Witches N - Z

Many thanks to the various websites for their information and links on the following.

OBERON ZELL

Born November 30th 1942 St Louis, Missouri, United States, Oberon Zell-Ravenheart, also known as Otter G'Zell, was born Timothy Zell. He married his co-wife Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart at the Gnostic Aquarian Festival in 1973 and they continued to maintain apolyamourous family known as the Ravenhearts. In the 1960’s Oberon Zell and Richard Lance Christie founded the Church of all Worlds (CAW) inspired by Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A Heinlein. Oberon Zell first published The Green Egg Magazine a popular and long running Pagan magazine in 1968 and it continued (with some breaks) as a paper publication until 1996. It is now an online publication. 

Oberon and Morning Glory co-founded the Ecosophical Research Association in 1977 and through their research embarked on the living unicorn program in the 80s. Several of their unicorns appeared in the Ringling Brothers/Barnam and Baily Circus. They have also done extensive research on the truth behind Mermaid stories. In 2004, Oberon Zell-Ravenheart in conjunction with several other members of the Pagan community known as the Grey Council established the Grey School of Wizardry which offers an occult education for children and adults in a style inspired by Hogwarts, the mythical school of wizardry in the Harry Potter series. Graduates are certified ‘Journeyman Wizards’ and courses are offered online. Read More...

PADDY SLADE

Paddy Slade is a hereditary Witch or a village Wise Women in the traditional Old English sense.  She was born Patricia Harlow on the 29th September 1931 and lived in Canterbury, Kent. Her Father, Robert Hadlow was a sailor in the Merchant Navy and her Mother, Rose of Scottish decent practiced the old ways of the village Witch or Wise Woman as she was also known and passed these onto Patricia who picked up the traditional ways quickly and carried them on. She was the youngest of seven children.

After leaving collage she joined the signals branch of the Women’s Royal Air Force. (WRAF) Over the years Paddy became known for her vast knowledge of herbal and magical formulae and remedies which she called ‘the Old Wild Magic.’ Her books are filled with the wisdom of a genuine old country witch, sharing her knowledge about animal, herb-lore, spells, chants, folk remedies, recipes and natural magic.  She writes from the heart and without pretense, but she also writes with a sense of humour and one that catches the magick of nature. Read more...

PATRICIA CROWTHER

Said to be one of the “Early Mothers” of modern Wicca. Along with her husband Arnold Crowther, a stage magician and ventriloquist, they founded the Sheffield Coven in 1961 where they were the High Priest and Priestess. Patricia, an authoritative spokesperson for the Craft has promoted Witchcraft through books, BBC interviews, television appearances and national newspapers. Read more...

RAVEN GRIMASSI

Born Gary Charles Erbe, (April 12th 1951 – March 10th 2019) an American Author of over 20 books on topics such as Wicca, Stregheria, Witchcraft and Paganism. A practitioner of Witchcraft for over 45 years and co-director of the Ash, Birch and Willow Tradition. Read more...

RAYMOND BUCKLAND

Born August 31st 1934, London , Raymond was known as ‘The Father of American Wicca,’ Raymond Buckland was responsible for introducing Wicca to the United States. He was the author of the first American book on the Old Religion written by a witch - Witchcraft from the Inside - and has since written over sixty others. Of Romany (Gypsy) descent, Raymond is an authority on Gypsies and has written several books on that subject. Raymond has lectured at colleges and universities across the country and has been the subject of articles in such newspapers and magazines as The New York Times and Los Angeles Times to name but a few. He has also appeared on numerous national radio and television talk shows and has been seen on BBC-TV and CBC-TV, Canada. He has appeared extensively on stage in England and played small character parts in movies in America. He has taught courses at colleges and universities and been a featured speaker at conferences and workshops.  Raymond lived on a small farm in north-central Ohio, with his wife Tara, a Chihuahua named Chico and a Chihuahua mix named Lupe. Raymond passed from this life September 27th 2017. He will be missed by those who knew him, knew his work and followed the ways of the Craft in which he taught. Read more...

Buckland Museum of Witchcraft  

SCOTT CUNNINGHAM

Scott Douglas Cunningham was born June 27th 1956 and was the author of several books on Wicca and various other alternative religious subjects. Scott was a member of the Serpent Stone Family, and received his Third Degree Initiation as a member of that coven. In 1980 Cunningham began initiate training under Raven Grimassi and remained as a first-degree initiate until 1982 when he left the tradition in favor of a self-styled form of Wicca. He practiced a fairly basic interpretation of Wicca, mostly choosing to worship alone, although he did work rituals with friends and teachers including Raymond Buckland. He passed from this incarnation on March 28th 1993 but his work continues in many of us. Read more...

SILVER RAVENWOLF

Silver RavenWolf (born September 11, 1956), born Jenine E. Trayer, is an American author and lecturer who focuses on Neopaganism. She currently resides in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania. Silver's writing career began with how-to articles on art projects and fictional short stories that blossomed into a full-time career in 1989 and has since written over 21 books for Llewellyn World Wide. Wife of over 30 years, mother of 4 grown children and grandmother, she has been interviewed by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, US News & World Report, and various newspapers across the U.S. She has done hundreds of interviews for radio, appeared in several television news spots, and featured on A&E Biography. Read more...

SYBIL LEEK

Sybil Leek was born on the 22nd February 1917 in the village of Normacot in Staffordshire, England to a comfortable, middle class family. She claimed to have been descended from the historical Witch, Molly Leigh who had been accused of practicing Witchcraft during the Witch Hunts. Sybil had a wonderful Jackdaw called Mr Hotfoot Jackson and they would  be seen going everywhere together.

At a young age she was sent by her grandmother to a French Coven based at Gorge du Loup in the hills above Nice, to replace a distant relative of hers as High Priestess. She later stayed in the New Forest, England claimed to have spent many years living amongst the New Forest gypsies. When she was 20, Sybil returned to her family, who had now moved to the edge of the New Forest. She opened three Antique shops.

When Sybil moved to America, she became an astrologer, describing astrology as her first love and in April 1964, an American publishing house wanted Sybil to speak about her new book "A Shop in the High Street" and she was invited to appear the TV programme 'To Tell the Truth' a well known in America. While in New York, she was contacted by the Parapsychologist, Hanz Holzer who invited her to join him investigating hauntings and psychic phenomena. They went on to do numerous TV and radio programmes on the subject while becoming good friends sharing lots of adventures in the psychic world. Sybil passed from this life at her home in Melbourne Beach, Florida on 26 October 1982.  She is survived by two sons, Stephen and Julian and grandchildren. Read more...