Maxine Sanders Interviewed by John Wisniewski

John Wisniewski is our newest Greylodge/Alterati correspondent. Welcome John! John’s articles will be archived here.
John says of himself:I am a freelance writer and occultist who writes about film, music and occult subjects. This is my first article for Occult Grey Lodge.I reside in New York City.

Interview for the Grey Lodge Occult Review

Maxine Sanders

1. Could you tell us about your book “Fire Child“?

A rather flimsy autobiography in paperback ‘Maxine the Witch Queen’ had been ghost written by a man called Wally Clapham in the seventies. It was 1993, when I first attempted writing my autobiography; the working title was ‘Dancing with Destiny’. My life was at particularly low ebb, and not being a natural writer made the project a miserable chore although, it was a rather soul cleansing exercise. After a few badly written chapters, the manuscript was cast aside and forgotten, until thirteen years later.

In 2006 after a short stay in America, I felt it important to write about my experiences. The American Witches impressed and inspired me with their sincerity, enthusiasm, and desire to know how it was in the early days. I felt a sincere obligation to inform them of those beginnings that contributed to the availability of the Craft to-day.

On re-reading the original manuscript, oh dear, it really was rubbish! It became a compulsion to write the book; it was so easy, perhaps because my life style had changed dramatically. I had moved from the centre of London to a stone cottage in the Snowdonia National Park. I no longer ran a training coven nor did I have the teaching responsibility that had been my life for so many years. I was learning to work the magic’s without the support of being a member of a group; this new experience somehow gave me contentment and I suspect a strength that had never before been part of my being.

Reference to years of magical diaries and journals enabled me to write ‘Fire Child’ quite quickly. However, Magical discipline is almost rhythmic in its constancy and cyclic nature; I was terribly aware this was an autobiography and not a work of teaching and so concentrated on the adventure of the magical life rather than the minutiae of magical discipline. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing process that demanded a discipline not dissimilar to that of the magician. Mind you, I found the editing a seemingly endless problem; the publisher, Mogg Morgan, had a couple of strong conversations with me regarding my leaning towards extremely long sentences and very few comma’s etc.

On reading the manuscript, Mogg thought many of the magical ordeals in my life involved the element of fire, hence the new title ‘Fire Child’.

‘Fire Child’ had its book launch in November 2007. By the amount of emails that arrive daily, mostly complimentary, the book must be selling well.

2. When did you meet Alex Sanders?

Alex was a friend of the family for several years before I was born in1946. My mother and Alex were great friends. they worked together in a pharmaceutical company where they met before my mother married. My father, who was a bully and an atheist, disliked Alex; he was probably jealous of their philosophical conversations and sincere friendship; he called Alex ‘that bloody pansy’. When I was about three year’s old, Alex and my mother lost contact until I was fourteen when he came to one of mother’s soirees.

3. What was he like as a person?

People thought Alex was deep; he was not. Alex was of the moment, a typical mercurial Gemini whose greatest gift was the ability to teach awareness of magic. Alex was a pleasure to be with; a marvellous cook who loved entertaining. There was a trusting naivety about him, which was often taken advantage of by the ‘bandwagon jumpers’. He was a magical man, generous, kind, intelligent, spiritually aware, ruthless, egotistical, mischievous, extremely psychic and brilliantly funny.

4. Had you studied or had an interest in witchcraft prior to meeting Alex Sanders?

Initiation into the Egyptian mysteries, study of Gurdjieff teachings and movements, experiencing the Subud Latihan, meditation, attending Roman Catholic rituals, Mass and particularly Benediction were all part of my life when I met Alex at Mother’s soiree. I had not thought of Witchcraft as a spiritual path and was appalled by the thought of a Witch coming to tea.

5. Did the nude cover of Coven magazine shock the public when the magazine appeared? How did that cover photo come about?

I do not remember which is not surprising.

In the sixties and early seventies, there were hundreds of articles and photographs of our Coven published in newspapers and magazines all over the world. Numerous documentaries and films were on the television and cinema screens portraying our coven working Witchcraft.

To put the ‘nudity’ into context, Witches practice certain of their rites naked and some robed. It was logical to show the Craft workings as close to the real thing as possible, although I do not think any photograph or film can truly portray magical workings. We posed both robed and naked. As we were a particularly good-looking coven, it is no surprise that the media chose to emphasise the nudity and cash in on the titivation factor.

6. Could you name anyone in the entertainment industry who sought counsel with Alex Sanders and yourself?

Various people sought our advice. There were the rich and the famous although the poor and ill were equally apparent and in need of our help. Most Witches consider their magical work sacrosanct; this also includes the identity of those who consult them. I wonder to what avail the telling of this information could possibly accomplish. I can tell you that most who consulted us wanted an improvement in their circumstance.

7. Could you tell us why novices become interested in studying witchcraft or practicing witchcraft?

This is an impossible question to answer! I do not know why one man chooses Atheism, or another, Theism. However, the Art Magical is fascinating.

8. What do you say to those who are beginning their study of witchcraft?

These days I rarely meet the neophytes of the Craft. I live in Snowdonia where I practice the magic’s of the mountains, streams and rivers; I work alone, although occasionally I do celebrate the rites of Witchcraft with the Elders of the Craft.

Witchcraft has evolved in its workings and availability; it is comparatively easy to find Pagan groups, which can lead to the introduction to a Coven.

The training of the Initiate is considerably kinder and gentle in comparison to forty five years ago; this is not a bad thing. However, Initiation into the Mysteries is still a quest of the soul that should be undertaken with absolute care, ‘Once a Witch always a Witch’.

9. Any interesting stories that you could tell us about the power of witchcraft?

Witchcraft is a religion; through the ritual worship of the God and Goddess, we raise power, which is offered as a sacrifice to the Gods. When there is an act of magic performed by the Witch, we use that power to cause an effect. The new Initiate has to learn the rites and magical techniques of Witchcraft; this takes time.

When the new Witch first witnesses a successful magical working, it is always a shock combined with a sense of elation and a little disbelief. This makes the young Witch prey to the temptation of working magic rather than allowing Mother Nature and Universal law to unravel the more common human problems. Magic is in danger of becoming mundane by constant workings, explanation and exposure.

The older the Witch the less likely we are to work a magic. We tend to revel in the sheer joy of the moment particularly the powerful magical moment. We also endeavour to keep the magic secret thereby keeping it sacred.