EVERYBODYISAMAGUS

ThatswhatBrazilianwriterPaulo Coelho(TheAlchemist,ThePilgrimage,etc.) says.Manyofuswhohavegrownupinthe Englishspeakingworldwouldreactthinking Speakforyourself,mateorWell,hewould saythatifithelpstosellhisbooks. Wevebeentaughttoseespirituality aseitherthepropertyofthechurchhanded downfromtheQueenviatheArchbishopof CanterburyifyouliveintheUKorasa backwardlookingfantasybelongingtoapre scientificage.(Bytheway,itsquiteamusingtoreflect,whenyouthinkofthevehemencewith whichpeoplelikeRichardDawkinsandChristopherHitchensattacktheestablishedChurch,that theseviewsareactuallymirrorimagestwowarringversionsoftheonetrueFaith.) ButofcourseCoelhowasntbroughtupeitherinCambridge(Mass.)orCambridge(UK),and whathesayscarriesaquitedifferentforceinthecontextofBrazil,whereakindofspiritualpluralism reignswithoutparallelanywhereinthesocalledadvancedworld.LiketheUnitedStates,Brazilisa complexmultiethnicsocietywithaverylargeminoritydescendedfromformerAfricanslaves:over 3millionweresenttoworkinthesugarcaneplantations;farmorethanwenttotheUnitedStates. However,andeventhoughslaverywasonlyabolishedinBrazilin1888,thecultureandspiritual practicesthattheybroughtwiththemhavebecomepartoftheBrazilianmainstreaminawaywhich absolutelyneverhappenedintheUSAandtheyhavemergedwith19thcenturyEuropean reincarnationbasedtraditionswhichhavelargelydiedoutintheircountriesoforigin. Tosimplifygreatly,Braziliannonorthodoxspiritualityi.e.apartfromthevarious branchesoftheChristianChurchfallsintothreemainstreams:Spiritism,Umbandaand Candombl. Spiritismispracticedmostlybywhite BraziliansofEuropeanorigin,andislargelybasedon theideasoftheFrenchwriterAllanKardec(Hippolyte LonRivail)muchbetterknowntodayinBrazilthan inhishomeland.Itdiffersfromthespiritualism practicedinEuropeinthe19thandearly20thcenturies inthatitincorporatesnotionsofKarmaandof personaldevelopment.Thequotationinthepictureis afairsummary:Tobeborn,todie,toberebornand toevolvethroughout:thatisthelaw. TheothertwotraditionsbringusbacktotheAfricaninheritance,andinthecaseof Umbanda,alsotoindigenous(Indian)practices.Thepictureattheheadofthispostrepresentsa

groupofdeitiesorentitiesfromtheYorubapantheoncalledorix,orOrisha,withwhomalmostany Brazilianwouldbethoroughlyfamiliar.YoucouldseethemasrepresentinganumberofwhatJung calledarchetypes:characteristicforceswhichplayapartinmythologyandfictionacrosscultures. Forinstance,theresOguntheWarrior,similartoMarsorThor,ExtheTrickster,andperhapsmost interestingofall,Yemanja,theDivineMother. Anotheraspectoftheleftbraindominant,onesizefitsallapproach tospiritualitywhichcharacterizesAngloSaxoncultureisitsextrememale centeredness.ItshardlyanaccidentthattheattacksonreligionwhichI mentionedearlierallcomefrommen,noristhecharacteristicallymale combativenesswithwhichtheyreconducted.Meanwhile,theheadsofthe variousestablishedchurchesarealsoofcourseallmale. WhiletheCatholicChurch,foralltheappallingcrimesagainst womenssexualityandtheirbodieswhichitssanctioned,doesatleast incorporateakindofMothercultalongwiththeworshipofmanyfemale saints,Protestantismsweptthisallawayasidolatryandsuperstition,soas tobestowuponusthebenefitsofmoderncapitalism.Wereleft,ifwe believeinanythingatall,withGodasFatherandSononly. Now,youdhardlyexpecttheChristianChurch,inBraziloranywhereelse,tocheerfully accepttheseAfricandeitiesaspartofthepantheon,andtheycertainlydidnt.Atvarioustimesin BrazilshistoryCandomblandUmbanda(thelatterisakindofhybridofEuropeanandAfrican practices)havebeenpersecuted,denigrated,orevenproscribedbylaw.However,Brazil,unlike mostotherpredominatelyCatholiccountries,hasbeenasecularstateforwelloveracentury,and theorixwereabletosurviveperiodsofpersecutionbybeingdisguisedasChristiansaints,ina phenomenonknownassyncretism.(Thisactuallyonlyemphasisestheextenttowhichtheyrecross culturalarchetypes.) SothatswhyBraziltoday,besideshavingathrivingandrapidlygrowingeconomy(theBin BRICS,ofcourse)hasalsothemostdiversespirituallandscapeofanymajorcountry:aplacewherea medicaldoctormightalsobeaspiritistmedium,orwhereadoctoralthesisonpastlifememories wouldbeacceptedwithoutqualmsbyamajoruniversity.ThisisthematrixwhichformedPaulo Coelho,andwherehehadtheexperienceswhichledhimtowritethebookswhichhavemadehim worldfamous.Meanwhile,wehaveproducedHarryPotterCGIsorcery,magicascommodityor spectacle(evenifthesuccessofthebooksreflectsasimilaryearningforthenuminous,the transcendent.) SoisPauloCoelhoright,orJ.K.Rowling?whosefirstpostH.P.bookisanexplosionof disgustanddespairatahypocriticalandheartlessworld,bytheway.Ismagictheprivilegeofa Hogwartsattendingliteinteresting,isntit,howsimilarHogwartsistothepublicschoolswhich ouractualrulerswentto?orisitapropertywhichweallhavelatentwithinus? TheresnodoubthowaBrazilianwouldanswerthisquestion.