Witches A - M

Merry meet and welcome to the Witchography. Here we will include Witches throughout history, past and present. Updates and new information being added so please 'bear' with us. And many thanks to the various websites for their information and links on the following.

 

ALEX SANDERS

Alex Sanders (6 June 1926 - 30 April, 1988), born Orrell Alexander Carter, was an English occultist and High Priest in the Neopagan religion of Wicca, responsible for founding the tradition of Alexandrian Wicca during the 1960s. He was a figure who often appeared in tabloid newspapers. Being raised in a working class family, he was introduced to esoteric ideas by his mother and grandmother from a young age, and as a young man began working as a medium in the local Spiritualist Churches before going on to study and practice ceremonial magic.

In 1963, he was initiated into Gardnerian Wicca before founding his own coven, through which he merged many aspects of ceremonial magic into Gardnerianism, falsely then trying to pass off this tradition, Alexandrianism, as a hereditary tradition that had been handed down to him by his grandmother. Throughout the 1960s, he would court publicity in the press, appearing in a number of documentaries, marrying the far younger Maxine Sanders, and being declared to be the ‘King of the Witches’ by his followers. Read more... 

DOREEN VALIENTE

Doreen Edith Dominy, daughter of Harry and Edith, was born in Mitcham, South London on 4th January 1922. Finding herself growing up in the West of England, the young Doreen acquired the local accent that she never lost. The West country (as it is known in Britain) is an area noted for its rural beauty and strong attachment to the land. Even today it is not unusual to find folk dances at midsummer, fertility stones and healing wells that have been used continuously for centuries. It is in these surroundings that the young Doreen grew up. Read more...

DOROTHY MORRISON

Born on May 6, 1955. While some of you may know me as the author of Lucinda's Web, Everyday Magic, The Craft, Utterly Wicked and many other books, you probably don't know much else about me. And a good number of you probably have no earthly idea who I am at all. So, why not read a little further and let me introduce myself!

A native Texan, I now live in Virginia with my husband, Mark. I'm a Third Degree Wiccan High Priestess of the Georgian Tradition, founded the Coven of the Crystal Garden in 1986, and spent many years teaching the Craft to students in eight states and in Australia. But that's just the stuff pertinent to the Craft. Read more... 

ELLEN DUGAN

An award winning author of fifteen book and is known as the Garden Witch. A psychic clairvoyant, Ellen has been practicing as a Witch for over 30 years. She is also a master gardener, loves nature, High Priestess of her coven, teaches online and contributes articles on Wicca. Read more...

GERALD GARDNER

Gerald Brousseau Gardner was born at The Glen, near Liverpool, England on June 13 1884 and passed from this incarnation on February 12 1964. He was one of four brothers. He was an English civil servant, amateur anthropologist and archaeologist, writer, weaponry expert and occultist, he was also known to many as the father of Wicca or Modern Witchcraft and certainly brought it to public attention with his writings along with radio broadcasts.  

Moving to London in 1945, following the repeal of the Witchcraft Act of 1736 he became intent on propagating this religion, attracting media attention and writing about it in High Magic's Aid (1949), Witchcraft Today (1954) and The Meaning of Witchcraft (1959). Founding a Wiccan group known as the Bricket Wood Coven, he introduced a string of High Priestesses into the religion, including Doreen Valiente, Lois Bourne, Patricia Crowther and Eleanor Bone through which the Gardnerian community spread throughout Britain and subsequently into Australia and the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Involved for a time with Cecil Williamson, Gardner also became director of the Museum of Magic and Witchcraft on the Isle of Man which in 1953 Gerald bought the Museum from Cecil and he ran it until his death. Read more... 

JANET FARRAR

Janet Farrar born Janet Owen on 24 June 1950 is a British teacher and author of books on Wicca and Neopaganism. Along with her two husbands, Stewart Farrar and then Gavin Bone she has published some of the most influential books on modern Witchcraft to date. 

She was initiated into Alexandrian Wicca by the tradition's founders, Alex and Maxine Sanders. It was in this coven she met her future husband and co-author, Stewart Farrar. (28 June 1916 – 7 February 2000) The Farrar's began running their own coven in 1971, before their third degree initiation ceremony. They were Hand-fasted in 1972 and legally married in 1975. In 1993 the Farrar’s were joined by Gavin Bone with whom they entered a polyfidelitous group marriage. Gavin Bone is an author and lecturer in the fields of magic, witchcraft, Wicca and Neo-Paganism, and an organizer in the Neo-Pagan community. Stewart passed away in 2000 after a brief illness and Janet married Gavin a year later. Janet and Gavin continue to author books and give lectures. Read more...

LAURIE CABOT

Born March 6th 1933, Laurie is an American Witch, High Priestess and author of several books. She founded the Cabot Tradition of the Science of Witchcraft and the Witches League for public awareness to defend the Civil rights of Witches everywhere. She lives in Salem and opened the towns first Witch Shoppe in 1971 which became a tourist destination. Read more...

MARGOT ADLER

Margot Susanna Adler (April 16th 1946 – July 28th 2014) was an American author, journalist, lecturer, Wiccan High Priestess. In 1979 she wrote “Drawing down the Moon” a book about Neopaganism and a comprehensive look at the modern nature based religions in the US. This was and still is a book that many of us have read and work into our rites and lives of Wicca. Read more...