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Pagan Pioneers: Founders, Elders, Leaders and Others
Patricia Crowther
Written and compiled by George Knowles
One
of the last remaining High Priestesses initiated by "Gerald
B. Gardner". Since her
initiation by Gardner in 1960, Patricia Crowley has worked steadfastly to
promote the Old Religion through her books, media interviews, and lecture
appearances. She is considered by
many to be Gardner’s spiritual heir, and has formed many flourishing covens
throughout the United Kingdom. Patricia
Crowther was born Patricia Dawson on the 14th October 1927, in Sheffield, England.
The Dawson’s lived next door to palmist “Madame Melba”, who
predicted that Patricia would later develop great clairvoyancy powers and follow
in the foot steps of her great-grand mother, who had been a herbalist,
clairvoyant, and fortuneteller. From
an early age Patricia often identified herself with fairies and the craft,
dressing up as a fairy for fancy-dress parties and playing the role in school
activities. At an early birthday party she was presented with a gold
snake bangle, symbolic of wisdom, life, and death. Patricia was keenly interested in acting, singing
and dancing, and as she progressed through school, she performed in pantomimes
as Robin Hood, and was chosen to be the leading lady in a special revue, which
featured a tableau entitled “The Legend
of the Moon Goddess”. After
leaving school she took up a career in Cabaret and toured all over the United
Kingdom, singing and dancing, and acting on stage. While performing at one venue in her late twenties, Patricia went to see a hypnotist who regressed her back to previous lives, including one as a witch called “Polly”. The year was approximately 1670 and Polly was an old crone of about 66 years old. She lived in a little hut with a cat, a frog, a goat and hen, and worked spells for the local people most of whom she held in contempt. During the regression, Polly recited a number of spells in rhyme with instructions on how to use them. Patricia at the time had no knowledge of any such spells, which experts later determined to be authentic. After her experience with the hypnotist, Patricia had a number of clairvoyant visions from another past life, one in which she served as a priestess of a Goddess who had great power. She identified much more strongly with this spiritual priestess than she did with the old crone. In 1954 while playing at a theater in Birmingham, Patricia went to see a fortuneteller who predicted that she would meet her future husband, two years later over water, and his name would be Arnold. Patricia thought no more of it, but two years later in 1956 she accepted a summer job to appear in a show on the Isle of White. While on a flight crossing the Solent (a channel between the coast of Hampshire, England and the Isle of White) she met a stage magician and ventriloquist called “Arnold Crowther”. He was appearing in the same show as she and soon romance blossomed between them. Discovering her interest in witchcraft, Crowther offered to introduce her to “Gerald B. Gardner”, a personal friend since 1939. Gardner incidentally had predicted some years earlier, that Crowther would eventually meet “a fair haired women who would initiate him into the craft”.
Arnold Crowther
After
several meetings with him, Gardner initiated Patricia into the craft on the 6th
of June 1960. The ceremony took
place in his private temple on the top floor of the barn at his home in
Castletown on the Isle of Man. During
the initiation rite, Patricia had a profound and powerful trance experience.
She saw herself being reborn and initiated as a priestess of a Moon
Goddess, whose initiation rite consisted of a line of howling naked women who
passed her gauntlet-style through their spread legs.
Gardner explained it, that she, while in trance, had reverted back to a
past life and relived an ancient initiation.
After the rite, Patricia in turn initiated Arnold Crowther, fulfilling
the predication Gardner had made years earlier.
Gardner then presented them with a gift of ritual tools and jewelry,
including a coral necklace for Patricia. Later that year on the 8th November 1960, Arnold Crowther and Patricia Dawson were married in a private handfasting ceremony officiated by Gerald Gardner. The ceremony was performed skyclad (nude) inside a circle strewn with flowers were they danced, sang and jumped the broom in accordance with tradition. The following day they were remarried in a civil ceremony, which was publicized in the national tabloids. After the wedding the Crowthers returned to Sheffield were they established their home. Both took their second-degree initiation on the 11th October 1961, and on her birthday, Patricia became high priestess.
The
media ever looking for interviews often turned to the Crowthers for comments, as
minor celebrities connected with the entertainment world, they quickly became
known as authoritative spokespersons for the craft. By December 1961 they had started to build their own coven in
Sheffield, while continuing their instruction in the craft with Gardner.
Patricia had also started a correspondence with an old woman called Jean
in Inverness, she had seen Patricia giving an interview on television and had
written to her. She told Patricia that she thought her worthy of inheriting
secret knowledge, and over the course of two years via correspondence, taught
Patricia the secrets of an old inner tradition. The
Crowthers were a popular couple and media exposure generated more and more
requests for interviews and speaking engagements.
Together they authored two books, “The
Witches Speak” (1965 and 1976) and “The
Secrets of Ancient Witchcraft” (1974).
In 1971, for BBC Radio Sheffield, they produced “A spell of Witchcraft”, the first Radio series in Britain on
Witchcraft. While performing
numerous craft services for those who would ask for help, including spell
casting and exorcising ghosts and spirits, they also wrote seasonal rituals and
introduced new music and poetry into the craft. After
the death of her husband on the 1st May 1974, Patricia Crowther
unstintingly continued to work for the betterment of the craft.
She is a frequent guest on radio talk shows, appears regularly on
television, and gives lectures up and down the country.
She works hard at dispelling the many misconceptions surrounding the
Craft and the Old Religion, and with her cool self-assurance and sense of humour,
she is unhesitant when answering religious bigots and critics.
In 1978 she represented the United Kingdom at an international conference
on the occult, held in Barcelona. After her 70th birthday while meditating in a circle, Patricia received clairaudient guidance that she should call herself a “Grand-Mother of the Craft of the Wise”. She emphasizes that the craft concerns the evolution of the soul, and that it’s inner teachings should be transmitted orally. “I am sure that the Craft/Paganism will have a big part to play in the centuries to come,” she say’s. “We must not forget that in the new age, the ruler of Aquarius is none other than the Star Goddess, whose white hand even now beckons the Children of the Earth, to become Children of the Stars”.
Grand-Mother of the Craft of the Wise
Patricia
has written numerous books over the years (see bibliography), as well as writing
for various mainline periodicals such as: Prediction,
Gnostica, New Dimensions, Zodiac, and The
Lamp of Thoth. She also
designed three of the tarot cards (The Sun, Karma, and The World.) used for the Tarot
of the Old Path (1990). Bibliography: 1965
- The Witches Speak (with Arnold Crowther - Athol Publications) 1973
- Witchcraft in Yorkshire (Dalesman) 1974
- Witch Blood (The Diary of a Witch High Priestess - House of
Collectibles) 1981
- Lid off the Cauldron: A handbook for witches (Muller) 1992
- The Zodiac Experience (Samuel Weiser Inc) 1992
- The Secrets of Ancient Witchcraft With the Witches' Tarot (Carol
Publishing) 1992
- Witches Were for Hanging (Excalibur Press of London) 1998 - One Witch's World (Robert Hale - Also published in America under the title High Priestess, which apart from the title are the same book by Phoenix Publishing) 2002
- From Stagecraft to Witchcraft: The Early years of a High Priestess (Capall
Bann) 2009 - "Covensense" (Robert Hale)
Sources
Plus many websites to many to mention.
First published on the 20th July 2001, 14:35:50 © 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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