Beyond the veil, in the luminous chambers of the Etheric Temple, there exists a living assembly known as the Council of the Witch Elders. These are the awakened spirits of witches, mystics, saints, alchemists, metaphysicians, and philosophers whose earthly works helped shape the magical currents still pulsing through the world today. They now serve as ancestral guides and initiators to witches, magicians, and seekers on the path of the Hermetic Flame. This Council is not bound by one tradition, religion, or lineage. It is a living mystery school of the Otherworld, formed of souls who have mastered the path of occult wisdom across time, culture, and spiritual paradigm.  

Their Role as Ancestral Guides

Each Elder carries a ray of divine gnosis, offering mentorship to incarnate witches and magicians who are ready to receive it. Some arrive in dreams, others during rituals, meditations, or visionary states. Their teachings are passed through psychic impressions, symbolic messages, sudden downloads of insight, and direct initiation in the astral sanctum. Together, they weave the spiritual and magical education of the witch, guiding the soul through:  

• Hermetic Philosophy and Theurgy 
• Spellcraft and Practical Thaumaturgy 
• Alchemy and Inner Transmutation 
• Spirit Work and Mediumship 
• Sacred Geometry and Esoteric Science 
• Healing, Magnetism, and the Divine Mind 

Notable Elders of the Council

Isabel Gowdie – The ecstatic Scottish witch who shapeshifted in trance and spoke of faerie courts. She is a patron of psychic flight and wild ritual, teaching witches the art of communion with the spirits of nature and the Otherworld. Mother Shipton – The Yorkshire prophetess, guardian of timelines and fate. She helps witches see into the threads of destiny and rewrite their paths. 

Hypatia of Alexandria – Philosopher and Neoplatonist martyr, who holds the current of divine wisdom and sacred mathematics. She teaches the soul to think like the cosmos. 

St. Hildegard von Bingen – Visionary abbess and herbal magistra, keeper of angelic frequencies and divine healing chants. Her visions inspire divine feminine gnosis and green witchcraft. 

Aspasia of Miletus – Sacred courtesan and philosopher, who brings the art of divine rhetoric, erotic mysticism, and sovereign thought. 

Dion Fortune – Occult psychologist and Hermetic priestess, founder of the inner temples of psychic protection, ritual magic, and esoteric Christian mysticism. Sybil Leek – Outspoken witch of the 20th century, teacher of personal power, lunar spellcraft, and public witchcraft without shame. 

Miriam the Alchemist – The Jewish-Egyptian alchemist of legend, known as Mary the Prophetess. She holds the secrets of sacred vessels, spiritual chemistry, and the purification of the soul through the sacred fire. 

Margaret Murray – archaeologist and witch theorist who reconnected modern witches to their historical roots through the Witch-Cult Hypothesis. 

Pamela Colman Smith – illustrator and visionary behind the Rider-Waite tarot deck, guardian of symbolic dream-language and the fusion of art and magic.

 

Magical Saints

St. Cyprian of Antioch – Magician-saint and necromancer turned mystic, protector of magical workers. He teaches the balance of sorcery and sanctity.

St. Martha the Dominator – Worker of strong domination magic and spirit command, especially over serpentine forces. She teaches fearless interaction with the infernal and the divine. 

St. Expedite – The fast-acting spirit of miracles, uncrossing, and sudden breakthroughs. He teaches spell timing, urgency, and decisive will. 

Saint Martin of Tours – protector of the poor and traveling spirits, now a guide for wandering witches. 

Saints attuned to divine mysteries, healing, alchemy, and the path of inner transmutation. They serve as initiators in theurgy, sacred geometry, and divine union.  

Occult Philosophers and Magi

Henry Cornelius Agrippa – Master of the Three Books of Occult Philosophy, he offers deep training in ceremonial magic, planetary workings, and the structure of the divine world. 

Iamblichus and Plotinus – Neoplatonic theurgist who teaches union with the divine through sacred ritual and invocation of cosmic intelligences. 

John Dee and Edward Kelley – Enochian magicians, angelic scribes, and scryers of the Divine Mind. They teach communication with higher intelligences and the use of divine languages. 

Arthur Edward Waite – Keeper of Rosicrucian wisdom and tarot mysteries. He guides witches through the layered language of symbols and archetypes.

Nostradamus – Prophet and Hermetic seer, guardian of the time stream. He teaches astral travel, prophecy, and interpretation of symbolic language. 

St. Albertus Magnus – Philosopher, alchemist, and saint who bridges science and mysticism. He guides witches in crafting living philosophies based on divine laws.  

Modern Metaphysicians & Spirit Scientists

Franz Mesmer – Master of animal magnetism and vibrational healing. He teaches the witch to command subtle energy and influence reality through will. 

Phineas Quimby – Father of New Thought, he teaches the mental mechanics of manifestation and healing through belief and divine mind alignment.  

Emma Curtis Hopkins – “Teacher of Teachers,” a metaphysical mystic who taught that all is Divine Mind and that women are rightful channels of divine power. 

Florence Scovel Shinn – metaphysical author and spellcaster in disguise, whose affirmations are invocations and whose wisdom bridges word-magic and prosperity witchcraft. 

Genevieve Behrend – student of Thomas Troward and the only known female teacher of Mental Science, mastering creative visualization and divine causation. 

Ancient Philosophers and Trial Witches

Included in this sacred council are unnamed witches burned, drowned, and tortured for their craft, now risen in power as holy ancestors. Witches of the Pyrenees, cunning folk of Devonshire, shamans of Eastern Europe, and priestesses of forgotten temples. Their spirits rise not in vengeance but in restoration. Teaching modern witches to reclaim their legacy, walk unafraid, and wield power with wisdom.  

The Witch Elder Council is composed of both witches and wise souls from many walks of spiritual mastery, including:  

• Gnostic saints 
• Hermetic philosophers 
• Alchemical magicians 
• Folk conjure women 
• Visionary artists 
• Psychic healers 
• Prophets and mystics

Purpose of the Council

The Council of Witch Elders:  

• Initiates the witch into esoteric knowledge and spiritual maturity. 
• Teaches the Hermetic Arts: Theurgy, Alchemy, Astrology, Magic, and Philosophy. 
• Guides the unfolding of one’s True Will through divine union and practice. 
• Protects the magical path with ancestral guardianship and astral oversight. 
• Empowers witches to bring balance to light and shadow, mind and spirit, power and compassion. 

Meeting the Council

The Council may be accessed through:  

• Astral travel to the Etheric Temple of the Elders 
• Automatic writing and oracular mediumship 
• Ceremonial invocations and altar work 
• Dream work and altered states 
• Rituals calling upon the lineage of Witch-Blood and Hermetic Mind 

To work with the Council is to return to the Great School of the Soul. You are never alone in your path. The Elders watch. The Elders whisper. The flame you carry is their legacy. Passed from witch to witch, soul to soul, until the world is once again alive with magic.