Margaret Runyan Castaneda, ex-wife of Carlos Castaneda -- RIP

Once upon a time, Carlos Castaneda's writings mesmerized a generations of readers for whom the exploration of mysticism was akin to an enchanted journey. It's hard to imagine today, when the current deities are tech wizards and untouchable celebrities. Whatever Castaneda's faults -- and there were some whoppers -- at least his books attempted to touch something eternal and immaterial.

Ironically, one got the sense Castaneda was close to few people. Among them was Margaret Runyan, who met the author when he was an obscure deliveryman and she worked for a phone company in Los Angeles. Their story is a turbulent tale, and includes ambiguity about their marriage documentation, and the interposition of a legal organization which appears to have been something of a "keeper of the flame" for Castaneda.

The LA Times' obit of the former Mrs. Castaneda, who died over a month ago, offers intriguing details about the life and times of Margaret Runyan Castaneda and her famous husband.