Under the Damson Moon
Reflections from the heart of the coven
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What Makes a Healthy Coven?
10 Foundations of a Supportive and Empowering Witchcraft Community A coven can be a beautiful place to learn, practise, celebrate, and grow. At its best, a coven offers friendship, spiritual connection, shared ritual, practical knowledge, and a sense of belonging. It can bring together people who might otherwise feel isolated in their spiritual practice and…
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What Is Wicca? A Beginner’s Guide to Understanding Wicca
If you have ever come across Wicca and wondered what it actually is, you are certainly not alone. Perhaps you have seen references to witches, moon rituals, crystals, spells, tarot or seasonal celebrations and wondered how much of it has anything to do with Wicca. For some people, Wicca first appears as a vague fascination:…
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Doreen Valiente
Doreen Valiente (1922–1999) was an influential English Wiccan priestess and author, often called the “Mother of Modern Witchcraft.” Born Doreen Edith Dominy in Surrey, she explored magic from her teens and worked at Bletchley Park during WWII. After the war, she immersed herself in ceremonial magic. In 1953, she was initiated by Gerald Gardner into Gardnerian…
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Gerald Gardner
Gerald Brosseau Gardner (1884–1964), often referred to as the “Father of Wicca,” was an English civil servant, amateur anthropologist, and occultist whose work was instrumental in the creation and public emergence of modern Wicca. Born in Lancashire, Gardner spent much of his early life abroad, including significant time in Ceylon and Malaya, where he developed…
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Embracing the Dark Half of the Year
From the Autumn Equinox, when the balance begins to tip towards longer nights, through the depths of winter and towards Imbolc, we enter a powerful part of the Year. This is the season when the darkness surrounds us, the natural world retreats into stillness, and the light gradually begins its journey back. For many people,…