The Female Shaman in Bless Me, Ultima

The title to the movie, Bless Me, Ultima, carries the key to unlock its magic and riches, for blessings rain down on those who seek to understand.  Isn’t that the ultimate goal of life on earth?  Antonio’s older brothers return from the war changed men.  Perhaps because his mother wants her youngest child to become a priest, Antonio’s mind is filled with questions about the nature of man, and of good and evil.  It’s post-WWII in the United States, and many Americans have these questions in their hearts. You’ll find all the elements of a coming-of-age tale in this movie: violence and kindness, expectations crushed, hope renewed, mysteries revealed, love and humor. 

And then there’s Ultima.

She’s an elderly medicine woman, a curandera, who delivered young Antonio into the world and who has now come to live with his family.  The movie doesn’t explore her past except to show that she is both revered and feared.  She shows Antonio how to see the world in a new way, and she’s fearless in her wisdom.  “If a person wants to know he will listen and see and be patient,” Ultima says.  “Knowledge comes slowly.”

This is the only movie of which I’m aware that shows a female shaman guiding a young male in his perceptions.  That alone sets it apart.  The Tao Te Ching says, "A shaman has mastered Nature; not in the sense of conquering it, but of becoming it." Her gentleness, strength and knowledge is the same as Merlin’s in Sword in the Stone or Miyagi in the Karate Kid, but we’re not in a fantasy medieval world or in California.  We’re in real post-war New Mexico.

The setting is a part of America a few of us have been fortunate enough to have visited, and where some of us (me) have been blessed to grow up.  The sweeping yellow vistas of the llano (plains) where Ultima and Antonio go to collect herbs are gorgeous.  One can almost feel the sun and smell the wind that sweeps across the river.  Ultima is one with her world and the role she plays in it, and her appreciation of nature is passed to Antonio. These are the peaceful moments, but Antonio’s young life is rife with violence.  He sees two men killed and his friend drowned.  Because of his innocence, he is a channel Ultima uses to combat true evil.  Then, she is accused of being a witch.

“You must find your own truth,” she tells Antonio.  Folk beliefs occur in all cultures and all parts of our country.  For Antonio, the battle is between staunch old-school Catholicism and the spiritual connectedness with all on earth that he learns from Ultima.  He understands that he must think for himself without any disrespect for his heritage which emphasized tradition and obedience.  He loves Ultima, and has a profound respect for her.

Based on Rudolfo Anaya's award-winning and banned novel (in Az.) of the same name.  The book was required reading for my sons in high school. Carl Franklin both directed and wrote the screenplay.  The cast, led by Miriam Colon (Ultima) and newcomer Luke Ganalon (Antonio) take us on an unforgettable journey.

Take your friends and family to see this movie.  The history, the family, the boy, and Ultima will guide you home.

Review: A Discovery of Witches

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Witches, vampires, daemons . . . oh my! An athletic, somewhat obtuse, but yet brilliant protagonist buries and denies her own ancient powers; she's someone with whom any woman can identify.  It's a romantic adventure thick with historical references and sketchy sexual innuendo. Secrets abound.  Powerful forces are at work here and not just between the two lovers: one (the macho vamp) intent on rescuing the damsel in distress and the other (the witch) unwilling to submit.  Repeatedly, she is advised to do so from evil, power hungry daemons, witches and her mother-in-law.  The other threat is from a council of creatures intent on regulating relations between creatures, mainly of the copulatory kind, sort of like anti-miscegenation laws in the U.S. The writing is good, but not lyrical, and the repetition of gestures grew tiresome. I keep thinking of Ann Rice's Interview With the Vampire, which also captivated me during the holiday season many years ago. Her story was much darker, but it was also laden with unbidden desire and even love. The adventure in A Discovery of Witches is paramount; the romance between the main characters doesn't seem real, nor does their fear. That said, the rich historical, literary and alchemical references added a great deal of intellectual interest for me: I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.


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The Heart of a New Mexican Beats in Beverly Hills

New interview from the Beverly Hills Weekly (Oct. 25, 2012; edited for length):  

Sandra Ramos O’Briant’s debut novel, The Sandoval Sisters’ Secret of Old Blood, is a historical fiction novel set around three sisters during the Mexican -American War in Santa Fe, N.M.

“There’s all of this history behind {that war} and no one had written how the influx of men {soldiers} affected the women in New Mexico,” she said. “There’s a strong emphasis on sisterhood: the Sandoval sisters but also sisterhoods that form whenever women get together -- nuns, prostitutes in a brothels, and the women in the streets worried about their husbands, brothers, and sons thrown in jail by Americans.”

Alma runs off to Texas with her young lover to escape an arranged marriage with an older man. When she leaves, her younger sister Pilar takes her place at the altar. The Mexican-American War begins and Santa Fe is invaded. Oratoria, the eldest, was adopted into the family Sandoval at the age of 5. The story is told from each of the sisters’ point of view as they document events in diaries, as had been the practice of the Sandoval family for hundreds of years.

The story also touches on superstition and includes an element of witchcraft and voodoo. “When people don’t understand something or feel oppressed or are losing their land, livelihood and loved ones, they turn and pick a target,” she said.

Though this is O’Briant’s first novel, her short stories have been featured in various anthologies and journals. O’Briant’s book launch was on Oct. 7 at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena. She calls and skypes into book clubs across the country. For more information or to receive book discussion questions, you can e-mail her at sandra@thesecretofoldblood.com.