- published: 19 Jun 2016
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Barbara may refer to:
Taisha Abelar, born Maryann Simko, is an American writer and anthropologist who was a close associate of Carlos Castaneda. She disappeared shortly after Castaneda's death in 1998.
Abelar met Castaneda when she was 19 years old and a student at University of California, Los Angeles where she eventually earned her Master’s degree and Ph.D. in Anthropology. In 1973 Castaneda purchased a compound on Pandora Avenue in Westwood, Los Angeles, and soon after Abelar (she was still known as Maryann Simko at this time), along with Regine Thal and Kathleen Pohlman, who would come to be known collectively as "the witches", moved in. In 1974, Samurai magazine published photos of Regine Thal doing karate exercises. In the article Abelar is called "Anna Marie Carter".
In keeping with Castaneda’s philosophy of "erasing personal history", the witches maintained a tight veil of secrecy. They used numerous aliases and generally did not allow themselves to be photographed. Not long after moving into Castaneda’s compound Maryann Simko changed her name to Taisha Abelar. Likewise Regine Thal changed her name to Florinda Donner and Kathleen Pohlman hers to Carol Tiggs.