John Sulak

Oberon and Morning Glory are/were central figures in the rise of modern Paganism and this is an interesting tale of their lives. While they accomplished much, their path also illustrates some of the failings of the movement. Lack of business sense is an important one--it is ironic that writing was originally developed for bookkeeping, how many jars of oil or bags of wheat the temple had, who had donated and who had not, etc. Yet some writers and other creative souls seem unable to master this important art. It is also ironic that people who can get messages from the gods and the plants and animals around them are sometimes deaf to the communications from their fellow humans. Well, as the Grateful Dead put it, "What a long strange trip it's been" and anyone interested in the history of Paganism, the history of the modern polyamory movement or a number of other topics may wish to read this book. Like paradoxosalpha, who has also written a review, I knew many of the people involved, including Gwydion Pendderwen, Alison Harlow, and the Zells; and attended many events at Greenfield Ranch. My oldest daughter got to meet one of the unicorns one Christmas vacation before they joined the circus, but was told by her teacher that there are no such things. When Ringling Brothers came to town I took great pleasure in clipping the announcement from the local paper and sending the photo of Lancelot to school with her.… (mais)

The Wizard & the Witch is a dual biography of Oberon and Morning Glory Zell, constructed as an oral history. John C. Sulak interviewed over fifty different people in order to assemble the firsthand accounts that make up the body of the book. Although most were almost certainly interviewed separately, the editorial process has set them into dialogue with each other as Sulak works through chronological and topical segments of the book. With one conspicuous holdout, he was able to garner input from a great range of family members, lovers, and creative collaborators. Not all of the accounts are complimentary, but all have the ring of sincerity.

The earliest sections reach back into the childhoods of the two subjects, and the story is told up to 2009. It traces the religious vocations of the Zells and the vicissitudes of the Church of All Worlds of which Oberon was a founder, and with which they are identified. Although first developed as a science-fiction-inspired "grok flock," CAW became a vanguard of public-facing neopaganism in the United States. Oberon later gained some notoriety for his cryptozoological efforts concerning unicorns and mermaids, and these are treated here also. Morning Glory Zell is commonly credited with coining the word polyamory, and the book provides ample detail on the Zells' unconventional sexual ethics, their amorous involvements, and the developments of their various households.

I was a personal acquaintance of at least one person named here, and I can recall having attended a modest-sized pagan festival in central Texas where Morning Glory was present, so I understand myself to be two degrees of separation at most from the people in this book. Although I am a generation younger than the Zells, I found it easy to appreciate their life experiences by relating my own to some of the accounts given here. Certainly, many readers might consider this story to be an exotic one, but the motives, ideals, and foibles characteristic of the people involved are ones that I recognize, and in most instances, respect. The book is an enjoyable read, and even for those who may understand themselves to have less of a personal interest in the events and persons described, it vividly recounts a valuable perspective on the development of new religious expressions in twentieth-century America.… (mais)