Magic
has been around in Russia for ever. And it's always been practised by
both sexes, including in Siberia, where traditional shamans may be of either
sex. Interestingly, in European Russia, and in contrast to the West, the female
practitioners, zhanarkas, generally
had a better reputation than the male kolduns
, who were feared, and often accused of unholy practices. However there was
little organized persecution of magic-workers, whether male or female, though
that did not mean individuals didn’t sometimes suffer. Part of the reason for
the absence of witch-hunts in Russia is that belief in magic was so widespread
that people in all classes of society knew and used a few spells themselves.
And the Orthodox Church has always had an uneasy relationship to magic, with
some clergy dead against it and many others much more ambiguous, with respect
for ‘white’ or sympathetic magic still very common amongst believers, and
‘black’ or malefic magic much feared still.
On occasion however there have been attempts by the State
to suppress magic. For example, in Soviet days, you could be sent to the gulag
for practising traditional magic or the newer occult practices. These days, the
Russian government attempts sporadically to regulate both traditional and ‘newer’
magic, but does not try to ban it. After all, millions of Russians use magical
services frequently, with the booming ‘occult industry’ estimated as being
worth at least 30 billion dollars. One lawmaker complained recently that the
‘pro-occult lobby’ was so powerful that it was very difficult to get any laws
on the matter passed at all!
But while the Soviets might have banned traditional magic
and New Age style practices, they were very keen on psychic research, examining
talents such as remote vision, telekinesis and telepathy. The work of people
like Semyon Kirlian, who invented Kirlian photography popular now with
aura-readers, led to new semi-magical tools to be used, and psychics like Nina Kulagina were feted
by the intelligence services for their abilities–in Kulagina’s case, she was
shown as being able to not only being able to move objects about by sheer mind
power(telekinesis) but apparently stopping, and starting, a frog’s heart! (You
can see this on You Tube!)
Today, that research into psychic matters continues, with
Russian researchers studying such things as whether psychic abilities are
encoded in DNA, as well as how to develop workable ‘psychotronic’ weapons.
These would supposedly use laser, sound or microwaves or even simple electrical
impulses to send ‘messages’ directly into people’s minds. Though the Parliament
banned the use of ‘psychotronic’ weapons a few years ago, in recent times the Russian Defence Minister has
hinted that research into them is ongoing–but in Russia, it is wise not to take
such things at face value!
Meanwhile, traditional magic continues to flourish, as
well as more 'New Age' practices. The number of practitioners in the various
branches of the occult today has been estimated as high as 100,000 people–more
than the total number of doctors, making the practice of magic more popular
than that of medicine!
All kinds of new beliefs have sprung up, such as stories
of the listless legions of ‘energy vampires’ who suck vitality and initiative
out of you(cure involves not only traditional garlic, but a good shower–a
rather contradictory cure!). These new pests join traditional Russian
supernatural beings such as rusalki and
vodyanoi(murderous water-spirits), domovoi(capricious house spirits) and leshii(dangerous forest spirits) in the
teeming world of the magical imagination. Meanwhile, the ‘guessers’ and
soothsayers of the past have morphed into ekstrasens (literally 'extra-sensers' or psychics),
astrologers, aura-readers, Tarot-readers and numerologists. Witches and wizards
of the ‘white’ sort advertize openly in the daily columns of newspapers and
take part in TV shows, while ‘the dark side’ is also reputed to be very active,
though much more secretive, producing curses and jinxes for their customers.
And ekstrasens and kolduns and the others are
regularly consulted by all classes of society, from housewives to businessmen,
TV producers to politicians, students to farmers, men and women, young and old,
rich and poor. In a country like Russia, where huge historical forces have
swept and continue to sweep people into enormous turmoil over the centuries,
it's not a question of anything might
happen—everything already has happened,
and people are prepared to use whatever protection they can, magical or
otherwise.
So you can see why I thought it was the perfect setting!
Sophie has a great giveaway going on for "Trinity". Click the Goodreads picture for your chance to enter...
About the author...
Born in Indonesia of French parents, and brought up in
Australia and France, Sophie Masson is the award-winning author of more than 60
novels for readers of all ages, published in Australia and many other
countries. Her adult novels include the popular historical fantasy trilogy, Forest of Dreams (Random House
Australia). Sophie has always had a great interest in Russian myth and history,
an interest reflected in several of her books for younger readers. Her new
adult novel, Trinity: Koldun Code
(Momentum), is the first in an exciting urban fantasy series set in modern
Russia.
Author website: ww.sophiemasson.org
Author blog: www.firebirdfeathers.com