Edward "Ed" Fitch (born April 29, 1937 in
Roxboro, North Carolina) is an occult author and a
High Priest
The term "high priest" usually refers either to an individual who holds the office of ruler-priest, or to one who is the head of a religious caste.
Ancient Egypt
In ancient Egypt, a high priest was the chief priest of any of the many gods rever ...
of the
Gardnerian Wicca
Gardnerian Wicca, or Gardnerian witchcraft, is a
tradition in the neopagan religion of Wicca, whose members can trace initiatory descent from Gerald Gardner. The tradition is itself named after Gardner (1884–1964), a British civil servant ...
tradition, and was a leading figure in the rise of contemporary
Wicca
Wicca () is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religion categorise it as both a new religious movement and as part of the occultist stream of Western esotericism. It was developed in England during the first half of the 20th century and was ...
and
Neo-Paganism in America. He presently lives in
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
.
Military service and education
Fitch was a graduate of
Virginia Military Institute
la, Consilio et Animis (on seal)
, mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal)
, established =
, type = Public senior military college
, accreditation = SACS
, endowment = $696.8 mill ...
, and a
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
commissioned officer, eventually retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He holds a master's degree in Systems Management from the
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
. His military service took him to
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
,
Viet Nam,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
, and several posts in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. After completing his three-year term of service, he returned to the US as a civilian, and took employment as a technical writer and electronics engineer in
Washington D.C. He returned to the Air Force in 1966 and remained in the service, working in missile design and deep-space planning studies until retiring.
Influence in Neo-Paganism
Fitch, who has also gone under the name "Ea", was initiated by
Raymond Buckland in 1967, while stationed in
Hanscom Air Force Base
Hanscom Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base located predominantly within Bedford, Massachusetts, with portions extending into the adjoining towns of Lincoln, Concord and Lexington. The facility is adjacent to Hanscom Field ...
in
. He is one of the creators (along with
Joseph Bearwalker Wilson
Joseph Bearwalker Wilson (1942–2004) was a shaman and witch, founder of the 1734 Tradition of witchcraft, the Toteg Tribe, Metista, and a founding member of the Covenant of the Goddess.
Wilson was born December 11, 1942 and raised just inside t ...
and Thomas Giles) of "The Pagan Way", an outer court Neo-Pagan tradition. He was one of the editors of ''The Waxing Moon'', a magazine founded by Joseph B. Wilson in 1964, and the first magazine devoted to Witchcraft in America (later renamed ''The Crystal Well''). In the mid 1970s, Fitch also helped to organize and chaired two Pagan Ecumenical Councils to establish the
Covenant of the Goddess (COG) as an international umbrella organization representing Pagans. Through the 1980s Fitch continued to perform as a Gardnerian High Priest, but his researches also led him to initiation in a number of other traditions and orders, including:
Faerie faith
Faerie Faith is a Neopagan tradition that branched off from the "Old Dianic" tradition (later renamed McFarland Dianic) through the work of Mark Roberts and his high priestess, Epona.
The Neopagan Faerie Faith founded by Roberts and Epona is ofte ...
, Mohsian, the Order of Osiris, the Order of the Temple of Astarte, Norse, and
Ceremonial magick
Ceremonial magic (ritual magic, high magic or learned magic) encompasses a wide variety of rituals of Magic (supernatural), magic. The works included are characterized by ceremony and numerous requisite accessories to aid the practitioner. I ...
.
Other activities
Besides being the author of several books on magic and Neo-Pagan topics, his employment over the years has included being a technical writer and electronics engineer in Washington D.C., working as a private detective, as a shopkeeper at
Disneyland
Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney in ...
, California, as an editor for a small publishing house, and as a trouble-shooter for the
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
(FAA) in Washington DC, before returning to the aerospace industry in California in 1997.
Bibliography
* ''Castle of Deception: A Novel of Sorcery and Swords and Other-Worldly Matters, With Seven Short Essays on the Reality of Matters Supernatural'' (1983) Llewellyn Publications
* ''A
Grimoire of Shadows: Witchcraft, Paganism, & Magick'' (2002) Llewellyn Publications
* ''Magical Rites from the Crystal Well'' (1984) Llewellyn Publications
* ''The Outer Court Book of Shadows''
* ''Rites of
Odin
Odin (; from non, Óðinn, ) is a widely revered Æsir, god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, v ...
'' (2002) Llewellyn Publications
* ''The Rituals of the Pagan Way: A Book of Pagan Rituals'' (with Joseph B. Wilson and Thomas Giles)
References
* Roberts, Susan (1971) ''Witches, U.S.A.'' Dell
*
Adler, Margot (1979) ''
Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today''. Beacon Press, 1979; revised and updated 1997. Penguin (Non-Classics)
*
Grimassi, Raven (2000) ''Encyclopedia of Wicca & Witchcraft''. Llewellyn Publications
*
Rosemary Ellen Guiley
Rosemary Ellen Guiley (July 8, 1950 - July 18, 2019) was an American writer on topics related to spirituality, the occult, and the paranormal. She was also a radio show host, a certified hypnotist, a board director of the "National Museum of M ...
(1989) ''The Encyclopedia of Witches & Witchcraft'' Facts on File
* Lewis, James & Shelley Rabinovitch (2003) ''The Encyclopedia of Modern Witchcraft & Neo-Paganism''. Citadel Press
External links
''Ed Fitch: Revealing the Craft'' by Sylvana SilverWitch*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitch, Ed
1937 births
Living people
American occult writers
American Wiccans
Wiccan writers
Wiccan priests