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Controverscial.Com
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Controverscial.Com
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“It’s important people realize we're not a bunch of child-eating murderers who chant at Satan” - M. R. Sellars, novelist and second-generation pagan.
M.R. Sellars is an American Pagan and author of eight
novels of the fictional - horror/murder/suspense genre with a pagan theme.
He is a member of the “Horror Writers Association” (HWA) and a
staunch supporter of “Sisters
in Crime” (SinC).
An active pagan, he is an Elder in the “Grove of the Old
Ways”, a coven located in the Kansas City area of Missouri.
While his novels are centered around witchcraft and paganism, he likes to stress that the character’s and events portrayed in his books are fictional, and should in no way be equated with reality. He also states that followers of alternative religions routinely approach and thank him, for at least in his novels “the witch gets to be the good guy for a change”. As an Elder of the Craft he is often called upon to gives lectures to help dispel the many myths and misconceptions about real WitchCraft.
Born on the 20th
February 1962 in
the small town of Fulton, Kentucky, his mother was a Witch, his father an
Atheist and his great grandmother a Native American.
So as far as religion was concerned, he was given the freedom to choose
your own religious path in life. His
story telling abilities were inspired by this father, who while he was a child
regaled him with stories of all kinds, he began reading himself at the age of
four and writing shortly after. As
he grew up he studied a number of mainline religions including:
Catholicism, Judaism and Pentecostal, but none of these seemed to fit for
him, so for a while at least he considered himself agnostic.
During his youth
Sellars or “Murv” to his
friends, spent many of his summer
months working on the family farm, and credits those “working vacations” for
instilling him with a strong code of ethics and sense of family values.
While he readily admits that spending long days “bucking bales of
hay” and “piloting a tractor or combine across seemingly endless acres”
felt like unfair torture at the time, he misses it now and deeply appreciates
the lessons he learned from it.
While still in his early teens he developed a keen interest
in all things unexplained as well as a fascination for nature and ecology.
With some guidance from his mother and a lot of reading on the subject,
including all he could find about Witchcraft, he started down the dimly defined
trail into alternative Earth religions and magick. As he studied he met
and moved in and out of several groups and traditions, most of them Wiccan, and
retained from each whatever felt relevant to his own beliefs.
Today he considers himself to be a hodgepodge of a number of things, so
when asked how to define himself, he’s most likely to answer either Eclectic
Kitchen Witch or Pagan.
In 1980
after graduating from Ritenour High School
in Saint Louis, Missouri, he went
on to study Journalism and Literature at College, during which time he penned a
number of news stories for both print and broadcast.
However due to personal circumstances he was unable to complete his
College degree and instead started a career as a Computer and Electronics
Technician and working as an Internet Systems Administrator.
However he never lost his love
for writing and continued to pen short stories and feature articles in his spare
time.
After 25 years in
the Computer industry, during which he achieved the industries top qualification
CTIA (Certified Senior Electronics Tech), his first novel “Harm
None” was published in 2000. This was followed by the
annual release of Never
Burn A Witch in (2001), Perfect
Trust in (2002) and The Law Of Three in (2003).
His success was tampered however when sadly in October 2003, his
beloved father suddenly and unexpectedly passed on to the Summerland.
While staying at his cabin overlooking the Black River in southwestern
Missouri, he had suffered a heart attack in his sleep.
As his personal hero and the biggest inspiration in his life, his passing
was a huge blow for Sellers, but he was able to take solace in the fact that his
father passed where he most wanted to be, and that he went peacefully.
In the following
year August of 2004, with the growing success of his “Rowan Gant
Investigations” series, Sellers
semi-retired from his work in the computer/electronics business, so he could
devote more time to writing and touring. When
not touring he works part-time for his old firm in order to keep his
qualifications up to date, while the extra pennies help to pay the bills and
allows for an occasional special treat for his wife and daughter.
Sellars currently resides in St. Louis with his wife Kathy and daughter Willow Ann, together with a ménage of what he describes as “rescued, geriatric and special-needs felines”. He is an active member of The Nature Conservancy (founded in 1951) and the World Wildlife Fund, and when he’s not touring or writing, likes to indulge his passions for hiking, camping, nature photography and cooking. A classically trained and accomplished gourmet chef, he can often be found “playing” in his favourite room of the house, the kitchen.
Harm None: A Rowan Gant Investigation (2000) WillowTree Press/E.M.A Mysteries ISBN 9780967822105
Never Burn
A Witch: A Rowan Gant Investigation (2001) WillowTree Press/E.M.A Mysteries ISBN 9780967822112
Perfect
Trust: A Rowan Gant Investigation (2002) WillowTree Press/E.M.A Mysteries ISBN 9780967822198
The Law Of
Three: A Rowan Gant Investigation (2003) WillowTree Press/E.M.A Mysteries ISBN 9780967822181
Crone's
Moon: A Rowan Gant Investigation (2004) WillowTree Press/E.M.A Mysteries ISBN 9780967822143
Love Is The
Bond: A Rowan Gant Investigation (2005) WillowTree Press/E.M.A Mysteries ISBN 9780967822129
All Acts Of
Pleasure: A Rowan Gant Investigation (2006) WillowTree Press/E.M.A Mysteries ISBN 9780967822136
The End Of
Desire: A Rowan Gant Investigation (2007) WillowTree Press/E.M.A Mysteries ISBN 9780967822167
Saint Louis
Riverfront Times People's Choice Award - Best Novel by a Local Author
(2003) for The Law Of Three: A Rowan Gant Investigation
Preditors
and Editors Readers Poll Best Mainstream Novel Award
- (2006) for All Acts Of Pleasure: A Rowan Gant Investigation
http://www.twpt.com/corner.htm
More
to be added later
Let there be peace in the world - Where have all the flowers gone?
My Personal Page / My Place in England, UK / My Family Tree (Ancestry)
Wicca/Witchcraft / What is Wicca / What is Magick
Traditional Writings:
Wiccan Rede / Charge of the Goddess / Charge of the God / The Three-Fold Law (includes The Law of Power and The Four Powers of the Magus) / The Witches Chant / The Witches Creed / Descent of the Goddess / Drawing Down the Moon / The Great Rite Invocation / Invocation of the Horned God / The 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief / The Witches Rede of Chivalry / A Pledge to Pagan Spirituality
Correspondence Tables:
Incense / Candles / Colours / Magickal Days / Stones and Gems / Elements and Elementals
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 / Henge of Keltria / 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) / 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) /
Sabbats in History and Mythology / Samhain (October 31st) / Yule (December 21st) / Imbolc (February 2nd) / Ostara (March 21st) / Beltane (April 30th) / Litha (June 21st) / Lughnasadh (August 1st) / Mabon (September 21st)
Rituals contributed by Crone: Samhain / Yule / Imbolc / Ostara / Beltane / Litha / Lammas / Mabon
Tools of a Witch / The Besom (Broom) / Poppets and Dolls / Pendulums / Cauldron Magick / Mirror Gazing
Animals in Witchcraft (The Witches Familiar) / Antelope / Bats / Crow / Fox / Frog and Toads / Goat / Honeybee / Kangaroo / Lion / Owl / Phoenix / Rabbits and Hares / Raven / Robin Redbreast / Sheep / Spider / Squirrel / Swans / Wild Boar / Wolf / Serpent / Pig / Stag / Horse / Mouse / Cat
In Worship of Trees - Myths, Lore and the Celtic Tree Calendar. For descriptions and correspondences of the thirteen sacred trees of Wicca/Witchcraft see the following: Birch / Rowan / Ash / Alder / Willow / Hawthorn / Oak / Holly / Hazel / Vine / Ivy / Reed / Elder. Also 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 /
Rocks and Stones:
Stones - History, Myths and Lore
Articles contributed by Patricia Jean Martin: / Apophyllite / Amber / Amethyst / Aquamarine / Aragonite / Aventurine / Black Tourmaline / Bloodstone / Calcite / Carnelian / Celestite / Citrine / Chrysanthemum Stone / Diamond / Emerald / Fluorite / Garnet / Hematite / Herkimer Diamond / Labradorite / Lapis Lazuli / Malachite / Moonstone / Obsidian / Opal / Pyrite / Quartz (Rock Crystal) / Rose Quartz / Ruby / Selenite / Seraphinite / Silver and Gold / Smoky Quartz / Sodalite / Sunstone / Thunderegg / Tree Agate / Zebra Marble
Wisdom:
Knowledge vs Wisdom by Ardriana Cahill / I Talk to the Trees / Awakening / The Witch in You / A Tale of the Woods
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
Old Masters of Academia:
Pliny the Elder / Hesiod / Pythagoras
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 / Joseph John Campbell / 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 :-)
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. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this wedsite for purposes of your own then you must obtain permission from the relevant copyright owner yourself.
My online email discussion group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Email_Witches
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.
mailto:George@controverscial.com
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