DOCSLIB.ORG

Philip Heselton, Doreen Valiente: Witch

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Philip Heselton, Doreen Valiente: Witch [The Pomegranate 18.1 (2016) 108-111] ISSN 1528-0268 (print) doi: 10.1558/pome.v18i1.30254 ISSN 1743-1735 (online) Philip Heselton, Doreen Valiente: Witch (Nottingham, UK: The Doreen Valiente Foundation in association with The Centre for Pagan Stud- ies, 2016), 357 pp., £21.99 (hardcover) £14.99 (paper) While it is Gerald Gardner (1884–1964), the internationally renowned “Father of Wicca,” who is most often credited with helping to bring this Pagan new religious movement out of the shadows and into public consciousness, there is a strong argument to be made that he would never have been anywhere near as successful had it not been for the work of his most influential and significant high priestess, Doreen Valiente (1922–1999). Born in the southern English county of Surrey, Valiente began practicing magic as a child and later became acquainted with Gardner after learning of him from a magazine arti- cle. Being initiated into his Gardnerian tradition of Wicca at Mid- summer 1953, Valiente subsequently became the high priestess of his Bricket Wood coven, during which time she rewrote much of the ritual liturgies and poems contained within his Book of Shad- ows. Although she broke from him in 1957, she retained her belief in Wicca and involved herself in the traditions of rivals like Raymond Howard and Robert Cochrane. From the early 1960s through to the late 1980s she published a series of five books on Wicca, through which she sought to publicize the faith to a far wider audience. By the time of her death she was well-respected as an elder in the Craft, coming to be widely known as the “Mother of Modern Witchcraft” or “Mother of Wicca.” The author of this biography, Philip Heselton, first made a name for himself in the British Earth Mysteries movement, establishing The Ley Hunter magazine and later authoring volumes on ley lines and earth spirits in the 1980s and 90s. Becoming a practicing Wiccan, he later changed his research direction and began to explore the early origins of his faith, establishing himself as one of the foremost fig- ures in this field. His investigations into the life of Gardner and the putative New Forest coven—the existence of which has been central to many of his arguments—has been published in the form of Wiccan Roots (Capall Bann, 2000), Gerald Gardner and the Cauldron of Inspiration (Capall Bann, 2004) and Witchfather: A Life of Gerald Gardner (Thoth Publications, 2012). These important books have been read widely within the modern Pagan community and attracted the attention © Equinox Publishing Ltd 2016. Office 415, The Workstation, 15 Paternoster Row, Sheffield S1 2BX. Review 109 of academics operating in contemporary Pagan studies. Heselton is therefore a sympathetic biographer, both to Valiente and to the belief system to which she devoted herself. However, as with his previous work on Gardner this is not mere hagiography, and he has not shied away from some of the more controversial aspects of her life. Its title a clear nod to Jack Bracelin and Idries Shah’s Gerald Gard- ner: Witch (Octagon Press, 1960), the idea behind Doreen Valiente: Witch was not originally conceived by Heselton. Rather, the volume was specially commissioned by John Belham-Payne (1952–2016) for publication through his own Doreen Valiente Foundation, estab- lished in 2011. Belham-Payne was Valiente’s final magical partner, having befriended her through the Centre for Pagan Studies, a UK- based community organization that he had established with his wife Julie in 1995. Having inherited Valiente’s collection of magical arti- facts and documents, he had since been instrumental in promoting her legacy by establishing the Doreen Valiente Foundation, publish- ing an anthology of her poetry, and organizing an upcoming exhi- bition about her in the English coastal town of Brighton. Tragically, Belham-Payne died just prior to the release of this biography, which had its launch party at Treadwell’s bookstore, an esoteric commu- nity hub in central London, in February 2016. It is only fitting therefore that this book opens with an introduc- tion from Belham-Payne himself. Here he reveals that he had origi- nally hoped to write Valiente’s biography on his own, until finding that the task was beyond his capabilities and that Heselton instead would be better placed to undertake the task. Oddly, in this open- ing chapter Belham-Payne makes the erroneous claim that Hesel- ton’s volume represents the first ever biography of Valiente to be produced (xiii). Not only did Valiente’s own autobiographical work, The Rebirth of Witchcraft, appear in 1989, but Jonathan Tapsell’s all- too-brief Ameth: The Life and Times of Doreen Valiente was brought out by Avalonia Books in 2013. Heselton’s, then, is the third biography of Valiente to have seen publication, although it does have the dis- tinction of being the fullest and most detailed of the three. It should be stressed that this is not an academic biography, and nor does it pretend to be. It is clearly aimed at a popular (primar- ily Wiccan) audience, with short paragraphs and a lack of scholarly jargon helping to make this a very easy read. While it would there- fore be unfair to assess it by the same criteria as one would judge an academic publication, here I shall be primarily concerned with its utility for those involved in the field of contemporary Pagan studies. © Equinox Publishing Ltd 2016 110 The Pomegranate 18.1 (2016) Perhaps the greatest strength of this book is the information that it brings to light for the very first time. Indeed, many of the rev- elations that Heselton has brought forth are quite fascinating. He reveals, for instance, that during the Second World War, Valiente was working as a translator at the code-breaking center of Bletch- ley Park (40). He also reveals that prior to her involvement in Wicca, Valiente was practicing Golden Dawn-style ceremonial magic with a partner known only as “Zerki”, and that this individual was also introduced to Gardner and initiated into the Gardnerian Craft in 1953 before soon dropping out (65–66, 72–74). Equally fascinating is the revelation—only hinted at in Tapsell’s previous biography—that during the early 1970s Valiente was involved in the white national- ist far right, being a member of the National Front and also perhaps the Northern League. As Heselton points out, Valiente came to dis- associate herself with these groups as she became better acquainted with their ideas; however, he also proffers the interesting sugges- tion that she may have joined such groups at the bequest of the Brit- ish intelligence services (153–163). Just as intriguing is Heselton’s revelation that Valiente was a personal friend of the Queen Mother and was put on a private jet to visit her in Scotland (254–55). How this came to be is left a perplexing mystery. Despite these important discoveries, it was unusual to find that certain aspects of Valiente’s life—such as her involvement in the cre- ation of the Wiccan Rede and her work with The Regency, a prom- inent Pagan group active in the 1960s and 70s—are not mentioned within the book. Many scholars may also be unsatisfied with the volume’s lack of engagement with the growing academic literature on the history of Wicca; a number of research articles that would have been pertinent to this work have for instance been overlooked. Equally frustrating for scholars will be the sparse and inconsistent use of referencing throughout many of its chapters. Important doc- uments pertaining to Valiente’s life have clearly been consulted by Heselton, but often with no citations provided to indicate exactly what these documents are or where they can be found. This may well be vexing for later researchers who wish to examine these sources for themselves in greater detail. Although the style of writing makes this an easily accessible read, at times one feels that it could have been improved had the prose been guided by a firmer editorial hand. One recurring issue is that names are repeatedly dropped with no mention of who they are, when they knew Valiente, or what their relationship to her actually © Equinox Publishing Ltd 2016 Review 111 was. On page 36 for instance, Heselton refers to Hazel Hall, Melissa Harrington, and Shelley Rabinovitch without specifying who any of them are. While the work is illustrated with a wide range of photo- graphs, many of which have never before seen publication, all too often these are either too small or of insufficient clarity to be fully appreciated. Of far better visual quality is a handy family tree of Valiente’s ancestry which Heselton has put together (9). Also worthy of commendation is the thorough and useful index at the end of the work. As Heselton himself makes plain, this is not going to be the defin- itive biography of Valiente. At several points in the book he high- lights those areas where he thinks that there is much further research to be carried out. The impression given—at least to this reviewer— was that Heselton has been simply unable to explore Valiente’s life to the same level of detail that he exhibited in his earlier works on Gardner. Why this is the case remains elusive, although it may be that the extent of his research was curtailed somewhat in order to meet a publisher’s deadline. If this is the case it would hopefully be rectified if Heselton ever decides to return to Valiente’s life for an expanded, enhanced second edition.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Constructing the Witch in Contemporary American Popular Culture
    "SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES": CONSTRUCTING THE WITCH IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN POPULAR CULTURE Catherine Armetta Shufelt A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY December 2007 Committee: Dr. Angela Nelson, Advisor Dr. Andrew M. Schocket Graduate Faculty Representative Dr. Donald McQuarie Dr. Esther Clinton © 2007 Catherine A. Shufelt All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Dr. Angela Nelson, Advisor What is a Witch? Traditional mainstream media images of Witches tell us they are evil “devil worshipping baby killers,” green-skinned hags who fly on brooms, or flaky tree huggers who dance naked in the woods. A variety of mainstream media has worked to support these notions as well as develop new ones. Contemporary American popular culture shows us images of Witches on television shows and in films vanquishing demons, traveling back and forth in time and from one reality to another, speaking with dead relatives, and attending private schools, among other things. None of these mainstream images acknowledge the very real beliefs and traditions of modern Witches and Pagans, or speak to the depth and variety of social, cultural, political, and environmental work being undertaken by Pagan and Wiccan groups and individuals around the world. Utilizing social construction theory, this study examines the “historical process” of the construction of stereotypes surrounding Witches in mainstream American society as well as how groups and individuals who call themselves Pagan and/or Wiccan have utilized the only media technology available to them, the internet, to resist and re- construct these images in order to present more positive images of themselves as well as build community between and among Pagans and nonPagans.
    [Show full text]
  • The Charge of the Goddess
    The Charge of the Goddess: A Wiccan Ethic It has been my experience that many people get involved in Wicca because they like the lack of rules. We don’t have a lot of “Thou shalt nots.” All we have is the Witch’si Rede, they say. But there are many unspoken rules of ethics that we think of as being essentially “Wiccan.” Why? Where do they come from? The answer should be self-evident but often isn’t. What is the one piece of liturgy that Wiccans really have? The answer is the Charge of the Goddess. Most modern Wiccans treat this prose as a lovely way to invoke the Goddess. It does work well that way. But consider the original meaning of the word “charge”. It is a command, a responsibility laid upon someone, an exhortation, a duty, an injunction, or being entrusted with someone’s care. It is a series of rules! In order to illustrate this, and illustrate how this piece of liturgy defines our Wiccan ethics, the remainder of this article will be concerned with breaking down the Charge into its component elements and paraphrasing them in a less poetic fashion. I will present both Doreen Valiente’s version and Starhawk’s version, since both are utilized among different Wiccan traditions. Though there are other versions, these are the most commonly known. There are also some slight differences (some elements present in one version may not be present in the other,) and so these differences need to be addressed as well. Valiente: Listen to the words of the Great Mother; she who of old was also called among men Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Cybele, Arianrhod, Isis, Dana, Bride and by many other names: Starhawk: Listen to the words of the Great Mother, Who of old was called Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Diana, Arionrhod, Brigid, and by many other names: The Goddess says, first and foremost, “Listen!” I don’t believe that this is merely a poetic way of beginning the script.
    [Show full text]
  • Surviving and Thriving in a Hostile Religious Culture Michelle Mitchell Florida International University, [email protected]
    Florida International University FIU Digital Commons FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations University Graduate School 11-14-2014 Surviving and Thriving in a Hostile Religious Culture Michelle Mitchell Florida International University, [email protected] DOI: 10.25148/etd.FI14110747 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd Part of the New Religious Movements Commons Recommended Citation Mitchell, Michelle, "Surviving and Thriving in a Hostile Religious Culture" (2014). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1639. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/1639 This work is brought to you for free and open access by the University Graduate School at FIU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of FIU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY Miami, Florida SURVIVING AND THRIVING IN A HOSTILE RELIGIOUS CULTURE: CASE STUDY OF A GARDNERIAN WICCAN COMMUNITY A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in RELIGIOUS STUDIES by Michelle Irene Mitchell 2014 To: Interim Dean Michael R. Heithaus College of Arts and Sciences This thesis, written by Michelle Irene Mitchell, and entitled Surviving and Thriving in a Hostile Religious Culture: Case Study of a Gardnerian Wiccan Community, having been approved in respect to style and intellectual content, is referred to you for judgment. We have read this thesis and recommend that it be approved. _______________________________________ Lesley Northup _______________________________________ Dennis Wiedman _______________________________________ Whitney A. Bauman, Major Professor Date of Defense: November 14, 2014 The thesis of Michelle Irene Mitchell is approved.
    [Show full text]
  • Bibliography
    BIBLIOGRAPHY Archives Doreen Valiente Papers, The Keep Archival Centre, Brighton. Feminist Archive North, Brotherton Library, University of Leeds. Feminist Archive South, Bristol University Library. Feminist Library, South London. Library of Avalon, Glastonbury. Museum of Witchcraft’s Library, Boscastle, England. Peter Redgrove Papers, University of Sheffeld’s Library. Robert Graves Papers, St. John’s College Library, Oxford University. Sisterhood and After: The Women’s Liberation Oral History Project, The British Library. Starhawk Collection, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley. Women’s Library, London School of Economics Library. Primary Sources Amanda, “Greenham Festival of Life,” Pipes of PAN 7 (1982): 3. Anarchist Feminist Newsletter 3 (September 1977). Anon., You Can’t Kill the Spirit: Yorkshire Women Go to Greenham (S.L.: Bretton Women’s Book Fund, 1983). Anon., “Becoming a Pagan,” Greenleaf (5 November 1992). © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive 277 license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 S. Feraro, Women and Gender Issues in British Paganism, 1945–1990, Palgrave Historical Studies in Witchcraft and Magic, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46695-4 278 BIBLIOGRAPHY “Aquarian Pagans,” The Cauldron 22 (Beltane 1981): 5. Arachne 1 (May Eve 1983). Arachne Collective, “Arachne Reborn,” Arachne 2 (1985): 1. Ariadne, “Progressive Wicca: The New Tradition,” Dragon’s Brew 3 (January 1991): 12–16. Asphodel, “Letter,” Revolutionary and Radical Feminist Newsletter 8 (1981). Asphodel, “Letters,” Wood and Water 2:1 (Samhain 1981): 24–25. Asphodel, “Womanmagic,” Spare Rib 110 (September 1981): 50–53. Asphodel, “Letter,” Matriarchy Research and Reclaim Network Newsletter 9 (Halloween 1982). Asphodel, “Feminism and Spirituality: A Review of Recent Publications 1975– 1981,” Women’s Studies International Forum 5:1 (1982): 103–108.
    [Show full text]
  • The Methodology of Resistance in Contemporary Neopaganism
    University of Puget Sound Sound Ideas Summer Research 2012 The ethoM dology of Resistance in Contemporary NeoPaganism Rebecca Short [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/summer_research Part of the Comparative Methodologies and Theories Commons, History of Religions of Western Origin Commons, New Religious Movements Commons, and the Other Religion Commons Recommended Citation Short, Rebecca, "The eM thodology of Resistance in Contemporary NeoPaganism" (2012). Summer Research. Paper 151. http://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/summer_research/151 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Sound Ideas. It has been accepted for inclusion in Summer Research by an authorized administrator of Sound Ideas. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Rebecca Short 24 September 2012 Professor Greta Austin The Methodology of Resistance in Contemporary NeoPagan Culture The number of adherents of NeoPaganism is one of the fastest growing, doubling in numbers about every eighteen months. 1 NeoPaganism is a set of several religious traditions and spiritualities that seek to either (1) painstakingly reconstruct the indigenous religions of the Christianized world, especially those of Europe, or (2) reinterpret these religions in the contemporary era to formulate new religious traditions. Reconstructionist NeoPagan traditions include Asatru , a Norse Reconstructionist path, and Hellenismos , a Greek Reconstructionist religion. More contemporary, eclectic, new religious movements include Wicca, a tradition of religious witchcraft born out of the ancient Hermetic school of spirituality and magic practice. Wicca is by far the most popular tradition (or, now, set of traditions) in all of NeoPaganism. This religious tradition was started by a man named Gerald Gardner in 1950s England.
    [Show full text]
  • Religion and the Return of Magic: Wicca As Esoteric Spirituality
    RELIGION AND THE RETURN OF MAGIC: WICCA AS ESOTERIC SPIRITUALITY A thesis submitted for the degree of PhD March 2000 Joanne Elizabeth Pearson, B.A. (Hons.) ProQuest Number: 11003543 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 11003543 Published by ProQuest LLC(2018). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 AUTHOR’S DECLARATION The thesis presented is entirely my own work, and has not been previously presented for the award of a higher degree elsewhere. The views expressed here are those of the author and not of Lancaster University. Joanne Elizabeth Pearson. RELIGION AND THE RETURN OF MAGIC: WICCA AS ESOTERIC SPIRITUALITY CONTENTS DIAGRAMS AND ILLUSTRATIONS viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ix ABSTRACT xi INTRODUCTION: RELIGION AND THE RETURN OF MAGIC 1 CATEGORISING WICCA 1 The Sociology of the Occult 3 The New Age Movement 5 New Religious Movements and ‘Revived’ Religion 6 Nature Religion 8 MAGIC AND RELIGION 9 A Brief Outline of the Debate 9 Religion and the Decline o f Magic? 12 ESOTERICISM 16 Academic Understandings of
    [Show full text]
  • The Reclaiming Cauldron
    WEB FEATURES A special feature from Reclaiming Quarterly & WeaveAndSpin.org New from Reclaiming Quarterly Reclaiming Archives – Free Online! The Reclaiming Cauldron Back issues of a journal of magic, creativity, and action Reclaiming The Reclaiming Cauldron is an Quarterly — experimental journal of writings, 60+ pages of artwork, photography, music, video – Witchcraft and even some funny stuff! and Magical Activism – This PDF is an excerpt from our first – are available and possible only – issue. as free Find the entire journal – print edition downloadable or free PDF – at our webpage: PDF files at RQ.org WeaveAndSpin.org/cauldron Plus The Cauldron was initiated by a you’ll find lots of other features on Spring 2020 magical writing class. We gender, magic, ritual, Tarot, music, put out a call in July for more writ- activism, and much more! ings, artwork, photos, music, etc, and Visit WeaveAndSpin.org/archives pretty soon we had 150 pages of cre- ativity, book excerpts, music playlists, photographs... For more information, visit our webpage (above) or email us (see footer). Reclaiming Music CDs Chants & Music available online Campfire Chants – our latest album! Join us around the witchcamp balefire for 18 classic Reclaiming chants written by Starhawk, Suzanne Sterling, T. Thorn Coyle, and others. The album features many of Reclaiming’s most-loved chants of the 2000s. Recorded by a mixed chorus plus conga, guitar, fiddle, flute, clarinet, and even a ukelele – perfect for learning or singing along! Reclaiming has released five albums of Streaming at all sites or find Earth-based chants and music. links at: Our albums feature many of Reclaiming’s WeaveAndSpin.org/playlists finest witchcamp chants, including songs by Starhawk and others, recorded by a Free download of our 50- mixed chorus plus conga, guitar, fiddle, page full-color Lyrics & Lore and more.
    [Show full text]
  • Transcript Dead Ladies Show Podcast Episode 26 Doreen Valiente & Martha Maxwell
    Transcript Dead Ladies Show Podcast Episode 26 Doreen Valiente & Martha Maxwell (Dead Ladies Show Music - ‘Little Lily Swing’ by Tri-Tachyon) SUSAN STONE: Welcome to the Dead Ladies Show Podcast. The Dead Ladies Show celebrates women both overlooked and iconic who achieved amazing things against the odds. And we do it through live history storytelling. I'm Susan Stone, and I'm here with Dead Ladies Show co- founder Katy Derbyshire. KATY DERBYSHIRE: Hi, Susan! SUSAN STONE: We're in Berlin, but sometimes the Dead Ladies Show finds another home far from our shores. KATY DERBYSHIRE: It does. We have a sister show now in New York City, and it's hosted by Molly O'Laughlin Kemper at the KGB Bar Red Room. Molly and her team have recently celebrated their one-year Dead Ladies Show anniversary. We're really pleased -- congratulations! SUSAN STONE: Yay! Red Room. It just sounds so spooky -- Red Room, Red Room -- doesn't it? In fact, in this episode with help from our New York pals, we're going to get a little spooky ourselves. Now just because we have the word 'dead' in the title of the show doesn't mean we're scary, usually. Although for some, there's nothing more terrifying than the idea of a woman doing whatever she wants, achieving great things, and even changing the world. To get ready for today's recording, I've worn my scary lady skeleton hand hair-clip in glorious rhinestones. And Katy has a timely homage in brooch form. KATY DERBYSHIRE: Yeah, so I have made this brooch out of a safety pin and a plastic spider which just lives in my kitchen in honor of Lady Hale, who if you've been following Brexit news, you'll be exhausted by now, but Lady Hale is the very senior judge in the UK who ruled that putting the parliament on hold -- so-called prorogation was illegal -- and they all had to go back to the Houses of Parliament and she did so wearing this beautiful glittering spider brooch, inspiring many memes.
    [Show full text]
  • History of Wicca in England: 1939 to the Present Day by Julia Phillips
    History of Wicca in England: 1939 to the Present Day by Julia Phillips Introduction to the 2004 Revised Edition by Julia Phillips This chapter is adapted from a talk I gave at the Australian Wiccan Conference in Canberra, 1991. It is mainly about the early days of Wicca in England – specifically what we now call Gardnerian and Alexandrian traditions. The notes from which the original talk was derived were compiled during the 1980s from a myriad of sources, and were intended only for private use within my own coven. I did not gather the material alone – Paul Greenslade and Rufus Harrington were equally involved in the research, and it gives me great pleasure to have the opportunity to record their important contribution in this introduction. When I immigrated to Australia at the end of 1988, I quickly discovered that very few Australian Wiccans had a very detailed concept of the origins of Wicca or of their own place within the Wiccan family. I therefore accepted an invitation to speak on the history of Wicca at the 1991 Australian Wiccan Conference, and consolidated the notes mentioned above into a lecture intended to clarify to Australian Wiccans how the path came to be and where they fitted in. It was for this reason that I included information and anecdotes about influential people within the Craft (though I initialized names where those people were not known publicly). The lecture was subsequently published in the collected papers of the Conference in a limited numbered edition of 200 copies. From there, it was later posted to the internet and now exists on over 500 websites in a non-tarted up form.
    [Show full text]
  • The Empowerment Manual
    Advance Praise for The EMPOWERMENT MANUAL It’s not easy to meld a sweeping vision with practical steps on how to implement it, but Starhawk has succeeded brilliantly in The Empowerment Manual. Filled with case histories, illustrative stories, and, most importantly, clearly written exercises for honing your collaborative skills, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in building community and truly empowering themselves and others. — Toby Hemenway, author, Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture True social change is a collaborative art. Here’s a trove of tips, guidelines, deft strategies and open secrets, that will speed and ease our capacity to work together. It comes to us with Starhawk’s signature blend of vast experience, wit, and love for life. — Joanna Macy, author, The Work that Reconnects and co-author, Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re In Without Going Crazy This new book, The Empowerment Manual: A Guide for Collaborative Groups, is Starhawk at her best — wise woman elder, articulate thinker and witty writer, experienced leader and fierce guardian of the planet. This is the how-to we’ve been needing, an eloquent and thoughtful handbook of intelligent advice detailing exactly how to bring the principles of cooperation, caring, and demo- cratic sustainability fully into living practice. Extremely well done! — Vicki Noble, co-creator of Motherpeace, author of Shakti Woman and The Double Goddess The Empowerment Manualis truly a guide to ensure the survival of those of us who us who are struggling to work collaboratively. It sheds a light on those dark corners of group dynamics that can leave us confused and disheartened.
    [Show full text]
  • Candle Burning: Its Occult Significance, 1980, Michael Howard, 0850301688, 9780850301687, Aquarian Press, 1980
    Candle Burning: Its Occult Significance, 1980, Michael Howard, 0850301688, 9780850301687, Aquarian Press, 1980 DOWNLOAD http://bit.ly/1w11mi8 http://goo.gl/RimTd http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?search=Candle+Burning%3A+Its+Occult+Significance DOWNLOAD http://is.gd/EzOn78 http://www.fishpond.co.nz/Books/Candle-Burning-Its-Occult-Significance http://bit.ly/XzY5Wk Herbs , Lesley Bremness, 1994, Gardening, 304 pages. A visual identification guide to more than 700 species of herbs identifies which parts are collected and prepared and describes their different uses from cooking and medicine. Modern Wicca , Michael Howard, 2010, Neopaganism, . Elements of Witchcraft Natural Magick for Teens, Ellen Dugan, 2003, Juvenile Nonfiction, 255 pages. An introduction to spells, rituals, and magick for teens which explains how to work with the four basic elements of earth, air, fire, and wind to work magick.. Earth, Air, Fire & Water More Techniques of Natural Magic, Scott Cunningham, 1991, Body, Mind & Spirit, 240 pages. “A treasure trove of practical magic for both novices and more experienced practitioners . beautifully crafted spells that invoke the alchemy of possibility.”—PanGaia A. Life Beyond Death: What Should We Expect? , David Fontana, 2014, BODY, MIND & SPIRIT, . Most people in the world believe in some form of life after death, but what exactly is the nature of the afterlife' David Fontana examines all the extensive evidential material. Magical Ritual Methods , William G. Gray, Jun 1, 1980, Body, Mind & Spirit, 301 pages. A complete treatise and practical guide to ceremonial magic and magical rituals.. Divination for Beginners Reading the Past, Present & Future, Scott Cunningham, 2003, Body, Mind & Spirit, 240 pages.
    [Show full text]
  • The Meaning of Witchcraft
    THE MEANING OF WITCHCRAFT By G. B. GARDNER Introduction by Dr. Leo Louis Martello MAGICKAL CHILDE, INC. 35 W. 19th St. (Gerald Gardner) GARDNER GRAND OLD MAN OF WITCHCRAFT By DR. LEO LOUIS MARTELLO Gerald B. Gardner’s biography has been published many times, including a chapter on him in my own Witchcraft: The Old Religion. For the record his first Craft book was High Magic’s Aid published in 1949, a self-published work. His second was Witchcraft Today in 1954 and his last was The Meaning of Witchcraft, 1959, five years before his death. Prior to these he had written A Goddess Arrives, 1948, and Keris and Other Malay Weapons, 1936. The latter and High Magic’s Aid were published under his pen-name of Scire. In Witchcraft Today the Bibliography has no listing of Charles Godfrey Leland and in this book he lists only Leland’s Gypsy Sorcery. Yet a careful study of the Gardnerian Book of Shadows reveals that many passages were copied directly from Leland’s Aradia. The secret name of the Goddess used in Gardnerian rites is also most revealing. His new converts shed lots of heat but not too much light, especially in view of all the hagiographical hogwash written about him. Those converts who saw the light preferred to keep others in the dark. This is characteristic of all new converts to any faith. And today none of this matters as the Craft... The Old Religion... Paganism has grown and expanded worldwide where the myths of the past, the factual inconsistencies, the claims and counterclaims fade into insignificance.
    [Show full text]