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Pagan Pioneers: Founders, Elders, Leaders and Others
John Belham-Payne
Written and compiled by
George Knowles
John Belham-Payne is perhaps best known as the last working High Priest of Doreen Valiente, England’s most famous contemporary Witch. He was also a co-founder of the Centre For Pagan Studies (CFPS) and custodian of Doreen’s extensive collection of artefacts, which together with Gerald B. Gardner’s original “Book of Shadows”, are considered to be modern witchcraft’s most important documents. Later he founded the "Doreen Valiente Foundation" (DVF) to legally protect and preserve her legacy for the future, under control and management of the foundation’s trustees.
Doreen Valiente - Gerald Gardner
John Patrick Belham-Payne was born on the 05th January 1952 in Dudley near Birmingham, England. During his youth he showed a keen interest in music and encouraged by his theatrical parents was working as a musician playing drums by the time he was 11 years old. After leaving school he studied and earned a Photography Degree at Wednesbury College of Technology, before moving to Italy where he worked as a musician and ran a bar on the Italian Riviera Del Fiore. On his return to the UK he took employment in the marketing department of Dudley Zoo and Castle rising to the position of assistant General Manager before leaving after a public disagreement concerning animal welfare policy. After leaving Dudley Zoo, John again took up music and throughout the 1970’s played with a number of prominent groups and bands as a drummer, he also worked as a professional session player backing numerous well-known recording groups of the same era. Later he worked as an executive for the recording company EMI and lived for a time in San Diego, California, while working in Hollywood. After returning to the UK the last band he played with was a Brighton based post-punk group called The Piranhas, who during their heyday recorded two Top Twenty chart hits. Sadly however, while returning from a late-night gig in 1982 a serious car accident on Hove Seafront resulted in John breaking his back, which ended his days as a working musician.
John in the 1980’s
After the accident John began to focus more on his spiritual and religious beliefs. During his earlier years at school while attending local church services he had often felt the pull of a spiritual calling but soon became disillusioned with formal religion. After leaving school he also left the church and started studying alternative religions. His studies eventually led him into Paganism and Witchcraft, but like many choosing this as their path he found it difficult to find a genuine teacher. He prevailed however and at Samhain (Halloween) in 1983, he was initiated into a traditional Welsh coven headed by Patricia and John Edwards. In a later interview with “The Wiccan Pagan Times” (TWPT) John stated: “Like many new to the studies of the Old Ways I was desperate to be initiated and when I was, it soon became obvious that these people knew a lot less than I did. For me casting a circle seemed a natural extension to my arm. They seemed to be more concerned with getting the words right. They had a lineage, but I felt there was little in the way of content. I did go through a full traditional year and a day before initiation, but I now believe that I should have waited until the right teacher came along”. Moving to London shortly after his initiation, John worked solitary for a number of years and eventually found another teacher. He met Ralph and Audrey Harvey who ran a well-established coven founded in Brighton in 1959 called The Coven of Artemis. After a period of study with them, John was initiated into their Brighton coven. Later he received his second degree from two Alexandrian witches, Ray and Lynda Lindfield who themselves had been taught and trained by the late Alex Sanders.
Ralph Harvey - Ray and Lynda Lindfield
In 1995 seeing the need for a meeting place where people could learn more about their chosen paths, and more particularly from well-known and respected teachers of the craft, John together with his wife Julie and Ray and Lynda Lindfield co-founded the Centre For Pagan Studies (CFPS). They converted an old 18th Century barn in the grounds of their home in Maresfield, Sussex, and turned it into a meeting place facility complete with its own temple. The CFPS was the first building in the UK ever to be given planning permission containing the word “Pagan”. It was situated on the outskirts of an old English village and to convert it into a place of public use they had to display local notices about their intentions and proposed use of the building. After overcoming a number of objections from local residents, the council finally granted permission and work began. Later to encourage the same local residents to participate in their activities and to quell any leftover fears about Witches and Pagans practising in their locality, they held several open events to celebrate the seasonal changes. During the Beltane celebration in the following year many local residents attended the Centre and had a great time dancing around a Maypole erected outside in the grounds. Doreen Valiente was also in attendance and offered to do the washing up! The CFPS was founded with the intention of raising the ethical and educational standards of the Craft. They didn’t teach magic or witchcraft, nor did they charge high prices, all they needed was to cover their costs and overheads. They held lectures and seminars and invited some of the countries leading teachers and presenters to talk on a variety of specialized subjects. By doing so they were able to guide genuine students in the right direction, and to suitable teachers, but without associating themselves or the Centre. The Centre’s temple was also made available for private hire to anyone that needed to use it, and several successful Rituals and Handfastings were held there. Later that year at Samhain (Halloween) a large party complete with a huge firework display was held at the Centre. Amongst the VIP’s who attend the party was Doreen Valiente, England’s most influential modern Witch. She soon became a firm friend and supporter of the CFPS and was later made its Patron. It was this humility of Doreen’s when she asked could she do anything to help - i.e. the washing up that struck John, and for once he was lost for words! It was Doreen who initiated John to the 3rd degree and made him her last High Priest. Sadly after a short struggle with cancer, illness finally overcame Doreen who in her last few days had been moved to a nursing home for extra care and attention. There, throughout her final hours, John remained at her bedside and at 6.55 a.m. on the 01st September 1999, Doreen crossed the threshold into the Summerland.
Doreen and John
In
her Last Will and Testament, Doreen bequeathed to John her now famous collection
of witchcraft artefacts, her extensive library, and the copyrights to all her
poetry and research materials. The
collection included many items made by Gerald B. Gardner, some of his ritual
items and his original “Book of Shadows”.
These together with Doreen’s own “Book of Shadows” are thought to
be contemporary witchcraft’s most important documents. According to one source when John asked Doreen what she wished him to do with it all, she told him: “You can do anything you want with it, you can sell it, you can give it away, you can set fire to it, but one thing I know is that when the time comes you will do the right thing.” She also requested that John perform her funeral service. This was the last time that the temple at the CFPS was used, and where Doreen was laid for a few days prior to her funeral surrounded by candles and woodland flowers.
Doreen at rest in the Temple
After the death of Doreen Valiente and in the following year 2000, John and his wife Julie moved to Malaga in southern Spain and there started a Home Interior Design business called “Pueblo Interiors”. It was here they also began the task of restoring and archiving Doreen’s collection from which they posthumously publish a book of her poetry: “The Charge of The Goddess” (Hexagon Hoopix 2000), a request they had promised Doreen on her deathbed. John then put together a travelling exhibition of selected artefacts from the collection and these he began showcasing at events and conferences such as the annual International Witchfest conference here in the UK, and numerous Pagan Federation International (PFI) conferences across Europe).
Book of Poetry - PFI conference in Lisbon, Portugal in 2002
Aside
from his obvious dedication and preoccupation with Doreen Valiente, during a
visit to the United States in 2001 and in recognition for
his contribution to Witchcraft, the well-established Aquarian Tabernacle Church
bestowed on John the honorary title of Reverend.
John
had also been a long-standing committee member of the Pagan Federation here in
the UK and twice declined to take on the role of President.
He was also one of the longest standing members of their National
Interfaith Conference team, as part of which he attended the 2004
Parliament of the World’s Religions meeting in Barcelona. Sponsored through the CFPS aided by members of the Pagan Federation UK and the Children of Artemis, John began a highly successful series of “A Day for...” conference events in London that included: “A Day for Doreen Valiente” held on the 13th September 2009, “A Day for Gerald Gardner” held on the 19th September 2010, “A Day for Ronald Hutton” held on the 16th September 2012, and “A Day for Patricia Crowther” held on the 06th April 2014 in Nottingham. Each event featured some of the countries leading authors, speakers and presenters in efforts to raise funds for a new and permanent venue for the CFPS. It was John’s sincere hope one day be able to find accredited Museum space so that more of Doreen’s collection, and items donated by other well-known Witches, might be put on show and made available to the general public. With that in mind and to protect the collection for the future, John then gave the whole Doreen Valiente collection over into a legally binding “Trust”, the “Doreen Valiente Foundation” (DVF), which was officially founded on the 06th March 2011. The foundation under a “Board of Trustees” is now the sole owner/custodian of all artefacts bequeathed to him by Doreen Valiente. The stated object of the foundation is: “To protect artefacts which are important to the past, present and future of all Pagan religions, and to make such artefacts available for future education and research.” The foundations first Board of Trustees each signed a “Declaration of Trust”, they included: John Belham-Payne, Julia Belham-Payne, Brian Botham, Patricia Botham and Ashley Mortimer. When the foundation held its first board meeting they resolved to: “Seek charitable status from the Charities Commission, which has now been achieved, and to design and prepare all artefacts for their new purpose, that of exhibition and education.” The foundation has also received pledges of further artefacts to add to Doreen’s collection, and anticipates continued growth from future donations. Later Brian and Patricia Botham resigned from the board of trustees due to other commitments, after which Professor Ronald Hutton and Rufus Harrington were appointed to fill their places. When questioned about the future of Witchcraft in the UK during an interview with “The Wiccan Pagan Times” (TWPT) in 2014, John stated: “Help!
Comes to mind. I keep getting letters from around the world telling me that I am
now the head of the Gardnerian tradition. Do
people really think of me in that way? It
seems such a responsibility somehow that I have to admit I haven't really taken
on board. I truly believe that the
craft is served best in a coven set-up, with a High Priestess and a High Priest
being responsible for the group and their training, by sticking to the laws in
both practical and spiritual terms. They
are responsible for running structured 'open meetings' for those seeking the
craft. If these ‘open meetings’
are run properly then in that ‘year and a day’ they will know from the
questions the newcomer asks whether the craft is right for them and whether the
person is right for that group. These
hard working priests and priestesses are our real leaders. To run an extended family in this way is such a
responsibility. Doreen Valiente
always stuck to the rules, she never waivered.
Neither has Patricia Crowther. I
will follow their example. I have been asked to set up and run a coven for years, but I
think those upstairs have other plans for me.
I certainly promise to honour that magical lineage that has been passed
on to me until it is my turn to find a lady to pass the magical flame onto at my
death. I also admire those that
decide to work solo and self initiate. This
is a difficult path to follow and I am always happy to help where I can though I
still believe that structured coven training works best.
I work alone a lot of my time and like Doreen I am always honoured when I
am invited by a coven to help celebrate the turning of the year with them.
By not working with a particular group I think I can be more helpful to
any that seek my help”. (http://wicpagtimes.com/payne.htm) John’s next project through the CFPS was a campaign to have commemorative “Blue Plaques” placed on buildings where notable people who had shaped our Pagan history had lived or worked during their lifetimes. After lengthy negotiations with officials from the City of Brighton & Hove planning and building committees, permission was finally granted for the placement of two “Blue Plaques.” The first was naturally dedicated to Doreen Valiente, and on the 21st June 2013 (Mid-Summers Day), amid much ceremony, a Blue Plaque was unveiled at Tyson Place, a council tower block of apartments in Brighton where Doreen had last lived. A year later on the 13th June 2014, a second Blue Plaque was dedicated to Gerald B. Gardner and unveiled at his former home in Highcliffe, Dorset. More details and photo’s from both these events can be found here: (see: http://www.centre-for-pagan-studies.com/cfps-pagan-John_Belham-Blue_Plaques-7.php.
John & Julie Belham-Payne - Gardners Blue Plaque & Book of Shadows
2015 was to prove a big year for John Belham-Payne when two of his last main aims were about to become reality. The first was the completion and in-house publication of Doreen Valiente’s official biography “Doreen Valiente Witch”. In 2012 after the highly acclaimed two-volume biography of Gerald B. Gardner “Witchfather: A Life of Gerald Gardner” by Philip Heselton was published, the DVF commissioned Philip to begin work on a similar biography about Doreen Valiente. After extensive research through Doreen’s collection in Spain, her personal notebooks, unpublished writings, photos and artefacts etc., ably assisted by Ashley Mortimer of the CFPS/DVF, Philip spent the next two years tracking down and interviewing many of Doreen’s closest friends, work colleagues and other acquaintances collating additional information. Finally when Philip’s work was done and the editing and production phase completed, toward the end of 2015 the CFPS announced that the official book launch for “Doreen Valiente Witch” would take place on Sunday the 21st February 2016 at “Treadwell’s Bookshop” in London. I myself was both happy and honoured to be asked to write a website review and duly received a pre-launch copy of the book on which to base it (see below). John Belham-Payne was clearly delighted and no doubt was eagerly looking forward to the day, but sadly he would no longer be with us to see the book launched. Instead, his wife Julie took his place at the launch and gave a speech thanking all those involved in the book.
John’s second long time aim had always been to find Museum space so that more of the Doreen Valiente collection could be put on show and made available to the general public and for this to be accredited. In 2009 together with his wife Julie on a visit to see her mother living in Brighton, they chanced to pop into the Brighton Museum located in the city centre and there made initial contact with officials from the Royal Pavilion Museums (RPM) who are also located in Brighton. A year later in 2010 when Ashley Mortimer began working with the CFPS, John and Ashley made further contact with RPM officials strengthening their relationship. As a result, in late 2015 a partnership agreement was reached between the CFPS and the RPM to mount not just one, but two exhibitions the following year in Brighton. The first was to be an introductory exhibition charting Paganism in the British Isles throughout the centuries. It would include exhibits and artefacts not just from the Doreen collection, but other exhibits detailing earlier Paganisms such as Heathenry and Druidry. Entitled “Folklore, Magic and Mysteries: Modern Witchcraft and Folk Culture in Britain”, it was to be showcased at the Preston Manor Museum, an historic building maintained by the RPM that had been given over for public heritage use after the last in line of its private owners deceased in 1922. Later a second exhibition entitled “Where Witchcraft Lives” would be dedicated exclusively to the Doreen Valiente collection charting the revival of modern day witchcraft from about 1945 to 1999 and showcased in Brighton’s historic Old Courtroom Museum located in the city centre near the main Brighton Museum during August and September. Sadly however John would not see either become a reality, for while he had always appeared so active and had worked so hard to achieve it, unbeknownst except to his closest friends, he had been suffering from a kidney complaint which eventually proved fatal. On Monday the 15th February 2016, less than two months before the opening of the first exhibition and barely a week before the launch of Doreen Valiente Witch, John Belham-Payne passed away at home in Spain with just his wife Julie, and his cat Wapa beside him.
Funeral Rite and Aftermath:
John’s
funeral service was held at 15.30pm on Monday the 21st March 2016 at
the Woodvale Crematorium, Lewes Road, Brighton, Sussex.
This was the same venue from which his mentor Doreen Valiente’s last
physical remains were committed to the flames; on which occasion he himself had
performed the funeral rite. So a
fitting place for his own physical remains to be committed to the flames and to
follow her path into the Summerland. After the hearse had arrived and as the coffin was lifted and carried into the chapel, the Pentacle Drummers beat out a drum call to “wake up the old ones and announce his arrival”. Inside, the altar at the head of the coffin was dressed with candles and a large painted portrait of John. The rite was conducted by Isobel Andrade, High Priestess of the coven John had sometimes worked with in Portugal, she was assisted at the altar by Ashley Mortimer. Manning the four cardinal points of the chapel were Sarah Louise Kay (N), Rufus and Melissa Harrington (E), Lesley-Anne Brewster (S) and Sharman Emrys (W). Once the quarters had been called and the old gods asked to bear witness, the High Priestess address the congregation then invited a number of people to speak in remembrance of John. Music was then played while the coffin was rolled away and committed to the flames, after which Sarah Louise Kay read out Doreen Valiente’s poem “Elegy for a Dead Witch”. The old gods were then thanked for attending and dismissed bring the rite to an end.
The Pentacle Drummers - John’s portraitBook Launch
Just less than a week after his death on Monday the 15th February 2016, the first of John’s main aims became a reality. At 12’noon on Sunday the 21st February 2016 a capacity crowd of people gathered at Treadwells Book Shop in London for the launch of Doreen’s official biography Doreen Valiente Witch by Philip Heselton. After an introductory opening by Ashley Mortimer who had acted as editor and production manager for the CFPS, Philip Heselton gave a talk about Doreen’s life, which included some of the “so far” secretive details surrounding her activities during the Second World War. Julie Belham-Payne (John’s wife) then spoke about their first meeting with Doreen, her influence and the legacy she had bequeathed them. She then called for a short silence to mark the death of her husband, John Belham-Payne. After thanking all members of the CFPS involved in the publication of the book, she called for those present to give three cheers to Philip Heselton for a brilliant job well done. The Doreen Valiente Witch book is now the centrepiece of a growing publications section of the CFPS. Christina Oakley-Harrington the proprietor of Treadwells Bookshop then gave a PowerPoint presentation on “Witches in the Media”, which was followed by a short film on the life of Doreen Valiente, including clips of her talking about witchcraft. To finish the day’s presentations Sarah Louise Kay then gave a reading of Doreen’s poem “Elegy for a Dead Witch.” Attendees were then treated to refreshments of Ginger Wine, Cucumber sandwiches and Battenburg cake - favourites enjoyed by Doreen Valiente. Philip Heselton also made himself available for a book signing. A great day was had by all and I’m sure John would have been well pleased with its success.
Ashley Mortimer - Julie Belham-Payne
Christina Oakley-Harrington
- Sarah Louise Kay - Philip
Heselton and wife Hilary
Exhibitions
Doreen’s Altar Pieces
Other exhibits included Heathenry and
Druidry
The day started at 10.00am with an introductory talk by Ashley Mortimer about how the exhibition came to be (see: http://www.wherewitchcraftlives.org/Witchcraft_exhibitions--How_The_Exhibition_Came_About-11.php ). The ribbon was then cut by Julie Belham-Payne to officially open the exhibition. This was followed by a number of small-guided tours around the exhibition. After lunch there was a talk given by Preston Manor’s manager Paula Wrightson about how the Manor was particularly suited to showcase the exhibition due to its connection with Britain’s pagan heritage in Sussex. This was followed with a talk by Philip Heselton on the life of Doreen Valiente and the screening of a short film featuring Doreen. All had another great day and John can now rest easy knowing his mission had been accomplished.
John Belham-Payne
Echoing the earlier words of Doreen Valiente, when John asked what he should do with her collection, she said: “You can do anything you want with it, you can sell it, you can give it away, you can set fire to it, but one thing I know is that when the time comes you will do the right thing.” I think, as I’m sure the rest of the UK Pagan community think likewise, he did and achieved the right thing.
Blessed be John, may you rest in peace.
Sources:
My grateful thanks to Julie and the late John Belham-Payne for their correspondence and help in compiling this short biography.
http://aren.org/newsletter/2012-imbolc/index.html http://centre-for-pagan-studies.com/ http://www.wherewitchcraftlives.org/ https://johnbelhampayne.wordpress.com/about/
Best wishes and Blessed Be
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Site Contents - Links to all Pages
A Universal Message:
Let there be peace in the world - Where have all the flowers gone?
About me: My Personal Page / My Place in England / My Family Tree (Ancestry)
Wicca & Witchcraft
Wicca/Witchcraft / What is Wicca / What is Magick
Traditional Writings:
The Wiccan Rede / Charge of the Goddess / Charge of the God / The Three-Fold Law (includes The Law of Power and The Four Powers of the Magus) / The Witches Chant / The Witches Creed / Descent of the Goddess / Drawing Down the Moon / The Great Rite Invocation / Invocation of the Horned God / The 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief / The Witches Rede of Chivalry / A Pledge to Pagan Spirituality
Correspondence Tables:
Incense / Candles / Colours / Magickal Days / Stones and Gems / Elements and Elementals
Traditions:
Traditions Part 1 - Alexandrian Wicca / Aquarian Tabernacle Church (ATC) / Ár Ndraíocht Féin (ADF) / Blue Star Wicca / British Traditional (Druidic Witchcraft) / Celtic Wicca / Ceremonial Magic / Chaos Magic / Church and School of Wicca / Circle Sanctuary / Covenant of the Goddess (COG) / Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS) / Cyber Wicca / Dianic Wicca / Eclectic Wicca / Feri Wicca /
Traditions Part 2 - Gardnerian Wicca / Georgian Tradition / Henge of Keltria / Hereditary Witchcraft / Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (H.O.G.D.) / Kitchen Witch (Hedge Witch) / Minoan Brotherhood and Minoan Sisterhood Tradition / Nordic Paganism / Pagan Federation / Pectic-Wita / Seax-Wica / Shamanism / Solitary / Strega / Sylvan Tradition / Vodoun or Voodoo / Witches League of Public Awareness (WLPA) /
Other things of interest:
Gods and Goddesses (Greek
Mythology) / Esbats &
Full Moons / Links
to Personal Friends & Resources / Wicca/Witchcraft
Resources / What's a spell? /
Circle Casting and
Sacred Space / Pentagram
- Pentacle / Marks
of a Witch / The Witches
Power / The Witches Hat
/ An
esoteric guide to visiting London / Satanism
/ Pow-wow
/ The
Unitarian Universalist Association / Numerology: Part 1
/ Part 2 / Part
3 / A
history of the Malleus Maleficarum: includes: Pope
Innocent VIII /
The
papal Bull /
The
Malleus Maleficarum /
An extract from the Malleus Maleficarum
/ The letter of approbation
/ Johann
Nider’s Formicarius /
Jacob
Sprenger /
Heinrich Kramer /
Stefano Infessura
/ Montague Summers /
The Waldenses
/ The Albigenses
/
The Hussites / The
Native American Sun Dance
/ Shielding (Occult
and Psychic Protection) /
Sabbats and Festivals:
The Sabbats in History and Mythology / Samhain (October 31st) / Yule (December 21st) / Imbolc (February 2nd) / Ostara (March 21st) / Beltane (April 30th) / Litha (June 21st) / Lammas/Lughnasadh (August 1st) / Mabon (September 21st)
Rituals contributed by Crone:
Samhain / Yule / Imbolc / Ostara / Beltane / Litha / Lammas / Mabon
Tools:
Tools of a Witch / The Besom (Broom) / Poppets and Dolls / Pendulums / Cauldron Magick / Mirror Gazing
Animals:
Animals in Witchcraft (The Witches Familiar and Totem Animals) / Antelope / Bats / Crow / Fox / Frog and Toads / Goat / Honeybee / Kangaroo / Lion / Owl / Phoenix / Rabbits and Hares / Raven / Robin Redbreast / Sheep / Spider / Squirrel / Swans / Unicorn / Wild Boar / Wolf / Serpent / Pig / Stag / Horse / Mouse / Cat / Rats / Unicorn
Trees:
In Worship of Trees - Myths, Lore and the Celtic Tree Calendar. For descriptions and correspondences of the thirteen sacred trees of Wicca/Witchcraft see the following: Birch / Rowan / Ash / Alder / Willow / Hawthorn / Oak / Holly / Hazel / Vine / Ivy / Reed / Elder
Sacred Sites:
Mystical Sacred Sites - Stonehenge / Glastonbury Tor / Malta - The Hypogeum of Hal Saflieni / Avebury / Cerne Abbas - The Chalk Giant / Ireland - Newgrange /
Rocks and Stones:
Stones - History, Myths and Lore
Articles contributed by Patricia Jean Martin:
Apophyllite / Amber / Amethyst / Aquamarine / Aragonite / Aventurine / Black Tourmaline / Bloodstone / Calcite / Carnelian / Celestite / Citrine / Chrysanthemum Stone / Diamond / Emerald / Fluorite / Garnet / Hematite / Herkimer Diamond / Labradorite / Lapis Lazuli / Malachite / Moonstone / Obsidian / Opal / Pyrite / Quartz (Rock Crystal) / Rose Quartz / Ruby / Selenite / Seraphinite / Silver and Gold / Smoky Quartz / Sodalite / Sunstone / Thunderegg / Tree Agate / Zebra Marble
Wisdom and Inspiration:
Knowledge vs Wisdom by Ardriana Cahill / I Talk to the Trees / Awakening / The Witch in You / A Tale of the Woods / I have a Dream by Martin Luther King /
Articles and Stories about Witchcraft:
Murdered by Witchcraft / The Fairy Witch of Clonmel / A Battleship, U-boat, and a Witch / The Troll-Tear (A story for Children) / Goody Hawkins - The Wise Goodwife / The Story of Jack-O-Lantern / The Murder of the Hammersmith Ghost / Josephine Gray (The Infamous Black Widow) / The Two Brothers - Light and Dark
Old Masters of Academia:
Pliny the Elder / Hesiod / Pythagoras
Biographies
A "Who's Who" of Witches, Pagans and other associated People (Ancient, Past and Present)
(Departed Pagan Pioneers, Founders, Elders and Others)
Pagan
Pioneers: Founders, Elders, Leaders and Others
Abramelin the Mage / Agrippa / Aidan A Kelly / Albertus Magnus - “Albert the Great” / Aleister Crowley - “The Great Beast” / Alex Sanders - “King of the Witches” / Alison Harlow / Allan Bennett - the Ven. Ananda Metteyya / Allan Kardec (Spiritism) / Alphonsus de Spina / Amber K / Ann Moura / Anna Franklin / Anodea Judith / Anton Szandor LaVey / Arnold Crowther / Arthur Edward Waite / Austin Osman Spare / Balthasar Bekker / Biddy Early / Barbara Vickers / Bridget Cleary - The Fairy Witch of Clonmel / Carl " Llewellyn" Weschcke / Cecil Hugh Williamson / Charles Godfrey Leland / Charles Walton / Christopher Penczak / Christina Oakley Harrington / Cornelius Loos / Damh the Bard - "Dave Smith" / Dion Fortune / Dolores Aschroft-Nowicki / Donald Michael Kraig / Doreen Valiente / Dorothy Morrison / Dr. John Dee & Edward Kelly / Dr. Leo Louis Martello / Edain McCoy / Edward Fitch / Eleanor Ray Bone - “Matriarch of British Witchcraft” / Eliphas Levi / Ernest Thompson Seton / Ernest Westlake / Fiona Horne / Frederick McLaren Adams - Feraferia / Friedrich von Spee / Francis Barrett / Gavin and Yvonne Frost and the School and Church of Wicca / Gerald B. Gardner - The father of contemporary Witchcraft / Gwydion Pendderwen / Hans Holzer / Helen Duncan / Herman Slater - Horrible Herman / Heinrich Kramer / Isaac Bonewits / Israel Regardie / Ivo Domínguez Jr. / Jack Whiteside Parsons - Rocket Science and Magick / James "Cunning" Murrell - The Master of Witches / Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone / Jean Bodin / Jessie Wicker Bell - “Lady Sheba” / Johann Weyer / Johannes Junius - "The Burgomaster of Bamberg" / Johann Georg Fuchs von Dornheim - the “Hexenbrenner” (witch burner) / John Belham-Payne / John George Hohman - "Pow-wow" / John Gerard / John Gordon Hargrave and the Kibbo Kith Kindred / John Michael Greer / John Score / Joseph “Bearwalker” Wilson / Joseph John Campbell / Karl von Eckartshausen / Lady Gwen Thompson - and "The Rede of the Wiccae" / Laurie Cabot - "the Official Witch of Salem" / Lewis Spence / Lodovico Maria Sinistrari / Ludwig Lavater / Madeline Montalban and the Order of the Morning Star / Margaret Alice Murray / Margot Adler / Michael Howard and the UK "Cauldron Magazine" / Margaret St. Clair - the “Sign of the Labrys” / Marie Laveau - " the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans" / Marion Weinstein / Martin Antoine Del Rio / Matthew Hopkins - “The Witch-Finder General” / Max Ehrmann and the "Desiderata" / Michael A. Aquino - and The Temple of Set / Monique Wilson / Montague Summers / Nicholas Culpeper / Nicholas Remy / M. R. Sellars / Mrs. Maud Grieve - "A Modern Herbal" / Oberon Zell-Ravenheart and Morning Glory / Old Dorothy Clutterbuck / Old George Pickingill / Olivia Durdin-Robertson - co-founder of the Fellowship of Isis / Paddy Slade / Pamela Colman-Smith / Paracelsus / Patricia Crowther / Patricia Monaghan / Patricia “Trish” Telesco / Paul Foster Case and the “Builders of the Adytum” mystery school / Peter Binsfeld / Philip Heselton / Raven Grimassi / Raymond Buckland / Reginald Scot / Richard Baxter / Robert Cochrane / Robert ‘von Ranke’ Graves and the "The White Goddess" / Rosaleen Norton - “The Witch of Kings Cross” / Rossell Hope Robbins / Ross Nichols and the " Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids" (OBOD) / Rudolf Steiner / Sabrina Underwood - "The Ink Witch" / Scott Cunningham / Selena Fox - founder of "Circle Sanctuary" / Silver Ravenwolf / Sir Francis Dashwood / Sir James George Frazer and the " The Golden Bough" / S.L. MacGregor Mathers and the “Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn” / Starhawk / Stewart Farrar / Sybil Leek / Ted Andrews / The Mather Family - (includes: Richard Mather, Increase Mather and Cotton Mather ) / Thomas Ady / T. Thorn Coyle / Vera Chapman / Victor & Cora Anderson and the " Feri Tradition" / Vivianne Crowley / Walter Brown Gibson / Walter Ernest Butler / William Butler Yeats / Zsuzsanna Budapest /
Many of the above biographies are briefs and far from complete. If you know about any of these individuals and can help with additional information, please contact me privately at my email address below. Many thanks for reading :-)
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