An Underrated Treasure

I've joined yet another blog hop. "Underrated Treasures Blogfest" is hosted by Alex Cavanaugh, who also put together the much talked about A to Z April Blogger's Challenge. Thank you Alex, for reminding us that our posts are due today. Sometimes I get oblivious and caught up in my own world.

When I first heard of this blog hop I got very excited because on the designated day, bloggers post about an underrated or obscure book, movie, band or a TV Show. What I like about this challenge is that it made me think. I went through my mental inventory of books, movies, bands and TV programs to decide which one to blog about and why. What did this particular type of expression mean to me and what could it offer others. This was a fun exercise in itself because I was reminded of the many hidden treasures I enjoy that could be shared. I will do so, each month, as the hop continues. You can see what other people are sharing by scrolling down Alex Cavanaugh's Blog to the Blogroll.

So there is an author that profoundly changed my life. He brought about a shift in my way of thinking, being and seeing the world. His work is transformative, mystical, metaphysical and shockingly terrifying. His was my first peek into the world of shamanism. There is debate about whether his work is fiction or nonfiction. I am not one of those people.

My book is "The Fire from Within" by Carlos Castaneda. He was born in 1925 in Peru. During the height of his career as an author, he was very well known--beloved by some and loathed, as well as questioned by others.

I came about his work with fresh eyes, as a young art student, years ago. His work was still circling around and talked about in the 70's. This was the early beginnings of the New Age. With time, people move onto other authors and books, quite naturally. I want to call attention to Castaneda, not just this book but his 14 others. Reading them, from the start, just might change your life.

His work centers around the Yaqui Sorcerer way of life. The Yaqui Sorcerers are able to see the wholes that exist inside of us, and manipulate them for good or evil, depending on their orientation. They are warriors of the highest order in the spiritual realm. They are able to bend and twist reality at will, even going so far as to alter their appearance by decades and transforming themselves into birds, animals and natural formations. Castaneda's books explore how he came into that mysterious world, which few outsiders encounter, and few still, understand.