| The Shaman's Last Apprentice |
|
“Ready for what?” I thought. “What is my purpose for being in Peru?” “Ready to find out who you truly are,” came the reply… A friend lent me a copy of ‘The Shaman’s Last Apprentice’ by Rebekita (little Rebekah as the shaman called her) and I read it without stopping. It is a compelling and frank account of her true experiences as the first Western pupil and last apprentice to an elderly shaman deep in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. The ancient wisdom helps her to discover the truth about herself and bring back a message of hope from this sacred place for these times of instability and change.
Ancient Wisdom for the 21st Century During one of their discussions the shaman tells Rebekah, “Only when we unite and choose love instead of fear, unity instead of separation, power instead of force, can we stop the destruction that is about to take place.” Rebekah wrote the book to communicate the shaman’s wisdom to the West. This is the need for each individual to take responsibility rather than waiting for governments to make changes. Other messages include the importance of following your own path, trusting the unknown and that real happiness is unconditional love for who you are. These messages are reflected in the challenges that Rebekah underwent living in such a remote environment and the different levels of awareness that she experienced through her journeys with Ayahuasca (a hallucinogenic plant known as ‘vine of the soul’). It can remove toxins and negative emotions, cut through the veil of illusion and open your heart. All of these experiences helped her to face her fears and embrace her true self. Life in the Rainforest Rebekah’s evocative and engaging writing style transports us into the heart of rainforest life. She describes the social ritual for rainforest women of making Masato (a dish made from the Yucca plant), having a narrow escape from a tarantula at the breakfast table and even a football match. In addition, she describes the intricate preparations for the Ayahuasca, the visions she experienced during the ceremonies and the lessons learnt. Her use of Spanish words such as chakra (garden), casita (little house) and gringa (white woman) add to the sense of place and remind us that she is an outsider. The narrative flows, whilst conveying how, in such a remote community, time can stand still.
Putting Pen to Paper On returning from the Amazon, Rebekah studied for an MSc in Economic Development and went to work at the World Travel and Tourism Council, as their Sustainable Development/Corporate Social Responsibility Manager. Whilst there, a friend encouraged her to write a book about her experiences. She embarked on a writing course and managed to draft the first four chapters (about her life in the UK and her time in Peru prior to going into the rainforest). She also wrote detailed chapter outlines of the whole book and clearly laid out the structure of each chapter and what needed to be included in each. During the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, Rebekah saw how little was being done about climate change at the political level. Whilst sitting on a hotel balcony one afternoon and feeling distressed, Rebekah had a vision from the shaman telling her that now she knew how business was run from the top, it was time to stop trying to convince others to save the planet, and to do it herself by finishing the book. In the Flow Six months later she left her job and went to stay in a remote farmhouse in Herefordshire. However, she had a block about writing the second part of the book and was afraid of the memories and messages she had suppressed for five years. While taking a walk in nature to try and clear the block the shaman came to her again in a vision and told her that now was the moment to release the fear and write; astrologically it was also a very auspicious time for communication, and she had the seclusion of the farmhouse. The circumstances were perfect. Rebekah went to a five-hour yoga workshop, which released the fear and she began to write. Since she had kept a diary of her time in the Amazon and subsequently written the chapter outlines, the story had been marinating for some time. Once she got started she wrote for 17 hours a day for two weeks until it was complete. During this time she tapped into her higher self and the shaman’s energy. Rebekah wanted to bring various elements into her book and she used similar titles as reference points: • The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho helped her to develop the overall story • The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield gave her ideas about how to introduce the spiritual insights • The Teachings of Don Juan by Carlos Castaneda were useful for describing the shamanic elements • Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan helped her decide how not to write her book Out into the World After 18 months of editing (initially with the help of a professional editor and later on with friends and family) the book was self-published, funded by a Senior Investment Fund Manager from AXA who Rebekah had met at a sound healing workshop. Inspired by her story he put up all the money to pay for the publishing, and left AXA to become a spiritual healer. Not surprisingly Rebekah chose to self-publish, because she didn’t want to make any changes or lose the energy or message of the book for commercial gain. In addition, she wasn’t keen to follow the gravy-train of the traditional author publicity route and hopes that her book will become a bestseller via word of mouth through the internet. After writing the book Rebekah felt lost, as if something was missing. She found it incredibly difficult to promote herself and her story and did not feel comfortable with it being in print. She felt terribly exposed and was too afraid of criticism to promote the book widely; she also knew she was more than just an author and did not want to be put in that box. After eighteen months she decided to set up her own company, Hemp Global Solutions Ltd, and be the change. She hopes that her background in the business world will provide her with the credibility to bring the shaman’s messages in the book to both business people and the literary world. Tips for First Time Authors Get a special writing desk or at least designate somewhere to be your sacred writing place. Get support to keep you on track and find the discipline and space to write at least every week. An evening class is perfect to start the writing process and get into the flow. Preparation and planning is essential. Rebekah did a detailed chapter outline, which even included the emotions she would discuss and slotted in chunks of her diary from the Amazon. Once the planning is over, let it marinate for a while before starting to write. Then when you do start, it will flow more easily. Avoid procrastination and the need for it to be perfect. It won’t be and it will languish in a drawer! Be open and let people read the manuscript. Listen to all suggestions even when it’s hard to hear negative criticism but be confident about what changes you need to make. Ask the Universe for help (synchronicity helped her find an investor, editor, proof reader, graphic designer, and a typesetter.) What’s Next? Rebekah also told me about some of her extraordinary experiences in the business world. These will feature in her sequel ‘The Apprentice’s Last Shaman’ (all about the need to become your own guru). Watch this space… In the meantime, if this has whetted your appetite for her book, you can purchase a signed copy directly from Rebekah
|
