Since this is my first post, I thought it a good idea to introduce myself. I'm Caroline, but have written books under the names Carolina da Silva, Morwyn, and Carol.
My Brazilian mother, though happy to pass along family traditions, never evinced much interest in Brazilian magickal traditions. When reading novels and essays while studying for my doctorate in Luso-Brazilian Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, I ran across my first references to these traditions, both in literature, music, and in the general culture. This tantalizing information was mostly glossed over by my professors, so it wasn't until I went to Brazil on a Fulbright Dissertation Research Grant to research 19th century Brazilian literature for my thesis that I came to appreciate how magickal traditions and spirituality in general permeates the entire society, no matter the individual's background.
I soon realized that in order to really be able to communicate to others as a professor the splendor and beauty of this society, one really must understand and gain an appreciation of Brazilian spiritual life.
The purpose of this blog is to share some of this knowledge. And as I hope that I will never cease to be a student myself, I am counting on you to communicate your knowledge and wisdom to me by posting comments on my blog.
"When speaking of the Brazilian magickal mystery tradition, you are not talking about a single religion. Many variations exist and there are differences between them as small as between a Methodists and a Presbyterian, or as large as between Catholicism and Judaism.
The first tradition I'll mention is Spiritsm (Espiritismo). It is the most "European" of the traditions and was in fact, founded back in the nineteenth century by a French doctor and philosopher, Allan Kardec. Spiritist services are plain and simple, and practitioners dress in white. They center their practice around the belief that spirits from the world beyond are constantly endeavoring to bring terrestial beings messages of solace and enlightenment. This is why mediumship is very important in this tradition.
I've gone on long enough for a first post, as I like to keep posts fairly short. More about Spiritism, beliefs and practices in my next post.