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Christina
Oakley Harrington
Written
and compiled by George Knowles
Christina Oakley
Harrington is a respected historian, researcher and academic
commentator on the history of Paganism and Witchcraft in the UK and Ireland.
A Wiccan High Priestess, she is a founding director of “Treadwell’s
Bookshop”, one of the UK’s premier Occult bookshops located in Bloomsbury,
London. Born in
America to an English father, a Geologist working for the United Nations, and American mother, an amateur Anthropologist, her parents were dedicated
to Third World economic development. As
a result, Christina was raised mainly in West Africa, were she recalls attending
her first religious ceremony at the age of five, that of a young girl’s
initiation rite in Northern Liberia. Later the family moved to Burma where she expeienced Buddhism,
and through the early 1970’s
lived in Chile during the turbulent rule of General Augusto Pinochet
Ugarte. At the age of
15 Christina returned to England to completed her formal education
at an American style
academy, a transition she refers to as “a severe culture shock
where they had strange tribes, like football teams, cheerleaders and computer
geeks.” She then entered University studying for a BSc degree in International Politics and
History. Her interest in Politics
was negligible however, and she spent most of her time reading Latin and
Medieval poetry, of which she was particularly fond of the American poet Walt
Whitman (1819-1892), and his “Leaves
of Grass” poetry. Also at University and since her early 20s, Christina has been a pagan, but how did she find
paganism? During an interview she
has stated “I was heartened to discover Europe’s native
religious traditions”, and further
explained: “Well, I had always
had this ‘tree thing’, Walt Whitman and Leaves of Grass. I was a failed Buddhist, I liked to drink and smoke and
enjoyed sex too much for that, and a friend suggested I read a book on paganism.
I did and thought “Oh God, this is what I am!” After
graduating University, Christina spent the next few years working in Corporate
business, before returning to study at University College London (UCL)
and there completing a PhD degree in Medieval History.
She then began a career in academia and throughout the 1990s was an
Assistant Professor (lecturer) in
Medieval and Theological History at the University of Surrey.
During the course of her tenure, Christina received a sponsored ‘University Research Fellowship’ from Queens
University, Belfast, the result of which was the publication of a book in 2002 entitled
“Women in a Celtic Church” (*for a review see below). While Christina loved her work teaching at the University of Surrey, with growing academic interest in the ‘History of Paganism’ inspired by books and scholarly works from the likes of Aidan A. Kelly in America, and Ronald Hutton (Professor of History at Bristol University) here in the UK, she began seeking a place where she could develop and advance such academic interest. To this end she founded and opened “Treadwell’s Bookshop” in 2003.
Treadwell’s
Bookshop at 34 Tavistock St, Covent Garden, London.
A traditional old style bookshop specialising in Occult, Magick and Pagan literature, Treadwell’s also stocked the usual magickal accessories of wands, herbal potions, tarot cards and incense. Under Christina’s guidance however, Treadwell’s became more than just a bookshop, for it has and evolved into a cultural centre focused on building bridges between the esoteric community and the wider worlds of academia. It is now a place where people with an interest in the Occult, Paganism and Witchcraft can comfortably meet and exchange ideas. Using her
contacts in academic circles Christina regularly invites speakers from nearby
Oxford and Cambridge Universities to talk on specialized subjects, as
well as prominent authors and
practitionors from the wider Pagan community to share their knowledge and
experience with interested audiences.
Today the shop is host to numerous evenings and weekend talks,
lectures and classes covering all manner of esoteric subjects.
Her mission statement when
starting the shop was: “To
provide a place for people who have a Spiritual, Occult or Pagan interest, a
place that can link the Pagan and Occult world to the world of Literature, Art,
and Philosophy”, and this she has achieved in abundance. Aside from running the bookshop, as a Wiccan Priestess
Christina conducts open rituals in Central London, serves on the central
committee of the Pagan Federation UK, and is currently an editor of its magazine
“The Pagan Dawn”. She is also
co-editor with Rob Ansell of “Abraxas:
A Journal of Esoteric Studies”.
Well known to the media as a spokesperson on Paganism and Witchcraft,
Christina was featured in the documentary film “Celtic
Legends”, and has appeared on the “Richard and Judy” television talk show
in the UK. She has also given
interviews to the BBC World Service,
Radio 4 and 5, and Resonance
Radio, and been mentioned in such national newspapers and
magazines as Stern, Marie
Claire, Time Out
and Women’s Weekly.
She is also a frequent guest speaker at national
and international academic conferences. More recently,
at a time when small bookshops are failing due to the popularity of the
internet, and when those still running are struggling to survive, Treadwell’s
bookshop is expanding. At the start
of 2011 the shop was relocated to larger premises at 33
Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1.
Treadwell’s -
the new shop at 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WCI.
According to
Christina, “Treadwell’s had to expand and relocate from its old premises
in Covent Garden. The spiritual
centre of London is the old British Library in the heart of the British Museum.
There is a tradition for people going to Bloomsbury looking for
knowledge, for inspiration - both artistic and creative - and it is here where
people look for others who might share their desire for intellectual freedom.
I aspire to carry on that tradition.” End.
“Women in a Celtic Church”
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