Unseen Returns: Shamanic Investing with Sylvia Benito
I receive a lot of questions about the intersection of capitalism and spirituality. They usually go something along these lines:
“Is it possible to work towards awakening and financial success at the same time?”
“Can spirituality and money share a seat at the same table?”
“What does shamanism have to do with investing?”
These are all valid questions, and this article should hopefully answer all of them. But before we dive in, I encourage you to challenge your assumptions of what belongs in the realm of shamanism and what must stay apart from it. Money and the sacred have traditionally inhabited two very distinct and separate worlds. Those worlds have been discouraged from ever coming in contact with each other. I’d like to challenge this paradigm as we recognize that everything — including money — is a form of energy, and that shamanic practices are rooted in the ability to ascertain and explore energetic forces as they are.
Let’s dive in. Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
The Shaman As A Seer
I’ll start at the beginning. What is a shaman? How does the practice of shamanism relate to the concept of investment?
A shaman is a spiritual practitioner who serves as a mediator between the human and spiritual realms. Shamans possess the unique ability to tap into the energetic forces around them and guide others in their journey towards consciousness and awakening.
As a result, the role of a shaman is often described as a seer — someone who can perceive the underlying energy patterns that shape our reality. These forces are largely invisible to the untrained eye, but shamans can see beyond the surface and observe the subtle forces at play.
Operating at the intersection of the financial and spiritual worlds, I’ve noticed that the role of the shaman and the investor are not so different. A seer is deeply attuned to the energetic fabric of existence, discerning imbalances, and identifying areas that require healing or transformation. Similarly, a venture capitalist scans the business landscape, seeking out patterns that signal opportunities for growth, innovation and societal impact. Both the shaman and the investor rely on their ability to perceive and interpret patterns to make informed decisions and navigate the complexities of their respective domains.
The Venture Capitalist As A Seer
Successful venture capitalists are not merely investors; they are visionaries.
A visionary venture capitalist possesses the ability to predict and identify impactful companies that have the potential to transform society. They have a keen eye for recognizing patterns in emerging markets, disruptive technologies and innovative business models. They possess a unique ability to envision the future and identify the companies that will shape it.
Shamanic investing, then, requires the understanding of the evolving needs of society. Shamanic investors anticipate trends and recognize the potential for groundbreaking ideas to make a significant impact. Their insights and predictions guide their investment decisions and enable them to support companies that have the potential to create substantial positive change.
This convergence of skills highlights the deep synergy between shamanic practices and investing. It invites us to consider how embracing a shamanic mindset, infused with intuition and pattern recognition, can enhance our approach to investing and lead to more conscious and aligned decisions.
Embracing Abundance: Shamanic Investors As Stewards Of The Greater Good
When we link the concept of stewards to shamanic and investing, a beautiful connection emerges. I like to think of awakened investors as stewards of transformative purpose. They’re behind the steering wheel of the forces that will ultimately transform our world for good. By adopting a stewardship mindset, shamanic investors understand that their actions in the financial realm can have profound effects on the well-being of individuals, communities and the planet as a whole.
This exploration of shamanic investing opens the door to a new paradigm of conscious and aligned investing. It invites us to consider the impact of our investments beyond solely financial returns. By consciously directing our capital towards ventures that align with our values and contribute to positive change, we can become active participants in creating a more sustainable and equitable future.
In this new paradigm, investing becomes a sacred practice, an opportunity to support ventures that align with our personal and collective growth. It goes beyond financial gains and taps into the profound interconnectedness of all beings. Through conscious and aligned investing, we can become stewards of a more harmonious and compassionate world, actively contributing to the well-being of individuals and communities.
Sylvia Benito is a portfolio manager with 20 years of experience in managing family office investments. She has worked in various capacities in wealth management, from hedge fund analyst to CIO for family offices and ultra-high net worth individuals, managing $1B in assets.
She is also an indigenously trained shaman. Sylvia connects consciousness to capital by bridging the traditional world of investing to the alignment, awareness, and transformative purpose of wealth.
With fluency in the languages of money and energy, Sylvia is a sought-after international speaker with an extraordinarily rare range of mastery.
