Doreen Valiente (1922–1999)

Interesting read. Doreen Valiente's style is engaging and pleasant. She puts Wicca and witchcraft into their cultural context, and tries to show links with other related religions. I like her attitude to sexuality and life in general. The book also has a book of shadows in it for people wanting to start their own coven.


While this is a little dated, originally printed in 1989 and the author is dead since 1999, it's an interesting look at the history of modern witchcraft in England, told by someone who was there and who often honestly says "I wasn't there I don't know but this is what I was told".

She does fall into the Margaret Murray school of thought, which modern research shows as mistaken at best and very wrong at worst, but still this is the book I think should be pressed into the hands of many young show more seekers so that they can seperate the wheat from the chaff (and there's a lot of chaff out there).

I found it an interesting read and an insightful look at some of the politics and power struggles that muddied the waters at the time. While some of what she says has subsequently been proven wrong, a lot of the history is very interesting and a rewarding read. show less

This is an encyclopedia-format overview of the Old Religion, but it's very readable straight through, too.

I say "old religion" because this is unambigiously written from the perspective of a practicing 20th century Wiccan. In fact, Doreen Valiente was one of the originators of the modern witchcraft culture. But she writes lucidly and with a fairly balanced and historical-based perspective. A good overview of everything that has gone into re-making witchcraft.

An in-depth look at some of the controversies about the beginning of the modern witchcraft movement. Doreen talks about the characters involved in the Craft in Britain, including Alex and Maxine Sanders, the Farrars and Robert Cochrane and, of course, Gerald Gardner. She was his High Priestess for a time. She talks about her first meeting with Gardner and Daffo and the origins of "Gardnerian" witchcraft.

In the last chapters of the book, she talks about meeting with Starhawk, feminist show more witchcraft, neo-paganism, and she takes a surprising view of coven practice, the hierarchy of the degrees, solitary practice and the future of Wicca, witchcraft and neo-paganism.

As always, Doreen's writing is delightful. I can't attest to the veracity of her scholarship. I thought it was pretty thorough and she did the best she could with the information that was available to her.

I recommend her other books, "Witchcraft for Tomorrow," "Natural Witchcraft," and "An ABC of Witchcraft, Past and Present." show less