Sedona is known worldwide for its stunning red sandstone formations, which literally appear to glow when draped with the rising or setting sun.  The breathtaking sight has become a popular location for those who enjoy outdoor pursuits such as hiking or mountain biking, artists of every medium who use the beauty of the rocks for inspiration, and people who are searching for a spot that promotes spiritual reflection.  While Sedona attracts more than four million tourists from around the world every year, the number of people who call Sedona home remains quite small.  As of the 2005 census, the population of the city is 11,220.  The fact that Sedona has maintained its rural, small-town feel is part of what makes it so enticing for weary visitors.

The town of Sedona was named after Sedona M. Schnebly, the wife of T.C. Schnebly, who was the first postmaster of the small Arizona outpost.  Theadore Schnebly actually started a post office for the area in the back of his own home, and proposed several names for the town before his brother suggested honoring his wife with the name Sedona.  As Mrs. Schnebly was known for her hospitality to all who passed through her home, the name seemed quite fitting for this beautiful piece of the Southwest.  The federal government agreed to the name and Sedona was officially approved on June 26, 1902.  It would be more than eighty years, however, before this ranching community was officially incorporated in 1988.

Many visitors to Sedona claim they can feel a spiritual presence there among the several special spots called energy vortexes. The original native occupants were called Sinagua, a name derived in the 1930s by scientist Dr. Harold S. Colton, and some evidence of their dwellings still can be seen. For some 300 years before Columbus sailed from Spain, the Sinagua created a lifestyle intricately tuned with nature. Visitors today seem to experience some of their natural reverence for the geological wonders that took more than 300 million years to create.

One visitor who experienced a spiritual renewal during a visit to Sedona published what he learned in the book Voices of Sedona.  While on a business trip following the untimely death of his wife to breast cancer, the author surprised himself when he channeled the spirit of Sedona M. Schnebly many years after her death in 1950. He had never experienced such encounters before, but he did know that the religious practices to which he was accustomed were not helping him cope with his grief and move forward.  Knowing that the author was ready for a spiritual awakening, Sedona introduced him to spirit teachers who educated him on the five universal principles of reality that have evolved into an entire course on Theofatalism™.  Readers can envision Sedona, who is speaking through the words of Voice of Sedona and the accompanying essays, Lessons of Sedona, and who offers to teach to anyone who is ready for a journey of personal growth.  For those who want to feel good on the inside no matter what is happening on the outside, the teacher has come. 

You can get the full story of Theofatalism™ at www.churchoftheofatalism.org and regularly-updated essays inspired by Sedona at www.sedonavoices.blog.com. Voices of Sedona may be ordered from www.IUniverse.com, as well as the Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites.

Sarah Moore is the author's assistant for Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services.  She is in charge of helping authors with online book promotion. She is able to create media kits that get the attention authors need to promote their books to radio and TV stations.