6.02.2008
Paulo Coelho's Pagan Past (and Future)
The Telegraph in India interviews Ipsita Roy Chakraverti (India's most prominent Wiccan) concerning international best-selling author Paulo Coelho's spiritual life. Basing her assertions on the recent English translation of Coelho's 1990 book "Brida", Ipsita claims that Coelho is a Wiccan, like herself.
"There's more to Paulo Coelho than meets the eye. The Brazilian writer whose bestselling books are said to have a life-enhancing effect on millions across the world is a “wiccan” and a “mystic”. Coelho’s wicca link was brought under the scanner by Calcutta’s own wiccan Ipsita Roy Chakraverti at a book-reading session of his latest release Brida. Not only does Brida dwell on wicca, Coelho himself is a practitioner of the pagan religion that worshipped the Mother Goddess around 25,000 years ago, confirmed Ipsita."
If true, this would certainly be big news (the American equivalent would be Starhawk publicly outing an author of Toni Morrison's stature), except that it isn't. At least it isn't wholly true. If you look at Coelho's Wikipedia page, you'll find that the Brazilian author seems to be a part of some sort of mystic Catholic order. However, in the author's past, he was a student of the occult and in the 1970's tried to start a Aleister Crowley-influenced "alternative society" with Brazilian rock star Raul Seixas.
"Through Coelho, Seixas was introduced to the work of controversial English mystic Aleister Crowley, which influenced their collaboration. The influence extended not only to music, but also to plans for the creation of the "Alternative Society," which was to be an anarchist community in the state of Minas Gerais based on Crowley's premise: "'Do what thou wilt' shall be the whole of the Law." The project was considered subversive by members of the Brazilian military, which imprisoned all prospective members of the group. Seixas and Coelho are reported to have been tortured during their imprisonment."
However, Ipsita Roy Chakraverti's chronological mistake might turn out to be a subtle form of prophesy. In Coelho's latest book, "The Witch of Portobello", the author seems to be growing disillusioned with Catholicism, and explores the re-emergence of Goddess religion.
"A new witch-hunt is starting to gain ground. This time the weapon isn’t the red-hot iron, but irony and repression. Anyone who happens to discover a gift and dares to speak of their abilities is usually regarded with distrust. Generally speaking, their husband, wife, father or child, or whoever, instead of feeling proud, forbids all mention of the matter, fearful of exposing their family to ridicule."
So who knows, perhaps Paulo Coelho's Pagan past may eventually become his future.
Labels: Aleister Crowley, books, Brazil, Catholicism, India, Ipsita Roy Chakraverti, New Age, occult, Paganism, Paulo Coelho
Comments:
When I was teaching in Brazil, I had many conversations (including with a taxi driver!) about religious syncretism. It is rampant in that country.
Catholicism and Spiritualism are a common hybrid.
Funnily enough, some of the Wiccans there told me that some Candomble houses won't use candles because candles are too Catholic! And the largest selling Wiccan author in Brazil is a convert from Candomble. That floored me. Plus, he sells more books than any US Pagan author I know.
Actually, it's no secret that Coelho is a practicing Christian occultist, with a role in his group, the Order of Ram. He has long acknowledged his involvement in Crowley-oriented magick, but he usuallhy relates it to his "past dealings with dark forces" that led to a frightful encounter with some demonic entity, after which he turned to a more Christian-oriented magick.
It is widely known here in Mexico that there is a woman called Brida Alcocer, living in Mexico City, who is said to be the "friend" of Coelho on whose life the novel Brida was very loosely based. Brida declares herself "the last student of Sybil Leek" and inheritor of her personal, private documents, and identifies Witta, the witch-tradition of the Horsa coven, as "the Tradition of the Moon" mentioned in the novel. The part about seeing a light above the shoulder of your soulmate (in the novel) is also a part of her techings. Her students have told me that she ended on uneasy terms with Coelho and is unhappy with the novel, though. Brida used to declare that the Horsa coven practiced Wicca since centuries ago, and *called* it Wicca from old times, producing ancient manuscripts as proof. However, a couple of years ago, one of her students contacted other alumni of Sybil's who refuted this, and Brida now claims that her tradition is Witta and she used the word "Wicca" to gain acceptance (I have no idea how she explains her previous claims of written proof).
The "Magus" or "Magician" mentioned in the novel (I don't know how he is called in the translation) seems to be a man who practices bio-energetics and Pleidian contactism -a follower of "Messengers of Dawn" beliefs told me that Pleiadian teachings are actually the "Tradition of the Sun" from the book, I wouldn't know.
I do know for a fact that Coelho corresponded with a young man from Mexico for a while who wanted to join his Order of Ram, and Coelho finally advised him to "start with Wicca" and go back to him some time afterwards, which I believe shows just how he regards Wicca.
Sorry, I should have mentioned, most of my info on Coelho and the Order of Ram comes from the book "Preguntale a... Paulo Coelho" (Ask... Paulo Coelho), an old interview in Spanish magazine Año/Cero, and his frequent lectures in the International Books' Fair here in my city. Also, the young man who corresponded with him, who contacted me years ago, and long debates with several of Brida's students.
Hello!
I also loved this book! Do you know Paulo is launching this experiment where he is inviting his readers to adapt the book to the screen?
Check it out : http://paulocoelhoblog.com/experimental-witch/
Have a great day
Aart
I happen to know Sybil's last student and initiate, Christine Jones. Chris was also Sybil's personal nurse during her last weeks on earth. She is also a friend of Buckland, so I know Chris to be the real deal.
Sybil did not practice "Witta"--that is utter hogwash. Nowhere in Sybil's writings does she ever claim to practice "Witta". It is a recent invention and "cannot be pronounced in Gaelic. It is a combination of letters that are virtually never seen together in that language (an equivalent combination of letters in English might be 'xyqueph')."--Joanna Hautin-Mayer, "When is a Celt Not a Celt", cyberwitch.com/wychwood/Library/whenIsACeltNotACelt.htm
Also read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witta_(Wicca)
B*B,
SoulFire
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When I was teaching in Brazil, I had many conversations (including with a taxi driver!) about religious syncretism. It is rampant in that country.
Catholicism and Spiritualism are a common hybrid.
Funnily enough, some of the Wiccans there told me that some Candomble houses won't use candles because candles are too Catholic! And the largest selling Wiccan author in Brazil is a convert from Candomble. That floored me. Plus, he sells more books than any US Pagan author I know.
Actually, it's no secret that Coelho is a practicing Christian occultist, with a role in his group, the Order of Ram. He has long acknowledged his involvement in Crowley-oriented magick, but he usuallhy relates it to his "past dealings with dark forces" that led to a frightful encounter with some demonic entity, after which he turned to a more Christian-oriented magick.
It is widely known here in Mexico that there is a woman called Brida Alcocer, living in Mexico City, who is said to be the "friend" of Coelho on whose life the novel Brida was very loosely based. Brida declares herself "the last student of Sybil Leek" and inheritor of her personal, private documents, and identifies Witta, the witch-tradition of the Horsa coven, as "the Tradition of the Moon" mentioned in the novel. The part about seeing a light above the shoulder of your soulmate (in the novel) is also a part of her techings. Her students have told me that she ended on uneasy terms with Coelho and is unhappy with the novel, though. Brida used to declare that the Horsa coven practiced Wicca since centuries ago, and *called* it Wicca from old times, producing ancient manuscripts as proof. However, a couple of years ago, one of her students contacted other alumni of Sybil's who refuted this, and Brida now claims that her tradition is Witta and she used the word "Wicca" to gain acceptance (I have no idea how she explains her previous claims of written proof).
The "Magus" or "Magician" mentioned in the novel (I don't know how he is called in the translation) seems to be a man who practices bio-energetics and Pleidian contactism -a follower of "Messengers of Dawn" beliefs told me that Pleiadian teachings are actually the "Tradition of the Sun" from the book, I wouldn't know.
I do know for a fact that Coelho corresponded with a young man from Mexico for a while who wanted to join his Order of Ram, and Coelho finally advised him to "start with Wicca" and go back to him some time afterwards, which I believe shows just how he regards Wicca.
Sorry, I should have mentioned, most of my info on Coelho and the Order of Ram comes from the book "Preguntale a... Paulo Coelho" (Ask... Paulo Coelho), an old interview in Spanish magazine Año/Cero, and his frequent lectures in the International Books' Fair here in my city. Also, the young man who corresponded with him, who contacted me years ago, and long debates with several of Brida's students.
Hello!
I also loved this book! Do you know Paulo is launching this experiment where he is inviting his readers to adapt the book to the screen?
Check it out : http://paulocoelhoblog.com/experimental-witch/
Have a great day
Aart
I happen to know Sybil's last student and initiate, Christine Jones. Chris was also Sybil's personal nurse during her last weeks on earth. She is also a friend of Buckland, so I know Chris to be the real deal.
Sybil did not practice "Witta"--that is utter hogwash. Nowhere in Sybil's writings does she ever claim to practice "Witta". It is a recent invention and "cannot be pronounced in Gaelic. It is a combination of letters that are virtually never seen together in that language (an equivalent combination of letters in English might be 'xyqueph')."--Joanna Hautin-Mayer, "When is a Celt Not a Celt", cyberwitch.com/wychwood/Library/whenIsACeltNotACelt.htm
Also read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witta_(Wicca)
B*B,
SoulFire
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