childhood and adolescence. The magic and power
of the Big Sur coast, an area where I spent much time back-
packing in the woods, affected me deeply throughout my
formative years. Many of these outings, in a land revered by
Native Americans as sacred, revealed power spots and magi-
cal places that greatly strengthened my inner bonds with na-
ture. One incident that brought the unseen power of nature
home to me was a near-fatal fall off a steep embankment
when I was thirteen years old. For all practical purposes, I
should have been seriously injured if not killed. I distinctly
remember the fall as if suspended in time: me falling, but
somehow not touching the rocks and trees I was bouncing off
of. It was as if some unseen cushion were guiding me down
to place me gently in the creek two hundred feet below. I
came out of the experience with only slight scratches and
bruises, and with an altered feeling of great respect for the
power of the spirit world. At that point, I also knew that I
had allies who were helping me through life.
Perhaps knowing about this protection was what spurred
me to take a year-long trip through Europe, trusting that I
would meet the right people and always have enough to get
by on. I was then twenty-one years old. My travels eventu-
ally took me to the far north of Sweden on a trek through the
country of the Lapps. There I experienced intensely lucid
dreams and feelings of d6j& vu. Years later work with a psy-
chic revealed a past life as a shaman in that northern region.
I devoted the rest of my twenties to intense studies in the
realm of shamanism, psychic awareness, and channeling as
well as business. Since my interests in art and music were not
putting money into my bank account, I turned to real estate,
to the surprise of my friends and family. The field for me has
turned out to be an excellent vehicle for learning to negotiate
in the business world using my now deep-rooted shamanic
perspective and intuitive skills I developed in years past. My
transition into management has been a natural way for me to
teach what I know about the shamanic world to the sales
agents, brokers, and clients I deal with on a daily basis. The
shamanic perspective has become so much a part of me and
the way of our family life that I cannot imagine living any
other way. The fact that Jose and both our children share the
same perspective has given us much joy. We are truly grateful
to be able to share what we have learned with you in his
book.
Lena Sedletzky Stevens; Berkeley, California; January 3,