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Pagan Pioneers: Founders, Elders, Leaders and Others
Vivianne Crowley
Written and compiled by George Knowles
Vivianne
Crowley is a prominent High Priestess and teacher of the Wiccan way.
She is a successful best-selling author, University lecturer,
Psychologist and Therapist whose work is dedicated to building bridges between
Wicca/Paganism and the mainstream religions of society. Vivianne was born of Irish descent but was raised in the New Forrest region of Hampshire, an area steeped in witchcraft history and folklore and one of the oldest forests in England. Indeed she was raised in the same area that Gerald Gardner began his exploration into witchcraft and that of another famous witch, Sybil Leek.
Her mother had strong psychic abilities which included precognitive dreams, she helped to make Vivianne aware from an early age that there was more to the world than the five senses could detect. She was educated in local Catholic and Protestant schools, which gave her an understanding of the different religions and spiritual traditions that made up the community.
As a child, Vivianne spent much of her time playing in the New Forrest attuning herself to the ways of nature. She felt the energy of the trees and the spirits of the earth, and watched and learned from the turning of the seasons, her whole world seemed to be a magical place. Occasionally she would come across old circles formed by witches long past gone and wondered about the rites they had held there. By the time she was eight, she was practicing and testing her own abilities with practical magic. On one occasion with friends from school she cast a rainmaking spell, which allegedly "did produce rain". She also began to teach herself the tarot cards and started to give readings to other students on the school bus.
By the time she was 11, about the same time Gerald Gardner (founder of the Gardnerian tradition) and Alex Sanders (founder of the Alexandrian tradition) were gaining prominence in the news, Vivianne learned all she would from the media stories and all she could read about witchcraft and covens. At her all-girls school she gathered together some friends and formed her own coven. She improvised and designed her own initiation rite based on the photos and stories she had read about in the media. Representing the Goddess, she would stand with her legs apart and have the initiates pass through them, a symbolic enactment of being reborn. However her coven activities were soon curtailed as the school authorities closed her down, but not because of any religious bigotry (witchcraft was never even mentioned), merely because nearby residents had complained about the noise they were making
Vivianne was sure of her destiny and was only 14 when she decided that she wanted to take a formal initiation as a witch. Until this time she had mainly looked at witchcraft as a practical craft, a means of helping people with herbs and healing. Now with all the publicity surrounding Alex Sanders and his wife Maxine, she began to see that witchcraft had a spiritual side, one in which women could play a prominent role. She applied to the Sanders’ coven in London for initiation but they turned her down informing her she had to be 18 to be initiated.
Undeterred, Vivianne waited and studied all the resources she could lay her hands on. She left the New Forrest and entered the University of London where she eventually earned a bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. in Psychology. Upon turning 18 she reapplied to the Sanders’ coven in London and was accepted and initiated. The Sanders’ whom she greatly admired suffered marital difficulties and separated in 1973, after which the London coven underwent major changes. Not happy with of these changes Vivianne left and joined a Gardnerian coven.
A few years later she meet her future husband Chris who at the time had no interest in Wicca, this soon changed however as he was quickly taught and initiated by Vivianne. They were married in 1979 and established their own coven which they still maintain to this day. Over the years many covens have hived off their original and the Crowley’s have helped many individuals all across Britain, Continental Europe and the United States to start up their own.
Today Vivianne is a professional psychologist who lectures on the psychology of religion at King’s Collage, University of London. She is also the adjunct professor at the Union Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio. As well as academic work, she works in business as a management consultant and does some private counseling. She describes herself as Jungian oriented but with an eclectic approach including transpersonal psychology.
In 1988 due to the lack of venues for the public teaching of witchcraft and as a means of introducing interested people into the craft, the Crowley’s formed the Wicca Study Group in London. Vivianne also began teaching in Germany following up on the work done there by Alex Sanders. The success of the Wicca Study Group led the Crowley’s to expand their teaching to other countries including North America.
Also in 1988, the Crowley’s became involved with the Pagan Federation, Vivianne as the secretary and Chris as the treasurer then president. Vivianne also took on the role of the federation’s interfaith coordinator and served as the U.K. coordinator of the Pagan Chaplainry Services for H.M. Prisons. Both Chris and Vivianne helped to develop the federation’s system of democratic elections and have served on its committees since 1991.
Vivianne and Chris Crowley
Vivianne published her first book “Wicca: The Old Religion in the New Age” in 1989 and it soon became a best seller. It was revised and updated in 1996 as “Wicca: The Old Religion in the New Millennium”. In it she provides a clear and well-written introduction to Wicca as a spiritual tradition that facilitates personal growth, creativity and integration. Her other books include: Phoenix from the Flame and Pagan Spirituality in the Western World (1994), Principles of Paganism (1996), Principles of Wicca (1997), Principles of Jungian Spirituality (1998) and Celtic Wisdom: Seasonal Festivals and Rituals (1998).
Vivienne’s contributions to Wicca and Paganism have in many ways been outstanding if not inspirational. She was instrumental in the establishment of networking, and has led peer group support for Wiccans and Pagans in Britain and Europe. She uses her many abilities to try and bridge our tradition into other area’s, such as: other religions, academia, psychology and popular culture. By doing so she has established a common multicultural and spiritual ground on which Wicca and Paganism can grow. Due to her efforts Wicca and Paganism are now recognized as serious subjects of academic and interfaith studies.
It is the task of Paganism today to give to those who seek its ways the inner knowledge, light, energy and peace with which to live our lives in harmony with one another and with all living creation and to answer the eternal questions of humankind: "Who am I? What must I do to to live well and honourably? What is the meaning of the mystery of live and of the Divine?"
Sources
The Encyclopedia of Witches &Witchcraft - by Rosemary Ellen Guiley. Plus Numerous Websites Resources First published on the 18th August 2001, 17:16:12 © 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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