The Rebirth of Witchcraft (Hardcover)

~ Doreen Valiente (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

One of witchcraft's most widely known figures, Doreen Valiente was a close friend of the late Gerald Gardner, generally regarded as the founder of modern Wicca. Initiated by him in the 1950s and for a time High Priestess of his coven, Doreen helped him rewrite his seminal Book of Shadows and establish witchcraft's international reputation. In this intriguing exposé, Doreen provides an insider’s account of the birth and evolution of the contemporary Wicca movement. She recalls her spat with Gardner that eventually split his coven, the controversy surrounding Alex Sanders, "King of the Witches," and many other witches whom she has known, including “Dafo,” Robert Cochrane, Leslie Roberts, and Sybil Leek. She also describes the clairvoyant communications she received purporting to come from John Brakespeare, an 18th-century witch.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Doreen Valiente (1922-1999) was one of the most well respected and influential leaders of Wicca. Her previous books include An ABC of Witchcraft Past and Present, Natural Magic, and Witchcraft for Tomorrow.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Phoenix Pub (June 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0919345387
• ISBN-13: 978-0919345386
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,721,212 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Eyewitness History of the Birth of the Modern Craft, March 23, 2001

By	Elderbear (Loma Linda, Aztlan) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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.

(If you enjoyed this review, please leave positive feedback. Other reviews I have written may be accessed by clicking the "about me link." Thanks!)

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good, witchy gossip, December 29, 2000

By	Annette Hrisko-Allen (pdx,usa) - See all my reviews

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.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The absolute guide to history at the beginning of wicca!, December 1, 2001

By	olleke - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rebirth of Witchcraft (Paperback)

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.