Joy and gratitude are dancing in the Shaman Spirits Cave as we celebrate the release of a new book, Shamanic Transformations: True Stories of the Moment of Awakening, that includes a chapter by Mona Rain detailing her “call” to the Shamanic Path. Mona says, “This is such a humbling and honoring experience, to have ‘my story’ chronicled among my teachers and peers, and for it to have been chosen from so many submissions to this publication!”

The book, which was edited by shaman and author Itzhak Beery, and published by Inner Traditions * Bear & Company (September, 2015), features inspiring accounts of the “first moments of spiritual epiphany” as experienced by 47 renowned shamans. The book provides a spectrum of answers to the questions about shamanism that are so often up for discussion:

• How does one receive “the call” to enter onto the shamanic path?

• What causes some people to change their safe lives of relative “normalcy” and start on an “alternative” spiritual journey?

The answers are as varied as the shamans themselves. The publisher writes: “For many, it is a singular instant, a flash when the mystical reveals itself, and the person is drawn into the world of shamanic power. For a few, it is a more gradual awakening, filled with numerous events that build upon one another until the calling of the shamanic path can no longer be ignored.

In this book of remarkable stories, we learn firsthand about the many different forms of the ‘aha’ moment of shamanic awakening, whether they arise from ceremony, near-death experiences, dream messages, or entheogenic substances.

It can be eye-opening and heartening to read the blend of humanity and mysticism portrayed in these early stories of the people who have become the prominent shamans we know today. Along with Mona’s piece, “My Shamanic Initiation: The Fire of Transformation” (Chapter 30), there are stories shared by Sandra Ingerman, Hank Wesselman, John Perkins, don Oscar Miro-Quesada, Alberto Villoldo, Lewis Mehl-Madrona, Tom Cowan, Linda Star Wolf, and many more.

The publisher writes: “As each of these unique and beautiful stories of unexpected realization, insight, and inspiration unfolds, we see how these single moments—usually entirely unexpected—can transform the individual’s life, clearing their vision and allowing a new consciousness to emerge. As a whole, this collection paints a breathtaking portrait of the intricacies of the shamanic path and the paradigm shift of which we all are part.”

To purchase the book, please visit:

Inner Traditions * Bear & Company or Amazon.com

To learn more about Itzak Beery, the internationally recognized shamanic healer and teacher who edited the book, please visit: www.itzhakbeery.com.