Merry we meet.     Merry we meet.     Merry we meet.     Merry we meet.

Controverscial.Com

Welcome

 

 

                   

Alison Harlow 

 

Written and compiled by George Knowles

 

That is the road to Heaven, my love,
and that is the road to Hell,
And that is the road to Faery,
where you and I must dwell. 

From the old British folk-song attributed to Thomas the Rhymer

As a practicing Witch and Feri Priestess, Alison Harlow was an early influence in the modern neo-pagan movement of America.  She was the founder of the “Vanthi” line of Feri witchcraft, a co-founder with Gwydion Penderrwen of “Nemeton” an early pagan magazine and networking organization, a co-founder with Oberon and Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart of the “Holy Order of Mother Earth” (HOME) a monastic sanctuary dedicated to nature, and a founding member of the “Covenant of the Goddess” an international organization of Witches.

Susan Alison Harlow was born on the 29th of August 1934 in New York City.  Her education began at the City and Country Grammar School in Greenwich Village, before moving on to New Lincoln High School were she graduated in 1952.  To further her education she then enrolled in Bard College, but in 1953 eloped with one of her professors and spent the next 5 years in Bogotá, Columbia.  While there she enrolled in Columbia University studying Cybernetics, from where she gained a Master’s degree in Mathematics in 1958.  This started her on career in computers working for IBM as a programmer and systems analyst in Hawaii and California. Later in life she put her professional skills to good use in the health care area of computer programming.

In 1962 Alison met her second husband Randall Garrett, an American science fiction and fantasy author.  Garrett was a long time contributor to Astounding SF and other science fiction magazines during the 1950s and 1960s.  A prolific author he was best known for his Lord Darcy books and the novel Too Many Magicians.  Alison and Garrett were married in New York City in 1963.  When his father died later that same year, they moved to Austin, Texas, and lived in his house for several years before moving to San Francisco in the mid 1960’s.  In 1966 both Garrett and Alison became founding members of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA).  Shortly after they devorced and went their separate ways.

Randall Garrett

Through her involvement with the SCA, Alison met with Gwydion Penderrwen an early founding member of Victor Anderson’s “Feri Tradition of Witchcraft” during the early 1960’s.  Alison was initiated into the Feri tradition in 1970 and trained by Victor and Gwydion, later in 1975 she hived off to form her own coven called “Wings of Vanthi”, thus creating her own line of the Feri tradition.  Later still Alison became a third degree initiated Gardnerian and incorporated certain aspects of Gardnerian practice into her Feri tradition.  As such her line of the Feri tradition considers itself to be a modern form of Wicca (unlike most other Feri lines), and adheres to the Threefold Law of Return.

In 1972, together with Gwydion Penderrwen she co-founded Nemeton (Welsh for Sacred Grove), an early pagan magazine and networking organization on the west coast of America, which quickly grew to regional offices all across the United States.  Nemeton played an important key role in the early growth and spread of Pagan and Wiccan networking in America.  Later in 1978 Nemeton merged with the Church of All Worlds and became its publishing arm, and continues to function as such today.

    

Gwydion Penderrwen     -     Victor Anderson

In the early 1970’s Alison bought a 220-acre plot of natural woodland situated on Greenfield Ranch near Ukiah in California.  Greenfield Ranch was a huge 5600-acre parcel of land that had been subdivided into a number of plots in the 1950’s.  Through the 1960’s early 1970’s as plots of the land were sold off, it quickly developed into a large “New-Age” homesteading community.  Alison called her own plot of land “Coeden Brith” (Welsh for Speckled Forest), which she intended to turn into a natural nature sanctuary.

In 1975 sonsored by Alison as a founding member, the “Covenant of the Goddess” (CoG) was founded and organised from Coeden Brith.  Elders from many diverse traditions met together at Coeden Brith in response to the rise of interest in Witchcraft, feminism and enviromentalism.  The elders drafted a lasting covenant between each other and formulated bylaws for the new organisation.  The bylaws were ratified by 13 member covens during the Litha summer solstice celebration that year.  Later that same year at Samhain on the 31 October, the COG was incorporated as a non-profit religious organisation.  Today the COG is one of the oldest and largest nondenominational organizations supporting Witches in the United States.

Situated adjacent to Coeden Brith is another 55-acre plot of land that was bought by Alison’s friend and Feri mentor Gwydion Pendderwen in 1976.  Gwydion called his plot of land “Annwfn” (Welsh for Underworld) on which with Alison’s help he co-founded “Forever Forests”, an ecological mission aimed at healing the planet by planting trees.  A year later in 1977 Oberon and Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart of the Church of All Worlds (CAW) moved onto Coeden Brith as caretakers, and together with Alison co-founded the “Holy Order of Mother Earth” (HOME), a monastic sanctuary dedicated to nature.

 

Oberon and Morning Glory with a unicorn bred at Coeden Brith

Aside from Coeden Brith, Alison lived in Oakland and Palo Alto during the 1970’s, before moving in 1982 onto a 32-acre plot of land in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Scotts Valley, California.  There she created a residential cooperative community called “Eclectia”, where she remained living in the same home until her death on the 13th of June 2004.  Alison was a feminist and political activist supporting civil rights activities in efforts to find peaceful solutions to the world’s problems.  She served on the Women’s Commission of Santa Cruz County for the last 8 years of her life, and was an active member of:  The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), The American Association of University Women (AAUW), The National Organization for Women (NOW) and WomenRise for Global Peace.

Alison was a beloved and respected member of many pagan communities.  She was a craft practitioner of Feri tradition of witchcraft for over 30 years and remained a staunch defender of women’s rights and civil liberties throughout her life.  On the 13th June 2004 after a brief battle with cancer, Alison Harlow passed away into the Feri land of her ancestors.  She died surrounded by her blood and magical family, among them:  her third husband Doug and their children, her sister Linda, her niece Rebecca and several members of her Feri tradition.

 

End.

 

Sources:

 

Drawing down the Moon – by Margot Adler 

http://www.feritradition.org/Alison/about.htm 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feri_Tradition 

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/3.07/technopagans.html?pg=12&topic

http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usca&c=passages&id=8513 

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Rhodes/5569/Faery_Trad_Intro.html

 

First published on the 25 August 2007  ©  George Knowles

Best wishes and Blessed Be 

 

Site Contents - Links to all Pages

Home Page

A Universal Message

"Let there be peace in the world"

Where have all the flowers gone?

Personal Pages:

My Personal Page My Personal Photo Gallery  

 

Wicca & Witchcraft

Wicca/Witchcraft /  What is WiccaWhat is Magick

Traditional Wicca Writings:

Wiccan RedeCharge of the GoddessCharge of the God  /  The Three-Fold Law (includes The Law of Power and The Four Powers of the Magus) /  The Witches ChantThe Witches CreedDescent of the GoddessDrawing Down the MoonThe Great Rite InvocationInvocation of the Horned GodThe 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief

Correspondence Tables:  

IncenseCandlesColoursMagickal DaysStones and GemsTools of a Witch  /  Elements and Elementals

Other Things of Interest:

Traditions Part 1  -  Alexandrian Wicca /  Aquarian Tabernacle Church (ATC) /  Ár Ndraíocht Féin (ADF) /  Blue Star Wicca /  British Traditional (Druidic Witchcraft) /  Celtic Wicca /  Ceremonial Magic /  Chaos Magic /  Church and School of Wicca /  Circle Sanctuary /  Covenant of the Goddess (COG) /  Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS) /  Cyber Wicca /  Dianic Wicca /  Eclectic Wicca /  Feri Wicca /

Traditions Part 2 Gardnerian Wicca /  Georgian Tradition /  Hereditary Witchcraft /  Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (H.O.G.D.) /  Kitchen Witch (Hedge Witch) /  Minoan Brotherhood and Minoan Sisterhood Tradition /  Nordic Paganism /  Pagan Federation /  Pectic-Wita /  Seax-Wica /  Shamanism /  Solitary /  Strega /  Sylvan Tradition /  Vodoun or Voodoo /  Witches League of Public Awareness (WLPA) /

Gods and Goddesses (Greek Mythology)Other Gods & DeitiesFestivals (Sabbats & Full Moons) /  The Mythology of the SabbatsFree Web GraphicsLinks to Personal Friends & ResourcesWicca/Witchcraft ResourcesWhat's a spell?Elements and ElementalsMy Personal LibraryCircle Casting and Sacred Space /  Pentagram - PentacleMarks of a WitchThe Witches PowerThe Witches HatAn esoteric guide to visiting LondonSatanismPow-wowThe Unitarian Universalist Association /  Numerology:  Part 1  /  Part 2 Part 3

Pagan Conferences and Witchy Events UK

Animals in Witchcraft (The Witches Familiar) /  Owl /  Fox /  Frog and Toads /  Serpent /  Pig /  Raven /  Stag /  Goat /  Wolf /  Horse /  Bat /  Mouse /  Cat / Spider /  Crow

In Worship of Trees - Myths and Lore,  For descriptions and correspondences of the thirteen sacred trees of Wicca/Witchcraft see the following trees:  Birch /  Rowan / Ash /  Alder /  Willow /  Hawthorn /  Oak /  Holly /  Hazel /  Vine /  Ivy /  Reed /  ElderAlso see:  The Willow Tree (Folk Music).

 

Mystical Sacred Sites  -  Stonehenge /  Glastonbury Tor /  Malta - The Hypogeum of Hal Saflieni /  Avebury /  Cerne Abbas - The Chalk Giant /  Ireland - Newgrange /

 

A history of the Malleus Maleficarum:  includes:  Pope Innocent VIII  /  The papal Bull  /   The Malleus Maleficarum  /  An extract from the Malleus Maleficarum  /  The letter of approbation  /  Johann Nider’s Formicarius  /  Jacob Sprenger  /  Heinrich Kramer  /  Stefano Infessura  /  Montague Summers  /  The Waldenses  /  The Albigenses  /  The Hussites.

 

Contributing Author:

The Magic of Rocks and Stones  -  by Patricia Jean Martin

Stones - History, Myths and LoreAmethystAquamarineAragoniteAventurineBlack TourmalineBloodstoneCarnelianCelestiteCitrineFluorite /  HematiteLabradoriteLapis LazuliMalachiteMoonstonePyriteQuartz (Rock Crystal)Rose QuartzSeleniteSeraphinite  / Smoky QuartzSodalite

 

Wisdom:  

Knowledge vs Wisdom by Ardriana Cahill I Talk to the TreesThe things I have learned  / Qoute's and things to ponderAwakeningThe Witch in You

Articles and Stories about Witchcraft:   

Murder by WitchcraftThe Fairy Witch of ClonmelA Battleship, U-boat, and a WitchThe Troll-Tear (A story for Children)Goody Hawkins - The Wise Goodwife /  The Story of Jack-O-LanternThe Murder of the Hammersmith Ghost Josephine Gray (The Infamous Black Widow) /  The Two Brothers - Light and Dark

Biographies

Witches, Pagans and other associated people.

Who are they and what did they do???

Abramelin the MageAgrippaAlbertus Magnus “Albert the Great”Aleister Crowley “The Great Beast” Alex Sanders "the King of the Witches” Alison HarlowAnodea JudithAnton Szandor LaVey  / Arnold CrowtherArthur Edward Waite Austin Osman SpareBiddy EarlyBridget ClearyCarl Llewellyn WeschckeCecil Hugh WilliamsonCharles Godfrey LelandCharles WaltonDion FortuneDoreen ValienteEdward FitchEleanor Ray Bone “Matriarch of British Witchcraft” /  Dr. John Dee and Edward KellyDr. Leo Louis Martello /  Eliphas LeviFiona Horne /  Friedrich von SpeeFrancis Barrett /  Gerald B. GardnerGavin and Yvonne Frost and the School and Church of Wicca /  Gwydion Pendderwen /  Helen DuncanHerman Slater "Horrible Herman" /  Israel RegardieJames "Cunning" MurrellJanet Farrar & Gavin BoneJessie Wicker Bell “Lady Sheba” /  John George Hohman /  John Gerard /  John ScoreJohannes Junius the Burgomaster of Bamberg /  Karl von EckartshausenLaurie Cabot "the Official Witch of Salem" /  Margaret Alice MurrayMargot AdlerMarie Laveau the " Voodoo Queen of New Orleans" /  Matthew Hopkins “The Witch-Finder General”Monique Wilson the “Queen of the WitchesMontague SummersNicholas CulpeperNicholas RemyOld Dorothy ClutterbuckOld George Pickingill /   Pamela Colman-SmithParacelsusPatricia CrowtherPhilip Emmons Isaac Bonewits Raymond BucklandReginald ScotRobert CochraneRobert ‘von Ranke’ Graves and "The White Goddess" /  Rosaleen Norton “The Witch of Kings Cross” /  Ross Nichols and The Order of Bards, Ovates & DruidsScott CunninghamSir Francis DashwoodSir James George FrazerS.L. MacGregor Mathers and the “Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn” /  Stewart FarrarSybil LeekTed AndrewsThe Mather Family - includes: Richard Mather, Increase Mather, Cotton Mather /  Thomas AdyVictor Henry AndersonVivianne CrowleyWalter Brown GibsonWilliam Butler YeatsZell-Ravenheart, Oberon & Morning Glory / Zsuzsanna Budapest

Old Masters of Academia

Pliny the ElderHesiodPythagoras 

Email_Witches

My online email discussion group:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Email_Witches

 

Dove of Peace

Help send a message of peace around the world!  The Dove of Peace flies from site to site, through as many countries as possible.  It does not belong to ANY belief system.  Please help make a line around the globe by taking it with you to your site, by giving it to someone for their site, by passing it on to another continent or to the conflict areas of the world.  May trouble and strife be vanquished in it's path.

 

 

 

 

 

Please take time to sign my Guest Book.

 

 

 

 

mailto:George@controverscial.com