Jessie Wicker Bell
or Lady Sheba (July 18, 1920 – 2002) was a writer of the U.S.
Wiccan Celtic Tradition and founder of the ''American Order of the Brotherhood of the Wicca'' with the aim to unite all practitioners of
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 w ...
(covens, groups, traditions).
Born in
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
, Bell's family introduced her to their Celtic heritage; her grandmother told her stories about
leprechaun
A leprechaun ( ga, leipreachán/luchorpán) is a diminutive supernatural being in Irish folklore, classed by some as a type of solitary fairy. They are usually depicted as little bearded men, wearing a coat and hat, who partake in mischief. ...
s and
fairies. She claimed that her family had practiced witchcraft for 7 generations, and that she had led many previous lives. Her own grandmother introduced her to craft when she was just 6 years old and taught her the lore of the Irish Fairy Folk and the Spirit Guides of the Cherokee. She also claimed to have inherited psychic abilities and been granted the “Hand of Power”, which enabled her to protect others.
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. Many Wiccans objected to her use of the title.
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".
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Bibliography
* 1971 - The Book of Shadows (Llewellyn Publications)
* 1972 - The Grimoire of Lady Sheba (Llewellyn Publications)
References
Works cited
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheba, Lady
1920 births
2002 deaths
American Wiccans
Wiccan writers
Women religious writers
20th-century American women writers