Fred Lamond
Encyclopedia
Frederic Lamond is a prominent English Wicca
n who was an early member of the Gardnerian tradition
, having been initiated into it in 1957, when he joined the Bricket Wood coven
. He has since become involved in a number of other Neopagan
religions and organisations, including the Fellowship of Isis
, and has worked for a number of Neopagan groups in the Interfaith
movement as well as writing a number of books on the subject of Wiccan theology and history.
broke out, his grandmother, who was Jewish in ethnicity, took him to live in Switzerland
, which was then one of the only neutral countries in Europe. His grandmother did not force him to follow any religion, saying to him on numerous occasions that "all religious dogmas are lies!"; however, when he was thirteen, she sent him to Protestant catechism
in order to learn about Biblical history
, which she believed was necessary for any educated European. Lamond would later remark that whilst he admired Jesus Christ, he did not think him any more holy than any other good men in history, and he disliked the God that was presented in the Old Testament
. Nonetheless, aged fifteen, he was confirmed, and began to call himself a Christian
. The next year he returned to England
, where he lived for two years at an Anglican boarding school, but here he realised that his beliefs did not match those of Christianity, and so he stopped describing himself as such.
From here, Lamond went to Cambridge University, where he became involved in the cause for European federalism. In 1954 he first partook of sexual intercourse
with a local girl, Mary, whom he had fallen in love with, an experience that he said allowed him to encounter the goddess Aphrodite
, whom he felt as a presence near to him. The two planned to be married, but the engagement was ended after opposition from Mary's parents.
, Lamond became further interested in paganism
, and it was through this that he read Gerald Gardner
's book Witchcraft Today
(1954). Lamond wrote to Gardner, who invited him to meet him at his flat in Holland Park
, London. The two became friends, and Lamond was introduced to other members of the Bricket Wood coven
. They invited him to join them, and he was initiated, alongside another new figure, who has remained nameless, at the Sabbat of Imbolc
.
In 1959, Lamond met his future wife, Gillian, and they moved into a flat together in September of that year. In August 1960 they married, and a party was held by coven member Jack Bracelin at Fiveacres nudist club, where the marriage was blessed by Lois Bourne
, the coven's High Priestess. The historian Ronald Hutton
remarked that this was the first known example of a Wiccan marriage ceremony. From October 1961 to August 1964, the Lamonds' lived in Greater Manchester
, where Frederic worked for a computer company, and they only circled with the Bricket Wood coven on occasional visits back to London. In October 1965, Fred was posted to work in Prague
to lead a technical support group, and whilst Gillian at first went with him, she returned to England in 1966 to care for their daughter, who had been diagnosed as being deaf. In April 1967 Lamond too returned home.
In 1981, Lamond met with the controversial American Wiccan Aidan Kelly
in California
, and seven years later Lamond once again visited Kelly, taking part in a ritual with Kelly's coven. In July 1986, Lamond's first wife, Gillian, died. After this, Lamond joined two different occultic groups, the Companions of the Rainbow Bridge, and the Fellowship of Isis
. In winter 1993, Lamond and his new wife Hildegard visited Lamond's father in Austria
. In August 1994 they moved to Austria permanently. Lamond met very few neopagans in the country, but in 2000 he started meeting a few at a monthly pub moot, and in 2003 initiated three Austrian women into the craft.
Wicca
Wicca , is a modern Pagan religious movement. Developing in England in the first half of the 20th century, Wicca was popularised in the 1950s and early 1960s by a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald Gardner, who at the time called it the "witch cult" and "witchcraft," and its adherents "the Wica."...
n who was an early member of the Gardnerian tradition
Gardnerian Wicca
Gardnerian Wicca, or Gardnerian Witchcraft, is a mystery cult tradition or denomination in the neopagan religion of Wicca, whose members can trace initiatory descent from Gerald Gardner. The tradition is itself named after Gardner , a British civil servant and scholar of magic...
, having been initiated into it in 1957, when he joined the Bricket Wood coven
Bricket Wood coven
The Bricket Wood coven, or Hertfordshire coven was a coven of Gardnerian Witches founded in the 1940s by Gerald Gardner. It was notable for being the first coven in the Gardnerian line, though having its supposed origins in the pre-Gardnerian New Forest coven...
. He has since become involved in a number of other Neopagan
Neopaganism
Neopaganism is an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by or claiming to be derived from the various pagan beliefs of pre-modern Europe...
religions and organisations, including the Fellowship of Isis
Fellowship of Isis
The Fellowship of Isis is an international spiritual organization devoted to promoting awareness of the Goddess. It is dedicated specifically to the Egyptian goddess Isis because the FOI co-founders believed Isis best represented the energies of the dawning Aquarian Age...
, and has worked for a number of Neopagan groups in the Interfaith
Interfaith
The term interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels...
movement as well as writing a number of books on the subject of Wiccan theology and history.
Early Life: 1931-1956
Lamond was born an only child, and when he was only two years old his parents divorced, leaving him to live with his maternal grandparents. When World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
broke out, his grandmother, who was Jewish in ethnicity, took him to live in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, which was then one of the only neutral countries in Europe. His grandmother did not force him to follow any religion, saying to him on numerous occasions that "all religious dogmas are lies!"; however, when he was thirteen, she sent him to Protestant catechism
Catechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
in order to learn about Biblical history
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, which she believed was necessary for any educated European. Lamond would later remark that whilst he admired Jesus Christ, he did not think him any more holy than any other good men in history, and he disliked the God that was presented in the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
. Nonetheless, aged fifteen, he was confirmed, and began to call himself a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
. The next year he returned to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where he lived for two years at an Anglican boarding school, but here he realised that his beliefs did not match those of Christianity, and so he stopped describing himself as such.
From here, Lamond went to Cambridge University, where he became involved in the cause for European federalism. In 1954 he first partook of sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
with a local girl, Mary, whom he had fallen in love with, an experience that he said allowed him to encounter the goddess Aphrodite
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
, whom he felt as a presence near to him. The two planned to be married, but the engagement was ended after opposition from Mary's parents.
Involvement with Wicca: 1957-present
After his experience with Aphrodite, and his lifetime belief in pantheismPantheism
Pantheism is the view that the Universe and God are identical. Pantheists thus do not believe in a personal, anthropomorphic or creator god. The word derives from the Greek meaning "all" and the Greek meaning "God". As such, Pantheism denotes the idea that "God" is best seen as a process of...
, Lamond became further interested in paganism
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
, and it was through this that he read Gerald Gardner
Gerald Gardner
Gerald Brousseau Gardner , who sometimes used the craft name Scire, was an influential English Wiccan, as well as an amateur anthropologist and archaeologist, writer, weaponry expert and occultist. He was instrumental in bringing the Neopagan religion of Wicca to public attention in Britain and...
's book Witchcraft Today
Witchcraft Today
In the book Gardner also repeats the claim, which had originated with Matilda Joslyn Gage, that 9 million victims were killed in the European witch-hunts." Current scholarly estimates of the number of people executed for witchcraft during this time period vary between about 40,000 and 100,000.The...
(1954). Lamond wrote to Gardner, who invited him to meet him at his flat in Holland Park
Holland Park
Holland Park is a district and a public park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, in west central London, England.Holland Park has a reputation as an affluent and fashionable area, known for attractive large Victorian townhouses, and high-class shopping and restaurants...
, London. The two became friends, and Lamond was introduced to other members of the Bricket Wood coven
Bricket Wood coven
The Bricket Wood coven, or Hertfordshire coven was a coven of Gardnerian Witches founded in the 1940s by Gerald Gardner. It was notable for being the first coven in the Gardnerian line, though having its supposed origins in the pre-Gardnerian New Forest coven...
. They invited him to join them, and he was initiated, alongside another new figure, who has remained nameless, at the Sabbat of Imbolc
Imbolc
Imbolc , or St Brigid’s Day , is an Irish festival marking the beginning of spring. Most commonly it is celebrated on 1 or 2 February in the northern hemisphere and 1 August in the southern hemisphere...
.
In 1959, Lamond met his future wife, Gillian, and they moved into a flat together in September of that year. In August 1960 they married, and a party was held by coven member Jack Bracelin at Fiveacres nudist club, where the marriage was blessed by Lois Bourne
Lois Bourne
Lois Bourne is an influential figure in the Neopagan religion of Wicca, having been involved in it from the early 1960s, and has written a number of books on the subject...
, the coven's High Priestess. The historian Ronald Hutton
Ronald Hutton
Ronald Hutton is an English historian who specializes in the study of Early Modern Britain, British folklore, pre-Christian religion and contemporary Paganism. A reader in the subject at the University of Bristol, Hutton has published fourteen books and has appeared on British television and radio...
remarked that this was the first known example of a Wiccan marriage ceremony. From October 1961 to August 1964, the Lamonds' lived in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, where Frederic worked for a computer company, and they only circled with the Bricket Wood coven on occasional visits back to London. In October 1965, Fred was posted to work in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
to lead a technical support group, and whilst Gillian at first went with him, she returned to England in 1966 to care for their daughter, who had been diagnosed as being deaf. In April 1967 Lamond too returned home.
In 1981, Lamond met with the controversial American Wiccan Aidan Kelly
Aidan Kelly
Aidan Kelly is an American academic, poet and influential figure in the Neopagan religion of Wicca. Having developed his own branch of the faith, the New Reformed Orthodox Order of the Golden Dawn, during the 1960s, he was also initiated into other traditions, including Gardnerianism and Feri, in...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and seven years later Lamond once again visited Kelly, taking part in a ritual with Kelly's coven. In July 1986, Lamond's first wife, Gillian, died. After this, Lamond joined two different occultic groups, the Companions of the Rainbow Bridge, and the Fellowship of Isis
Fellowship of Isis
The Fellowship of Isis is an international spiritual organization devoted to promoting awareness of the Goddess. It is dedicated specifically to the Egyptian goddess Isis because the FOI co-founders believed Isis best represented the energies of the dawning Aquarian Age...
. In winter 1993, Lamond and his new wife Hildegard visited Lamond's father in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. In August 1994 they moved to Austria permanently. Lamond met very few neopagans in the country, but in 2000 he started meeting a few at a monthly pub moot, and in 2003 initiated three Austrian women into the craft.