Taisha Abelar

American writer and anthropologist

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Taisha Abelar

Born| Maryann Simko
Pen name| Anna Marie Carter (1974)
Occupation| Anthropologist, writer
Nationality| American
Education| University of California, Los Angeles (PhD)
Period| 20th century
Subject| Shamanism
Notable works| The Sorcerer's Crossing: A Woman’s Journey

Taisha Abelar (born Maryann Simko), was an American writer and anthropologist who was an associate of Carlos Castaneda.

## Biography

[edit]

Abelar met Castaneda when she was 19 years old and a student at University of California, Los Angeles where she eventually earned her master's degree and PhD in anthropology.[1] In 1973, Castaneda purchased a compound on Pandora Avenue in Westwood, Los Angeles, and soon after Abelar (she was still known as Maryann Simko at this time), along with Regine Thal and Kathleen Pohlman, who would come to be known collectively as "the witches", moved in. In 1974, Samurai magazine published photos of Regine Thal doing karate exercises. In the article, Abelar is called "Anna Marie Carter".[2]

In keeping with Castaneda's philosophy of "erasing personal history", the witches maintained a tight veil of secrecy. They used numerous aliases and generally did not allow themselves to be photographed. Not long after moving into Castaneda's compound Maryann Simko changed her name to Taisha Abelar. Likewise, Regine Thal changed her name to Florinda Donner and Kathleen Pohlman to Carol Tiggs.[citation needed]

Abelar claimed to have been one of Don Juan’s four students and says she spent a year in his "magical house" in Mexico. In 1992, her book The Sorcerer's Crossing: A Woman’s Journey, which documents the training she received from the female members of don Juan's group, was published by Viking Books.[citation needed]

Through the 1990s, Abelar and the other witches started giving workshops in Tensegrity for Cleargreen Incorporated, a company formed by Castaneda for that purpose.[citation needed]

## Disappearance

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In April 1998 – shortly after Castaneda's death – Abelar disappeared, together with four other close associates of Castaneda (Florinda Donner, Amalia Marquez (also known as Talia Bey), Kylie Lundahl, and Patricia Lee Partin). Partin's sun-bleached skeleton was discovered in Death Valley by hikers in 2003. No trace of the other four women has been found.[3]

## See also

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* List of people who disappeared

## Publications

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* The Sorcerer's Crossing: A Woman's Journey. Viking Books. 1992. ISBN 978-0-670-84272-8.

## References

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### Notes

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1. ^ Wallace (2003), p. 405.
2. ^ Wallace (2003), p. 29.
3. ^ Marshall, Robert (April 12, 2007). "The Dark Legacy of Carlos Castaneda". Salon. Retrieved May 8, 2019.

### Works cited

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* Wallace, Amy (2003). Sorcerer's Apprentice: My Life with Carlos Castaneda. Frog Books. ISBN 978-1-58394-076-1.

* v
* t
* e

Carlos Castaneda

Books|

* The Teachings of Don Juan
* A Separate Reality
* Journey to Ixtlan
* The Art of Dreaming

People|

* Taisha Abelar
* Florinda Donner
* Amy Wallace

Related|

* "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)"
* "Like Dreamers Do"
* Neoshamanism
* Winds of Nagual

* v
* t
* e

Neoshamanism

Key people|

* Taisha Abelar
* Jeanne Achterberg
* Carlos Castaneda
* Florinda Donner
* Hans Peter Duerr
* Michael Harner
* Jeremy Narby
* Don Miguel Ruiz
* Víctor Sánchez
* Hank Wesselman

Publications|

* Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy (1951)
* The Teachings of Don Juan (1968)
* A Separate Reality (1971)
* Dreamtime (1978)
* The Four Agreements (1997)
* Visionseeker (2002)
* Intelligence in Nature (2005)

Related|

* Modern paganism and New Age
* Plastic shaman
* Recreational drug tourism
* Toltecayotl
* Urban shamanism

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* Japan
* Czech Republic
* Netherlands
* Israel

Other|

* IdRef

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