Encounters With The Nagual: Part 0 - Chapter 01. Preface By Juan Yoliliztli.

Encounters With The Nagual © 2004 by Armando Torres:

Part 0 - Chapter 01. Preface By Juan Yoliliztli.

I first got to know Armando when we met by chance in a place of power in the mountains of central Mexico. We felt an immediate and spontaneous friendship between us, and the subject of the conversation which ensued inspired me to tell Armando that I had the privilege of knowing Carlos Castaneda.

Armando told me that he also knew Carlos, and that he, Armando, had written a book about Carlos' teachings.

I became very curious and asked Armando to tell me more about it. He seemed uninterested, saying that this was not the appropriate time.

I did not insist since I was just getting to know Armando.

In the course of many years of friendship, Armando mentioned his book a few times but always in reference to some other subject we were discussing.

Although I had made friends years ago with 'those who walk over there', it is only recently that I have had access to Armando's work.

When I read Armando's manuscript for the first time, I became profoundly excited since it allowed me to comprehend one of the most obscure premises in Carlos' teaching; 'The Portion of the Rule for the Three-pronged Nagual'; a project for the renewal of the 'lineages of knowledge' on a global scale.

Armando assured me that Carlos had ordered him to make this information known, and Armando asked me to support him in the execution of this task.

However, since the 'Three-pronged Nagual' manuscript was quite short-- some thirty pages-- I suggested that Armando supplement it with a description of some of the numerous lectures by Carlos Castaneda which he had attended.

Agreeing to my proposal, Armando selected a portion of teachings which Carlos had presented either in public lectures, or in private conversations.

To make them easier to read, Armando grouped them according to content rather than putting them in chronological order; and in some instances Armando also had to reconstruct the conversations.

Carlos had an extremely emphatic way of speaking, and transmitted much of the information through gestures and facial expressions-- as he enjoyed mixing personal stories, and all manner of observations with his teachings.

As an extraordinary gift, at the end of the book, Armando added a brief account of his own experience with another group of sorcery practitioners.

Due to the simplicity and sincerity of this narrative, this book has a power that I have not found in any other work related to the subject.

For that reason, it is a great pleasure for me to be able to help Armando in the task of publishing it. I am certain that this book will be highly appreciated by all those who love the work of Carlos Castaneda.

- Juan Yoliliztli.