What about her?

[LexiHex]

I’ ve been reading some of Sibyl Leek s work lately, and i was wondering why she’ s never mentioned as part of modern witchcraft history. Any thoughts about it?
I know she’ had a big influence on mexican wiccans so i think she’ s excluded for some anglo centrism but i really don’ t know.

[BryWisteria]

Hi @LexiHex!

I haven’t read any of Sibyl Leek’s works myself, but it looks like @Amethyst once mentioned her works in relation to Cunningham’s books:

@Amethyst

He published his possibly most well-known book, Wicca A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner in 1988. In the introduction he mentions the celebrated author Sybil Leek and that he had other, well-known Wiccans looking over the copy of the book, so he had friends among the pagan community.

Cunningham is one of the most popular Wiccan authors, especially for beginners, so I suppose it can be said that her works live on through those that she influenced?

I was curious, so I had looked into her and her works a bit more. From what I’m seeing, it sounds like she truly is quite the witch legend!

1969 was the year when Sybil Leek was first called “The World’s Most Famous Witch” following the publication of her best-selling autobiography, Diary of a Witch . Born in Stoke-On-Trent in England’s New Forest region, Sybil traced her lineage of Witchcraft back to at least 1134. After Britain’s Witchcraft Act was repealed in 1951 she began to write about and practice the Traditional Craft knowledge openly guarded by her family. She was a wildly eccentric, volatile and brilliant person whose books first opened the secrets of the occult to the general public.

From The Witches’ Almanac

I’d love to know more about her and her works- if you come across anything you’d like to share about her, please feel free to do so!

Blessed be!

[LexiHex]

@BryWisteria

she truly is quite the witch legend!

Yes! I think she’ was really well known at her time but when we read or hear about witchcraft history i feel she’ doesn’ t get enough credit. I ’ ll keep researching about this.

[Amethyst]

Huh. Guess I’m off to Amazon to add her to my wishlist. LOL!

[jan_TheGreenWitch]

@LexiHex YESSSSS! Sibyl is a legend in our world, and her works are highly sought after - she has a bibliography a mile long and one of my most prize possessions is the hardcover of her book Herbs: Medicine and Mysticism. If you can find it for under $500.00, grab it, it’s a highly sought after vintage work that typically runs between 600 and 1000.00!!

Here’s an excerpt from a website that I like that tells a bit about her which I believe @BryWisteria may have also mentioned above:

Sybil left many articles and magazine columns as well as at least sixty books. Astrology, numerology, crystals, mediumship, herbalism, Tarot, gypsies, phrenology, world predictions, dreams and ghost tracking as well as antiques and collectibles are examples from among the stunning array of topics Sybil addressed in her prolific writings. She owned several antique shops in England during the 1950’s and also one in Indialantic, Florida in the mid 1970’s called Sybil Leek’s Curiosity Shop. She often said that she was a Druid, not just a Witch and that Druids were like the priest class while Witches were the working class among Craft practitioners. When asked how she liked to be addressed Sybil would answer “Anyone who means anything to me always just calls me Sybil.”
Sybil Leek - The Witches' Almanac

Love and Magic!!! Jan

[MeganB]

I will be 100% honest – her name is familiar to me but I don’t know too much about her. Down a rabbit hole I go!