Eleanor "Rae" Bone
(http://www.witchvox.com/passages/eleanorbone.html)Rae Bone is sometimes referred to as the Matriarch
of British Witchcraft due to her contributions in representing Wicca in the
public eye. She was an initiate of Gardner and her covens were responsible for
much of the growth of Wicca in the South of Britain. Through Gardner she spent
a great deal of time with the mysterious “Dafo” and gained many insights to the
New Forest Coven and its origins, some of which she shared.
She herself
claimed to have a hereditary witchcraft lineage prior to Wicca.
Lois Bourne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lois_Bourne)A member of the Bricket Wood coven, along with many
other founding Wiccans, Bourne has recounted her experiences and insights of The
Craft in several books, all of which stand as significant milestones in the
history of Wicca, especially for those who wish to gain insight into the early
years of the priesthood.
Jack Bracelin en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_L._Bracelin
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bricket_Wood_covenBracelin was another
founder amongst the Wicca and was also known for his occasional flirtations with
publicity. He is known as the writer of Gardner’s biography “Gerald Gardner:
Witch”, however in reality this book was written by Idries Shah.
Jack
Bracelin came to run the Five Acres Sun Club, where Gardner’s “Witches’ Cottage”
was located.
Raymond Buckland www.raybuckland.com/Ray Buckland is regarded as
the man that brought Wicca to the United States. He is a Gardnerian initiate,
who was initiated into one of Gerald Gardner’s later covens. Through his
efforts, Wicca has become popularised in America and Buckland’s Complete Book of
Witchcraft (otherwise known as “Uncle Bucky’s Big Blue Book”) has become a
staple addition to many Craft libraries, and remains popular among seekers.
Buckland no longer practices as part of the Wicca, but has started his own
Tradition, known as Seax Wica.
Vivianne Crowley en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivianne_CrowleyA Wiccan of
great repute, Vivianne Crowley has released many books, all of which have
received a position of renown. She is perhaps best known for starting a London
based witchcraft course in the late eighties, which explained the basics of
Wicca. This course is still running today and has taken on a great many
teachers and students along the way, usually being so popular that student
numbers have had to be limited and places reserved for each run of the course.
Vivianne Crowley has been very influential in recent developments in Wicca,
as well. She has more of less captained the bringing together of the Gardnerian
and Alexandrian Traditions through the process of cross-initiation, where a
person is initiated into both Traditions.
Patricia Crowther
(Thelema)
www.controverscial.com/Patricia%20Crowther.htmThe long time High Priestess of a Sheffield based coven in England,
which has brought about the hiving of a great many other covens. Patricia
Crowther was initiated into Wicca by Gerald Gardner and ever since she has been
highly influential in promoting the Old Religion through talks and television
appearances worldwide, often appearing among the ranks of many other highly
regarded occultists
1965 - The Witches Speak (with Arnold Crowther)(Athol Publications)
1973 - Witchcraft in Yorkshire (Dalesman) ISBN 0-85206-178-1
1974 - Witch Blood (The Diary of a Witch High Priestess) (House of Collectibles) ISBN 0-87637-161-6
1981 - Lid off the Cauldron: A handbook for witches (Muller) ISBN 0-584-10421-9
1992 - The Zodiac Experience (Samuel Weiser Inc) ISBN 0-87728-739-2
1992 - The Secrets of Ancient Witchcraft With the Witches' Tarot (Carol Publishing) ISBN 0-8065-1056-0
1992 - Witches Were for Hanging (Excalibur Press of London) ISBN 1-85634-049
1998 - One Witch's World (Robert Hale) ISBN 0-7090-6222-2 (published in America under the title High Priestess. Apart from the title, they are the same book) (Phoenix Publishing) ISBN 0-919345-87-5
2002 - From Stagecraft to Witchcraft: The Early years of a High Priestess(Capall Bann) ISBN 1-86163-163-4
2009 - "Covensense" (Robert Hale)ISBN 9780709087205.
Dayonis
Thelma Capel, otherwise known
as Dayonis, is the pretty young witch that came to replace Doreen Valiente as
High Priestess of Gardner’s coven. She became the attractive face of witchcraft
for many years until she eventually emigrated to Canada.
Janet
Farrar
A prolific author of the Alexandrian Tradition, she made her
impact alongside her husband, Stewart Farrar, by producing several significant
early works, many of which became compiled as their prolific work “The Witches
Bible”. Their Witches Bible is still a core volume on Wiccan practices and
beliefs. This success was followed by the completion of other notable works,
such as their books “The Witches Goddess” and “The Witches God”.
After the
death of her husband she has continued to produced many significant titles, many
of which have been co-written with her second husband, Gavin Bone.
Janet and Gavin choose to no longer define themselves by any Tradition and
instead prefer now to practice their own brand of Withcraft and persue their
interests in this area.
Stewart Farrar An Alexandrian Wiccan
who established a reputation through his written work, co-authored with his
wife, Janet Farrar, who has continued to write following Stewart’s death.
The most notable book in Stewart Farrar’s publications is “The Witches
Bible”, which to this day stands as one of the most complete and detailed books
on outer court Wicca. In addition, he also wrote many several works of fiction,
often dealing with occult themes.
Both Janet and Stewart Farrar were
initiated into Alexandrian Wicca by Alex Sanders and Maxine Sanders. Stewart’s
initiation followed as a result of a developing interest in witchcraft that
began as a journalist charged with writing about the subject.
Judy
Harrow A High Priestess initiated into the Gardnerian Tradition, Judy
Harrow has gained repute among Wiccan circles as an author and essayist. Harrow
is also the founder of the Protean Tradition of Wicca.
Judy Harrow also
founded the Pagan Pastoral Counseling Network in 1982 and works in the
counseling field.
Philip Heselton Philip Heselton is a
noted and accomplished Wiccan historian who has produced several of the most
influential books regarding Wiccan history and Gerald Gardner in particular. He
is highly regarded in this field and he is often insightful, resourceful and has
repeatedly been pivotal in bringing new information to these subjects, or
otherwise providing unique interpretation of the existing data.
Frederic Lamond Lamond is a Gardnerian initiate and one of the
few surviving member of Gerald Gardner’s first coven, having been initiated just
prior to the departure of Doreen Valiente. As such Fred Lamond is arguably the
closest living connection to the founding of Wicca.
He is a vital and active
member of the Pagan community, regularly giving talks at large functions, such
as Witchfest in England. Further to this, he has produced several books
discussing religion and spirituality. His book “50 Years of Wicca” provides a
personal, yet in depth, analysis of Wicca and how it has developed over the
years, as well as his memories of particular people of influence within the
religion.
Julia Phillips Julia Phillips is a Wiccan High
Priestess whose experience includes running both Covens and magical lodges in
London, Sydney, and Melbourne. She has attained particularly high regard in
Australia, where she founded the Australian Pagan Alliance, which is Australia’s
oldest and largest Pagan organisation.
Phillips is also an accomplished
Pagan author, having written and contributed to several books, though her most
well known written work is probably her “History of Wicca” which is also
featured on Wicca Explained.
Alex Sanders Sanders is the
founder of Alexandrian Wicca, which is one of the two central Traditions of
Wicca (the other being Gardnerian, into which he himself was initiated).
Regarded as a showman by many, Sander’s love of the limelight is quite
undeniable and as such he very often placed Wicca and witchcraft into the public
eye, especially in the tabloid press.
His influence was also quite
undeniable, as his variety of Wicca spawned a great many covens and introduced a
higher level of Hermetic stylings to the Craft.
Alex Sanders has been
regarded as a gifted magician and eventually was awarded the title “King of the
Witches” by his peers from his Tradition. However, Sanders has always drawn a
good deal of controversy and though revered by some, he is often criticised by
others who regard him in a less favourable light.
Maxine Sanders
Maxine Sanders is a long time initiate of the Mysteries, having been
initiated into an Egyptian spiritual tradition at a young age. In her late
teens she switched from these Mysteries to those of witchcraft and was initiated
into the coven of Alex Sanders, who she would later marry.
Maxine had a
natural aptitude for the Craft and was quickly elevated to third degree and
given the title “Witch Queen” by her coven mates. She has been a very
influential individual in the development of Wicca and a long time proponent of
the Mysteries.
Maxine has been one of the female public faces of the Craft,
both in the arenas of the Pagan community and in the press.
Doreen
Valiente The First Lady of Wicca. Doreen Valiente is possibly the most
influential woman that Wicca has seen, as she rewrote the majority of Gardner’s
early rituals, transforming them into the poetical works of ritual that they are
today. In effect, we can say that although Gardner created the Book of Shadows,
it was Doreen Valiente that gaze it life.
Barbara Vickers.
This lady is significant to the history of Wicca in that she is one of
the earliest known members of the Wicca – possibly even Gerald Gardner’s first
initiate. She was involved in the Craft well before Doreen Valiente was
initiated and was obviously a third degree High Priestess, however at this time
very little is known about her.
It appears that she and her husband may have
both been initiates and possibly met through a nudist camp in Cheshire and that
later she came to leave the Craft following personal problems.
Monique Wilson Gardner’s final High Priestess, Monique Wilson, is
notable not only for her craft position as a Gardnerian ancestress, but also for
her infamy. She has received great animosity from many in Wiccan circles, as
she was the inheritor of Gardner’s occult collection after his death, but
unexpectedly sold most of it. Gardner’s Book of Shadows itself spent some time
with Ripley’s, but has since been rescued back into Wiccan hands once more.
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