Michel de Nostredame - Also known as Nostradamus (Latinised) (December 1503 – July 1566), was a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, who is best known for his book Les Prophéties (published in 1555), a collection of 942 poetic quatrains allegedly predicting future events. Nostradamus

John Dee - (13 July 1527 – 1608 or 1609) was an English mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, teacher, occultist, and alchemist. He was the court astronomer for, and advisor to, Elizabeth I, and spent much of his time on alchemy, divination, and Hermetic philosophy. As an antiquarian, he had one of the largest libraries in England at the time. As a political advisor, he advocated the foundation of English colonies in the New World to form a “British Empire”, a term he is credited with coining.

Dee eventually left the Queen's service and went on a quest for additional knowledge in the deeper realms of the occult and supernatural. He aligned himself with several individuals who may have been charlatans, traveled through Europe, and was accused of spying for the English crown. When he returned to England, he found his home and library vandalized. He eventually returned to the Queen's service but was turned away when she was succeeded by James I. He died in poverty in London and his gravesite is unknown. John Dee

Israel Regardie - (November 17, 1907 – March 10, 1985) was a British-American occultist, ceremonial magician, and writer who spent much of his life in the United States. He wrote fifteen books on the subject of occultism. Israel Regardie

Aleister Crowley - Edward Alexander Crowley (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947) was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, painter, novelist, and mountaineer. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the prophet entrusted with guiding humanity into the Æon of Horus in the early 20th century. A prolific writer, he published widely over the course of his life. Aleister Crowley

Dion Fortune - Violet Mary Firth (6 December 1890 – 6 January 1946) was a British occultist, ceremonial magician, novelist, and author. She was a co-founder of the Fraternity of the Inner Light, an occult organization that promoted philosophies that she claimed had been taught to her by spiritual entities known as the Ascended Masters. A prolific writer, she produced a large number of articles and books on her occult ideas and also authored seven novels, several of which expound on occult themes. Dion Fortune

William Robert Woodman - (1828– 20 December 1891), one of three co-founders of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Dr. Woodman is the least known among the three founders of the Golden Dawn because he died before the creation of the Golden Dawn's Second Order. In the Golden Dawn, no one was appointed to take his place in the Triad of Chiefs. Westcott became Praemonstrator and Mathers, Imperator. William Robert Woodman

William Wynn Westcott (17 December 1848 – 30 July 1925) was a coroner, ceremonial magician, theosophist, and Freemason born in Leamington, Warwickshire, England. He was a Supreme Magus (chief) of the S.R.I.A (Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia the Rosicrucian Society of England) and went on to co-found the Golden Dawn. William Wynn Westcott

Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers (January 1854 – November 1918) was a British occultist. He is known as one of the founders of The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. He became so synonymous with the order that Golden Dawn scholar Israel Regardie observed in retrospect that “the Golden Dawn was MacGregor Mathers.” Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers

William Butler Yeats (13 June 1865 – 28 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer, and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish literary establishment who helped to found the Abbey Theatre. In his later years, he served two terms as a Senator of the Irish Free State.

In March 1890 Yeats joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Yeats had a lifelong interest in mysticism, spiritualism, occultism, and astrology. He read extensively on the subjects throughout his life, became a member of the paranormal research organization “The Ghost Club” (in 1911), and was influenced by the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. As early as 1892, he wrote: “If I had not made magic my constant study I could not have written a single word of my Blake book, nor would The Countess Kathleen ever have come to exist. The mystical life is the centre of all that I do and all that I think and all that I write.” His mystical interests—also inspired by a study of Hinduism, under the Theosophist Mohini Chatterjee, and the occult—formed much of the basis of his late poetry. Some critics disparaged this aspect of Yeats's work. W.B. Yeats

Arthur Edward Waite (2 October 1857 – 19 May 1942) was a British poet and scholarly mystic who wrote extensively on occult and esoteric matters, and was the co-creator of the Rider–Waite tarot deck (also called the Rider–Waite–Smith or Waite–Smith deck). As his biographer, R. A. Gilbert, described him, “Waite's name has survived because he was the first to attempt a systematic study of the history of western occultism—viewed as a spiritual tradition rather than as aspects of proto-science or as the pathology of religion.”

Waite joined the Outer Order of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in January 1891 after being introduced by E.W. Berridge. In 1893 he withdrew from the Golden Dawn. In 1896 he rejoined the Outer Order of the Golden Dawn. In 1899 he entered the Second Order of the Golden Dawn. He became a Freemason in 1901 and entered the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia in 1902.

In 1903 Waite founded the Independent and Rectified Order R. R. et A. C. This Order was disbanded in 1914. The Golden Dawn was torn by internal feuding until Waite's departure in 1914; in July 1915 he formed the Fellowship of the Rosy Cross,[6] not to be confused with the Societas Rosicruciana. By that time there existed some half-dozen offshoots from the original Golden Dawn, and as a whole, it never recovered. A. E. Waite

Gerald Gardener - (13 June 1884 – 12 February 1964), also known by the craft name Scire, was an English Wiccan, as well as an author and an amateur anthropologist and archaeologist. He was instrumental in bringing the Contemporary Pagan religion of Wicca to public attention, writing some of its definitive religious texts, and founding the tradition of Gardnerian Wicca. Gerald Gardener

Doreen Edith Dominy Valiente (4 January 1922 – 1 September 1999) was an English Wiccan who was responsible for writing much of the early religious liturgy within the tradition of Gardnerian Wicca. An author and poet, she also published five books dealing with Wicca and related esoteric subjects.

Valiente began practicing magic while a teenager. Developing her interest in occultism after the Second World War, she began practicing ceremonial magic with a friend while living in Bournemouth. Learning of Wicca, in 1953 she was initiated into the Gardnerian tradition by its founder, Gerald Gardner. Soon becoming the High Priestess of Gardner's Bricket Wood coven, she helped him to produce or adapt 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. In 1957, a schism resulted in Valiente and her followers leaving Gardner in order to form their own short-lived coven. After investigating the Wiccan tradition of Charles Cardell, she was initiated into Raymond Howard's Coven of Atho in 1963. She went on the following year to work with Robert Cochrane in his coven, the Clan of Tubal Cain, although she later broke from this group.

Eager to promote and defend her religion, she played a leading role in both the Witchcraft Research Association and then the Pagan Front during the 1960s and 1970s. That latter decade also saw her briefly involve herself in far-right politics as well as becoming a keen ley hunter and proponent of Earth mysteries. Regularly writing articles on esoteric topics for various magazines, from the 1960s onward she authored a number of books on the subject of Wicca. Contributing to the publication of works by Wiccan friends Stewart Farrar, Janet Farrar, and Evan John Jones. In these works, she became an early advocate of the idea that anyone could practice Wicca without requiring initiation by a pre-existing Wiccan, while also contributing to and encouraging research into the religion's early history. Living in Brighton during these years, she was a member of the Silver Malkin coven and worked with Ron Cook, who was both her partner and initiate. In her final years, she served as patron of the Sussex-based Centre for Pagan Studies prior to her death from pancreatic cancer.

Valiente's magical artifacts and papers were bequeathed to her last High Priest, John Belham-Payne, who donated them to a charitable trust, the Doreen Valiente Foundation, in 2011. Having had a significant influence on the history of Wicca, she is widely revered in the Wiccan community as “the Mother of Modern Witchcraft”, and has been the subject of two biographies. Doreen Valiente

Dorothy Clutterbuck (19 January 1880 – 12 January 1951), was a wealthy Englishwoman who was named by Gerald Gardner as a leading member of the New Forest coven, a group of pagan Witches into which Gardner claimed to have been initiated in 1939. She has therefore become a figure of some significance in the history of Wicca.

Clutterbuck was a practicing Anglican Christian and never identified herself as a witch. After her death in 1951, Clutterbuck was identified by Gerald Gardner as a leading member of the New Forest coven of witches that he claimed to have been initiated into in September 1939. Gardner referred to her only as “Old Dorothy” in his publications but gave her full name to personal acquaintances. Gardner's statements were interpreted by his pupil Doreen Valiente as implying that Clutterbuck had personally initiated him into the coven, but later authors such as Philip Heselton and Eleanor Bone claim that his initiator was in fact Edith Woodford-Grimes. Some writers, such as historian Jeffrey Russell, suggested that “Old Dorothy” had been invented by Gardner, but Valiente, knowing her full name, obtained her birth, marriage, and death certificates and published a basic outline of her life in 1985 to prove that she really existed. Image above is the Chewton Mill House in Highcliffe owned by Old Dorothy and the supposed site of Gardner's initiation. Dorothy Clutterbuck

Margot Susanna Adler (April 16, 1946 – July 28, 2014) was an American author, journalist, lecturer, Wiccan priestess, and New York correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR).

Adler received a bachelor of arts in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York in 1970. She was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University in 1982.

Adler wrote Drawing Down the Moon, a 1979 book about Neopaganism which was revised in 2006. The book is considered by some a watershed in American Neopagan circles, as it provided the first comprehensive look at modern nature-based religions in the US. For many years it was the only introductory work about American Neopagan communities.

Her second book, Heretic's Heart: A Journey Through Spirit and Revolution, was published by Beacon Press in 1997. Adler was a Wiccan priestess and an elder in the Covenant of the Goddess, and she also participated in the Unitarian Universalist faith community. Margot Adler

Margaret Alice Murray (13 July 1863 – 13 November 1963) was an Anglo-Indian Egyptologist, archaeologist, anthropologist, historian, and folklorist. The first woman to be appointed as a lecturer in archaeology in the United Kingdom, she worked at University College London (UCL) from 1898 to 1935. She served as President of the Folklore Society from 1953 to 1955 and published widely over the course of her career.

Murray's work in Egyptology and archaeology was widely acclaimed and earned her the nickname of “The Grand Old Woman of Egyptology”, although after her death many of her contributions to the field were overshadowed by those of Petrie. Conversely, Murray's work in folkloristics and the history of witchcraft has been academically discredited and her methods in these areas heavily criticized. The influence of her witch-cult theory in both religion and literature has been examined by various scholars, and she herself has been dubbed the “Grandmother of Wicca”.

Murray's interest in folklore led her to develop an interest in the witch trials of Early Modern Europe. In 1917, she published a paper in Folklore, the journal of the Folklore Society, in which she first articulated her version of the witch-cult theory, arguing that the witches persecuted in European history were actually followers of “a definite religion with beliefs, ritual, and organization as highly developed as that of any cult in the end”. She followed this up with papers on the subject in the journals Man and the Scottish Historical Review. She articulated these views more fully in her 1921 book The Witch-Cult in Western Europe, published by Oxford University Press after receiving a positive peer review by Henry Balfour, and which received both criticism and support on publication. Many reviews in academic journals were critical, with historians claiming that she had distorted and misinterpreted the contemporary records that she was using, but the book was influential.

As a result of her work in this area, she was invited to provide the entry on “witchcraft” for the fourteenth edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica in 1929. She used the opportunity to propagate her own witch-cult theory, failing to mention the alternate theories proposed by other academics. Her entry would be included in the encyclopedia until 1969, becoming readily accessible to the public, and it was for this reason that her ideas on the subject had such a significant impact. It received a particularly enthusiastic reception by occultists such as Dion Fortune, Lewis Spence, Ralph Shirley, and J. W. Brodie Innes, perhaps because its claims regarding an ancient secret society chimed with similar claims common among various occult groups.

Murray reiterated her witch-cult theory in her 1933 book, The God of the Witches, which was aimed at a wider, non-academic audience. In this book, she cut out or toned down what she saw as the more unpleasant aspects of the witch cult, such as animal and child sacrifice, and began describing the religion in more positive terms as “the Old Religion”. Margaret Murray

Sybil Leek Fawcett (22 February 1917 – 26 October 1982) was an English witch, astrologer, occult author, and self-proclaimed psychic. She wrote many books on occult and esoteric subjects and was dubbed “Britain's most famous witch” by the BBC.

She later stayed with an acquaintance in Lyndhurst, in the New Forest, and claimed to have spent some of the following 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; one in Ringwood, one in Somerset, and one in the New Forest village of Burley. She soon moved to Burley herself, into a house behind the shop Lawfords of Burley.

Her eccentric habits as a self-described witch soon resulted in problems. Media interest grew, and Sybil became tired of the attention from news reporters and tourists. Chris Packham, in a BBC article about her, quoted a contemporary saying, “people either thought she was a bit of a joke or a fraud.” Although the village itself benefited from the extra tourism and visitors, some were unhappy with the extra traffic and noise. Her landlord eventually refused to renew her lease, prompting Leek to move away from the area and emigrate to the United States of America.

When Leek moved to America, she became an astrologer, describing astrology as her “first love”. 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 on To Tell the Truth, a TV program in the States; her appearance occurred on 13 April 1964. She took the opportunity to go and flew to New York City, where she gave many interviews. While in New York, she was contacted by Hans Holzer, a parapsychologist, who invited her to join him in investigating hauntings and psychic phenomena. They went on to do numerous TV and radio programs on the subject. She would later move to Los Angeles, where she met Israel Regardie, an authority on Kabbalah and ritual magic.

Strong in the defense of her beliefs, Leek sometimes differed and even quarreled with other witches. She disapproved of nudity in rituals, a requirement in some reconstructed traditions, and was strongly against the use of drugs, but she was at odds with most other witches in that she did believe in cursing. She also claimed to have had an out-of-body experience. Sybil Leek

Raymond Buckland (31 August 1934 – 27 September 2017), whose craft name was Robat, was an English writer on the subject of Wicca and the occult, and a significant figure in the history of Wicca, of which he was a high priest in both the Gardnerian and Seax-Wicca traditions.

According to his written works, primarily Witchcraft from the Inside, published in 1971, he was the first person in the United States to openly admit to being a practitioner of Wicca,[citation needed] and he introduced the lineage of Gardnerian Wicca to the United States in 1964, after having been initiated by Gerald Gardner's then-high priestess Monique Wilson in Britain the previous year. He later formed his own tradition dubbed Seax-Wicca which focuses on the symbolism of Anglo-Saxon paganism.

Known as “the Father of American Wicca,” Raymond Buckland is credited for introducing Wicca to the United States. His book Witchcraft From the Inside was the first American book about the Old Religion written by an actual witch. Since that time, Raymond has become a well-respected and renowned spirituality and occult author, writing more than 60 books, including the classic Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft and the three encyclopedias: The Witch Book, The Fortunetelling Book, and The Spirit Book.

The Buckland Museum was established in 2017 in Cleveland and is a well-known tourist location for those curious about witchcraft and magic and interested in the occult. Raymond Buckland The Buckland Museum

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 Gavin Bone, she has published “some of the most influential books on modern Witchcraft to date”. According to George Knowles, “some seventy-five percent of Wiccans both in the Republic and Northern Ireland can trace their roots back to the Farrars.”

Farrar has been one of the most public faces of Wicca, having appeared as a model for book covers and illustrations in several of the best-read books on the subject. She is a frequent guest lecturer on Wicca, Neopaganism, and Witchcraft in North America and Europe.

She was initiated into Alexandrian Wicca by the tradition's founders, Alex and Maxine Sanders. She met the Sanders in 1970 through a friend who had become interested in exploring Wicca. Janet accompanied her friend to keep the friend “out of this weird cult”, but she instead joined the Sanders coven, and would go on to become, in the words of Knowles, one of “England's most eminent and respected modern day witches.” In the coven, she met Stewart Farrar, her future husband, and co-author.

Janet and Stewart Farrar were both elevated to the second degree “in an unoccupied house in Sydenham” by the Sanders on 17 October 1970, and they received the third, and final, degree of initiation in their flat on 24 April 1971. Janet Farrar

Pictured above is Janet Farrar with Gavin Bone.

Frank Stewart Farrar (28 June 1916 – 7 February 2000) was an English screenwriter, novelist, and prominent figure in the Neopagan religion of Wicca, which he devoted much of his later life to propagating with the aid of his seventh wife, Janet Farrar, and then his friend Gavin Bone as well.

After being initiated into Alexandrian Wicca by Maxine Sanders in 1970, he subsequently published one of the earliest books to describe this newly burgeoning religion, What Witches Do (1971). Within only a few months of being initiated, he had risen to the position of High Priest and founded his own coven in south London, with Janet Farrar, whom he would later handfast and then legally marry, as his High Priestess. In 1976 the couple moved to Ireland, where they went about founding new covens and initiating new people into Wicca - according to George Knowles, “some seventy-five percent of Wiccans both in the Republic and North of Ireland can trace their roots back to the Farrar's.” With Janet, he also set about writing books about the subject, most notably Eight Sabbats for Witches (1981) and The Witches' Way (1984). Stewart Farrar

Gavin Bone (born 19 January 1964) is an English author and lecturer in the fields of magic, witchcraft, Wicca, and Neo-Paganism, and an organizer in the Neo-Pagan community. He was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire in England, in 1964. Gavin_Bone

Scott Douglas Cunningham (June 27, 1956 – March 28, 1993) was an American writer. Cunningham is the author of several books on Wicca and various other alternative religious subjects.

His work Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, is one of the most successful books on Wicca ever published; he was a friend of notable occultists and Wiccans such as Raymond Buckland, and 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 to pursue a solo practice of witchcraft.

Cunningham practiced a fairly basic interpretation of Wicca, often worshiping alone, though his book series for solitaries describes several instances in which he worshiped with friends and teachers.

He also believed that Wicca, which had been a closed tradition since the 1950s, should become more open to newcomers.

Cunningham was also drawn to Huna and a range of new-age movements and concepts that influenced and colored his spirituality. Scott Cunningham

• 1983 – Earth Power: Techniques of Natural Magic (ISBN 0-87542-121-0)
• 1985 – Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (ISBN 0-87542-122-9)
• 1987 – The Magical Household: Spells and Rituals for the Home (with David Harrington) (ISBN 0-87542-124-5)
• 1987 – Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem, and Metal Magic (ISBN 0-87542-126-1)
• 1988 – The Truth About Witchcraft Today (ISBN 0-87542-127-X)
• 1988 – Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (ISBN 0-87542-118-0)
• 1989 – The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews (ISBN 0-87542-128-8)
• 1989 – Magical Aromatherapy: The Power of Scent (ISBN 0-87542-129-6)
• 1991 – Earth, Air, Fire, and Water: More Techniques of Natural Magic (ISBN 0-87542-131-8)
• 1991 – The Magic in Food (ISBN 0-87542-130-X)
• 1993 – Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen (ISBN 0-7387-0226-9)
• 1993 – Divination For Beginners (ISBN 0-7387-0384-2)
• 1993 – Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (ISBN 0-87542-184-9)
• 1993 – Spell Crafts: Creating Magical Objects (with David Harrington) (ISBN 0-87542-185-7)
• 1993 – The Truth About Herb Magic (ISBN 0-87542-132-6)
• 1994 – The Truth About Witchcraft (ISBN 0-87542-357-4)
• 1995 – Hawaiian Magic and Spirituality (ISBN 1-56718-199-6)
• 1997 – Pocket Guide to Fortune Telling (ISBN 0-89594-875-3)
• 1999 – Dreaming the Divine: Techniques for Sacred Sleep (ISBN 1-56718-192-9)
• 2009 – Cunningham's Book of Shadows: The Path of An American Traditionalist (ISBN 0-73871-914-5) – A rediscovered manuscript written by Cunningham in the late 1970s or early 1980s.

Scott Cunningham practiced magic actively for over twenty years. He was the author of more than fifty books covering both fiction and non-fiction subject matter; sixteen of his titles are published by Llewellyn Publications. Scott's books reflect a broad range of interests within the New Age sphere, where he was very highly regarded. He passed from this life on March 28, 1993, after a long illness.

Laurie Cabot Mercedes Elizabeth Kiersey (born March 6, 1933) is an American Witchcraft High Priestess and the 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. The Witchcraft that Cabot practices is based on the Religion, Art, and Science of Witchcraft.

She lives in Salem and opened the town's first “Witch Shoppe” in Salem in 1971, which became a tourist destination thanks to the national TV exposure. Cabot's shop sold herbs, jewelry, Tarot decks, and other items used in witchcraft. She later moved her shop to an old gambrel-roofed house on Essex Street. This new shop was named Crow Haven Corner. The physical store is still open but is no longer owned or managed by any member of the Cabot family (formerly, her eldest daughter Jody owned and ran it). Cabot's final shop in Salem, The Cat, the Crow and the Crown on Pickering Wharf, later renamed The Official Witch Shoppe, closed its doors in February 2012. Cabot still maintains an online business and sells her hand-crafted magic products at Enchanted, a witch shop on Pickering Wharf in Salem. Enchanted

In March 2008, Cabot celebrated her 75th birthday at a surprise birthday party that was attended by hundreds of witches, including Sully Erna of the band Godsmack, for whom Cabot had appeared in the band's “Voodoo” music video, shot at Hammond Castle. Official Website of Laurie Cabot Wikipedia Laurie Cabot

Deanna “D. J.” Conway (May 3, 1939 – February 1, 2019) was a non-fiction author of books in the field of magic, Wicca, Druidism, shamanism, metaphysics, and the occult, and the author of three fantasy novels. Conway studied the occult and Pagan religion for over thirty years. In 1998 she was voted Best Wiccan and New Age author by Silver Chalice, a Neo-Pagan magazine. She was an ordained minister in two New Age churches and holder of a Doctor of Divinity degree. Several of her stories were published in magazines, such as the science fantasy publication Encounters, and she was interviewed in magazines and appeared on such television shows as Journey with Brenda Roberts. She also designed Tarot decks, in collaboration with fellow author Sirona Knight and illustrator Lisa Hunt. D. J. Conway

Selena Fox (born 20 October 1949 in Arlington, Virginia) is a Wiccan Priestess, interfaith minister, environmentalist, pagan elder, author, and lecturer in pagan studies, ecopsychology, and comparative religion.

Fox is a trained counselor and psychotherapist, with a B.S. cum laude in psychology from the College of William & Mary in 1971 and an M.S. in counseling from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1995, where her thesis was entitled When Goddess is God: Pagans, Recovery, and Alcoholics Anonymous (1995). She has been a member of the American Psychological Association, American Counseling Association, Association for Transpersonal Psychology, and American Academy of Religion.

Fox began leading public pagan rituals in 1971 and has done public education about paganism since 1973, in talks and public media interviews. She has also been mentioned in print publications, including a profile in People Magazine in 1979.

Fox has been active in environmental preservation endeavors since helping to organize the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, and speaks about eco-spirituality.

Fox is the founder of the “Circle Craft” tradition of the Wiccan religion. Along with others, she founded and is the Executive Director of Circle Sanctuary, which is one of America's oldest Pagan centers and Wiccan churches. Circle Sanctuary is headquartered on its 200-acre Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve, founded in 1983. Circle Sanctuary's quarterly journal, Circle Magazine (formerly, Circle Network News) was first published in 1978 as a newsletter, then as a newspaper in 1980, and in magazine format in 1997. Fox also is the founder of the Pagan Spirit Gathering, one of the oldest Nature Spirituality festivals in the United States.

Fox also founded Circle Cemetery in 1995, which is a 20-acre green cemetery for cremains and full-body interment.

Fox has advocated for Wiccan religious freedom for religious adherents in the military, including spearheading (along with Americans United for Separation of Church and State) the inclusion of the pentacle symbol on the US Department of Veterans Affairs list of emblems of belief that can be included on government-issued markers, headstones, and plaques honoring deceased veterans.

She has also advocated for equal treatment of religion in the public square, including the inclusion of a pentacle in a holiday display at the Green Bay, Wisconsin City Hall, and in displays at the Wisconsin state Capitol for the annual Interfaith Awareness Week.

Celebrating the Seasons An Online guide with rituals, chants, and articles: Celebrating the Seasons Wikipedia Selena Fox

Monique “Nickie” Marie Mauricette Wilson née Arnoux a.k.a. Lady Olwen was a prominent Witch and member of Wicca one of the founders in Gerald Gardner's inner circle.

She became known as Britain's “new “Queen of the Witches.” In the 1960s, the Wilsons developed an interest in Wicca. Monique Wilson wrote to her old friend “Uncle Gerald”, asking for guidance in establishing a Wiccan presence in Scotland. Gardner referred them to his friend Charles Clark, who initiated the Wilsons and their young daughter into Wicca and gave Wilson the craft name “Lady Olwen”.

By 1961, the Wilsons had founded their own coven in Perth. She became a high priestess of the covens established in Scotland. Shortly before his death in 1964, Gerald Gardner named Monique Wilson his heir, bequeathing most of his estate and the entire contents of his Museum of Witchcraft and Magic upon her. She and her husband placed the collection on public exhibition at the 17th century “Witches' Mill” on the Isle of Man near the village of Castletown. In 1973, Wilson sold the Museum and its contents (10,000 items) to Ripley's Believe It or Not!, facing much criticism from the Wiccan community for her perceived betrayal.

After the backlash from her sale of Gardner's collection, Wilson distanced herself from the Wiccan community. She died in 1982, followed by her husband in the 1990s. Their daughter, Yvette, renounced her association with Witchcraft and the Wicca beliefs and actively avoids discussing her mother's life.Wikipedia Monique Wilson

Alex Sanders (6 June 1926 – 30 April 1988), born Orrell Alexander Carter, who went under the craft name Verbius, was an English occultist and High Priest in the modern Pagan religion of Wicca, responsible for founding, and later developing with Maxine Sanders, the tradition of Alexandrian Wicca, also called Alexandrian Witchcraft, during the 1960s. Wikipedia Alex Sanders

Maxine Sanders Arline Maxine Morris (30 December 1946) is a key figure in the development of modern pagan witchcraft and Wicca and, along with her late husband, Alex Sanders, the co-founder of Alexandrian Wicca.

Alex's memoir describes her as “shy and inexperienced,” with her potential being awoken only through her contact with him. Maxine's memoir gives a very different account, describing her experiences of witchcraft as already having been initiated at the age of 15 into a magical lodge in rituals performed in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, England. By the following year, she and at least one other person had been initiated and the coven was up and running. Maxine was quickly taken through the system of three degrees and by the age of 18 was a third-degree Witch Queen although one source suggests that at that time her role was a somewhat passive one. It was said that at Alex's lectures all Maxine had to do was “sit there in her finery.” It is alleged that Alex said, “All I want you to do is sit there and look beautiful and represent the Goddess.” Maxine and Alex were handfasted at Alderley Edge in 1965. On the Beltane Sabbot of 1968, the couple married in a civil ceremony in Kensington London.

From early 1970 onwards, both Alex and Maxine gained media attention due to their openness about practicing witchcraft, appearing in a number of films, such as 'Legend of the Witches' (1970), 'Witchcraft ’70' (1970), 'Secret Rites' (1971), and numerous documentaries.

After Maxine and Alex separated, Maxine remained in their London flat where she ran her own coven, “The Temple of the Mother”, continuing to initiate and train people in Alexandrian Witchcraft. Members of the Temple of the Mother also trained in the art of healing and became well respected for it and other charitable works in the community.

Maxine remained in close contact with Alex until his death in 1988 and shortly before his death, he named Maxine as his next of kin.

In 2000, Maxine moved to Snowdonia, Wales, until 2010, when she returned to Abbey Road, London. Today, Maxine teaches Witchcraft and ritual in The Abbey Road Coven in London. She continues to travel, giving talks to those interested in witchcraft. Wikipedia Maxine Sanders

Frater Barrabbas Tiresius - (Richmond, VA) is a practicing ritual magician who has studied magick and the occult for over thirty-five years. He has a bachelor's degree in Linguistics. He founded a magical order called the Order of the Gnostic Star and is an elder and lineage holder in the Alexandrian tradition of Witchcraft.

Books include:

• Spirit Conjuring for Witches: Magical Evocation Simplified
• Seal, Sigil & Call: A New Approach to Ritual Magic
• Magical Qabalah for Beginners: A Comprehensive Guide to Occult Knowledge (For Beginners (Llewellyn's))
• Elemental Powers for Witches: Energy Magic Simplified
• Talismanic Magic for Witches: Planetary Magic Simplified
• Mastering the Art of Ritual Magick: Foundation, Grimoire and the Greater Key
• Disciple's Guide to Ritual Magick

Philip Carr-Gomm always wanted to be a writer and wrote short stories when he was 11 and 12. But then he found the Buddha, the Druids, and Psychoanalysis, and this was all so interesting he forgot about writing until a publisher he met at a dinner party in London, when he was in his late thirties, invited him to write a book. The result, 'The Elements of the Druid Tradition, soon became one of the best sellers in the 'Elements Of' series, and he was asked to write a follow-up: 'The Druid Way'. Later, he broadened his scope from the topic of Druidry, with its contemporary environmental relevance, to include the history of magic in 'The Book of English Magic' (co-authored with Richard Heygate), the subject of sacred sites in the lavishly illustrated 'Sacred Places', and the subject of nudity in religion, politics and popular culture in 'A Brief History of Nakedness.' After an excursion into fiction with his novel set in war-time France, 'The Prophecies, his most recent books are 'Empower Your Life with Sophrology' and 'Seek Teachings Everywhere'. He broadcasts live on Youtube and Facebook every Monday in 'Tea with a Druid' at 8 pm UK time, and you can find his website and blog at Philip Carr-Gomm Official Website Wikipedia Philip Carr-Gomm

M.A.(Cantab.), D.Phil.(Oxon.), F.R.Hist.S., F.S.A., FLSW, FBA

Professor Hutton is an English historian, Professor at the University of Bristol. He is the leading historian in Britain, specializing in British folklore, pre-Christian religion, Early Modern Britain, and contemporary Paganism. He has written at least 14 books and appeared on many television, video, and radio programs. Professor Hutton was born in India in 1953 and educated at the University of Cambridge, Oxford, Magdalen, and Pembroke Colleges. Professor Hutton has interests in the History of Paganism, Witchcraft, and Magick.

University of Bristol

Reverend Dr. M.N. Antone Wood was one of the foundational pillars and the first members of The Order of Sen-Taur. He pursued his education at Duke University, where he cultivated a deep and abiding interest in philosophy, theology, and esoteric studies. Born in the mid-1930s, he dedicated his life to spiritual exploration and leadership within various mystical and esoteric communities.

Founding Member: Reverend Wood was instrumental in establishing The Order of Sen-Taur, shaping its doctrines and practices based on a blend of Wiccan beliefs, Hermetic principles, and broader occult wisdom.

Philosophical and Theological Teachings: As a Grand Master of Occult Wisdom, he developed a comprehensive framework for understanding and teaching the intricate relationships between various esoteric disciplines.

Mentorship and Leadership: Known for his eloquent speech and gentle demeanor, Reverend Wood mentored many within the Order, including future leaders. His guidance was often sought after for both spiritual and practical matters.

Teacher and Educator: Reverend Wood was celebrated for his ability to simplify complex philosophical and magical concepts, making them accessible and engaging to practitioners at all levels of expertise.

Hermeticist and Magician: He contributed significantly to the Hermetic arts within the community, both preserving and innovating in practices that blend the mystical with the material.

Prophet and Visionary: His insights into the nature of reality and the future of spiritual practice have left a lasting impact on the Order’s teachings and orientation.

Advisor and Confidant: Reverend Wood's advice was renowned for its wisdom and relevance, helping many navigate the challenges of spiritual practice and community life.

Temperament and Interpersonal Skills: He is remembered for his never-cross demeanor and ability to relate to and assist others with compassion and understanding.

Honors and Recognition: Reverend Wood is the only member of The Order of Sen-Taur to have attained the level of High Elder, reflecting his profound contributions and the high regard in which he is held within the community.

“Rev. Antone was likely in his mid to late 50s when I met him in the late 1980s. He was an excellent teacher, philosopher, Wiccan/religious leader, magician, prophet, Hermeticist, and a Grand Master of Occult Wisdom. Antone had a fantastic way with words. His demeanor was one that you could come to any time with anything, and he would know what to say perfectly. His advice was exemplary. Whenever I look back on his memories, I cannot think of a time he was ever cross. He was undoubtedly the best mentor I've ever had, and I give him the highest honor as one of our founders and the only person in The Order of Sen-Taur to have attained the level of High Elder.”

Born Tara Michelle Christensen in 1967 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Reverend Mother Dr. Mary Kateryn, known affectionately as Sister Kate, has been a dynamic force in the Wiccan and occult metaphysical community. From an early age, she showed a profound interest in the esoteric arts, beginning with tarot card symbolism and readings.

Academic Pursuits: Sister Kate attended Westland College of Business in Sacramento, California, where she trained in Secretarial Studies and office automation.

Early Career: She held various positions in business before fully dedicating herself to metaphysical studies and spiritual practices.

Initial Exploration: From 1984-1989, Sister Kate delved deeply into studies of ESP, psychic phenomena, the Qabalah, and Western Mystery Traditions.

Joining The Order of Sen-Taur: In 1989, she joined The Order of Sen-Taur in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she was mentored by Rev. M.N. Antone Wood, D.D. She was initiated into the Inner Circle and continued to expand her expertise in metaphysical sciences.

Leadership Roles: Sister Kate formed The Desert Moon Coven of Wicca of The Order of Sen-Taur, specializing in ceremonial magick and the teachings of the Golden Dawn. She performed exorcisms and led significant religious rites and rituals.

Formal Education and Certifications: Acquiring certificates from Our Lady of Enchantment and The Divine Circle of the Sacred Grove, Sister Kate was elevated to the rank of Priestess, then to acting High Priestess, providing professional metaphysical services.

Publishing and Teaching: She has authored multiple articles and developed a correspondence course for The Order of Sen-Taur on tarot card reading and psychic abilities.

Ordination: Ordained a Minister of the Universal Life Church in 1992 and later achieved the rank of High Priestess within The Order of Sen-Taur.

Awards and Honors: She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity by the Universal Life Church in 2022 for her extensive contributions to the spiritual community.

Business Ventures: Co-owner and Office Manager of The Mountain Moon Metaphysical Gifts in Medford, Oregon, from 1995-1997, where she continued her practice and teaching.

Leadership and Mentorship: As CEO of several organizations, she has used her leadership skills to promote spiritual and community growth.

Continued Leadership: In 2022, Sister Kate has been pivotal in the revival of The Order of Sen-Taur, overseeing its reformation and opening it to new membership.

Creative Works: She has designed and created The Order of Sen-Taur Magickal Herb Card Collection and The Sen-Taur Legacy Wheel of Time Oracle card book and deck.

Ongoing Contributions: Continuing to write, teach, and lead The Order as President, High Priestess, and Reverend Mother, she remains deeply involved in teaching and personal study in occult, arcane, esoteric, metaphysical, hermetic, and magical arts and sciences.

For further insights, spiritual guidance, or to learn from her extensive experience, Sister Kate can be reached at sister.kate@sen-taur.com.

Irving Leonard Finkel (born 1951) is a British philologist and Assyriologist. He is the Assistant Keeper of Ancient Mesopotamian script, languages, and cultures in the Department of the Middle East in the British Museum, where he specializes in cuneiform inscriptions on tablets of clay from ancient Mesopotamia.

Philosophy & Esoterica

Dr. Justin Sledge produces video content on YouTube under the channel Esoterica. This ongoing project explores topics in Western Esotericism, such as magic, mysticism, alchemy, kabbalah, hermetic philosophy, theosophy, and more.

Sadly, these topics are misrepresented in our education system, and access to reliable, scholarly information in this field online is wanting. Dr. Sledge hopes to continue exploring these topics rigorously through approachable videos on his channel.

Dr. Sledge, a first-generation college student, earned his undergraduate degree at Millsaps College. He then went for a DRS in religious studies (Western Esotericism and Related Currents) at the Universiteit van Amsterdam and a MA and Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Memphis.

He is currently a part-time professor of philosophy and religion at several institutions in the Metro-Detroit area and a popular local educator.

https://www.justinsledge.com/

Photo by Jason Williams

Christopher Penczak is a Witch, teacher, writer, and healing practitioner. He is the founder of the world-renowned Temple of Witchcraft and the Temple Mystery School and the creator of the bestselling Temple of Witchcraft books and audio CDs. Christopher is an ordained minister, serving the New Hampshire and Massachusetts Pagan and metaphysical communities through public rituals, private counsel, and teaching. He also travels extensively and teaches throughout the United States. Christopher lives in New Hampshire.

http://www.christopherpenczak.com/

John Michael Greer (born 1962) is an American author and druid who writes on ecology, politics, appropriate technology, oil depletion, and the occult.

Mr. Carson earned a Certificate of Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He founded 4BiddenKnowledge and, having written “The Compendium of the Emerald Tablets,” became a best-selling author. An expert on topics ranging from Hermetic sciences to hidden technologies, Carson has been featured as a regular guest on Gaia, Travel, History, and Discovery networks. Carson contributes to Deep Space, Ancient Civilizations and Cosmic Disclosure on Gaia by exploring Secret Space Programs, E.T.s, ancient anomalies, and potential human origins. Carson co-founded the United Family of Anomaly Hunters (UFAH), which seeks to provide evidence of past and present civilizations within our solar system. Carson is involved in researching and developing alternative propulsion systems and zero-point energy devices. Carson also contributes to Entrepreneur Leadership, Thrive Global, a registered International Journalist, and is the founder of Pantheon Elite Records.