Saturday, May 29, 2010

Doreen Valiente

The mother of modern Witchcraft Doreen Edith Dominy Valiente (craft name Ameth) born 4 January, 1922, Mitcham, South London, England A High Priestess of Gardnerian Wicca Valiente produced many important scriptural texts for Wicca, such as The Witches Rune and the Charge of the Goddess, which were incorporated into the early Gardnerian Book of Shadows. Valiente also published five books about Wicca in her lifetime. 1951, the Witchcraft laws in England were repealed, making Witchcraft no longer a crime. With this change, Gardner broke from the New Forest Coven and formed his own. 1953 saw Gardner initiate Doreen Valiente into his coven. They worked together from 1953 to 1957, forming the Book of Shadows, which is what is referenced today as being the authority on what is the Gardnerian Tradition of Witchcraft

Bibliography

  • 1962: Where Witchcraft Lives
  • 1973: An ABC of Witchcraft
  • 1975: Natural Magic
  • 1978: Witchcraft for Tomorrow
  • 1989: The Rebirth of Witchcraft
  • 2000: Charge of the Goddess, a collection of poems, published posthumously

Valiente also edited and wrote the introduction to the 1990 book, Witchcraft: A Tradition Renewed by Evan John Jones, which was about forms of Witchcraft other than the Gardnerian and Alexandrian traditions, such as Cochrane's Craft.

She died on 1st September 1999 from pancreatic cancer


Resources http://www.controverscial.com/Doreen%20Valiente.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doreen_Valiente http://www.hecatescauldron.org/Valientee%20on%20Gardner.htm http://www.earthspirit.com/fireheart/fhdv1.html
www.chalicewellcoven.com/id24.html

1 comment:

  1. Her Charge of the Goddess (as revised by Starhawk) is a favourite invocation of mine. So beautiful and poetic!

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