Lady Sheba
Jessie Wicker Bell[1] or Lady Sheba (July 18, 1920 – 2002[2]) was an American writer on Celtic Wicca and founder of the American Order of the Brotherhood of the Wicca with the aim to unite all practitioners of Wicca (covens, groups, traditions).
Early life and education
[edit | edit source]Born in Kentucky, Bell's family introduced her to their Celtic heritage;[3] her grandmother told her stories about leprechauns and fairies.[2]
Career
[edit | edit source]In 1971, Lady Sheba published The Book of Shadows and founded the American Order of the Brotherhood of the Wicca, an offshoot of Gardnerian Wicca. The book was controversial, as it revealed information that other Wiccans tended to keep secret. Lady Sheba appointed herself high priestess of the order and worked to expand its influence. Other covens, both within and outside the United States, were formed under its umbrella, and she began referring to herself as Witch Queen over the new groups.[4] Many Wiccans objected to her use of the title.[5] By 1972, Lady Sheba estimated the American population of witches at over 100,000, and the Star Tribune called her "the head of all witches in the United States".[1]
Publications
[edit | edit source]- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b Smith 1972.
- ^ a b Guiley 2008, p. 196.
- ^ Melton 1987, p. 640.
- ^ Guiley 2008, pp. 196–197.
- ^ Melton 1987, p. 641.
Works cited
[edit | edit source]- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). Article continues on page 7.
Lua error in Module:Authority_control at line 153: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).