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Pagan Pioneers: Founders, Elders, Leaders and Others
M. R. Sellars
Written and compiled by George Knowles
“It’s important people realize we're not a bunch of child-eating murderers who chant at Satan”. M. R. Sellars, novelist and second-generation pagan.
M. R. Sellars is an American Pagan and author of eight novels of the fictional - horror/murder/suspense genre with a pagan theme. He is a member of the “Horror Writers Association” (HWA) and a staunch supporter of “Sisters in Crime” (SinC). An active pagan, he is an Elder in the “Grove of the Old Ways”, a coven located in the Kansas City area of Missouri.
While his novels are centered around witchcraft and paganism, he likes to stress that the character’s and events portrayed in his books are fictional, and should in no way be equated with reality. He also states that followers of alternative religions routinely approach and thank him, for at least in his novels “the Witch gets to be the good guy for a change”. As an Elder of the Craft he is often called upon to gives lectures to help dispel the many myths and misconceptions about real Witchcraft.
Born on the 20th February 1962 in the small town of Fulton, Kentucky, his mother was a Witch, his father an Atheist and his great grandmother a Native American. As far as religion was concerned therefore, he was given the freedom to choose his own religious path in life. His story telling abilities were inspired by this father who regaled him with stories of all kinds, and by the age of four he was reading for himself and later writing. As he grew up he studied a number of mainline religions, including Catholicism, Judaism and Pentecostal, but none of these seemed to fit for him so for a while at least he considered himself agnostic.
During his youth Sellars or “Murv” to his friends, spent many of his summer months working on the family farm, and credits those “working vacations” for instilling him with a strong code of ethics and sense of family values. While he readily admits that spending long days “bucking bales of hay” and “piloting a tractor or combine across seemingly endless acres”, which felt like unfair torture at the time, he misses it now and deeply appreciates the lessons he learned from it.
While still in his early teens he developed a keen interest in all things unexplained as well as a fascination for nature and ecology. With some guidance from his mother and a lot of reading on the subject, including all he could find about Witchcraft, he started down the dimly defined trail into alternative Earth religions and magick. As he studied he met and moved in and out of several groups and traditions, most of them Wiccan, and retained from each whatever felt relevant to his own beliefs. Today he considers himself to be a hodgepodge of a number of things, so when asked how to define himself, he’s most likely to answer either Eclectic Kitchen Witch or Pagan.
In 1980 after graduating from Ritenour High School in Saint Louis, Missouri, he went on to study Journalism and Literature at College, during which time he penned a number of news stories for both print and broadcast. However due to personal circumstances he was unable to complete his College degree and instead started a career as a Computer and Electronics Technician and working as an Internet Systems Administrator. However he never lost his love for writing and continued to pen short stories and feature articles in his spare time.
After 25 years in the Computer industry, during which he achieved the industries top qualification CTIA (Certified Senior Electronics Tech), his first novel “Harm None” was published in 2000. This was followed by the annual release of Never Burn A Witch in (2001), Perfect Trust in (2002) and The Law Of Three in (2003). His success was tampered however when sadly in October 2003, his beloved father suddenly and unexpectedly passed on to the Summerland. While staying at his cabin overlooking the Black River in southwestern Missouri, he had suffered a heart attack in his sleep. As his personal hero and the biggest inspiration in his life, his passing was a huge blow for Sellers, but he was able to take solace in the fact that his father passed where he most wanted to be, and that he went peacefully.
In the following year August of 2004, with the growing success of his “Rowan Gant Investigations” series, Sellers semi-retired from his work in the computer/electronics business, so he could devote more time to writing and touring. When not touring he works part-time for his old firm in order to keep his qualifications up to date, while the extra pennies help to pay the bills and allows for an occasional special treat for his wife and daughter.
Sellars currently resides in St. Louis with his wife Kathy and daughter Willow Ann, together with a ménage of what he describes as “rescued, geriatric and special-needs felines”. He is an active member of The Nature Conservancy (founded in 1951) and the World Wildlife Fund, and when he’s not touring or writing, likes to indulge his passions for hiking, camping, nature photography and cooking. A classically trained and accomplished gourmet chef, he can often be found “playing” in his favourite room of the house, the kitchen.
Bibliography:
Harm None: A Rowan Gant Investigation (2000) WillowTree Press/E.M.A Mysteries ISBN 9780967822105 Never Burn A Witch: A Rowan Gant Investigation (2001) WillowTree Press/E.M.A Mysteries ISBN 9780967822112 Perfect Trust: A Rowan Gant Investigation (2002) WillowTree Press/E.M.A Mysteries ISBN 9780967822198 The Law Of Three: A Rowan Gant Investigation (2003) WillowTree Press/E.M.A Mysteries ISBN 9780967822181 Crone's Moon: A Rowan Gant Investigation (2004) WillowTree Press/E.M.A Mysteries ISBN 9780967822143 Love Is The Bond: A Rowan Gant Investigation (2005) WillowTree Press/E.M.A Mysteries ISBN 9780967822129 All Acts Of Pleasure: A Rowan Gant Investigation (2006) WillowTree Press/E.M.A Mysteries ISBN 9780967822136 The End Of Desire: A Rowan Gant Investigation (2007) WillowTree Press/E.M.A Mysteries ISBN 9780967822167
Awards:
Saint Louis Riverfront Times People's Choice Award - Best Novel by a Local Author (2003) for The Law Of Three: A Rowan Gant Investigation Preditors and Editors Readers Poll Best Mainstream Novel Award - (2006) for All Acts Of Pleasure: A Rowan Gant Investigation
Sources:
http://www.twpt.com/corner.htm
More to be added later Written and compiled on the 26th August 2008 © George Knowles
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 :-)
"FAIR USE NOTICE"While I have taken due care and diligence to credit all sources where possible, this website may contain copyrighted material which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. My use of making such material available here is done so in my efforts to advance our understanding of religious discrimination, the environmental and social justice issues etc. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this website for purposes of your own then you must obtain permission from the relevant copyright owner yourself.Any queries please contact me at email - George@controverscial.com
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