According to his books, Carlos Castaneda was an anthropology student at UCLA who made repeated trips to the Southwest USA to “collect information on the medicinal plants used by the Indians of the area”, around 1960. He met Juan Matus, known as “don Juan,” a 70-year old Yaqui Indian who not only knew about medicinal herbs like peyote and datura but was also a sorcerer descended from a tradition of shamanism and magic that originated in Central Mexico more than 8000 years ago. The original sorcerers of ancient Mexico had been displaced by conquering groups in ancient times, and then brought to the point of extinction by the invading Spaniards and the Inquisition. Their sorcery tradition evolved over thousands of years into something more modern. Don Juan had a group of sixteen cohorts who pursued this modern form and called themselves the “new seers.” Castaneda became their apprentice and spent thirteen years learning sorcery from them in Mexico and then another twenty-five years trying to establish his own sorcery group in Mexico and Los Angeles. He wrote eleven books describing his adventures and explaining his training. He died in 1998.

Peter Luce spent thirty years traveling the world buying and selling jewelry made in Bali. An avid Castaneda reader, he composed this book in his mind over several decades as he watched Castaneda unfold his unbelievable story amidst great controversy. Like many other Castaneda fans, he wished somebody would finally “get” what Castaneda was doing and explain it. Getting Castaneda was composed in the hope of finding that explanation.