Herman Slater
Encyclopedia
Herman Slater was an American
Wiccan high priest and occult-bookstore proprietor as well as an editor, publisher, and author. He died of AIDS
in 1992.
. At a very early age, he became aware of anti-Semitism
which was encouraged by the Catholic Church.
This became one of his influences that led him to Witchcraft
. An educated man, Slater studied business administration at New York University
, liberal arts
at Hunter College
and traffic management
at the Traffic Management Institute in New York. He also completed a full course at the United States Navy Personnel School in Bainbridge, Maryland. During the years 1958 through 1969, Slater had several business jobs in management, traffic expediting, and insurance-claims investigation. The year 1969 marked the beginning of significant health-related issues for him. He was later forced to quit work due to bone tuberculosis
, which cost him a hip bone and three years of recuperation.
, and in 1972, he was initiated into the New York Coven
of Welsh Traditional Witches. It was there he met Ed Buczynski (Lord Gywddion), who was a high priest of the coven. Slater took the craft name Lord Govannon and the two became lovers.
, New York
. Buczynski was the more magical and spiritual of the two and left the business side to Slater, who helped the shop grow in profit. Most importantly, the shop established itself as the central information hub for local witches and the newly emerging Neopagan communities. The two also published a periodical called Earth Religion News. It was extremely successful but also caused controversy due to its explicit contents and cover designs. In 1974, Slater was initiated into the Gardnerian tradition and assumed leadership of the coven in the late 1970s. The Warlock Shoppe later moved to W. 19th Street in Manhattan
(the Borough of New York City
) and operated under the name Magickal Childe. The Magickal Childe functioned as a major focal point for the Neo-Pagan community in the 1970s and well into the 1990s. The brick and mortar store finally closed in 1999.
during a guest appearance on the Today show, for an episode of Macmillan and Wife that had taken Witchcraft and corrupted them into Devil-worship rituals for the plot. The crew of Today had Slater physically removed from the set. More controversy surrounding Slater's actual proficiency in the types of magick he claimed to practice, accusations that he plagiarized
material, yelling out at irritable customers in his Magickal Childe store, "Get out of my store...", as well as outrage over other behaviors he exhibited earned him the nickname "Horrible Herman".
Pagan Rituals III, ISBN 978-0939708277 and he published the magazine Earth Religion News.
Slater also edited The Magickal Formulary Spellbook, ISBN 0-939708-00-0, and The Magickal Formulary Spellbook II, ISBN 0-939708-10-8 - two well-sold witchcraft cookbooks based on the inner workings of his shop and formulas to his potions. These books are sold worldwide and are very respected within the witchcraft community. The Magickal Childe now continues with an internet presence.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Wiccan high priest and occult-bookstore proprietor as well as an editor, publisher, and author. He died of AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
in 1992.
Beginnings
Herman Slater was born in 1938 in a lower-middle-class Jewish neighborhood of New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. At a very early age, he became aware of anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
which was encouraged by the Catholic Church.
This became one of his influences that led him to Witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
. An educated man, Slater studied business administration at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
at Hunter College
Hunter College
Hunter College, established in 1870, is a public university and one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hunter grants undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees in more than one hundred fields of study, and is recognized...
and traffic management
Traffic management
Traffic management may refer to* Bandwidth management in computer networkingRoad traffic management in road transport* In combination with "policies", a black box of governmental or commercial policies...
at the Traffic Management Institute in New York. He also completed a full course at the United States Navy Personnel School in Bainbridge, Maryland. During the years 1958 through 1969, Slater had several business jobs in management, traffic expediting, and insurance-claims investigation. The year 1969 marked the beginning of significant health-related issues for him. He was later forced to quit work due to bone tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, which cost him a hip bone and three years of recuperation.
Transition to Witchcraft
During his recuperation process, Slater began experiencing and reading about paranormal phenomena, including divination (tarot cards), clairvoyance, and levitation. He spent an entire year lying in bed in a body cast that weighed 300 pounds. Then one morning, he awoke to find himself stretched across a chair on the opposite side of the room while still in his body cast. These experiences led him to WitchcraftWitchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
, and in 1972, he was initiated into the New York Coven
Coven
A coven or covan is a name used to describe a gathering of witches or in some cases vampires. Due to the word's association with witches, a gathering of Wiccans, followers of the witchcraft-based neopagan religion of Wicca, is also described as a coven....
of Welsh Traditional Witches. It was there he met Ed Buczynski (Lord Gywddion), who was a high priest of the coven. Slater took the craft name Lord Govannon and the two became lovers.
Career
Bucznski and Slater opened the The Warlock Shoppe, the oldest witchcraft bookshop in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Buczynski was the more magical and spiritual of the two and left the business side to Slater, who helped the shop grow in profit. Most importantly, the shop established itself as the central information hub for local witches and the newly emerging Neopagan communities. The two also published a periodical called Earth Religion News. It was extremely successful but also caused controversy due to its explicit contents and cover designs. In 1974, Slater was initiated into the Gardnerian tradition and assumed leadership of the coven in the late 1970s. The Warlock Shoppe later moved to W. 19th Street in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
(the Borough of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
) and operated under the name Magickal Childe. The Magickal Childe functioned as a major focal point for the Neo-Pagan community in the 1970s and well into the 1990s. The brick and mortar store finally closed in 1999.
Scandals
In 1972, Slater presented the award, the Inquisitional Bigot of the Year, to NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
during a guest appearance on the Today show, for an episode of Macmillan and Wife that had taken Witchcraft and corrupted them into Devil-worship rituals for the plot. The crew of Today had Slater physically removed from the set. More controversy surrounding Slater's actual proficiency in the types of magick he claimed to practice, accusations that he plagiarized
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work, but the notion remains problematic with nebulous...
material, yelling out at irritable customers in his Magickal Childe store, "Get out of my store...", as well as outrage over other behaviors he exhibited earned him the nickname "Horrible Herman".
Works
Slater wrote the books Introduction to Witchcraft, ISBN 978-0939708161, The Hoodoo Bible,ISBN 9780939708062 A Book of Pagan Rituals I & II,ISBN 978-0877283485Pagan Rituals III, ISBN 978-0939708277 and he published the magazine Earth Religion News.
Slater also edited The Magickal Formulary Spellbook, ISBN 0-939708-00-0, and The Magickal Formulary Spellbook II, ISBN 0-939708-10-8 - two well-sold witchcraft cookbooks based on the inner workings of his shop and formulas to his potions. These books are sold worldwide and are very respected within the witchcraft community. The Magickal Childe now continues with an internet presence.