How I got started down The Shamans Path

I was born and raised on a farm in the mountains. A very small town in western North carolina. From the time I was old enough to walk I was taken to a small Methodist church by my grandmother. I have always had a strong spiritual nature inside of sorts and I was devoted as I could possibly be to the beliefs of the Christian faith. But even very young, allot of things about that faith just didn't make since to me. How could an all loving god be so cruel. If only the people born after Christ was born, could be saved and born again, then what happened to all the ones before he was born. Why do you have to pray through Christ to get to the Father(God). As hard as I try to be devout I still had these feelings that something was amiss

One day, when I was 7, I was walking through the woods, over the hill, on my families property. As I strolled through the edge of the woods I came across a large patch of mushrooms growing. How strange they all looked there, like a group of little...entities? How interesting it seemed as I pause for a moment to look...too afraid to get to close or touch one. I could feel a strong presence about them. As I walk closer by the patch to pass them, they began to speak to me.. little voices murmuring. I froze! I was so afraid! I remember it sounded like a jumbling of soft words I couldn't understand. Then they began to speak very clearly and..Knew my name...told me not to be afraid. This calmed me only slightly. I was in a trance and couldn't move and didn't want to ..hypnotized by there sound and staring at and through them. they told me..That all that I was being taught to believe in was not the truth. That man had twisted and covered up the real truth and that nature was god. as I came out of the trance I was in tears and ran out of the woods...home so upset. Many days i pondered the mushrooms and what they had told me and all that I had been taught to believe in. Time passed, I don't know how much, maybe a week or 2. Then one day I decided I had to go back..back to see them again. I went back to the woods ..and they were all gone...there was no more left and no presence of them was left, I couldn't feel them anymore. But...I knew in my heart, that what they had said was true. I remember looking from the edge of the woods over the pasture, and deep in my little soul I could feel a freedom I had never felt before. the freedom of truth, real truth. I new then that I was in total touch with god and his messengers and that I could have that access at anytime, I didn't need a christ to pray through or an organized religion to tell me what was right and wrong. I already had it all inside of me and always did. I felt very honored that they chose me to tell this and was sad that they were gone. Now, as i look back on it, I realize that they knew..that I was one that could hear them I was born with shamanism deep in my soul. I owe all that I am and have to those mushrooms. That Day...is the day they set me free :) praise the heavens