| Subject: Gerald Gardner's collection is SAFE |
Author:
Cassandrah
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Date Posted: 11:52:37 08/23/04 Mon
In reply to:
Lavenderstar
's message, "Museum of Witchcraft flooded in Britain" on 02:44:57 08/18/04 Wed
MM, all.
It's been awhile since I've been on here and just thought I'd take a peek, but then noticed this message post and thought to correct some misinformation on here.
As the subject line says, Gerald Gardner's collection is safe. It was sold years ago by Monique and Campbell Wilson to Ripley's in the U.S. (http://www.freemasonrywatch.org/witchcraft.html is one link which mentions this.) Then in 1987, the bulk of Gardner's collection was bought for $40,000 U.S. by Richard and Tamarra James in Toronto, Canada. Richard and Tamarra James are the High Priest and High Priestess of the Wiccan Church of Canada (http://www.wcc.on.ca) in Toronto of which I mentioned on previous occasions. (The tradition is known as Odyssean, named for the "Odyssey", the journey, and not Gardnerian. You would be hard pressed to find Gardnerians doing public rituals.)
In Ronald Hutton's book, The Triumph of the Moon, the collection bought by the James' is mentioned as "the Toronto collection". "In 1991, Aidan Kelly took the process further by publishing researches commenced many years before, into the archive of papers which Gardner had left at his death, and which had since been transferred to private hands in Toronto; it will henceforth by known here as 'the Toronto collection'." (page 227) According to the history set out by Hutton, Gardner's museum passed on to Monique Wilson. "He (Gardner) offered his museum to his assistant there, but specified that if that man did not wish to undertake it, it should pass to Wilson; and this is what ocurred." (page 252) Later, due to misfortunes and extreme stress resulting from public opinion and the British press, Monique Wilson left England permanently and sold off Gardner's collection. The Wilsons' young daughter was placed under the supervision of a probation officer for three years to ensure that the girl did not participate in witchcraft rites. "The impact upon the Wilsons can be judged by the fact that after the probation period had expired they emigrated permanently to Spain, selling the whole of Gerald Gardner's museum collection, library, and archive to a North American firm. (Ripley's) In this manner, the biggest single deposit of evidence for the history of Wicca passed out of the British Isles." (page 328) As can be seen from this, the present day Museum of Witchcraft does not have Gardner's collection. The bulk of it can be found in Toronto, Canada under the care of the James'.
The private library of the James' can be viewed and used by appointment by students of Wicca. How do I know this? The James' are, in fact, my High Priest and Priestess. I am currently the Handmaiden for Tamarra's women's group. I have seen their collection (though not had a chance to go through everything!)
So, rest assured that Gardner's collection is not in jeopardy and we will not be losing any valuable evidence of Wicca and its early history.
BB,
Cassandrah
P.S. Rescue and healing blessings go out to the people in Boscastle.
P.P.S. Ronald Hutton's book is HIGHLY recommended reading. Three thumbs up! ;)
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>the village of Boscastle in Cornwall has been hit by
>flash flooding of upto 15 feet in places. The sad news
>is that the museum of witchcraft is in Boscastle and
>contains many of Doreen's, Alex and Maxine's, Gerald's
>and even Alistair Crowley's artefacts.
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