Witch Mother...Story of Doren Valiente

Doreen Valiente Witch by Philip Heselton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Without her the craft of the wise, or the Old Religion would not look the way it does now. Doreen Valiente would argue rather strongly against the term mother as she would not want to birth children into this cruel world. At an early age she was drawn int the world of the occult. Born Doreen Edith Dominy in Mitcham county England, she had a strong calling for the occult and mystical form a very early age.On her mother's side there were relatives who could see and speak with faeries or spirits. This ability seems to have passed on to Doreen. Many times she would see apparition that no one else could see. She also started working with sympathetic magic at an early age without even knowing it. One spell she cast, plagued a worker who was harassing her mother. A black crow would constantly follow this woman until she left the place of employment. Do what thou wilt but harm ye none.

Her father was a droughts an working in construction , never quite made it as a architect and the family seems to have gone through financially difficult times. As a student Doreen was very bright, this go her a scholarship into a convent or religious school , but it was not her. So she left. THe rest of her life is a whirl wind of adventure. She studied verses occult works and occultist such as Crowley, THeosophy and the Golden Dawn. Doreen also studied spiritism and seances. Later n armed with knowledge she would come into contact with Gerald Gardner.Gerald would both teach her and in turn be taught by her.She helped rewrite his entire book of shadows and his rituals, thus eliminating a wall the forgeries of Crowley. Later on she tire of Gerald Gardners publicity seeking antics and break away from him. Later on she went to join the Covenant of Athos. Once she became familiar with them she broke away. THey were trying to get information from her without giving her information in return. THEn she joined up with Robert Cochrane's < Clan of Tubal Caine.

Doreen lead an adventurous life.not only communing with the Ancient ones in the Hills at night. She was also a poet who wrote poetry for her rituals and to be published, although not until after her death. She also worked at Bletchely during World War II helping to decipher enemy communications. She work for the bureagh of Unempoyment doing desk work. Doreen also infiltrated the National Front, perhaps as a spine or perhaps as someone's seriously considering joining a racist white wing British group. In her life she had three loves. THe first husband Nicolo Vlachmous died at sea. Casemiro her second husband stayed with her until he died. He was an atheist but did not object to Doreen's practice of witch craft. Finally she ended up with her soul mate Ron Cooke. She died in 1999 having authored several books and collaborated with several well known witches. Great book! Well researched by Philip Heselton with input from Janet Farrar, Patricia Crowther and Ronald Hutton.






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The Devil's Daughter

Zeena LaVey - The Fallen Daughter by Franco Halycon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Definitely. Not Rosemary's but a whole lot more pleasant to look at. A biography of Anton Lavey's daughter, Zeena Schreck. Though by no means official or very thorough, none the less offers a critical and honest look at Both a celebrity in her own right and the daughter of a celbrity. Starting out as a high priestess for the Church f Satan she eventually had a falling out with the organization only two later on join ranks with the temple of Set and then later on her own.

Zeena Lavey was born in San FRancisco a couple of years later her father would baptise her in his Satanic Church. Before a naked woman and a few onlookers she was baptized. She would grow up with a twisted childhood where in she had numerous boyfriends and was finally pregnant at age 15 with Howard Stanton. She spent several years living on the street trying to take her of her needs. Eventually she moved back with her father. Promiscuity was a hallmark of her life, a lifestyle choice her father did not discourage. Having romps with her father's associates and believing that it was good for her fathers business, Anton Lavey merely smiled. Later on in life she would become a high priestess in her fathers organization. She also met Nicholas Screck, someone who the author describes as a nobody with grand ambitions. He wanted to become a high priest or someone important in the Church of Satan. Anton Lavey was not to keen on Nicholas. In rider to be someone important in the Church off Satan you have to be a person of importance in the outside world.

Zeena and Nicholas would eventually bot the Church of Satan and end up joining the Temple of Set. Once again not satisfied with their lack of importance in the new organization they would end up bolting the temple f Set as well. Independently , they formed the Order f the Werewolf and a werewolf band. THe band never amounted to much and their organization never really attracted too many members. They also opened a store on Holywood Blvd, which did not turn out well either. SOo they have their order of the werewolf with not too many members and both are rather quiet these days and are not generating too much publicity.

There are several things I liked about this book. One was the brutal honesty in which it describes the workings of the Satanic Church and the Temple of Set. It also separates the fiction from the Truth. Anton Lavey was fond of making boast that had no basis in reality. Many of these occultist make it like they have accomplished something major while the reality presents a different story. Zeena and co do speak some hard truths about organized religion and paganism. The goddess is not always seems as a mother but sometimes as the apex predator. Zeena and her husband have formed their own brand of self taught sex magic and left hand path practices. What they are doing now who knows.

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Voodoo and hte History of Liberia

Behind Devil's Rock: The 1977 Maryland Ritualistic Killings by Dr. Sylvester Youlo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Voodoo Story Liberia

Liberia is an African city state founded by freed African Slaves from America back in the 1860"s. The African nation is dominated by a class of ruling elite descended from former American slaves. The nation like other nations in that region is super corrupt with the elite treating the natives like dirt. I would call this novel a work of historical fiction.

High School student, Dan Freeman, is looking it over the ocean concerned about the resurgence of ritual killings. Bodies of people kidnapped and mutilated. Mo is a rising singer who gets an opportunity to make the spotlight by fronting for a band called "Trumpeters" Mo is also having an affair with Sarah, an unhappy wife of Mr. Boyle. After seeing the husband beat his his wife Mo intervenes . Boyle vows revenge.

THe power elite are losing their elections and feel that they need some ju ju in order to make things go their way. Shortly after his peak performance Mo is kidnapped. FOr a few days his friends d not know his whereabouts. Eventually witnesses me forward , the public gets involved and Mo's body is found. Behind Devil's Rock. This time the power elite are sheen to their core .Justice will be served but evil will always have the last word.

Over all good back. THe story keeps you riveted, filled with action and expanses of the Liberian coruption. THe dialogue could use some work and there were a few editing and spelling errors which diminishes the professionality of the book.

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The Impact of Freemasonry on Modern Paganism

The Square And The Circle: The Influences of Freemasonry on Wicca and Paganism by Payam Nabarz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I almost gave this book a two or three star rating. That would have been pretty bad considering the author was Payam Nabarz whose work I enjoy very much. Now why would I give this book a three. Well first off it is rather short. I was hoping it would be a bit longer and packed with more details. In the end it had those details which is what earned it a 4. The book had a another problem , I read the kindle edition , and it had illustration or other pictures plastered over the text , sometimes obliterating half a paragraph. Anyone who read "Triumph of the Moon" by Roonald Hutton would be well aware that Wicca was strongly influenced by Freemasonry.

It is a well known fact that Gerald Gardener, the founder of Modern Wicca, was both a Freemason and a member of Crowley's OTO. The Golden Dawn , OTO and other Ceremonial Magic lodges were founded by Masons. Crowley was a Mason. The ritual works of Wicca in many cases were forgeries or direct lift off of Golden Dawn Rituals and Masonic Rituals. Besides the lifting of ritual materials, Wicca borrows terminology and ritual movements from the Mason, albeit in moderated form. Terms like Merry Meet and Merry part were taken from Masnic works and modified. The term Cowan refers to someone who is not an initiate of Wicca or Freemasonry. Both call their practice "The Craft" Both Circe sun wise around a a circle and they both call their tool well tool. Although there tools are different . Wiccans use a black handled Athame, white handled boline, a wand ceremonial sword and pentacle. Mason use the pentacle and also a hammer and other construction tools.

Masonic groups seem too be on the decline while modern pagan movement influenced by the Mason seem to be on the rise. Marry relies more on scripted ritua.s and is only open to initiates. While modern Pagan movements are less scripted, open to anyone and more open too change. Mason's believe in helping people and perfecting character while Wicca preaches do what though wilt but harm your none.

The main selling point of this book is the appendix. It is in the appendix that the author does a good job explaining how Masonry influenced and interacted with the Modern Druids, Clan of Tubal Cain, Sufi mysticism etc. This is why I gave the book a 4 star rating.

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History of the Vampire

The Vampire: His Kith and Kin by Montague Summers


This by far is one of the best books about vampires I have ever read.Some for you might feel that Montague Summers is dated but in. Reality when people write about vampires they will invariably consult his works. The book talks about exactly whet the title says , Vampires and things that are related to vampires. Vampires are all over the place: they can be seen in China, Ancient Mesopootamia, Egypts, Malaysia, Europe and Iraq. They share many of the same characteristics yet they can be different .

To be come a vampire in Europe, usually you have to be a suicide or buried upside a proper cemetery , like the crossroads. If someone is excommunicated or cursed by a church official their body will not decay. To rectify this situation the church official who executed the ban or consequence must be called in to renounce what he uttered. If not available then some other church official can lift the ban. This non composition of body does not pertain to the vampire yet it is somewhat related . In Asian societies the ancestors are venerated or remembered. People will place food and incense by the grave to nourish the spirit. If the spirits are neglected they can be vengeful toward the neglectful family members. THese instances are related somewhat t0 vampires.

What are vampires supposed too bee like, well prior to the movies and novels which glamorized theme. THe real appearance is pale skin with patches of hair on the palm of the hand. The nails grow up real long and there are long fang like teeth in certain instances. The breath wreaks like foul flesh. Vampires can be turned into vampires by a bite from one. Or like mentioned earlier suicides and those buried outside a cemetery or had a violent death may end up becoming a vampire. Werewolves can be become vampires after death. THe big question remains is what is the nature of the vampire. Is it a demon that animates the body or is it the soul that is trapped and earthbound. Some think it is the persons astral body that turns into the the vampire. Another question is how do they exit their grave without disturbing the dirt, Some researches have found that there are small holes in the grave which enable the vampire to slip through. Now is this a demon making a new body, or does the p[hysical body have a way of slipping through. Maybe the astral body can materialized outside the grave suickinjg ectoplasm along with the astral body.

When vampires strike sometimes they bring a plague to a whole town. Someone wil waste away slowly. To kill one it would be necessary to burn it, cut off its head and or drive a stake through its heart. Many strategies are discussed in the book.
Sometimes family obligations bring about the vampire. In Greece if some one was murdered a family member must avenge the death or the dead relative becomes a vampire and seeks vengeance on their killer and the family member. THe family member them self might become a vampire.

In China the bones f a dead person can become reanimated by the po or the lower soul. The Chinese vampire is called a Chang Shieh. In Mesopotamia there are the Lilin, night time spirit creatures who seduce men and suck their energy and blood. THere is also the Emmiku a wandering spirit that is neglected by family or remains unburied. They suck the life energy out of a wandering person. In the Middle East there are ghouls that being female demon that feast on flesh. In other parts fun the world there is the bagjang and other vampiric creatures.

The book finishes off with an examination of the vampire in literature and plays. I found this p[art a bit boring and uninteresting. I like to stick with the legend and lore. THis book was awesome.

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Hidden Stories of Morocco

The Djinn in the Skull: Stories from hidden Morocco by Samantha Herron
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Samantha Herron is an author who has spent considerable time in Morocco. From her experience in Morocco she has been exposed to many stories. A portion of those has landed in the book. The stories are much like faery tales sometimes containing spirits and Jinn , other times they contain humor with a moral. The stories are set in modern times which means that these little tales will have cell phones , cars and other modern devices. I read this book in one morning.

The book is 102 ages long so it is a bit short. I will summarize about two or three tales here to give you a taste . In the first tale a man does not want to trade his donkey for a peddlers merchandise , so he says the donkey is dead. Later when the peddler sees the donkey roaming about he thinks it has escaped from its grave so he buried it again in the person's front yard. Another tale has a person named Ali and his wife taking in a stranger named Muhammed. They feed him then give him money to see his family after eid. Months later they will see in the news that he disappeared and his family is searching for him. The title tale , djinn in the skull, has a boy finding a skull in the dried out river bed. He disturbs the skull and has a very bad experience.

The book was way too short and the stories were simplistic. But then again these are tales told by the camp fire or souk. The author merely recorded them. For a glimpse into the Moroccan mind this book might be interesting .

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In Search of a Lost Civilization

Fingerprints of the Gods: The Evidence of Earth's Lost Civilization by Graham Hancock
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Is it possible that before the age of man, we know it, there was an advanced civilization buried beneath the aeons of time? Could we be experiencing a species wide amnesia. Author Graham Hancock believes so. In this book he presents compelling evidence that this society did exist. Legends abound of a mythical Atlantis that was both technologically advanced and spiritually advanced and then it was swallowed up by the sea. There is some truth to this.

Starting with the Piri map uncovered in 1511 in Constantinople. The map was an accurate cartography Antartica before it was covered with ice. Complete with illustration showing rivers, seas, lake and mountain ranges. This was later confirmed with modern technology and infrared ex Ray photography. Darn accurate.It was not officially discovered until the 18 hundreds. Go figure.

Next the author takes a journey to South America. Flying above the area where there is a field there are accurate rock illustrations of animals , and other formations which are only intelligible from the air. The carbon dating places them at a much older age than man has supposedly been around. There is also an illustration of a spider which was known from the fairway Amazon forest. Journeying further into the Inca and OLmec interior one finds advanced pyramids with stones weighing several tons that are perfectly fit together. How did they carved and move these stones . They are much too advanced for primitively man and they appeared suddenly with no show of progression. There is a lake city in the Mountains called Teohuancun by the lake of a similar name. There is a legend that Viracocha a white bearded man came and dispensed wisdom all over South AMerica. THere are similar characters liked him using different names. Supposedly he came and went on a raft made of snakes.
The Aztecs had a similar figure named Qutzacaclle. He was a plunged serpent that dispensed wisdom to the people. He left on a boat as well.

In Egypt the serpent meant wisdom. They'd too have pyramids manifestly build seeming coming up from a void. Later pyramids which should have been better constructed fall far short of the ideal. It is believed that the three pyramids build by Khefru ( actually they appear to be far older) and the Sphinx are much needed older. THe pyramids originally thought to be tombs might really be star clocks . They have similar legends to the Native Americans and a break down of four different ages. They say Osiris came from the sea and taught them civilization.

All the great civilizations of old have legends of flooding, volcanic eruption and ice sheets. This points to the last ice age some ten ton twelve thousand years ago and human society may even be older than that. In Sumerian there is star lore that oops much too advanced for early humans and it came there suddenly, there is no sign of progression. Supposedly they were taught by Oannes, a being that was half fish half human. Viracocha figures also show being dressed as fish. Too many coincidences.

Atlantis has been disproven if anything. Searching all the oceans there is no trace of a sunk continent . Plate tectonics, continental shift, changing of magnetic poles may point too the cause of disaster and so much movement . After all several Native American calendars are predicting that the end is near. Where was this civilization found, go back to the beginning.

The book has a lot strong points, by bringing up the interconnectedness of ancient civilizations. Yet I think other arguments should be entertained. THe Egyptians had boats buried in their pyramids. They had advanced knowledge of astral star positions. This could have come about from someone who was used to traversing the seas. I wonder if the author is aware that the Phoenicians had extensive contact with the Egyptians. They knew how to build ships and use the stars to navigate . The Phoenician also did business with the people of Malta. The Maltese were excellent stone smiths. It is believed by some sources that these Maltese were brought to Egypt by the Phoenicians. I have two more criticism of this book . One is that it is just too long. I tend to get tired of reading really long books. The second is that the explanations of the early science f mapping stars and tracking the earths processions got too dry and technical for my likes. If they could leave that out and shorten the book by 100 pages it would be perfect.

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Adoptees Finding Their Birth Family

Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA by Richard Hill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For children who were adopted and raised by parents who were not their own are faced with questions that need to be answered . Questions that center on identity , belonging and acceptance. In certain cases they are not even told they were adopted and the adoptee finds out through some medical fluke, or a elate spilling the beans . There seems to be a wall of conspiracy to Kerr the adoptee from finding the truth. Doctors, family and even friends know about it except the adoptee. Their search for the truth is further complicated by official documents that purposely contain misnormatiin. The adoptee has no rights to see their original birth certificate or adoption papers.

Richard Hill found out he was adopted in college when a new physician inadvertently let it slip. He never brought the issue up with his parents and he n ear would have guessed. When his dad was on his deathbed he brought up the subject of the adoption. He urged Richard to find his half brother . Thus began a great adventure if sleuthing around to first find his birth mother and then other half siblings. Richard tracks down his mother Jackie by doing some old fashioned detective work. He later tracks down his half brother.

Funding his dad was another issue. A lot false leads and lies . Thanks to DN A texting he found out who his dad was. He also located some siblings. Over all good book with great advice on how to use DNA testing to find relatives.


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