Books

First edition, first impression, of the author's first novel, inscribed by his heir, Monique Wilson, known as Lady Olwen, on the half-title verso, "To Virgilio, Blessed Be, Olwen, High Priestess & Witch Queen, Castletown, 25 August 1965". Olwen inherited Gardner's estate in 1964, suggesting this copy was in Gardner's own library until its presentation. Gerald Gardner (1884-1964) did much to influence the general public's perception of witchcraft and increase media interest in those practicing. In his retirement years Gardner founded what became known as Gardnerian Wicca, combining aspects of a supposed pre-Christian witch cult found in the works of Margaret Murray with concepts found in ceremonial magic and the writings of Aleister Crowley, amongst others. Gardner's coven, the Bricket Wood coven, included a several high profile wiccans as High Priestesses, including Doreen Valiente, Patricia Crowther, and Eleanor Bone. Through their writings, and Gardner's own, the Gardnerian community spread rapidly throughout Britain and internationally in the late 1950s and early 1960s. This novel was written prior to any of these activities, while he was travelling in Cyprus in 1936 in his first year of retirement. The work, which concerns the worship of the goddess Aphrodite, draws on the mythology of the region he studied while there, and features a queen, Dayonis, who practices sorcery to help her people defend themselves from invading Egyptians. Olwen first met First edition, first impression, of the author's first novel, inscribed by his heir, Monique Wilson, known as Lady Olwen, on the half-title verso, "To Virgilio, Blessed Be, Olwen, High Priestess & Witch Queen, Castletown, 25 August 1965". Olwen inherited Gardner's estate in 1964, suggesting this copy was in Gardner's own library until its presentation. Gerald Gardner (1884-1964) did much to influence the general public's perception of witchcraft and increase media interest in those practicing. In his retirement years Gardner founded what became known as Gardnerian Wicca, combining aspects of a supposed pre-Christian witch cult found in the works of Margaret Murray with concepts found in ceremonial magic and the writings of Aleister Crowley, amongst others. Gardner's coven, the Bricket Wood coven, included a several high profile wiccans as High Priestesses, including Doreen Valiente, Patricia Crowther, and Eleanor Bone. Through their writings, and Gardner's own, the Gardnerian community spread rapidly throughout Britain and internationally in the late 1950s and early 1960s. This novel was written prior to any of these activities, while he was travelling in Cyprus in 1936 in his first year of retirement. The work, which concerns the worship of the goddess Aphrodite, draws on the mythology of the region he studied while there, and features a queen, Dayonis, who practices sorcery to help her people defend themselves from invading Egyptians. Olwen first met Gardner as a child through his friendship with her father while he was working as a British customs official in Malaya, and referred to him as "Uncle Gerald" throughout her life. She reconnected with him in 1960 having read his key text on Wicca Witchcraft Today (1954), and subsequently received guidance on establishing Gardnerian Wicca in Scotland. She soon became known as the "New Queen of the Witches", founding her own coven in Perth in 1961. Olwen initially placed the collection she had inherited from Gardner on public exhibition in Castletown on the Isle of Man, where he lived from 1954 and where this copy was inscribed, before controversially selling it in 1973 to Ripley's Believe It or Not!, who dispersed the collection in the 1980s. READ MORE Octavo. Original green cloth, spine and front cover lettered in gilt, decorative map endpapers. With illustrated dust jacket. Minor bumps and rubbing to foot of spine, contents clean; spine of jacket faded with chip to head affecting single letter of title, slight nicks and creases to edges, tape repair to verso: a near-fine copy in very good indeed jacket. .

A seminal work by Gerald B. Gardner, 'A Goddess Arrives' is a historical novel set in ancient Cyprus, exploring themes of mysticism and religious practice.