Florinda Donner
Encyclopedia
Florinda Donner is an American author and anthropologist
. She disappeared in 1998.
She was born February 15, 1944 in Amberg
, Germany to German parents Rudolph Thal and Katarina Claussnitzer. In her childhood she emigrated with her parents to Venezuela
where she probably lived as a school-aged child. Her personality and background are very controversial. She sometimes claimed she was born in 1954 in Venezuela and that her parents were both either German or Swedish
. Sometimes she called her mother Carolina Claussnitzer, but in an official document from the marriage with Carlos Castaneda in 1993 her mother's name is Katarina Claussnitzer and her father's name is spelled Rudolf rather than Rudolph.
She was nicknamed "Hummingbird" because of her ceaseless energy. She was said to have similar intelligence and charisma as her later husband Carlos Castaneda
. Florinda tells in her books that she was an apprentice of don
Juan Matus
. She was also called one of "the witches" in Castaneda's books. The type of shamanism
that Castaneda and his followers practiced led the followers through a process known as recapitulation
, which is a rehashing of one's entire life memories. This process "rebirthed" the sorcerers by causing them to erase their personal history.
In 1982 Florinda Donner published a best selling book, Shabono
after the Yanomami word for shelter, with contradictory pseudo-anthropological stories in which she claims to have lived among the Yanomami Indians in the Amazon Rainforest
. Among critics the book is called "anthropologically inspired fiction". She lived in Westwood Los Angeles and traveled often to her old hometown Caracas
.
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
. She disappeared in 1998.
She was born February 15, 1944 in Amberg
Amberg
Amberg is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in the Upper Palatinate, roughly halfway between Regensburg and Bayreuth. Population: 44,756 .- History :...
, Germany to German parents Rudolph Thal and Katarina Claussnitzer. In her childhood she emigrated with her parents to Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
where she probably lived as a school-aged child. Her personality and background are very controversial. She sometimes claimed she was born in 1954 in Venezuela and that her parents were both either German or Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Sometimes she called her mother Carolina Claussnitzer, but in an official document from the marriage with Carlos Castaneda in 1993 her mother's name is Katarina Claussnitzer and her father's name is spelled Rudolf rather than Rudolph.
She was nicknamed "Hummingbird" because of her ceaseless energy. She was said to have similar intelligence and charisma as her later husband Carlos Castaneda
Carlos Castaneda
Carlos Castaneda was a Peruvian-born American anthropologist and author....
. Florinda tells in her books that she was an apprentice of don
Don (honorific)
Don, from Latin dominus, is an honorific in Spanish , Portuguese , and Italian . The female equivalent is Doña , Dona , and Donna , abbreviated "Dª" or simply "D."-Usage:...
Juan Matus
Don Juan Matus
Don Juan Matus is a major figure in the series of books on Nagual 'Sorcery' by Carlos Castaneda.Matus is described as a Yaqui Indian to whom Castaneda was first introduced at a bus depot in Yuma, Arizona in the early 1960s. He turns out to be a 'Man of Knowledge' who imparts much of his wisdom and...
. She was also called one of "the witches" in Castaneda's books. The type of shamanism
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
that Castaneda and his followers practiced led the followers through a process known as recapitulation
Recapitulation (Castaneda)
Recapitulation is a term used by Carlos Castaneda in his book, The Eagle’s Gift, published in 1982. In The Eagle's Gift, Florinda, one of don Juan's party of warriors, teaches Castaneda about the process and purpose of recapitulation...
, which is a rehashing of one's entire life memories. This process "rebirthed" the sorcerers by causing them to erase their personal history.
In 1982 Florinda Donner published a best selling book, Shabono
Shabono
A shabono is a hut used by the Yanomami Amerindians of extreme southern Venezuela and extreme northern Brazil....
after the Yanomami word for shelter, with contradictory pseudo-anthropological stories in which she claims to have lived among the Yanomami Indians in the Amazon Rainforest
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
. Among critics the book is called "anthropologically inspired fiction". She lived in Westwood Los Angeles and traveled often to her old hometown Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
.
Biography
- 1966: Regine Thal marries a Houston petroleum engineer Edward M. Steiner in Ciudad JuárezCiudad JuárezCiudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
, Mexico. - 1970: According to her book Being-in-Dreaming (published 1991) she has her first meeting in dreams with members of don Juan Matus' party. Juan Matus was the Yaqui shaman often described in Carlos Castaneda's books.
- 1971: Carlos Castaneda's book A Separate Reality: Further Conversations with Don Juan is published.
- 1971: Regine Thal meets "Mexican anthropologist" Jose "Joe" Luis Cortez, better known as Carlos Castaneda at UCLA. Her apprenticeship with Castaneda begins.
- 1972: Regine divorces Edward M. Steiner after 5 years and 4 months of marriage and gets back her surname Thal.
- 1972: Regine Thal Receives her B.A in Anthropology from UCLA.
- 1973: Carlos Castaneda receives his Ph.D. in Anthropology from UCLA.
- 1973: Castaneda starts organizing a secretive group of devoted followers. He teaches RecapitulationRecapitulation (Castaneda)Recapitulation is a term used by Carlos Castaneda in his book, The Eagle’s Gift, published in 1982. In The Eagle's Gift, Florinda, one of don Juan's party of warriors, teaches Castaneda about the process and purpose of recapitulation...
and the teachings of the Yaqui shaman don Juan Matus, who appears in his books together with a movement technique "Tensegrity"Tensegrity (Castaneda)Tensegrity was a term used by Carlos Castaneda to refer to some movements called magical passes that he said were developed by Native American shamans who lived in Mexico in times prior to the Spanish conquest.-Cleargreen Inc and Tensegrity:Castaneda and the other students of Don Juan created...
that he claims is an ancient technique passed down by 25 generations of NagualNagualIn Mesoamerican folk religion, a Nagual or Nahual is a human being who has the power to magically turn him- or herself into an animal form: most commonly a donkey, turkey, or dog, but also other and more powerful animals such as the jaguar and puma.Such a Nagual is believed to use his powers for...
s, the ToltecToltecThe Toltec culture is an archaeological Mesoamerican culture that dominated a state centered in Tula, Hidalgo in the early post-classic period of Mesoamerican chronology...
shamans. - 1973: Regine submits a proposal to UCLA to study curanderoCuranderoA curandero or curandeiro is a traditional folk healer or shaman in Latin America, who is dedicated to curing physical or spiritual illnesses. The role of a curandero or curandera can also incorporate the roles of psychiatrist along with that of doctor and healer. Many curanderos use Catholic...
s in the town of Tucipata by the OrinocoOrinocoThe Orinoco is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes called the Orinoquia, covers , with 76.3% of it in Venezuela and the remainder in Colombia...
river in Venezuela. She claims to have already visited the town. - 1974: Regine's ex-husband Edward M. Steiner dies at age 44.
- 1974: Regine Thal receives her Masters degree in Anthropology from UCLA.
- 1974: Regine, together with Castaneda and a three others, forms a corporation "to produce documentary ethnology". The name of the corporation is Hermeneutics Unlimited. Later this corporation changed its name to Laugan Productions inc.
- 1974: Samurai-magazine publishes rare photos of Regine Thal doing karate exercises. In the article she is called "Gina Thal".
- 1975: Castaneda executes a willWill (law)A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
leaving his entire estate equally divided to four women: Mary Joan Barker, Anna Marie CarterTaisha AbelarTaisha Abelar, born Maryann Simko, is an American author and anthropologist who was a close associate of Carlos Castaneda. She disappeared shortly after Castaneda's death in 1998...
, Beverly Evans and Regine Thal. - 1976: Regine is advanced to doctoral candidacy at the UCLA Department of Anthropology.
- 1976?: UCLA graduate committee approves Regine's dissertation proposal for studying curing practises at CuriepeCuriepeCuriepe is a town in the state of Miranda, Venezuela....
, Venezuela. - 1976 - 1977: The year that Regine claims to have lived with the Yanomami in the Amazon rainforestAmazon RainforestThe Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
near the border of Venezuela and Brazil. - 1977: Regine Thal leaves the UCLA graduate program without receiving a Ph.D.
- 1978: Regine Thal changes her name (unofficially) to Florinda Donner. Her new name is based on the name of Carlos Castaneda's teacher's wife Florinda Matus. She also calls herself Donner-Grau. A Grau means a "Dreamer" in the shamanistic practice of don Juan and Castaneda.
- 1982: Florinda Donner's book Shabono: A visit to a remote and magical world in the South American rainforest, is published by Delacorte Press.
- 1983: An article in American Anthropology [Vol. 85, p. 664] is published entitled: "Shabono: Scandal or Superb Social Science?" Florindas book seems to have similarities with an earlier book: Ettore Biocca's Yanoáma (Dutton 1971), the oral autobiography of Helena Valero, a Caucasian girl kidnapped by Venezuelan Indians.
- 1985: Regine Margarita Thal changes officially her name to Florinda Donner.
- 1985: Florinda Donner's book The Witch's Dream is published by Simon and Schuster with a foreword by Carlos Castaneda.
- 1991: Florinda's book Being-in-Dreaming: An Initiation into the Sorcerer's World is published by Harper San Francisco.
- 1990's: Florinda Donner gives lectures and workshops about her books and shamanism in various places.
- 1992: Florinda says in an interview that she is no longer doing academic research.
- 1993: Florinda changes her name to Donner-Grau.
- 1993: Carlos Castaneda marries Florinda Donner in Las Vegas.
- 1994: Florinda Grau marries Tracy Kramer in Las Vegas.
- 1998: Castaneda signs a will leaving all his property to the Eagle's Trust.
- 1998, April 4.: Florinda Donner's last public appearance. She appears in a workshop at Santa Monica College Gymnasium together with the other two "witches": Taisha AbelarTaisha AbelarTaisha Abelar, born Maryann Simko, is an American author and anthropologist who was a close associate of Carlos Castaneda. She disappeared shortly after Castaneda's death in 1998...
and Carol TiggsCarol TiggsCarol Tiggs, Elizabeth Austin, or Muni Alexander, born Kathleen Adair Pohlman , is one of the three women in the inner circle of guru Carlos Castaneda whom he referred to as "the Witches" and said were apprentices of Don Juan.Tiggs was the first child born to Harriet Witbeck Pohlman and Max Edward...
. - 1998: Carlos Castaneda dies. The day after his death the "witches" Florinda Donner-Grau and Taisha AbelarTaisha AbelarTaisha Abelar, born Maryann Simko, is an American author and anthropologist who was a close associate of Carlos Castaneda. She disappeared shortly after Castaneda's death in 1998...
vanish together with Amalia MarquezAmalia MarquezAmalia Marquez, was born Amalia Monserrate Marquez Marin on April 4, 1955in San Juan, Puerto Rico. After reading Carlos Castaneda's books she moved to California where she became part of his inner circle of close associates...
and Tensegrity teacher Kylie Lundahl, and nobody hears from them. A few weeks later Castaneda's adopted daughter Patricia PartinPatricia PartinPatricia Partin, also known as Nury Alexander, was born Patricia Lee Partin on September 4, 1957. She was a member of the inner circle that formed the core of the group to which Carlos Castaneda was the leader...
disappears as well. - 2003: A skeleton is found in Death ValleyDeath ValleyDeath Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
, California near the location where Patricia PartinPatricia PartinPatricia Partin, also known as Nury Alexander, was born Patricia Lee Partin on September 4, 1957. She was a member of the inner circle that formed the core of the group to which Carlos Castaneda was the leader...
's car was abandoned. The skeleton remains unidentified for three years.
See also
- Carlos Castaneda bibliography
- Lucid dreamingLucid dreamingA lucid dream is a dream in which one is aware that one is dreaming. The term was coined by the Dutch psychiatrist and writer Frederik van Eeden . In a lucid dream, the dreamer can actively participate in and manipulate imaginary experiences in the dream environment. Lucid dreams can seem real and...
- NeoshamanismNeoshamanismNeoshamanism is a term signaling a "new" form or a revival of an old form of "shamanism", a system that comprises a range of beliefs and practices concerned with communication with the spiritual world....
- New AgeNew AgeThe New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
- Toltec (Castaneda)Toltec (Castaneda)The term "Toltec" is used in the works of writer Carlos Castaneda to denote a person who was recruited into a band of sorcerors with a tradition that had its origin in the Native American culture of that name....