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

Controverscial.Com

Welcome

Marion Weinstein

(The Halloween Witch of New York)

Written and compiled by George Knowles 

Marion Weinstein was a Dianic Witch and High Priestess, an author, radio host and comedienne.  She was born during a new moon on the 19^th May 1939 in Queens, New York, and was the oldest of three daughters raised in a Jewish family.  Her mothers name was Sylvia Linder Weinstein.  From an early age Marion identified herself with Witchcraft, and had a lifelong affinity with the Goddess Diana.  Her favourite time of the year was always Halloween (Samhain), which beyond the usual trick-a-treating, she felt was a time of magic and mystery. 

Throughout her early schooling Marion excelled in writing, and at High School had an article called "The Witch's Cat" published in a national magazine, for which she received $50.  After finishing High School, Marion took a holiday trip to Pompeii, an ancient city in Italy, and there while walking among the excavated ruins, she felt an instinctive connection with ancient Paganism and the Old Religions. 

On her return home she enrolled at Barnard College, a women’s Liberal Arts College, connected with Columbia University in New York.  While there, as part of her creative studies, she wrote and produced a musical comedy about witchcraft called The Girl from Salem.  After graduating with a BA degree in English literature, she took several courses in film at Columbia University before moving to Los Angeles, and spent the following two years working as a commercial artist and animator.  On returning to New York, she took further studies in acting, dance and voice, and then joined a theatre troupe, which began her career in the entertainment industry. 

In the late 1960’s, Marion founded the Earth Magic Dianic tradition, an eclectic tradition whose members met regularly to celebrate the Sabbats.  Marion always promoted positive magic in her workings, both in public ritual and within her own tradition, encouraging people to raise positive energy for world peace, and healing energy to regenerate the earth.  Her stand on this led to her informal title as the “Ethics Witch”. 

At Halloween in 1969, Marion began working in radio, combining her entertainment talents with spirituality in a regular show called Marion’s Cauldron.  Broadcast live by WBAI radio in New York City, she conducted interviews with experts on religion and spirituality, taught ritual, Tarot, I Ching and numerous other occult techniques, and of course explained her own beliefs about Witchcraft.  Such was the popularity of the show it ran continuously for fourteen years, ending as it began at Halloween in 1983.  Later when computers became commonplace in our homes, she was one of the first Pagans to have a regular weekly internet radio show, and later produced internet videos for a series on You Tube. 

Marion’s first book Positive Magic (1978) was an immediate success, and today continues to be a popular practical guide to Pagan spirituality, theory and practice.  In it she documents her own system of working with 5 deities, these include:  Diana, Selene and Hecate as the triple Goddess, balanced by Kernunnos and Pan, each representing one of the five points of pentagram, the common symbol of Witchcraft. 

Towards the end of the 1970’s Marion began working as a professional stand-up comedienne and soon became a well-known figure in New York nightclubs, popular for using Witchcraft as part of her routines.  There was a serious side to her nature however, for throughout her working life she was a keen activist for World peace, Religious freedom and Pagan rights.  She presented lectures and workshops on practical magic, led public rituals, and regularly spoke out in the media in her efforts to counter negative disinformation about Witchcraft and Paganism.  Later it became a tradition in New York City for her to host and produce an annual Samhain celebration on Halloween night. 

“Marion celebrating Halloween in 2007, an annual tradition held at Miss Mamie’s Spoonbread Too Restaurant in New York City.” (Photo by David Kaplan).

In 1979 Marion started her own production company called Earth Magic Productions, through which self published her second book Earth Magic:  A Dianic Book of Shadows.  Initially she only had the one book to start with, but then formed a partnership with Robin Bernardi and started mail ordering her first book Positive Magic.  Thereafter they produced all of Marion’s later books, videos and audiotapes (see bibliography). 

Throughout her working life and although most of it was spent in New York City, Marion also loved nature.  She was a long time friend of Selena Fox and supporter of Circle Sanctuary, the Pagan Nature Preserve near Barneveld in Wisconsin.  In her later years she lived, wrote and networked from her family home near Atlantic Beach on Long Island, New York, where she was active in animal rescues and cared for many cats and dogs.  She also enjoyed gardening, swimming and taking walks along the beach waters. 

Sadly after a long illness, Marion passed away on the 01^st July 2009.  On the 01^st August, a private memorial service was held at her the family home in Long Island, New York, and on the following day, members of her coven and other close friends held another private memorial at a home in New York City’s upper West Side.  Later on Saturday the 26^th September, as part of the Pagan Pride Day celebrations at Battery Park in New York, a public memorial led by Mama Donna Hennes and Margot Adler was held in her honour.  Finally, as a long time supporter of Circle Sanctuary, and according to her own wishes, a custom designed granite pentacle marker was placed in Circle Cemetery, now part of Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve, and dedicated to her memory on the 31^st October 2009. 

Bibliography:

Books:

1978 - Positive Magic (re-issued 1981, 1985, 1994, 2002)

1979 - Earth Magic:  A Dianic Book of Shadows (re-issued 1981, 1994, 2003)

1985 - Racewalking (with William Finley - 1985)

1991 - The Ancient Modern Witch (revised 1993)

1991 - Magic for Peace: The Invisible Realities of War Peace (re-issued 2007)

2008 - Words Of Power, Transform Your Life - The Art of Manifestation

2000 - Marion Weinstein's Handy Guide to The I Ching

2000 - Marion Weinstein's Handy Guide to Tarot Cards

Videos:
The Ancient/Modern Witch: The Halloween Lecture

Stand-Up Witch: Live at the Village Gate!

Audio Tapes:
1997 - Personal Magic: The Role and the True Self (Audio CD)

1997 - Personal Magic: The Role and the True Self (Audio Cassette)

2000 - How to Use Words of Power (Audio Cassette)

2000 - How to Use The I Ching (Audio Cassette)

2000 - How to Read Tarot Cards (Audio Cassette)

2000 - Divination: Beyond Tea Leaves (Audio Cassette)

2007 - How to Use The I Ching (Audio CD)

2007 - Divination: Beyond Tea Leaves (Audio CD) 

Sources:

The Encyclopedia of Witches &Witchcraft - by Rosemary Ellen Guiley

http://www.dreamseeker.org/vol01/issue02/authorinterview2.html

http://www.circlesanctuary.org/memoriam/mweinstein.htm

http://www.twpt.com/weinstein.htm

Best wishes and Blessed Be

Gods and Goddesses (Greek Mythology) /  Esbats & Full Moons /  Links to Personal Friends & Resources /  Wicca/Witchcraft Resources /  What's a spell? /  Circle Casting and Sacred Space /  Pentagram - Pentacle /  Marks of a Witch /  The Witches Power /  The Witches Hat /  An esoteric guide to visiting London /  Satanism /  Pow-wow /  The Unitarian Universalist Association /  Numerology:  Part 1  /  Part 2  /  Part 3 /  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 /  The Sun Dance /  Shielding (Occult and Psychic Protection) /  The History of Thanksgiving /

Articles and Stories about Witchcraft:

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

Abramelin the Mage /  Agrippa /  Aidan A. Kelly /  Albertus Magnus “Albert the Great” /  Aleister Crowley “The Great Beast” /  Alex Sanders "the King of the Witches” /  Alison Harlow /  Amber K /  Anna Franklin /  Anodea Judith /  Anton Szandor LaVey  / Arnold Crowther /  Arthur Edward Waite /  Austin Osman Spare /  Biddy Early /  Bridget Cleary /  Carl Llewellyn Weschcke /  Cecil Hugh Williamson /  Charles Godfrey Leland /  Charles Walton /  Christina Oakley Harrington /  Damh the Bard (Dave Smith) /   Dion Fortune /  Dolores Aschroft-Nowicki /  Dorothy Morrison /  Doreen Valiente /  Edward Fitch /  Eleanor Ray Bone “Matriarch of British Witchcraft” /  Dr. John Dee and Edward Kelly /  Dr. Leo Louis Martello /  Eliphas Levi /  Ernest Thompson Seton /  Ernest Westlake and the Order of Woodcraft Chivalry /  Fiona Horne /  Friedrich von Spee /  Francis Barrett /  Gerald B. Gardner /  Gavin and Yvonne Frost and the School and Church of Wicca /  Gwydion Pendderwen /  Hans Holzer /  Helen Duncan /  Herman Slater "Horrible Herman" /  Israel Regardie /  James "Cunning" Murrell /  Janet Farrar & Gavin Bone /  Jessie Wicker Bell “Lady Sheba” / John Belham-Payne /  John George Hohman /  John Gerard / John Gordon Hargrave (the White Fox) /  John Michael Greer /  John Score /  Johannes Junius the Burgomaster of Bamberg /  Karl von Eckartshausen /  Laurie Cabot "the Official Witch of Salem" /  Lewis Spence /  Margaret Alice Murray /  Margot Adler /  Marie Laveau the " Voodoo Queen of New Orleans" /  Marion Weinstein /  Matthew Hopkins “The Witch-Finder General” /  Max Ehrmann and the Desiderata /  Monique Wilson the “Queen of the Witches” /  Montague Summers /  Nicholas Culpeper /  Nicholas Remy /  M. R. Sellers /  Mrs. Grieve "A Modern Herbal" /  Oberon and Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart /  Old Dorothy Clutterbuck /  Old George Pickingill /   Paddy Slade /  Pamela Colman-Smith /  Paracelsus /  Patricia Crowther /  Patricia Monaghan /  Patricia “Trish” Telesco /  Philip Emmons Isaac Bonewits /  Philip Heselton /  Raymond Buckland /  Reginald Scot /  Robert Cochrane /  Robert ‘von Ranke’ Graves and "The White Goddess" /  Rudolf Steiner /  Rosaleen Norton “The Witch of Kings Cross” /  Ross Nichols and The Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids /  Sabrina - The Ink Witch /  Scott Cunningham /  Selena Fox /  Silver Ravenwolf /  Sir Francis Dashwood /  Sir James George Frazer /  S.L. MacGregor Mathers and the “Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn” /  Starhawk /  Stewart Farrar /  Sybil Leek /  Ted Andrews /  The Mather Family - includes: Richard Mather, Increase Mather, Cotton Mather /  Thomas Ady /  Vera Chapman /  Victor Henry Anderson /  Vivianne Crowley /  Walter Brown Gibson /  William Butler Yeats /  Zsuzsanna Budapest

Many of the above biographies are brief and far from complete.  If you know about any of these individuals and can help with aditional information, please cantact me privately at my email address below.  Many thanks for reading  :-)

"FAIR USE NOTICE"

While I have taken due care and dilligence to credit all sources where possible, this website may contain copyrighted material which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner.  My use of making such material available here is done so in my efforts to advance our understanding of religious discrimination, the environmental and social justice issues etc.  I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.  In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the information for research and educational purposes.  For more information about 'fair use' see: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.  If you wish to use copyrighted material from this wedsite for purposes of your own that goes beyond this 'fair use' statement, you must obtain permission from the relevant copyright owner yourself.