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Pagan Pioneers: Founders, Elders, Leaders and Others
Sabrina - The Ink Witch
Written and compiled by George Knowles
Sabrina Underwood is a well-known and respected Pagan Artist better known as “Sabrina - The Ink Witch”. As a practicing eclectic witch of Irish decent, Sabrina has been living the craft and crafting her Art for over 30 years. Her distinctive “Old Style” - Pen & Ink drawings have been published in magazines all over the world, and have appeared in several published books, including her own wonderfully illustrated “The Ink Witch Book of Shadows”.
Born in Blount County, Tennessee on the 28th July 1959 (a Cancer/Leo), Sabrina first started drawing at the age of 3 years, shortly after the death of her father. While still very young, she missed her father very much and for a long time after his death went without speaking. Instead she retreated into her own fantasy world of drawing pictures. Fortunately her mother and grandmother were on hand with a steady supply of pens, pencils and paper to keep her occupied and help her heal. One of her fondest memories is walking with her grandmother in “Cades Cove”, located in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee, where she first heard tales about “the little people” – fairies, gnomes, elves and other unseen creatures.
By the time she entered Maryville High School, Sabrina was already accomplished at drawing, and regularly drew family pets, portraits and homes etc. for her friends. At school her teachers quickly noticed her artistic abilities, and unusually for someone so young, she produced her first commissioned piece of Art when she was just 14 years old. After graduating from High School in 1976, Sabrina attended the Carson Newman College at the University of Tennessee with a full Art Scholarship. She also took classes at NYU, during which time she developed her own unique “Old Style” of Pen and Ink drawings.
After leaving College, Sabrina moved to Denver, Colorado, were she met her future husband and long time partner Jim. They were married in 1981 and while still living in Denver had three children, all girls – Kara, Katie and Kendra. Today, Kara is in the Army, Katie is a performer in a circus, and Kendra is studying at the University of Hartford, the Hartt School for performing arts. It was also in Denver that Sabrina became involved with the pagan community and received her initial training in Eclectic Wicca based on Gardnerian Wicca, during which time Luis Medina was her High Priest and mentor (sadly he has now passed on).
Perhaps inspired by her Irish heritage, Sabrina studied hard to gain a connection to the mythologies of the past, which led to the emergence of her Pagan inspired Artwork. Initially she drew Goddess portraits for her friends in the pagan community, but so many others contacted her to do private commissioned pieces, she decided to make a website and go public, after which and her commercial Art took off. The secret to her success is her ability to meditate and communicate with deity, which allows her to capture the Gods and Goddesses in a way that other artists don’t generally seek. She often leaves her artwork to lie on her altar until the images are offered, and because she sees herself only as an instrument to what can be offered, her favorite saying is: “I just work here.”
Sabrina’s drawings can take 40 hours plus to complete, and each one is a special effort enchanted with magic and lore. She also paints with acrylics, oils, pastels and water colors, but her initial drawings are done with a pencil, which are then formalized using pen and ink. Some of her works remain in their basic drawing form, while others progress into the use of paint, pastels or ink. Sabrina describes her work as: “A manifestation of the human spirit...much like writing, cooking, singing, dancing or working with wood etc. Art is an expression of either the inner self or the influence of divine inspiration.”
After
continuing her training with others, Sabrina was raised to High Priestess in
2000, but much of what she practices is combined with Folk-Craft and very
informal.
About
her practice Sabrina says: “The
basis of my own practice is Folk-Craft. I
therefore shoot from the hip and use my gut-witch methodology.
I find I can accomplish more and be far more effective if I retain the
ancient ways of practicing magick. The
Gardnerian practice of Wicca is more about religion to me than magick ... my
magick is unlike Wicca in many ways ... I dance, chant, mix and stir herbs ...
grind herbs, then set them to burn and allow their energies to be carried by the
wind ... capturing rain during a thunder storm and using it later in spell work
... making a candle flame rise and fall creating energy that’s absolutely
electric ... and then merely pointing a finger instead of a fancy wand ... so be
it done”.
“The practice of Gardnerian Wicca and my Folk-Craft so often overlap that for me combining the two is not difficult, and because I have done so and teach accordingly, out of respect for those who follow the Gardnerian path more rigidly I, I now prefer to call myself an Eclectic Wiccan Witch.”
Sabrina now lives near Philadelphia in eastern Pennsylvania, USA, and when not working on her art, likes nothing better than pottering about in the garden of her home and looking after her two grandchildren. When inspiration calls her to work on a project, she will often draw and paint well into the small hours of the night, but loves every moment she spends capturing the adventure of what she calls: “my path”. She has no staff, does all her own mail and ships all her own private orders. She also runs a local coven group and teaches craft techniques to other groups in the Philadelphia area. When traveling around the US on assignments, book signings and giving workshops, her most requested seminar is Poppet Magick.
To sum up her life Sabrina say’s: “I live a charmed and wonderfully blessed life… I get to use my given gift and do what I love for a living. I get to serve a pagan community so our ways and methods are recognized and recorded. To be a part of this great time in history when witchcraft is being better understood, revitalized and respected, is to me a blessing.”
Works by Sabrina
The Ink Witch Book of Shadows http://www.witchesmoon.net/theinkwitch.htm
7 Day Spell Candles
Sabrina’s latest project is to illustrate a new book by author “Nancy Arrowsmith” called: A Field Guide to the Little People: A Curious Journey Into the Hidden Realm of Elves, Faeries, Hobgoblins & Other Not-So-Mythical Creatures (Llewellyn - available October 2009).
Illustrated by Sabrina the Ink Witch
Llewellyn’s pre-publishing review states:
Welcome back one of the most revered introductions to the lineage, appearance, general characteristics, and case histories of seventy-nine elf folk, including White Ladies, Red Caps, Church Grims, Hobgoblins, English Fairies, Leprechauns, Sirens, Hey-Hey Men, and all of their strange and mythical kin.
For many years, this charming illustrated guide has been as elusive as a Will-o'-the-Wisp. This is the first opportunity for elven fans to once again own an English language edition—featuring more than eighty new illustrations by “Sabrina the Ink Witch”.
The New York Times review:
“Rationalists, materialists, be forewarned: the ancient forces governing earthly incident and momentum lie neither in our heads nor our economics, but, rather, in the revelations from A Field Guide to the Little People.”
Sources:
Sabrina’s website containing examples of her artwork: http://www.sabrinaart.com/ and http://www.theinkwitch.com/ Correspondence with Sabrina herself.
Written and compiled on the 20th May 2009
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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