Brief Biography and Introduction
Born an idealistic Piscean with a head for science, it is no great surprise that the mystical and magical sides of life had attracted me for as long as I can remember. As a teenager, my first ventures into practical magic were experienced through the likes of the 'Ritual Magic Workbook' by Dolores Ashcroft Nowicki. After dutifully constructing my own personal temple on a white bed-sheet, I started to find this path a little lonely and naturally gravitated towards Witchcraft, which seemed far more gregarious. I subsequently set up a small Pagan/eclectic group in Cambridgeshire. I was, however, eager to find a real Gardnerian or Alexandrian Coven.
A short while later, a peculiar twist of fate meant that I ended up having the good fortune to meet a previously unknown High Priest of The Wica, Charles Clark, who had been friends with Gerald Gardner, Doreen Valiente and several other early Elders. I was subsequently initiated and trained by Charles and went on to start my own Coven with my then-partner and fellow initiate David Johnson.
In my mid-twenties various life circumstances meant that I had moved several times and I felt that I needed to spend some time exploring the feminine, so I started a women's mysteries group in Nottingham, out of which was born the Nottingham Goddess Camp. Having felt that I had sufficiently explored my anima, I returned to the Middle Pillar, revived my Coven, and started writing.
I have been involved with various Witchcraft and Magical groups for over 30 years. With Dr Stuart Whomsley, I have written academic papers upon transpersonal psychology, Esoteric Orders and Pagan Paths.
My first book on Magickal history, is in the process of being completed. Watch this space!
I first set up this website over 14 years ago and kept the domain name active. Whilst its content has always been good, it's outdated look has been niggling me for a while. Now, here it is reborn with a new face. It still has a lot of the same content and I have been and will be adding new. All links should have been checked and as always, if you have any questions, just get in touch!
Melissa Seims - 2021
My Articles on the history of Modern Witchcraft
◉ Here is my first article about Charles Clark, a little-known, early High Priest of the Wica who made it his mission to spread the Craft in Scotland. (PDF version here)
(Published in Circle Magazine Issue 93 Spring 2005, The Cauldron No. 116 May 2005, Wiccan Rede Beltane 2005, G.B.G.'s Family and Friends Autumn/Samhain 2005.)
◉ Here is an article I wrote about the 'Weschcke Documents' in which I used original documents to explore how the casting of the circle developed and changed throughout the 1950s. (PDF version here)
(Published in The Cauldron, No.120 May 2006, The Cauldron - Brazilian version Edition IX.)
◉ Here is an article about The Scottish Wica and Gardner detailing the rise of the Witch Cult, in Scotland, in the 1950s and early 1960s. (PDF version here)
(Published in Pagan Dawn Beltane 2006, G.B.G.'s Family and Friends Samhain/Yule 2006, The Cauldron No,12, August 2006, The Cauldron - Brazilian version Edition XI.)
◉ Here is an article about Doreen Valiente and her Golden Dawn notebooks!
(Published The Cauldron no.124 May 2007, G.B.G.'s Family and Friends Spring 2007)
◉ Here is an article about Charles Cardell, Raymond Howard and the Coven of Atho. (PDF version here)
(Published The Cauldron no.126 November 2007)
◉ Here is an article about the use of the words 'Wica' and 'Wicca' (Published The Cauldron no. 129 August 2008) (PDF version here)
◉ The Birth of Religion - an article from a Transpersonal Psychology point of view. Co-written with Dr Stuart Whomsley and published in the journal of Transpersonal Psychology.
My Articles on General Magic and Witchcraft
◉ 'Who Will Plow My Vulva?' - An article I wrote about Inanna as an insatiable Goddess of Love. (Published in Pagan Dawn, Samhain 2007)
◉ Here is a brief introduction to the main branches of modern Witchcraft. This was written as a handout for the annual British Transpersonal Psychology Conference held in 2005 where Stuart and I presented it.
◉ This is an article I wrote about the dynamic dance between the HP and HPs; a philosophy espoused to me, by my initiator.
Ritual Magic and the Golden Dawn
◉ Read my article 'Old Magic, New Witchcraft' written whilst I was looking at The Golden Dawn and it's influence on the Wica. As it's quite lengthy, you can order a printed version from Lulu with covers designed by my HP here
◉ The Golden Dawn: Symbolism, ritual and self-development - an article about the psychology behind Esoteric Orders co-written with Dr Stuart Whomsley and published in the journal of Transpersonal Psychology.
◉ My writings on Ritual Magic, Hermeticism and the Golden Dawn can be found on the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in Britain website here
◉ Two articles I wrote for the Order of the Rose and Cross - 'Alchimia' and 'Unfurling the Rose of the Rosicrucian Cross'
Picture by Dave Johnson