Initiation: A Woman's Spiritual Adventure in the Heart of the Andes - Softcover

Jenkins writes about her visit to the Andean village of Cuzco, Peru, while studying for her Ph.D. in psychology. Her spiritual experiences there were so compelling and profound that she returned home to San Francisco, sold everything, and went back there to live. Over the course of eight years, she traveled back and forth, studying and participating in the shamanic practices of the ancient Inca traditions. Her experiences are exciting, portrayed here with a great deal of honor and respect, and her writing is compelling. The result is a fine addition to the growing genre exploring indigenous spirituality. Nealson was a practicing psychotherapist and teacher for 15 years when, on turning 40, she decided to live for one year alone in a mountain cabin surrounded by nothing and no one. Her book, a poetic diary of that year, was written four years later. Nealson has structured her work around the eight holidays of the pagan calendar. She reflects on thoughts and ideas concerning those holidays as well as revelations about the details of living remotely. Her work is not a linear portrayal of the facts but rather a poetic and reflective glimpse of a heart and soul. It is gentle, gracious, and profound. Both works are highly recommended.?Gail Wood, SUNY College at Cortland, N.Y.
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