Review: “High Priest: The Father of American Witchcraft” by Jason Mankey
By Manny Moreno | May 18, 2025
Writing the life story of a towering figure in modern Witchcraft is no small task — especially when that figure is as influential, complex, and occasionally controversial as Raymond Buckland. In High Priest: The Father of American Witchcraft, Jason Mankey rises to the challenge with grace, affection, and a historian’s eye for detail. The result is not only a tribute to Buckland’s life and legacy but also a significant contribution to the growing body of literature on Pagan history in the United States.
I attended Mankey’s presentation at ConVocation in February 2025, where he offered an engaging preview of the forthcoming book. Even from that early overview, it was clear that High Priest would be a significant and well-crafted addition to the growing body of Witchcraft history.
(for more information about the book please refer to the link below)
Mankey’s achievement lies in both what he says and how he says it. This is not a hagiography, nor is it an exposé. It is instead a well-researched, emotionally intelligent, and refreshingly readable biography that portrays Buckland as a man shaped by his times, his passions, and his imperfections. What emerges is a portrait of a Witch, yes — but also a performer, a father, a jazz lover, a car enthusiast, a seeker, and above all, a teacher.
I met Raymond Buckland in the mid-1980s, when his Complete Book of Witchcraft — widely known as “Uncle Bucky’s Big Blue Book” — had already cemented his reputation within the Craft. In person, Buckland was charismatic, welcoming, and far more approachable than one might expect of someone so central to American Witchcraft. As someone who was both in the Craft and fascinated by the Victorian Era, I found his blend of ritual seriousness and understated humor particularly striking. He didn’t posture. Instead, he offered an open, realistic view of Witchcraft — describing it to me as a path that “will test your patience, make people uneasy, but give you deeper insights into others and a profound connection with nature.”
That view — that Witchcraft is fundamentally a nature religion accessible to all and welcoming to all — is echoed throughout High Priest. Buckland described it as a faith that “can be traced back to Paleolithic times,” centered on the worship of a hunting god and, later, an agricultural goddess. He asserted that it “remains a pagan religion and it is a fertility cult; the life force is still worshipped.” That unapologetic framing, romanticized though it may be, helped define the way many American Witches came to understand their spirituality.
Buckland was progressive in his outlook, inspiring without ever making it about himself, and fully aware that influence is earned through action, not self-proclamation.
That balance — between understatement and historical significance — is something Mankey captures especially well in High Priest. One of the book’s most valuable contributions is how it sheds light on Buckland’s “lost years”: the period before his fame, when he was still just a young man in postwar Britain, immersed in theater, jazz, and military service, long before he became a household name in American Paganism. These early chapters show the scaffolding of a life — not just the moment of arrival — and Mankey puts in the work to piece together this lesser-known terrain, much of it drawn from Buckland’s unpublished memoir.
The memoir, long rumored but never released in full, serves as both a source and an emotional anchor for the biography. Mankey weaves in portions of it where appropriate, noting that Buckland was more interested in storytelling than strict chronology — and, at times, in polishing his own mythology. That honesty is part of what makes this book so compelling. Mankey doesn’t shy away from inconsistencies or moments when Buckland may have stretched the truth about his credentials or affiliations. Instead, he presents them with context and compassion, allowing readers to understand rather than judge.
Equally commendable is the book’s effort to place Buckland within the evolving landscape of Witchcraft. From his early days as a Gardnerian emissary to the U.S., to the creation of Seax-Wica, to his later involvement in Spiritualism and the founding of the Museum of Witchcraft and Magick, Buckland’s spiritual journey was dynamic and far-reaching. Mankey shows how Buckland’s thinking grew over time, revealing a man who was willing to evolve with the movement rather than cling rigidly to tradition or dogma.
The book also includes voices beyond the author’s, a move that deepens its impact. Scattered throughout are “Remembering Ray” reflections from friends, students, and fellow practitioners. These short tributes underscore a central theme: that Buckland’s most lasting legacy may not be any single ritual, but rather the thousands of people he helped to inspire, educate, and empower through the “Big Blue Book.”
The book is far from saccharine, however. Mankey does not shy away from pointing out embellishments, inconsistencies, or overreaches in Buckland’s career, particularly regarding his credentials, his claims of association with key figures, and his publishing choices. However, he consistently balances these critiques with empathy and historical perspective, portraying Buckland as a human being having mundane responsibilities while navigating a spiritual path and religious movement. Buckland was far from – nor does Mankey portray him as – a flawless icon. This thoughtful treatment enhances the biography’s credibility and ultimately deepens our understanding of Buckland’s complexity.
Without centralized institutions or figures of shared authority to maintain the narrative of Wicca, biographies like High Priest are invaluable. They not only preserve our history but also remind us of the very human individuals behind the books, rituals, and ideas we now consider foundational. Mankey’s work ensures that a new generation of Witches — especially those who never met Buckland or who only know his name from a book spine — can now encounter him in full.
Raymond Buckland often referred to himself as “just a Witch,” but his influence on American Paganism was anything but ordinary. Jason Mankey has done the Craft — and all of us who walk its many paths — a great service by telling Buckland’s story with both reverence and rigor. This is not just a biography. It’s an invitation to remember, reflect, and rediscover one of the people who helped shape the spiritual world many of us practice in today.
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