Herman Slater
. (1935-1992)
. (1935-1992)
Herman Slater (also known as "horrible Herman") and Ed Buczynski
founded the legendary Warlock Shoppe, a small occult emporium on Henry
St. in Brooklyn, just off Atlantic Ave., back in the early 1970s. They sold
herbs, candles and oils, and a modest selection of books. The Warlock
Shop was just a hole in the wall, but despite its humble appearance, it was a
true cash cow. In 1976, the duo moved the store to Manhattan where it was
reborn as the world-famous Magickal Childe.
At the Magickal Childe, there was enough space to dramatically increase the
merchandise offered, and since Herman had the cash and the connections,
the new store became, in effect, the one-stop-shop for any and all conjuring
needs. In addition to herbs, oils, candles, books, robes, swords and other
accouterments of the Art, one could find human skulls, dried bats,
mummified cat's paws and a wide variety of unusual jewelry. A room in the
back of the store served as a temple and classroom for the various strains
of Wicca that began to gravitate to the place. That temple also served as
the launching pad for the explosive growth of Aleister Crowley's Ordo Templi
Orientis (OTO) in the city in the late 70s and early 80s.
founded the legendary Warlock Shoppe, a small occult emporium on Henry
St. in Brooklyn, just off Atlantic Ave., back in the early 1970s. They sold
herbs, candles and oils, and a modest selection of books. The Warlock
Shop was just a hole in the wall, but despite its humble appearance, it was a
true cash cow. In 1976, the duo moved the store to Manhattan where it was
reborn as the world-famous Magickal Childe.
At the Magickal Childe, there was enough space to dramatically increase the
merchandise offered, and since Herman had the cash and the connections,
the new store became, in effect, the one-stop-shop for any and all conjuring
needs. In addition to herbs, oils, candles, books, robes, swords and other
accouterments of the Art, one could find human skulls, dried bats,
mummified cat's paws and a wide variety of unusual jewelry. A room in the
back of the store served as a temple and classroom for the various strains
of Wicca that began to gravitate to the place. That temple also served as
the launching pad for the explosive growth of Aleister Crowley's Ordo Templi
Orientis (OTO) in the city in the late 70s and early 80s.
Herman (Lord Govannon) and Ed (Lord Gwyddion ) published a paper called Earth Religion News. Herman also
hosted a weekly cable television show. Herman was part wizard extraordinaire and part showman. He was once
thrown off the set of a major network when he gave them an award for inaccurate depiction of occultism. In 1975
he held the first Samhain street fair in New York City. 19th St. between 5th and 6th Ave was closed off in front of
the Shoppe.
Herman was controversial and a notorious prankster. He "discovered" the famous terrible manuscript
Necronomicon (a literary prop, made up and first mentioned in a book by H.P. Lovecraft) when a "mysterious
monk" named Simon delivered the manuscript to his store. A lot of people believed this to be the actual
Necronomicon, although it is now widely believed to have been made up by Herman and several others.
The New York Welsh Tradition was originally founded by Ed Buczynski with the help of Herman Slater. It is derived
from The Celtic Tradition as taught by the late Gwen Thompson. Herman was known worldwide and is mostly
responsible for popularizing the Wiccan tradition - previously known only throughout England - in the United
States. He was editor of more than ten Magick reference books including The Hoodoo Bible, The Witch's
Formulary and Spellbook, and published A Book of Pagan Rituals (a collection of rituals that had been written
during the early 1970s for the Temple of the Pagan Way in Chicago. The original material bore no credits as to
who wrote them so many years later Herman plagiarized them, he did recant his plagiarism shortly before he died.
The original authors were Ed Fitch, Joseph B. Wilson, John Hansen, Tony Kelly and Herman Enderle.)
On July 9, 1992, Herman lost his battle against AIDS. His death was a loss to the magickal community. The
Magickal Childe closed for good early in 1999.
hosted a weekly cable television show. Herman was part wizard extraordinaire and part showman. He was once
thrown off the set of a major network when he gave them an award for inaccurate depiction of occultism. In 1975
he held the first Samhain street fair in New York City. 19th St. between 5th and 6th Ave was closed off in front of
the Shoppe.
Herman was controversial and a notorious prankster. He "discovered" the famous terrible manuscript
Necronomicon (a literary prop, made up and first mentioned in a book by H.P. Lovecraft) when a "mysterious
monk" named Simon delivered the manuscript to his store. A lot of people believed this to be the actual
Necronomicon, although it is now widely believed to have been made up by Herman and several others.
The New York Welsh Tradition was originally founded by Ed Buczynski with the help of Herman Slater. It is derived
from The Celtic Tradition as taught by the late Gwen Thompson. Herman was known worldwide and is mostly
responsible for popularizing the Wiccan tradition - previously known only throughout England - in the United
States. He was editor of more than ten Magick reference books including The Hoodoo Bible, The Witch's
Formulary and Spellbook, and published A Book of Pagan Rituals (a collection of rituals that had been written
during the early 1970s for the Temple of the Pagan Way in Chicago. The original material bore no credits as to
who wrote them so many years later Herman plagiarized them, he did recant his plagiarism shortly before he died.
The original authors were Ed Fitch, Joseph B. Wilson, John Hansen, Tony Kelly and Herman Enderle.)
On July 9, 1992, Herman lost his battle against AIDS. His death was a loss to the magickal community. The
Magickal Childe closed for good early in 1999.
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