january september english responsible writing early religious tradition author poet published books dealing related subjects born middle class family surrey began practicing magic teenager working translator park second world war married twice period developing interest war began practicing ceremonial magic friend living learning initiated tradition founder soon high helped produce adapt important texts charge goddess incorporated early book shadows resulted followers leaving form short lived investigating tradition initiated went work clan later broke group eager promote defend religion played leading role pagan 1960s 1970s decade saw briefly involve far right politics keen hunter proponent earth mysteries regularly writing articles topics magazines 1960s onward authored number books subject contributing publication works friends works early advocate idea practice requiring initiation pre existing contributing encouraging research religion early history living brighton years worked partner initiate member silver final years served patron sussex based centre pagan studies prior death cancer magical artefacts papers bequeathed friend entrusted charitable trust having significant influence history widely revered community mother modern subject biographies biography early life born january southern english town surrey father civil engineer lived mother wood harry came methodist background baptised custom time argument local vicar later claimed close relationship parents characterised highly conventional heavily focused social climbing childhood moved surrey according later account early spiritual experience staring moon family moved late mother left father took live maternal relatives southampton began practicing magic aged performing spell prevent mother harassed worker came believe worked early knowledge magical practices derived books found local library parents concerned behaviour sent convent school despised school left age refusing return wanted art school instead gained employment factory moving work clerk second world war senior assistant officer capacity working translator park relation work sent town barry met greek entering relationship married january june serving aboard sunk boat west african coast declared missing action presumed deceased widowed number short term jobs wales possibly cover intelligence work october transferred intelligence service offices berkeley street area london involved message london met entered relationship fled spanish civil war fought later joining wounded battle evacuated england married couple moved mother living worked chef later husband suffered racism war foreign associations developing interest began practicing ceremonial magic friend flat obtained magical recently deceased doctor member alpha splinter group attempted learn hebrew language uses forms ceremonial magic point selected magical particularly interested book great beast biography founded religion following read copy theory practice found local library alongside practical experience religions having attended services local christian church familiar idea pre christian witch cult surviving modern period works believed religion extinct autumn read article reporter illustrated magazine titled britain discussing recent opening folklore centre mentioned museum director resident witch intrigued article wrote letter turn contact wrote letters forth eventually suggesting meet home friend fellow lived far area left meeting gave copy novel high magic aid describes account middle ages allegedly order gauge opinion ritual nudity present tradition invited house initiated ritual stood altar read book shadows set prehistoric monument wiltshire witnessed performing ritual lent ritual sword owned placed monument heel stone rite told husband mother visit initiation feared approved later year invited visit flat shepherd bush met members met near north london soon rose high historian later commented formed second great creative partnership life recognised material book shadows taken ancient sources initially claimed works confronted claimed text received fill sources took book shadows permission rewrote cutting lot sections come fearing infamous reputation wrote queen moon queen stars invocation use ritual inspired song found wrote chant use dancing circle rewrote act greatest single contribution version charge principle expression spirituality coming years spent summers relied deal affairs sent meet artist wanted produced spare subsequently described harmless little letter wrote prompting met interested learning insisted lie informing longstanding family hereditary practitioners aided preparing second non fiction book meaning focusing particular sections accusations tabloid press increasing desire publicity ending negative caused conflict members like felt repeatedly communicating press security enthusiastic young people brought girlfriend stating pair hard find factions emerged led broadly anti publicity group led pro publicity grove drew list proposed rules craft partly designed publicity seeking home responded necessary series rules existed point produced laws limited control angered later realised simply response proposed laws summer split according followers gospel according believed real traditional lived according pagan studies scholar experienced great lives breaking formed grove high priest following tradition albeit laws believed entirely invention failed breaking amid arguments founders husband mother moved basement flat southern coastal town brighton moved flat nearer town centre befriended resident journalist shared interest supernatural attracted attention local press claims practitioners black magic operating area remained good friend roberts death heart disease got touch friendship remaining good terms death left early 1960s developed correspondence sheffield husband finally meeting couple visited brighton mother death august felt open eager spread information britain began interact press sending letter newspaper interviewed involvement 1960s began producing articles subjects regular basis magazines light fate prediction capacity began appearances television radio involved newly formed second president resignation letter welcome included issue newsletter published august gave speech halloween dinner october speech proclaimed public appearance form arguing created named came communicate journalist conducting research book sixth sense began visiting local libraries archives order investigate history sussex basis research press published book lives book today identify practicing interested scholar contained research history folklore county sussex collected archival research published work historian interpreted evidence light theories claimed pre christian religious movement survived present emerged later related books published subject remarkable feature book remains date produced prominent modern witch embodies actual original research records trials people accused crime early modern period produced manuscript book titled witch collection poems biographical introduction published publishers believing commercially viable learned non article subsequently struck correspondence suggested pool respective traditions declined offer expressing motives conduct began correspondence course run associate course instructed tradition known halloween initiated ritual overseen howard entering lowest rank course beginning copy teachings received able identify sources howard drawn tradition introduced pagan witch mutual friend ceremonial met gathering held claims come hereditary family impressed charisma desire avoid publicity emphasis working outdoors invited join clan sixth member dissatisfied openly committing adultery constantly insulting point calling night long knives point openly criticised left clan words rose challenged presence rest told fed listening night long knives sick little soul better things shortly committed ritual suicide authored poem dead witch memory remained contact widow members clan gray proceeded work occasion regency group founded members clan pagan national publications living brighton took employment branch boots appeared bbc documentary power witch devoted featured prominent year involved founding pagan british pressure group campaigned religious rights november developed moon inauguration ritual local branches use day chaired national meeting held developed principles came central pagan interpretation religion adherence belief sense nature april husband died taken interest later claimed theirs unhappy relationship newly widowed soon local council decided home unfit human relocated council accommodation mid-1960s tower block square brighton flat described visitors cramped filled thousands books met member apartment block residents committee entered relationship initiated working partner regularly explored sussex countryside went holidays considering moving joined operating local area established high early 1970s member far right white nationalist political party national eighteen months designed banner local branch biographer suggested party outlook appealed strongly patriotic values hoped serve political equivalent pagan movement time member extreme far right group allowed membership national lapse sending letter local branch stating respected leader friends group critical party opposition women liberation gay rights sex education lauded progressive causes suggested joined groups order investigate reporting britain intelligence agencies early 1970s read heavily influenced embracing view lines british landscape earth energies inspired began searching lines area brighton began magazine authored articles book reviews came public emergence sign age arguing religion ally feminist movements order establish better future planet publishing company brought second book abc provided overview topics related published natural magic discussion believed magical associations weather stones plants elements natural world published tomorrow proclaimed belief ideal age espoused hypothesis explained reader initiate establish offered book poetry declined publish believing sufficient market publication submitted book short stories witch ball declined publish struck friendship living ireland agreed publish original contents book shadows order combat variants released original material appeared books way published recommendation works identified differences early book identified older sources drew believed later scholars profoundly grateful trio undertaking task opined publications alongside tomorrow helped contribute enabling reader set appendix way published result investigations old woman claimed involved academic historian recently suggested invented old attempt hide fact invented sought discovering old real person biographer described greatest known moments autobiography final years mid-1980s began writing autobiography focused place history published work dismiss witch cult theory undermine belief survival highlighting false claims instead perceived religion value modern era provided foreword book published written member clan lived brighton expressed view likely wrote number chapters better known came correspond wide range people pagan communities met american greatly admired visits britain communicated american scholar pagan studies investigations early disagreed kelly invented instead insisting witch cult discovered centre pagan studies pagan organisation based sussex hamlet established founders wife centre patron gave lectures group died leaving grief stricken final public speech annual conference held november praised work early twentieth century urged community accept health deteriorating diagnosed diabetes terminal cancer increasingly friends primary days moved requesting publish anthology poems death died september body kept barn night held invited included pagan rite completed coffin cremated brighton intentionally low key affair media publicity wishes ashes scattered sussex woodland magical artifacts manuscripts including book shadows bequeathed centre public disagreement book poems published posthumously followed enlarged second edition personality characterised handsome woman striking dark haired looks possessed strong independent personality gift poetry ritual noted tall reserved preferred background friend described sensible practical decent honest importantly pragmatic writer described plain woman slight friendly eye life remained believer witch cult theory despite fact academically 1970s strong dislike unexpected visitors refuse answer door knocked avid fan football closely followed world cup refusing open door visitors watching competition television enjoyed betting horse races favourite foods included cheese baked potatoes reception legacy community internationally known mother modern disliked moniker believed influence profound far reaching characterised gifted expressed view best known books subject highlighting appeared reading lists ritual composed proved highly influential religion constitute core element legacy kelly asserted deserves credit having helped transform craft hobby handful eccentric international religious movement describing major personality development expressed view enduring greatness lay fact completely strong dedicated finding declaring truth world state complete confusion events organisations organised day event central london dedicated sixteen speakers pagan community came talk event sell death received offers substantial amounts money buyers seeking purchase parts collection entrusted collection artefacts inherited newly established charitable trust foundation designed prevent collection broken sold allowing future researchers start protecting making accessible available people research learn enjoy group chairman appointed trustees june unveiled blue plaque tower block final home ceremony speech given mayor brighton preceded open ritual brighton led
Doreen Valiente