Edmund Buczynski (January 28, 1947 – March 16, 1989) was an American
Wicca
Wicca (), also known as "The Craft", is a Modern paganism, modern pagan, syncretic, Earth religion, Earth-centred religion. Considered a new religious movement by Religious studies, scholars of religion, the path evolved from Western esote ...
n and archaeologist who founded two separate traditions of Wicca: Welsh Traditionalist Witchcraft and The Minoan Brotherhood.
Born to a working-class family in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, Buczynski eventually embraced his
homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexu ...
, moved to
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to the north, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the s ...
, and immersed himself in the local gay scene. His relationship with
Herman Slater led the two men to open The Warlock Shop, an occult supply store, in 1972. Following ordinations into various covens, Buczynski founded the Minoan Brotherhood in 1977 as a Wiccan tradition for gay and bisexual men. Buczynski was diagnosed with
HIV/AIDS
The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
in 1988, and died the following year.
Biography
Childhood: 1947–1964
Eddie Buczynski was born on January 28, 1947, in
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
to
working class
The working class is a subset of employees who are compensated with wage or salary-based contracts, whose exact membership varies from definition to definition. Members of the working class rely primarily upon earnings from wage labour. Most c ...
parents. His father Edmund, who Eddie was named after, was the eldest son of Polish parents, and had been raised in a Brooklyn tenement with four brothers and two sisters. Edmund Sr. enlisted in the
Naval Armed Guard
The United States Navy Armed Guard was a force of United States Navy gunners and related personnel established during World War II to protect U.S. merchant shipping from enemy attack.World War II U.S. Navy Armed Guard and World War II U.S. Merch ...
in 1943, he fought in the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
aboard two Liberty ships, the ''SS John Howard'' and the ''SS José Marti''. Eddie's mother, Marie Mauro, was the granddaughter of southern Italian immigrants, and had grown up in a Brooklyn apartment. She began communicating with her future husband in 1944 as
pen pals before meeting him when he returned home on leave.
They married against their parents' wishes on April 27, 1946. Edmund Jr., was born nine months later. At the outbreak of the
Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
, Edmund senior was called back to active duty with the Navy Reserves. After his permanent discharge in October 1951, he moved his wife and child from Brooklyn to the middle-class neighborhood of
Ozone Park, Queens
Ozone Park is a neighborhood in the southwestern section of the New York City boroughs of New York City, borough of Queens, New York (state), New York, United States. It is next to the Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens, South Ozone ...
.
In 1952, Buczynski started at the Old School Elementary in Queens, where he made good grades and particularly enjoyed music, reading, drawing, and painting. In August 1954, his mother gave birth to his first brother, Frank, who he would remain fond of despite the seven-year age gap. Although his family was
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
, he took an early interest in the pre-Christian religions of
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...
and
Classical Greece
Classical Greece was a period of around 200 years (the 5th and 4th centuries BC) in ancient Greece,The "Classical Age" is "the modern designation of the period from about 500 B.C. to the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C." ( Thomas R. Mar ...
, which he read about in books. He began devising and performing his own rituals to the deities of those religions, sparking his lifelong interest in
contemporary paganism
Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism and neopaganism, spans a range of new religious movements variously influenced by the beliefs of pre-modern peoples across Europe, North Africa, and the Near East. Despite some common simila ...
. His interest in pagan religion only increased following his father's sudden death from a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
at age 31 in August 1958. His mother married Edward Nascato in 1961.
Eddie eventually decided that he wanted to become a Roman Catholic priest, following in the footsteps of his uncle, Father Michael. He received Catholic
confirmation
In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant (religion), covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. The ceremony typically involves laying on o ...
in early 1961, and in September of that year he began his studies at the
Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School
Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School is a co-educational Catholic high school located in the East Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens, New York. Founded by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart in 1956, Msgr. McClancy Memorial High School serves the Ro ...
in
East Elmhurst
East Elmhurst is a residential neighborhood in the northwest section of the New York City borough of Queens. It is bounded to the south by Jackson Heights and Corona, to the north and east by Bowery Bay, and to the west by Woodside and Ditmar ...
. Bullied for being effeminate and homosexual, Eddie disliked the school, and he was ultimately expelled for being overly critical of their religious instruction.
In September 1962, he enrolled at
John Adams High School, but was again bullied. He became increasingly rebellious, took up smoking cigarettes and
marijuana
Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...
, and made several suicide attempts. Family life became increasingly strained following the birth of a half-brother, Tommy, in September 1962, and in March 1964, he quit highschool and left home.
Herman Slater and embracing Wicca: 1964–1972
From Ozone Park, he moved to
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
, where a counter-cultural community had built up around the
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to the north, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the s ...
and the
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Historically, it w ...
that contained an array of gay people, hippies, occultists and others adopting bohemian lifestyles. Without money, he resorted to working as a
rent boy
Male prostitution is a form of sex work consisting of the act or practice of men providing sexual services in return for payment. Although clients can be of any gender, the vast majority are older males looking to fulfill their sexual needs. Ma ...
, and made use of both marijuana and
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD (from German ; often referred to as acid or lucy), is a semisynthetic, hallucinogenic compound derived from ergot, known for its powerful psychological effects and serotonergic activity. I ...
. Although he briefly returned to Catholicism, in 1971 he read a copy of ''
Witchcraft Today
''Witchcraft Today'' is a non-fiction book written by Gerald Gardner. Published in 1954, ''Witchcraft Today'' recounts Gardner's thoughts on the history and practices of the theoretical witch-cult, and his claim to have met practising witches ...
'' (1954), a book authored by Englishman
Gerald Gardner
Gerald Brosseau Gardner (13 June 1884 – 12 February 1964), also known by the craft name Scire, was an English Wiccan, author, and amateur anthropology, anthropologist and archaeology, archaeologist. He was instrumental in bringing the Moder ...
, the founder of
Gardnerian Wicca
Gardnerian Wicca, or Gardnerian witchcraft, is a
tradition in the neopagan religion of Wicca, whose members can trace initiatory descent from Gerald Gardner. The tradition is itself named after Gardner (1884–1964), a British civil servant ...
, and it reignited his interest in pagan religion. In autumn of that year, he tracked down
Leo Martello
Leo Martello (September 26, 1930 – June 29, 2000) was an American Wiccan priest, gay rights activist, and author. He was a founding member of the Strega Tradition, a form of the modern Pagan new religious movement of Wicca which drew upon his ...
(1931–2000)– a prominent gay-rights activist and pagan witch, who practiced his own italian-focused form of witchcraft, called Strega. Although Leo thought that Buczynski was too inexperienced in magic to begin practicing Strega, Leo befriended him and shared his contacts with him, and took him to visit
Herman Slater (1935–1992)– a fellow New Yorker who was of Jewish heritage. Like Buczynski and Martello, Slater was gay, and a romantic relationship soon developed between Buczynski (who was attracted to
bear
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family (biology), family Ursidae (). They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats ...
s) and the older man. Buczynski moved-in with Slater in an apartment in
Brooklyn Heights
Brooklyn Heights is a residential neighborhood within the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Old Fulton Street near the Brooklyn Bridge on the north, Cadman Plaza West on the east, Atlantic Avenue on the south ...
in June of 1972.
That year, the couple decided to open up an occult store, named The Warlock Shop, at 300 Henry Street in
Brooklyn Heights
Brooklyn Heights is a residential neighborhood within the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Old Fulton Street near the Brooklyn Bridge on the north, Cadman Plaza West on the east, Atlantic Avenue on the south ...
,
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. Alongside this venture, they also founded a company, called Earth Religion Supplies, Inc, which would later go into publishing. Officially opening on June 21st, 1972, the back room of the shop would also be used for weekly lectures, and would be rented to various occult groups who wanted to assemble there.
Still eager to be initiated into a Wiccan coven, Buczsynki began contacting various covens, requesting initiation therein. The covens that he tried to join included the
Gardnerian Wicca
Gardnerian Wicca, or Gardnerian witchcraft, is a
tradition in the neopagan religion of Wicca, whose members can trace initiatory descent from Gerald Gardner. The tradition is itself named after Gardner (1884–1964), a British civil servant ...
n coven in
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...
that was run by Fran and Gerry Fisher, and the Algard Wiccan coven that had been founded by
Mary Nesnick
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a female given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religion
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also called the Blesse ...
; the former coven refused due to the long distance between them and Buczsynki, while the latter coven refused due to Buczynski's homosexuality. Buczsynki then approached
Gwen Thompson
Gwendoline Linda Louise Thompson (born 30 March 1947) is a Canadian violinist and music educator. She has been a member of two notable chamber music ensembles with whom she has made several commercial recordings: the Masterpiece Trio (1977–1988 ...
(1928–1986)– the matriarch of the New England Covens of Traditionalist Witches (NECTW), asking for initiation, although he declined to inform her of his sexual orientation. Thompson took a liking to the young man, and welcomed him into her coven, where he proceeded to adopt the craft name of "
Hermes
Hermes (; ) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology considered the herald of the gods. He is also widely considered the protector of human heralds, travelers, thieves, merchants, and orators. He is able to move quic ...
". They developed a strong friendship, much to Slater's dismay, and Buczynski soon rose to a second degree position, adopting an adapted craft name of "Hermes Dionysos" and becoming High Priest of Thompson's coven. Thompson ultimately became attracted to the young man, and repeatedly asked him to have sex with her, to which he refused. Their friendship broke down, and he was expelled from her North Haven coven, within a few months of having joined it, later in 1972.
Welsh Traditionalist Witchcraft: 1972–1973

After having left Gwen Thompson's sect, Buczynski decided to form his own sect of Wicca in October of 1972, which he named "Welsh Traditionalist Witchcraft" or "The Traditionalist Gwyddoniaid". Buczynski formed that sect out of the structure of Gardnerian Wicca, with the new sect's
book of shadows being largely based upon that which he had obtained through his work with Gwen Thompson, accompanied by sections taken from the recently published
Lady Sheba's ''The Book of Shadows''. Onto that, Buczynski added influences by the
Welsh mythology
Welsh mythology (also commonly known as ''Y Chwedlau'', meaning "The Legends") consists of both folk traditions developed in Wales, and traditions developed by the Celtic Britons elsewhere before the end of the first millennium. As in most of t ...
contained in texts like ''
The Mabinogion
The ''Mabinogion'' () is a collection of the earliest Welsh prose stories, compiled in Middle Welsh in the 12th–13th centuries from earlier oral traditions. There are two main source manuscripts, created –1410, as well as a few earlier frag ...
'' and the
Arthurian legends
The Matter of Britain (; ; ; ) is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. The 12th-century writer Geoffr ...
, which fascinated him, despite his lack of Welsh heritage. However, Buczynski had spuriously claimed that his sect actually dated back to the
palaeolithic
The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic ( years ago) ( ), also called the Old Stone Age (), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tools, and which represents almost the entire period of human prehist ...
era, and was transmitted to him by a figure whose anonymity he had to protect. Later in 1972, Buczynski created an outer court, through which to teach interested persons who were not yet initiated.
Notably, Buczynski welcomed LGBT people and non-Caucasians into his sect, at a time when they were denied entry into most other Wiccan covens. Although taking an open attitude to spiritual seekers, Buczynski prevented the occult investigator,
Hans Holzer
Hans Holzer (26 January 1920 – 26 April 2009) was an American writer and parapsychologist. He wrote more than 120 books on supernatural and occult subjects for the popular market as well as several plays, musicals, films, and documentarie ...
, from entering the outer coven when the latter requested admission to undertake research for his book ''The Witchcraft Report''. Like many people in the pagan and occult community, Buczynski was wary of Holzer's intentions and the sensationalist claims that he purported in his publications.
A number of teenagers who were interested in Wicca had begun hanging around at the Warlock Shop, and they too were initiated into The Traditionalist Gwyddoniaid, after gaining parental permission. Proceeding through the outer court of Buczynski's coven, they eventually hived off to form their own coven, called "The Children of Branwen", in December of 1972, with prominent members including Robert Carey, Denny Sargent, and Karen and Eddie Chiecho. Buczynski initially attended some of the group's meetings, in order to instruct these students in witchcraft, but soon found his time preoccupied with his own primary coven, leaving the coven under the control of high priestess Kay Smith. She would subsequently go on to found a Welsh Traditionalist coven for adults, leaving the position of high priestess to Melda Tamarack.
Through their work at The Warlock Shop, Buczynski and Slater came to meet and befriend Judith and Thomas Kneital (also known by their craft names of ''Theos'' and ''Phoenix''), who had recently taken control of the Long Island coven of gardnerians in New York after the former high priest and high priestess–
Raymond Buckland
Raymond Buckland (31 August 1934 – 27 September 2017), whose craft name was Robat, was an English writer on the subject of Wicca and the occult, and a significant figure in the history of Wicca, of which he was a high priest in both the Ga ...
and his wife Rosemary, had decided to divorce. In early 1973, the shop had financial difficulty, and the Kneitals personally lent several thousand dollars to Slater and Buczynski in order to help them out, which Buczynski promptly paid back. Their business quickly recovered, and they employed a young man from
New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
named Robert Carey to work in the shop. Robert was a close personal friend of
Candy Darling
Candy Darling (November 24, 1944 – March 21, 1974) was an American actress, best known as a Warhol superstar.
She was a pioneer for transgender visibility, inspiring songs by the Rolling Stones and Lou Reed. Her performances Andy Warhol's f ...
, and used to visit
The Factory
The Factory was Andy Warhol's art studio in Manhattan, New York City, which had four locations between 1963 and 1987. The Factory became famous for its parties in the 1960s. It was the hip hangout spot for artists, musicians, celebrities, and ...
, where he was known as "Chanel 13". The increasing relationship between Slater and Buczynski and the Kneitals led to socializing between their two covens. Despite their differing class backgrounds (the Gardnerian Commack coven being largely middle class, and the Welsh Traditionalist Brooklyn Heights coven being largely working class and counter-cultural), they got on well. In February of 1973, Buczynski requested initiation into the Gardnerican craft from the Kneitals, but they refused, being cautious of what uses he would put the Gardnerian liturgy to.
Still friends with Martello, Buczynski initiated him up to the third degree of his Welsh Traditionalist sect, and in return, he received third-degree initiation in Strega. At the same time, he was facing problems within his own sect, because one couple running their own Welsh outer coven, namely Claudia and Gerard Nero, had decided to abandon Buczynski's sect and receive initiation into Gardnerianism from the Kneitals; they had ultimately decided to do so after becoming increasingly sceptical of Buczynski's spurious claim of palaeolithic roots. They took their initiates, including
Margot Adler
Margot Susanna Adler (April 16, 1946 – July 28, 2014) was an American author, journalist, and lecturer. She worked as a correspondent for National Public Radio for 35 years, became bureau chief of the New York office, and could be heard frequen ...
, with them, much to Buczynski and Slater's annoyance, leading to a breakdown of the friendship that they had had with the Kneitals. Buczynski's sect nevertheless continued to grow and spread, and in January of 1973, the sect joined the Council of Earth Religions (COER)– a pan-pagan umbrella organization that was founded in the previous year, for the purpose of working for the common defence of the movement. Buczynski's primary inner coven grew to such a size that it had to divide into two covens at Midsummer of 1973. Buczynski's high priestess– Kay Smith, decided to take lead of one of the covens, while Eddie remained in the other, being joined by a new ritual consort named Judith. By August of 1973, there were two outer-court covens of the Welsh sect in New York City, and one each in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
and in
Hopewell, Virginia
Hopewell is an independent city (United States), independent city surrounded by Prince George County, Virginia, Prince George County and the Appomattox River in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. At the 202 ...
.
Gardnerian Wicca: 1973–1974
After the Kneitals had rejected his request for initiation into Gardnerian Wicca, Buczynski met with another Gardnerian high priestess, Patricia Siero, who instead agreed to initiate both him and Slater. Siero herself had been initiated by Fran Fisher, high priestess of a coven located in Louisville, Kentucky, in June 1973, who in turn had claimed initiation from Rosemary Buckland. The weekend after returning from Kentucky, Siero initiated Buczynski and Slater through all three degrees of the Gardnerian sect, entitling them to operate as high priests of their own covens. Buczynski decided to do so, founding his own Gardnerian coven with an older German woman named Renate Springer as high priestess that operated in the Brooklyn Heights area. Nevertheless, the Kneitals refused to accept Buczynski's Gardnerian credentials, asserting that Rosemary Buckland had never actually initiated Fran Fischer up to the third degree. As a result of the Kneitals' claims, the Gardnerian community in the Northeastern United States widely refused to accept the Brooklyn Heights coven as legitimate, and Siero decided to take up the Kneitals' offer for re-initiation; as a result, she disowned the initiations of Buczynski and Slater which she had carried out. Springer was uneasy at the situation, and decided to depose Buczynski from his position as high priest, replacing him with one of her initiates, Gilbert Littlebear.
Despite the internal "witch wars" that Buczynski had become involved in, he continued to propagate information on Wicca and paganism in the media, giving talks for a group known as "The Friends of the Craft", which had been co-founded by Slater, and helping to organize the "OCCULT" exhibit which was held at the
Museum of American Folk Art
The American Folk Art Museum is an art museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, at 2 Lincoln Square, Columbus Avenue at 66th Street. It is the premier institution devoted to the aesthetic appreciation of folk art and creativ ...
. Activity also continued at The Warlock Shop, and in December he and Slater published the first issue of a pagan newsletter called ''Earth Religion News'', which would run for several years. They would subsequently publish a short book about Wicca that Buczynski had authored, entitled the ''Witchcraft Fact Book''. Both he and Slater also befriended
Raymond Buckland
Raymond Buckland (31 August 1934 – 27 September 2017), whose craft name was Robat, was an English writer on the subject of Wicca and the occult, and a significant figure in the history of Wicca, of which he was a high priest in both the Ga ...
, the prominent English wiccan who was credited with introducing Gardnerian Wicca to the United States; at the time, Buckland had ceased to operate in that wiccan sect, and was in the process of developing
Seax-Wica
Seax-Wica, or sometimes Saxon Witchcraft, is a tradition of neopagan practice blending aspects of Wicca with the iconography of Anglo-Saxon paganism, while not seeking to reconstruct the early mediaeval religion itself.Buckland's Book of Saxon Wit ...
, a wiccan sect that is inspired by the medieval religion of
Anglo-Saxon paganism
Anglo-Saxon paganism, sometimes termed Anglo-Saxon heathenism, Anglo-Saxon pre-Christian religion, Anglo-Saxon traditional religion, or Anglo-Saxon polytheism refers to the religious beliefs and practices followed by the Anglo-Saxons between t ...
, which both Buczynski and Slater approved of despite opposition from the Kneitals.
His interest in Gardnerianism was however maintained, and in December 1973, he founded a second Gardnerian coven, and invited Jane Cicciotto, then working as the Warlock Shop's book keeper, to take up the mantle as its high priestess. Meeting at Jane's apartment in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, which she shared with her husband Burt, Buczynski continued to maintain his own legitimacy within the sect despite Siero's denunciation of his original initiation. Making various alterations to the established liturgy in the
Book of Shadows and increasing coven democracy, he recognized that these changes meant that the coven was more Neo-Gardnerian than orthodox Gardnerian, and as such, he decided to proclaim that the coven adhered to no specific sect, instead referring to it simply as "The Wica". Trouble hit the coven when Burt Cicciotto, a recovering
heroin
Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...
addict, proceeded to steal $3000 from the Warlock Shop, and disappeared. Embarrassed, Jane stood down as The Wica's high priestess, with leadership of the group falling to another married couple– Ria and David Farnham, who moved the covenstead to their home in the
Bronx
The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
, resulting in a lengthy commute for most of the coven members. Buczynski and Slater ceased their active involvement with the group, which had dissolved by June of 1974.
Church of the Eternal Source and the Huntington Coven: 1974–1975
In 1974, Buczynski got in contact with Harold Moss– the founder of the
Church of the Eternal Source (CES)– a
kemetic pagan group which he had created in 1970. Fascinated by the religion of
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...
which the CES wanted to revive, Buczynski joined the order, being ordained as a priest on July 19th 1974. Adopting the ritual name of "Un-Nefer", he devoted himself to the worship of the goddess
Isis
Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...
, organizing a temple based in New York, and beginning the publication of a newsletter, which he titled ''Esbat''. Buczynski's relationship with Moss, and with the CES' secretary Ron Myron, was however strained. Although Moss was himself a homosexual, he disliked Buczynski's effeminate nature, while Myron had taken a dislike to Buczynski as soon as the latter had been ordained, in particular believing that he didn't spend enough time responding to enquiries.
Problems had also arisen in Buczynski's relationship with Slater. Living and working together at the same premises, they had begun to argue regularly, and had both been taking part in sexual activity with other men, particularly in the
gay bathhouse
A gay bathhouse, also known as a gay sauna or a gay steambath, is a public bath targeted towards Gay men, gay and Bisexuality, bisexual men. In gay slang, a bathhouse may be called just "the baths", "the sauna", or "the tubs". Historically, they ...
s which could then be found in New York. By the summer of 1974 they had broken up, and although they briefly remained roommates, Buczynski soon collected together his belongings and moved back in with his mother and step-father in Ozone Park, where he converted the basement into a bedroom for himself. No longer working at The Warlock Shop, he found himself broke and isolated from the city's occult community, ultimately ceasing active coven work by September 1974. Eventually, he obtained a part-time job at the BookMasters bookstore at 1482 Broadway in
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and Neighborhoods in New York City, neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway (Manhattan), ...
, and it was while commuting home on the subway one night that he met Bennie Geraci (1950–), a native of
New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
who had moved to the city. Buczynski and Geraci soon entered into a relationship, with the former moving into the latter's small rented flat in
Rego Park
Rego Park is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City. Rego Park is bordered to the north by Elmhurst and Corona, to the east and south by Forest Hills, and to the west by Middle Village. Rego Park's boundaries include Queen ...
,
Queens
Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
, which was shared with four other men. In January 1975, he lost his job due to the economic recession, but was able to secure a job as an office boy at
J. Aron and Company, a commodities trading corporation based in
Wall Street
Wall Street is a street in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs eight city blocks between Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway in the west and South Street (Manhattan), South Str ...
.
Buczynski's continuing disagreements with senior members of the CES led him to resign from the priesthood on August 1, 1975. The New York Temple that he had led subsequently folded. Returning his interest to Wicca, he befriended a Gardnerian high priestess named Sheila Saperton, who had been initiated into Wicca years before by Raymond Buckland. Saperton had become increasingly interested in Buckland's newly developed sect called Seax-Wica, and founded a Seax coven from her home in
Huntington Station on
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
. Although Buczynski was never initiated into Seax-Wica, he associated with the group, and attended many of their rites. Eventually however, the group tired of the practices of Seax-Wica, and instead transformed into a Gardnerian coven, with Buczynski becoming its high priest. Claiming that a mysterious witch known only as ''Jana'', who had been involved in the
New Forest coven back in
Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...
,
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
, had been communicating with him and providing him with a legitimate lineage, he began making further changes to the coven structure. Both Buczynski biographer Michael Lloyd and researcher
Philip Heselton
Philip Heselton (born 1946) is a retired British conservation officer, a Wiccan initiate, and a writer on the subjects of Wicca, Paganism, and Earth mysteries. He is best known for two books, ''Wiccan Roots: Gerald Gardner and the Modern Witchc ...
have expressed doubt that Jana was ever a real figure operating in England, instead suggesting that she was perhaps an invention of Buczynski's to legitimize his practice of Gardnerian Wica.
Buczynski welcomed a number of friends and flatmates, including Benny Geraci, into the Huntington coven, and later stated his desire to personally initiate Geraci up to the third degree; Sheila Saperton disagreed, citing the traditional Gardnerian prohibition upon anyone initiating a member of the same sex. Buczynski said that her attitude was homophobic, and he subsequently abandoned both her and Gardnerian Wicca. Meanwhile, Buczynski and Geraci moved out of their crowded apartment into a new flat in
Middle Village. Despite
same-sex marriage not being legally recognized at that time, Eddie and Benny undertook a private wedding ceremony to marry one another, although they were non-monogamous, and would go together to gay bath-houses to partake in sexual activity with other patrons, resulting in Buczynski's contraction of several
sexually transmitted infections
A sexually transmitted infection (STI), also referred to as a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and the older term venereal disease (VD), is an infection that is spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, or ...
.
The Minoan Brotherhood: 1975–1979
Buczynski had become increasingly dissatisfied with Gardnerian Wicca and other forms of contemporary paganism, which he said treated homosexual and bisexual individuals as inferior to their heterosexual counterparts. He was perturbed that while many covens and other groups did allow gay and bi men and women to join, they were required to work in a ritual framework that was explicitly heterosexual. He argued that this was inconsistent with the fact that a number of pre-Christian societies in Europe and the Middle East had cults containing an exclusively homosexual priesthood. He was particularly interested in such cults that were found in the
Minoan civilization
The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age culture which was centered on the island of Crete. Known for its monumental architecture and energetic art, it is often regarded as the first civilization in Europe. The ruins of the Minoan palaces at K ...
of
bronze-age
The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
Crete
Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...
, and began to voraciously read books on the subject. He would later place many of these texts on the required reading list for new initiates, including among them academic works of history and archaeology like
Arthur Evans
Sir Arthur John Evans (8 July 1851 – 11 July 1941) was a British archaeologist and pioneer in the study of Aegean civilization in the Bronze Age.
The first excavations at the Minoan palace of Knossos on the List of islands of Greece, Gree ...
' ''The Palace of Minos'',
Martin P. Nilsson
Martin Persson Nilsson ( Stoby, Kristianstad County, 12 July 1874 – Lund, 7 April 1967) was a Swedish philologist, mythographer, and a scholar of the Greek, Hellenistic and Roman religious systems. In his studies he combined literary evidence w ...
's ''A History of Greek Religion'' and
George E. Mylonas' ''Eleusis and the Eleusinian Mysteries'', books on mythology such as
Robert Graves
Captain Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was an English poet, soldier, historical novelist and critic. His father was Alfred Perceval Graves, a celebrated Irish poet and figure in the Gaelic revival; they were b ...
' ''
The White Goddess
''The White Goddess: a Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth'' is a book-length essay on the nature of poetic myth-making by the English writer Robert Graves. First published in 1948, it is based on earlier articles published in ''Wales'' magazine ...
'', fictional novels like
Mary Renault
Eileen Mary Challans (4 September 1905 – 13 December 1983), known by her pen name Mary Renault ("She always pronounced it 'Ren-olt', though almost everyone would come to speak of her as if she were a French car." ), was a British writer best k ...
's ''The Bull from the Sea'' and
Thomas Burnett Swann
Thomas Burnett Swann (October 12, 1928 – May 5, 1976) was an American poet, critic and fantasy author. His criticism includes works on the poetry of H.D. and Christina Rossetti. Swann died of cancer and several of his novels were published po ...
's ''How Are the Mighty Fallen'', and such works on occultism as Gerald Gardner's ''
Witchcraft Today
''Witchcraft Today'' is a non-fiction book written by Gerald Gardner. Published in 1954, ''Witchcraft Today'' recounts Gardner's thoughts on the history and practices of the theoretical witch-cult, and his claim to have met practising witches ...
''.
Explicitly founded as a "mystery/initiatory cult which erotically celebrates life through male love", Buczynski's Minoan sect took the rituals of Gardnerian Wicca as its basis, but adapted them, with a new liturgy being written by him and placed within a ritual text which he named "The Book of the Mysteries", which is a re-named wiccan
book of shadows. Buczynski adopted the eight annual Gardnerian sabbat festivals, but associated them with ancient mediterranean religious festivals. Buczynski insisted that even though his coven would contain only men, it should still embrace gender polarity. He therefore established the cretan snake-goddess
Rhea as the sect's primary deity, and established Rhea's son– the cretan bull-god, as the male god, so that the sect was duotheistic in nature, like most other wiccan sects.
The Minoan Brotherhood was officially inaugurated on January 1st, 1977. Naming this first group "the Knossos Grove coven", it initially began at his and Geraci's shared flat, where they were joined by their friend Joseph Cupolo. Setting up a lineage recording system to take into account which new initiates were being brought into the Brotherhood, the first man to be welcomed in was Kim Schuller, who was soon followed by Bruce-Michael Gelbert. Not long after, Cupolo moved to New Orleans, where he founded a second coven, known as Phaistos Grove. In 1977, Buczynski began attending the Sheridan Square Gym, and it was here that he met Gene Muto the following year. A stage director and part-time bartender, Muto entered into a sexual relationship with Buczynski, which Geraci accepted as per the rules of their
open relationship
An open relationship is an intimate relationship that is sexually or romantically non-monogamous. An open relationship generally indicates a relationship where there is a primary emotional and intimate relationship between partners, who agree to ...
. However, when Buczynski announced that he had fallen in love with Muto, it marked the end of his relationship with Geraci, who decided to move back to New Orleans in February 1979. Muto proceeded to move in with Buczynski at his apartment on West 13th Street, but did not share his boyfriend's
magico-religious
People who believe in magic can be found in all societies, regardless of whether they have organized religious hierarchies, including formal clergy, or more informal systems. Such concepts tend to appear more frequently in cultures based in ...
beliefs, instead being a
far left
Far or FAR may refer to:
Government
* Federal Acquisition Regulation, US
* Federal Aviation Regulations, US
* Florida Administrative Register, US
Military and paramilitary
* Rebel Armed Forces (Spanish: '), a defunct guerilla organization ...
atheist
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
. Muto thought that Buczynski was wasting his life on witchcraft, and encouraged him to aim for an academic education; Buczynski therefore proceeded to attain a
graduate equivalency diploma (GED). The Knossos Grove had meanwhile begun to deteriorate, rarely meeting from late-1978 through early 1979. He did however bring in Tony Fiara in late 1979, who would go on to play a significant role in the Minoan sect, which was then being eclipsed in size by the
Radical Faerie movement. That year, Buczynski decided to stop using his flat as a covenstead, which he moved to the Earth Star Temple, the back room of The Magickal Childe, Herman Slater's new shop.
Entering academia: 1980–1988
In 1980, Buczynski and Muto went on a
package holiday
A package tour, package vacation, or package holiday comprises transport and accommodation advertised and sold together by a vendor known as a tour operator. Other services may be provided such as a rental car, activities or outings during the ...
to Greece, further inspiring the former's interests in the region's ancient cultures. Deciding to explore this topic further, he enrolled to study for an
undergraduate
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...
degree in Classics and Ancient History at
Hunter College
Hunter College is a public university in New York City, United States. It is one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York and offers studies in more than one hundred undergraduate and postgraduate fields across five schools ...
, a part of the
City University of New York
The City University of New York (CUNY, pronounced , ) is the Public university, public university system of Education in New York City, New York City. It is the largest urban university system in the United States, comprising 25 campuses: eleven ...
(CUNY) located in Manhattan's Upper East Side, beginning there in September 1980. At the university, he became friends with one of his mentors, the classical archaeologist
Clairève Grandjouan, and was saddened by her death before he had completed the course. He devoted himself to his studies, which he greatly enjoyed, and was sufficiently successful to be placed on the Thomas Hunter Honors Program. In June 1982, he returned to Greece in order to take part in his first
archaeological excavations
In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...
, which were run by the
American School of Classical Studies at Athens
The American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA; ) is one of 19 foreign archaeological institutes in Athens, Greece.
It is a member of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC). CAORC is a private not-for-profit federat ...
(ASCSA). Returning to New York City, he began to take all of the modules that he could which were devoted to field archaeology, considering a potential career in the profession. In the winter break between 1982 and 1983, he once more returned to the Mediterranean, touring Greece and Italy with Muto. He would subsequently be laid off from his job, but gained work in the Hunter College Classics Office. His increased interest in academic archaeology came at the expense of his involvement in the occult, and in the Spring of 1981 he stepped down from his leadership of the Knossos Grove coven, handing control over to Tony Fiara. As his studies at Hunter College came to an end, he decided to continue his education to a
postgraduate
Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor' ...
level, and successfully obtained a scholarship from the
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, commonly known as the Mellon Foundation, is a New York City-based private foundation with wealth accumulated by Andrew Mellon of the Mellon family of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the product of the 1969 merger ...
.
He chose
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College ( ; Welsh language, Welsh: ) is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as a ...
in
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Bryn Mawr (, from Welsh language, Welsh for 'big hill') is a census-designated place (CDP) located in Pennsylvania, United States. It is located just west of Philadelphia along Lancaster Avenue, also known as U.S. Route 30 in Pennsylvania, U.S. ...
, a
socially liberal
Social liberalism is a political philosophy and variety of liberalism that endorses social justice, social services, a mixed economy, and the expansion of civil and political rights, as opposed to classical liberalism which favors limited g ...
, gay-friendly institution founded on
Quaker
Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...
principles. There, he enrolled in the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology and began work on attaining his master's degree. He moved into the Thornbrook Manor apartments on Montgomery Avenue with his cats Maybelle and Grimalkin, renting a flat that was larger than that in which he and Muto had lived in New York. At Bryn Mawr, he worked hard, and was a popular student among both staff and pupils. His dissertation was on the role of marine objects within Minoan culture. He and Muto met when they could, going on holiday together to Egypt and Israel in the winter of 1985. In August 1986, Muto got a job in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, Georgia, so they gave up the New York apartment. Buczynski attempted to start a coven of Minoan practitioners at Bryn Mawr, but the only response he received was from a man named Kevin Moscrip, who he initiated in the spring of 1986. However, he decided to put a stop to Moscrip's training when he began to become concerned by the
HIV/AIDS
The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
epidemic that was then sweeping through the Minoan sect and the country's wider gay community. In the winter of 1986, he and Muto traveled to
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
, where they visited
Cartagena, but in the following March, Buczynski took ill, and though some of his friends suspected that he might be exhibiting symptoms of AIDS, he refused to get tested. That summer, he and Muto went for a vacation in
Cape Cod
Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer months. The ...
, before he submitted his dissertation in September 1987.
In November, Buczynski was taken seriously ill with
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...
and required hospitalization. It was there that the doctors diagnosed him with the AIDS virus, acquired at some point during the 1970s. After he was discharged, his mother and step-father came to visit and help care for him. He spent Christmas that year on Crete with Muto, before his studies at Bryn Mawr came to an end in 1988. He was awarded his degree on May 15, after which Muto whisked him off for a holiday in
Cancún
Cancún is the most populous city in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, located in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. It is a significant tourist destination in Mexico and the seat of the municipality of Benito J ...
,
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
.
Final months: 1989
Although he had wanted to study for a doctorate and proceed with a career in archaeology, Buczynski was dying. He became ill with the ''
Toxoplasma gondii
''Toxoplasma gondii'' () is a species of parasitic alveolate that causes toxoplasmosis. Found worldwide, ''T. gondii'' is capable of infecting virtually all warm-blooded animals, but members of the cat family (felidae) are the only known d ...
'' parasite, which took advantage of his weakened immune system. He suffered partial paralysis on his right side as well as brain lesions, leaving him irritable and withdrawn, and required hospitalization. Upon release, he moved to Atlanta to be with Muto in January 1989. By this stage, he was unable to attend to basic tasks on his own, including eating and dressing himself, and required almost constant care, from both Muto and from carers based at
St. Joseph Hospital. He began to talk with the hospital's Roman Catholic priest and finally decided to return to the faith of his birth, undertaking his confession of reconciliation in February. In March, his condition deteriorated, and he was admitted to the hospital, where he fell into a coma and died on the morning on Thursday, March 16.
Personal life
Buczynski could be hot tempered, with Lloyd describing him as "street-smart, intelligent, opinionated, flamboyant, charismatic, driven, and ... often governed by mercurial emotions. He could be fiery, and he had a vicious temper when someone angered him, which admittedly was not easy to accomplish."
Legacy
Following Buczynski's death, Lady Rhea asserted that anyone who was initiated through one of Buczynski's groups could refer to themself as an "Edwardian" wiccan in his honor.
Buczynski would come to be declared one of the "saints of
Antinous
Antinous, also called Antinoös, (; ; – ) was a Greek youth from Bithynia, a favourite and lover of the Roman emperor Hadrian. Following his premature death before his 20th birthday, Antinous was deified on Hadrian's orders, being worshippe ...
" by a pagan group based in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood ...
, California, known as the Temple of Antinous.
Asphodel Press published the 2012 biography ''Bull of Heaven: The Mythic Life of Eddie Buczynski and the Rise of the New York Pagan'' by Michael Lloyd, with a foreword by
Margot Adler
Margot Susanna Adler (April 16, 1946 – July 28, 2014) was an American author, journalist, and lecturer. She worked as a correspondent for National Public Radio for 35 years, became bureau chief of the New York office, and could be heard frequen ...
. The book's launch party was held at Sala One-Nine, a
tapas
Tapas () are appetisers or snacks in Spanish cuisine. They can be combined to make a full meal and are served cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or hot (such as , which are battered, fried baby squid; or , spicy potatoes). In some bars ...
restaurant at 35 West 19th Street in
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
, which stood on the site of Slater's Magickal Childe store. ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' reported that a "strapping man" dressed in a headdress and loincloth worked at the door, with around 80 attendees inside, most of which were pagans. Among them were Bennie Geraci, Carol Bulzone, Kaye Flagg, and Margot Adler, a number of which gave speeches before a memorial service to Buczynski was held.
''Bull of Heaven'' was positively reviewed by
pagan studies Pagan studies is the multidisciplinary academic field devoted to the study of modern paganism, a broad assortment of modern religious movements, which are typically influenced by or claiming to be derived from the various pagan beliefs of premodern ...
scholar Ethan Doyle White in ''
The Pomegranate
''The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering the field of Pagan studies including historical, sociological, and anthropological studies dealing with contemporary Paganism and other ...
'' academic journal, who asserted that the book was "eloquently and engagingly written", and was important for documenting the life not only of Buczynski, but also of other important figures in the New York pagan scene, like Herman Slater and Leo Martello. He praised Lloyd's research as "thorough and far-reaching", but was critical of the poor quality of the images. Noting that the book's scope would invite comparison with
Chas S. Clifton's ''
Her Hidden Children
''Her Hidden Children: The Rise of Wicca and Paganism in America'' is a historical study of Wicca and Contemporary Paganism in the United States. It was written by the American academic Chas S. Clifton of Colorado State University-Pueblo, and ...
'' and Adler's ''
Drawing Down the Moon'', he labelled it a "must read" for those interested in the history of American paganism and
gay liberation
The gay liberation movement was a social and political movement of the late 1960s through the mid-1980s in the Western world, that urged lesbians and gay men to engage in radical direct action, and to counter societal shame with gay pride.Hoff ...
, summing it up as "the finest independent pagan studies scholarship to have been produced in the United States to date." Elsewhere, he characterized the book as "first-rate".
References
Footnotes
Works cited
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Buczynski, Eddie
American Wiccans
American people of Polish descent
American people of Italian descent
AIDS-related deaths in New York (state)
1947 births
1989 deaths
LGBTQ Wiccans
LGBTQ people from New York (state)
Gardnerian Wiccans
American gay writers
Activists from Brooklyn
People from Huntington Station, New York
Radical Faeries members
Converts to Roman Catholicism from pagan religions
20th-century Roman Catholics
LGBTQ Roman Catholics
People from Greenwich Village
People from Ozone Park, Queens
John Adams High School (Queens) alumni
Founders of modern pagan movements
20th-century American LGBTQ people
American LGBTQ rights activists
American saints
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