Happy birthday to Doreen Valiente 🕯️🕯️
“Doreen Edith Dominy Valiente (4 January 1922 – 1 September 1999) was an English Wiccan who was responsible for writing much of the early religious liturgy within the tradition of Gardnerian Wicca. An author and poet, she also published five books dealing with Wicca and related esoteric subjects.”
Wikipedia
I was lucky to hear her speak at the Pagan Federation conference in 1997. You can find a transcript of her speech on the inclusive Wicca website.
One of the things she said during the speech was this very important thing:
“In every period of history, in every country in the world there have been gay people, both men and women. So why shouldn’t Mother nature have known what she was doing when she made people this way? I don’t agree with this prejudice against gay people, either inside the craft of the wise or outside it.”
One of the loveliest book reviews I ever received is from Misha Magdalene who said about Dark Mirror:
“a clear, pleasant writing voice reminiscent of Doreen Valiente, equal parts ‘straightforward instruction’ and ‘chatting over tea and biscuits.’ As an academically trained feminist nerd with a taste for systems analysis, this approach makes me positively giddy with delight.”
You can buy Doreen’s books (and two of mine) at the Doreen Valiente Foundation shop).
Dowsing for Divinity 