Beloved Witch

"An autobiography by Ipsita Roy chakravarthi.

Started reading it on 5.02.03 and completed on 11.02.03. The author claimed it to be her own story. But it is fascinating and fantastic. She herself admitts that she is a hardened sceptic but her sceptimism is confined to certain selected phenomenas of modern day life sepcifically the claims of relegions and traditions based on those religious ways. She finds the pre historic religions as more truthful one wiht nature. However, all her understandings based on assumtions and green work used by modern sholars in interpreting pre-historic and pagan beliefs and practices. We will never know for certain that those interpretations were true for those times. She wants us to take her words and know that nature in fact is really supernatural. She tries her best to confirm herself as a 'wiccan' in the most feminist sense. She also believes that the earliest social organizations were mother centred. Then when the pagan societies metamorphosised the mother became the most feared and called witch by the male centred men religious societies.

The authors assertion about a soul apart from the body and the indistructability of the soul. At one point she refers rebirth of the soul. At another point she seems to say that the soul visit other worlds may be a heaven or hell. She did not use these words in her story.

The author pretends to be sceptic but all for uncritical acceptance the wiccan theory and practice. She says she stands against all superstitions and rituals. At the same time she wants us to believe in the extra ordinary power of cristal soul. Thru this she wants us to believe in the existense of pre-historic crystal souls as well as the discovery of the 12 of them. The 13th is missing and yet to be discovered.

At the end she dis solution of centuries of old Wiccan Academy. What happened to all the wiccan parophernelia including the thousands crystals collected in the canadian mountain chatew.

One apprhends that Ispita in fact makes out a case to believe in all kinds of superstitions by claiming for herself some percieved wiccan power over others. However, one must admit her easy handling of the these in a flowing language. The narrative is smooth . Even if we may be too sceptical about the story spinned by the author, the book readable and entertaining by itself.

By K.N. Krishnan.