“I’m a professional worrier. Sometimes I forget to breathe. I don’t believe in any kind of religion. I think religion is bullshit. The bible is like a huge family saga. Then suddenly, something happens that is so unbelievably unexplainable. The butterfly that perches on my mother in the golden hour of the day, that reminds her of her brother. The dream the other night that put everything in perspective. And sometimes a really weird day turns into a life changing experience.”
It was a really weird day.
I woke up and shot a video feature for the hat shop Worth & Worth. It was glitz and glam and beautiful garments and workshops. I’m dressed in Topshop platforms and a see-through polka dot shirt. After the video production I was to interview a man named Shaman Durek. I had done a bit of research through my dear Google. In some images he has sweet inviting eyes, warm skin. He’s dressed in a garment that looks Holy. In others, he stands next to a bunch of important looking people… Like a celebrity. I was a little confused. I had no idea what a Shaman did or what he stood for.
When I clicked on his website I was greeted with five words: Spiritual Elevation and Lifestyle Transformation. Okay, I thought, I’m super into the casual psychic trip, which is a total self-indulgence, where I let people pretend to know my future and I talk to them like they’re my momentary therapists. I’m usually drunk off cheap wine and with a bunch of girlfriends but I think… This could be fun. That’s really all I knew or what I thought about. I went into this experience totally clear headed, not knowing a single thing. So here, friends, is the story of my first shamanic experience.
I was greeted by Hank Greenberg — Shaman Durek’s partner in work and in love. A slender man with great sneakers and grey hair woven intricately through really golden strands. We sat in a tiny Mexican restaurant, that was completely empty. He told me about the book he was reading — it was totally over my head, something about science and human beings. I don’t quite remember, I just know I was impressed by his wisdom and soft voice. When I asked about how he’d met Shaman Durek the story was an interesting one. He had seen a flyer at work about a night full of guided meditation in Silver Lake. From that night came a trip to Vegas. Durek’s ability was immediately apparent to Hank the night he met him. It was as if Durek had been watching him from somewhere his whole life. And well, the rest… Was history.