Press Release

On Friday 21^st June 2013, Brighton will host a historic event as a Blue Plaque is unveiled to commemorate ‘the mother of modern witchcraft’, Doreen Valiente.

Valiente (1922-1999) was a writer and poet, but better known for her contributions to modern Paganism - widely accepted as being key to the growth of the movement worldwide. Much of her work was done in a modest flat in Tyson Place, where she lived for over thirty years until her death in 1999.

This is the first time such a plaque has ever been awarded to a Pagan for service to their beliefs.

At midday on the Summer Solstice, supporters and guests will meet at Brighton’s Old Steine for an open ritual celebrating both the solstice and the life of Valiente. The Pentacle Drummers will then lead a procession to Tyson Place, where there will be live music from Beck Sian and Paul Mitchell, and dancing by the Hunter’s Moon Morris and Nina McGhee.

At 2.30pm the plaque will be unveiled by a special guest, and more music and dance will follow. Later, participants may proceed to the Green Door Store, where Greenmantle, a Brighton-based Pagan magazine, will host a ticketed (£5.00) event to celebrate both the plaque and its own 20^th anniversary. Music will be provided by singer-songwriters Talis Kimberley and Matthew Callow, .

The Doreen Valiente Foundation, a charitable organisation, has arranged for the plaque and celebration in collaboration with Brighton & Hove City Council and the residents of Tyson Place. The Foundation represents the aim of John Belham-Payne, to whom Valiente bequeathed her writings and extensive collection of Pagan artefacts and tools, to celebrate her life and create a lasting legacy to her work. The second part of this legacy is planned to be the opening of a museum, together with BHCC, to display her fascinating collection and to house the Centre for Pagan Studies, a unique centre for education in the fields of Witchcraft and Paganism.

For further details contact:

foundation@doreenvaliente.org (The Doreen Valiente Foundation)

uther8@hotmail.com (Greenmantle Editor)
Websites: - 
Doreen Valiente Foundation     http://doreenvaliente.org
Greenmantle                            http://www.greenmantle.org.uk/ 
Centre For Pagan Studies       http://centre-for-pagan-studies.com

We are very pleased to announce that our trustees have been hard at work researching the archives of Doreen's written material to collect together her poetry. The first printing of "Charge Of The Goddess" contained a selection of her poems we have attempted to do a thorough job of researching the material and have been astonished at her prolific output of poems. A new extended edition will be published in mid 2013 which will contain twice as many poems as the first, lots of previously unpublished material, some new images and several of Doreen's short stories. Watch this space for more news as we have it . . .

Midsummers Day Event in Brighton 2013

Midsummer 2013 is going to be quite a day in Brighton United Kingdom. We have organised a day's programme packed with activity, of course including the special event unveiling of the commemorative plaque to Doreen Valiente. All of this is free all you have to do is get to Brighton for the Merry Meet at 12 midday. All the information is on the map below and you can download the flyer for the event too. In the evening we are helping to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Greenmantle Magazine, in Brighton which will start at around 7pm. Tickets are 5 Pounds each and they are limited to 200. To ensure your place please purchase them from the Greenmantle website which is http://greenmantle.org.uk Please download the flyer for the day here