Patricia Crowther, known as the “high priestess of the Moon Goddess”, and considered the spiritual heir to Gerald Gardner, the founding father of modern Wicca, has died at 97. She made it her mission to dispel myths about witches and their practices. “Witchcraft simply means the craft of the wise people.” She was adamant that modern witchcraft contributed to society through its promotion of women’s equality.
Outside her coven she gave talks, made radio appearances and published books, as well as designing three of the Tarot cards (The Sun, Karma and The World) used for the Tarot of the Old Path set.
She was born Patricia Dawson in Sheffield on 14 October 1927 with a Breton great-grandmother who had been a herbalist, clairvoyant and fortune teller and lived next door as a child to a palmist who predicted she would develop clairvoyant powers.
She had a Sun conjunct Mars in Libra square Pluto, so not short of determination and courage with an interest in wielding power. Her publicity-attracting Mars sextile Neptune was inconjunct Jupiter and Uranus giving her confidence, a vision for creating a better society as well as a wish to follow an unorthodox path. Her Mercury in Scorpio was trine Pluto for a need to explore below the surface.
Gerald Gardner, 13 June 1884 Liverpool, no birth time, was a trailblazing Sun Gemini square Uranus. With an intense Mercury Pluto conjunction square Mars; and trine Uranus sextile Venus. His Jupiter was sextile Pluto.
What they both shared was an ultra-determined Mars square Pluto – which hints at a fearful childhood with a resulting wish to find ways of not being powerless. Both had Mercury Pluto interlinked which is often associated with a) firm views) but also b) digging into the darkness for answers. Both had notable Uranus for unconventional interests.
Dion Fortune, another Occultist, magician, white witch and writer, 6 December 1890 2.11 am Llandudno, Wales, was a Sun Venus in Sagittarius opposition a 9th house Pluto Neptune in Gemini square Saturn in Virgo – – Neptune Pluto does have supernatural overtones. She had a wide communicative Air Grand Trine of a Libra Moon trine Jupiter trine Neptune Pluto, giving her the confidence to get her ideas across. Her Mars in determined Aquarius was trine a 1st house Uranus emphasizing her road-less-travelled.
I am not familiar enough with the distinctions between Patricia Crowther/Gardner’s Wicca and Dion Fortune’s Inner Light philosophy handed on by spiritual masters – but I am surprised marginally by the Wicca pair’s formidable and darker Mars Pluto and Mercury Pluto – and Dion Fortune’s lighter Fire Air temperament.
We who read this news archive may not have the power of a magus or a shaman but surely we have the power to visualize and wish for the good. Can’t we together try to send our fervent thoughts and wishes to empower the angels and any other help from above—not to harm or kill any person—but to topple this incompetent and dangerous regime? Thoughts are things and the combined positive thoughts of people with good intent might start to chip away at its dominance. Can’t hurt. Might help.
India is known for land of charmers so this one just came when again I m threatened by illiterates of black magicits not illiterates power but the fear it induces is hilarious.
Sun,Pluto and Jupiter makes one Priest King as in ancient India…the wise one who has powers through penance but doesn’t yield it as power is not in throne but in service. With Jupiter,it’s masses who flock to such for saviour search.
I think w/ Pluto/Sun aspects you either find your own inner power and own it or become powerless at another’s hands, society, etc. No in between w/ Pluto.
Correction: I have Pluto in the 8th.
I have Pluto in the 6th conjunct Moon, square Saturn in Scorpio and at the apex of a yod inconjunct Mars and a Chiron-Mercury conjunction, so I can relate. Similarly, a powerful Inuit shaman in the Canadian Arctic was said to have heard of Hitler as a bad man seeking to destroy the world only at the very end of WWII. He sent his guiding spirits overseas, and shortly after Hitler died. What interests me more is the somewhat supernatural intuition that the statesmen born near the Neptune-Pluto conjunction might have had.
Dion Fortune was a true magus. There’s a book about Fortune’s magical activities during the Battle of Britain — blocking the Germans psychically with gigantic archangels, visualized by her magical order as armed and striding across Britain. Great stuff. Even Aleister Crowley didn’t mess with her. 🙂