Glossary - exWitch Australia (formerly 'Born Again Pagan')

CARDELL, Charles

The English psychologist who headed a Wiccan Coven in Surrey and who achieved notoriety when he published, independently, an expose of the Book of Shadows of Gardnerian Wicca under the title Rex Nemorensis.

Cardell employed an agent, Olive Green, whose witch name was Florannis and who managed to infiltrate Gerald Gardner's circle of friends and was thus introduced to him. Gardner, it is alleged, became infatuated with her and Initiated her into Wicca. In consequence she obtained details of many ritual and initiatory procedures which she passed on to Cardell for publication. At the time a number of Gardner's associates attempted to repudiate the idea that Cardell had published authentic material.

Cardell's activities were, in turn, exposed by a reporter from the London Evening News.

PLEASE NOTE:
One of the major problems with 'defining' Paganism and/or its beliefs and practices is that it is an 'organic' movement, in that it is undergoing constant change and re-evaluation from within, and as such any 'one-size-fits-all' approach to understanding Paganism will be found wanting.

Due to the very 'organic' nature of Paganism, and the many differing Paths and Traditions within it, in many cases no one definition may be universally accepted by all Pagans. Therefore, where such cases of possible conflicting and/or contradictory meanings of certain terms occur I have endevoured to give not only the generally accepted meaning, but also any major 'variations' in belief and/or practice.

Christians who believe this difference in meaning of certain key terms, beliefs and practices to be unique to Paganism need to remember that such conflicts also arise within the Body of Christ - the Church. Take for instance the differing practices amongst Christians concerning Baptism and the different attitudes towards women in the clergy.

- Jean-Luc