Scott
Cunningham (1956-1993)
Written
and compiled by George Knowles.
Scott Cunningham was a Wiccan and popular author of more than thirty books on both
fiction and non-fiction topics. More
than fifteen of his books were written on Wicca and its related subjects, he
also wrote scripts for occult videos. Scott
was a key player in the opening up of Wicca to solitary practice, and by making
a great deal of information available to the public, he helped influence many
newcomers entering the craft.
Scott was born on the 27th June 1956 at
the William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, USA.
His parents Chester Grant
Cunningham and Rose Marie Wilhoit Cunningham had two other children, an older
brother Greg and a younger sister Christine.
In 1959 due to his mothers
recurring health problems, the family moved to San Diego, California, were the
doctors declared the mild climate would be more benificial for her. Aside from his many trips to Hawaii, Scott continued to live
in San Diego until his death in 1993.
His introduction to the craft came through a book he read
in 1971, one purchased by his mother (The
Supernatural, by Douglas Hill and Pat Williams). Scott had always shown an interest in plants, minerals and
other natural earth products, and this book furthered his interest.
It also showed diagrams of Italian hand gestures used to ward of the evil
eye, and these particularly fascinated him.
Later in high school he used these gestures to attract the attention of a
female classmate he knew to be involved with the occult and a working coven.
She introduced Scott into Wicca, which further intensified his interest
in the powers of nature. Over the
next few years he took initiation into several covens of varying traditions
gaining experience, but really he preferred to practice as a solitary
practitioner.
In 1974 he enrolled at San Diego State University were he
studied creative writing, inspired to do so by his father.
His father was a professional writer who had authored some 170
non-fiction and fiction books. Scott started writing truck and automobile articles for trade
publications, he also wrote advertising copy on a freelance basis.
His roommate during this
period was the author Donald Michael Kraig, he also made the the aquintance of
Raymond Buckland, who was living in San Diego at the time.
After only two years of his University course, Scott had collected
more published credits than most of his professors, and so decided to drop out
from the rest of the course and began to write full-time.
The first book he had published was an Egyptian romance novel, Shadow of Love (1980).
Scott’s writing style was easy to understand being simple and direct, his
teachings focused on encouraging people to employ whatever works for them in
their religious, spiritual, and magickal endeavours.
He was a fine herbalist and produced several books dealing with herbs,
including Magickal Herbalism
(Llewellyn Publications, 1982), and Cunningham’s
Encyclopedia of Magickal Herbs (Llewellyn
Publications, 1985). His books on
Wicca led to a steady rise in its popularity, and he soon became one of the
best-read Wiccan authors of his time. Sales
of his most popular book Wicca: A Guide
for the Solitary Practitioner (Llewellyn, 1988), reached over 400,000 copies
by the year 2000.
His prominence was instrumental in influencing the changes
that took place in the Wicca movement during the eighties.
Due to his influence, the Wiccan religion shifted primarily from the
hands of initiates into the public arena, and many eclectic traditions were
formed as a result. While essentially a self-styled Wiccan and a solitary
practitioner, he was initiated into several established Craft Traditions.
In 1980 he entered into the Aridian Tradition, where he undertook a
course of study on Witchcraft and Magick from Raven Grimassi.
Then in 1981 he entered the Reorganized Traditional Gwyddonic Order of
Wicca, and the Ancient Pictish Gaelic Tradition.
Additionally, he was an initiate of the American Traditionalist Wicca.
Scott travelled around the country giving lectures and
occasionally making media appearances on behalf of the craft.
He viewed the craft as a modern religion created in the 20th
century, and thought that Wicca, while containing pagan folk magic derived of
ancient times, should be stripped of it’s quasi-historical and mythological
trappings and represented to the public as a modern religion utilizing ancient
concepts. He also believed
that Wicca, which had been a closed and secrative tradition since the 1950s,
should become more open to newcomers.
A sudden onset of health issues began to affect his public
appearances, then later his writing. In
1983 he was diagnosed with Lymphoma, a form of cancer.
To make matters worse in 1990, he also contracted Cryptococcal
Meningitis. His health continued to
decline as he suffered opportunistic infections related to his primary disease.
Finally on the 28th March 1993, he succumbed, and Scott passed
from this world and into the next. As
an ambassador of the pagan way of life, his books today continue to influence us
all.
Partial bibliography:
1980 - Shadow
of Love
1982 - Magical
Herbalism: The Secret of the Wise
1983 - Earth
Power: Techniques of Natural Magic
1985 - Cunningham's
Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs
1987 - The
Magical Household
1987 - Cunningham's
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem, and Metal Magic
1988 - The
Truth About Witchcraft Today
1988 - Wicca:
A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner
1989 - The
Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews
1989 - Magical
Aromatherapy: The Power of Scent
1991 - Earth,
Air, Fire, and Water: More Techniques of Natural Magic
1991 - The
Magic in Food
1993 - Cunningham's
Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen
1993 - Divination
For Beginners
1993 - Living
Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner
1993 - Spell
Crafts: Creating Magical Objects
1993 - The
Truth About Herb Magic
1994 - The
Truth About Witchcraft
1995 - Hawaiian
Magic and Spirituality
1997 - Pocket
Guide to Fortune Telling
1999 - Dreaming
the Divine: Techniques for Sacred Sleep
2009 - Cunningham's
Book of Shadows: The Path of An American Traditionalist.
A rediscovered manuscript written by Cunningham in the late 70's or early
80's and due to be released October 2009 by Llewellyn Publications.
Sources:
Several of Scott's
own books contain text – “About the Author”.
The
Encyclopedia of Witches &Witchcraft -
by Rosemary Ellen Guiley.
Encyclopedia of
Wicca & Witchcraft - by Raven Grimassi.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Cunningham
First published on
the 01st May 2001 -
updated 25th June 2009 © George Knowles
Best
wishes and Blessed Be
