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The Rebirth of Witchcraft

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An account of the birth (at least in the public mind) of the modern craft. Lady Doreen was there for key moments--without her finesse, the Charge of the Goddess would likely be an obscure and arcane document, used only by Gardnerian & related Wiccan traditions. She took much of Gardner's material and transformed it from awkward, ponderous prose, to liturgical poetry.

She reminds us that the last witchcraft trial in England took place in 1944, at the Old Bailey. One Helen Duncan, a spiritualist medium, was found guilty under the Witchcraft Act of 1735 and sentenced to 9 months in jail. It was not until June of 1951 that this law was abolished. That July, a newspaper carried a frontpage story, CALLING ALL COVENS, describing a forthcoming witches' gathering, opened by Gerald B. Gardner.

She traces the forerunners of the Craft: Charles Godfrey Leland, Margaret Murray, Robert Graves, Dion Fortune, and Aleister Crowley. From this she moves on to Gerald Gardner, and how he came to publicize the Craft. This is followed by a chapter about what it was like working with Old Gerald and one regarding what the intense publicity Gerald generated was like. She writes chapters about John Brakespeare, Robert Cochrane, and Alex Sanders and their traditions.

She points out that during this time period, witchcraft was male dominated, certainly not feminist. Women were allowed to hold fancy titles, like Witch Queen, but stil expected to obey the high priest. Her chapter on Feminist Witchcraft tells of Starhawk meeting up with Zuzanna Budapest, considers women's moon mysteries, and the place of homosexuality in the Craft.

She concludes the book by observing that the emergence of the Craft in modern times must be fulfilling a deep need.

Lady Doreen is a good writer and the material is interesting. Many of the founders of traditions the "inherited" were real characters, and she sprinkles a generous number of anecdotes throughout the book.

The book has a reasonably good bibliography for anybody who wishes to do further research. Serious research into the history of the Craft would also include reading Aidan Kelly's Crafting the Art of Magic, a critical exploration of Gardner's Witchcraft.

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The main reason I picked up this book was due to an interview I once read, in which Valiente expressed her disapproval over the "airy-fairy" attitude that was prevalent in the current neo-Pagan movement. I wanted to know what was different about "Old School Wicca".

This book gives a nice little history lesson on what life was like for a British Witch in the 1950's and 1960's. Valiente gives personal accounts of such now legendary figures as Gerald Gardner, Alex Sanders, Robert Cochrane, Janet and Stewart Farrar, and even Aleister Crowley. She illustrates just how dangerous it was to be a public Witch in Britain at the time; and the trouble they went through with both the press and the police when it came to dealing with accusations of Satanism and committing human sacrifice.

Valiente also describes the hazards of intra-coven politics. Witch wars waged in the media and psychic vampires turning up on your doorstep, hat in hand, with a big grin and a favor to ask. She pulls no punches when she talks about just how awful it can be when you are just trying to be both a helpful pagan and a decent person. While her chapter on "Feminist Witchcraft" seemed a little dated to me, it still expresses some important ideals: the need for women to take charge of their own identity, the necessity for good stewardship of the environment, and finding a way to cope with the ever increasing human population.

Definitely not a "how to" manual for spell casting, this book will give readers a glimpse into the lives of some famous Witches. Some were powerful, some were fragile, a couple were downright deceitful, but they were all human.

Old Doreen was around for the formative years of the modern Witchcraft movement, otherwise known as Wicca, and was a participant in many of it's early events. (She wrote the famous Charge of the Goddess, for example). Reading this book is like sitting in an Elder's kitchen, with a hot cup of coffee (too much dish here for mere tea, but with cream and sugar, not black) and having her tell you what it was *really* like back then, and what *really* happened. Now that she's passed on, I'm particularly grateful that she's given us this bit of eyewitness history and insight into how our religion took the form(s) it has. Also an indictment of hubris in those she loved, by a true Lady who had her head on straight, her heart in the right place, and her feet firmly on the ground. More interesting to folks somewhat familiar with Wicca than for beginners. Required reading for my own advanced Craft students -- it's that good.

This book gives a realistic view on all the fuss going on in England at 1950. Valiente writes about the situation with Scire (Gerald Gardner)and Dafoe. Also she mentions Robert Cochrane, Sybil Leek, Alex Sanders and gives a great perspective on how insiders and outsiders behave at the beginning of what has become: the rebirth of La Vecchia Religione, The Old Religion. An important fact is that Tradtional Witchcraft, is not the same as Wicca! Traditionals don't have a hierarchy.

This book really shows us Wicca from the beginning. I don't think you'll be disappointed in the stories that Doreen has to share with us all. Really, she is the mother of Modern Witchcraft. If you want to know where we are going as a religious group of people, you should really read our history -- and she gives you an inside look at the people who shaped Wicca into what it is today.

Much Love & Many Blessings,
Thorn Nightwind

"The only reason for secrecy today is when witches themselves prefer not to have their identities and their private addresses revealed."
- Doreen Valiente (The Rebirth of Witchcraft, p.54)

How worthwhile is reading THE REBIRTH OF WITCHCRAFT by Doreen Valiente? I learned more about the true history of Wicca in the first five chapters than all the other books on modern witchcraft that I've read to date.

As for the content Doreen Valiente gives a compelling first person account of Wiccan history from its earliest nights to the feminist revolution of the 70s. In particular you get a really good scoop on the shady personalities behind the faces of Gerald Gardner, Alex Sanders and Robert Cochrane. Tricksters and liars all.

Of course this doesn't mean that Doreen didn't hold any affection for these men. She did, but she doesn't make excuses for their behavior either. Perhaps because of this honesty there is a real feeling of authenticity to her words.

The other chapters while less relevant are at the very least interesting reads. I particularly liked the chapter on Leslie Roberts, a homosexual witch and occult investigator who died tragically. His story (as well as that of Alex Sanders) establishes the early presence of gay men in the Craft. It also serves as a vivid lesson on the importance of knowing your limits as a witch and the very real danger of psychic vampires.

This book should be required reading for all students interested in the history of the modern Craft.

Doreen Valiente is a household name among the practitioners of witchcraft. She was first initiated into the craft by Gerald Gardner in the New Forrest Coven. She would later rewrite almost entirely Gardner's book of Shadows taking out many of the Crowleyisms and making the speech of the craft up to date.

Valiente has worked with such greats as Gardner, Robert Cockrane and Leslie Roberts. She gives an insiders view into the rebirth and history of the craft. Up until 1952 the practive of witchcraft was illegal and the most recent trial was the trial of Helen Duncan for the crime of contacting the dead. This landmark case caused a landslide in popular opinion which lead to the repeal of the witchcraft acts. For amny years withcraft had been an underground sort of thing mostly kept alive in family traditions or very secret coven.

Valiente examine the role of such works gnerated by such author's as Charles Leland, William Frazier and their books on withccraft and the sacrificial king. Charles Lelands works bring some light onto the practive of withc craft that they worshipped the Goddess Diana and met monthly for their rite, mostly skyclad.

Interest in the occult was also simmering. Aleister Crowley made a splash in the media calling himself the great beast while Dion Fortune was famous for starting "The Society of Inner Light" Helena Blavatzky also found "THe Theosophical Society.

Incontrast to what others may think Doreen had a rather positive impression of Gerald Gardner. She believes his claim that he was indoctrinated into a working coven of witches. Gardner did meke changes by incorparating words and phrases used by Aleister Crowley and Leland. He also incorparated some elements of Masonism and he brought in several elements from Ceremonial Magic. She reports that withces used to draw their circles with wands or wooden branches rather than with athames. Witches never really had a "Book of Shadow" hereditary kinowledge of witchcraft was passed down orally as most witches back in the day could neither read nor write. Grimoires were used by Ceremonial Magicians. In Doreen Valiente's view Withccraft in it's true form is most akin to Shamanism an is very simple.

Doreen left Gardner's group over some sharp differences of opinioon over publicity. Gerald Gardner was a very flamboyant person and this lead to a lot of negative press. Doren would next work with Robert Cochrane. He was very different from Gardner. He worked robes as opposed to skyclad. He also used hallucinogens in his work and often times came close to endangering some of his followers with these hallucinogens. Cochrane has a militant attitude that was very anti Gardnerian. Valiente found many instances of dishonesty and false claims in Cochrane's claims and parted company with him as well.

Doreen Valiente continues to describe her experience with the likes of the reporter Robert Leslie. Some one judging from her description was too good hearted and nice that people drained off of him. Trends in withcraft point to an awkening of female consiusness and a shaking off of male dominated things. Her mediations tell thaat practitioner can work individually and do not need the validation of the coven. She c=encourages practitioner to learn theoru expereience and meditation as opposed to book and other riged learning style.

For those into Witch Craft this book gives and insiders view that is rarely affored. Enjoy your foray into witchdom.

This is a great book to learn about the "Mother of modern Witchcraft". I brought this for a online class based on her life. I did not know much about her so I took the class. This book highlights her life in Witchcraft, her becoming a Witch, how she did it, her tricky relationships with Gerald Gardner, Aleister Crowley, Stewart Farrer, Alex Sanders etc. It is very appropriate for those interested in the history of Witrchcraft.

This book gives a realistic view on all the fuss going on in England at 1950. Valiente writes about the situation with Scire (Gerald Gardner)and Dafoe. Also she mentions Robert Cochrane, Sybil Leek, Alex Sanders and gives a great perspective on how insiders and outsiders behave at the beginning of what has become: the rebirth of La Vecchia Religione, The Old Religion. An important fact is that Tradtional Witchcraft, is not the same as Wicca! Traditionals don't have a hierarchy.

I have never read this book (it is out of print and exceedingly hard to find). I have been told it is excellent-- a very good history lesson.

I principally wrote to clarify a minor error in another review by Elderwolf. Ms. Valiente would not have been referred to as "Lady Doreen." The British do not call their priests and priestesses "Lady" and "Lord". This is a peculiarly American thing, which started with people involved with the Society for Creative Anachronism. In England, where you have real Lords and Ladies, it is considered extremely "dodgy". That being said, I fully agree with Elderwol'fs assessment of her immense and invaluable contribution to modern Witchraft.