Witchvox Article

Author: SoulFire [a WitchVox Sponsor]
Posted: September 21st. 2001
Times Viewed: 22,195

Priest Victor H. Anderson was born May 21, 1917 to parents Hilbert and Frances in Clayton, New Mexico. He was delivered by his father on their ranch. After several years of meeting on the astral plane, Victor met his wife, Cora, in person in Bend, Oregon in 1944. Recognizing each other immediately, they married three days later on May 3rd.

Victor was an accomplished poet and the author of Thorns of the Blood Rose, the classic book of Goddess poetry and liturgy first published in 1970, as well as numerous articles on the Feri (Faery) Tradition and Huna. In 1975, he won the Clover International Poetry Competition Award. He was a contributor to Witch Eye, Green Egg and Nemeton magazines.

Victor and Cora are well known as the Grand Masters of the Feri Faith of the Old Religion. Victor was one of the last Kahuna and a Bokor. An extraordinary shaman and priest, he was a member of the Harpy Coven in the 1930s in southern Oregon. Victor and Cora initiated some of the most influential voices in contemporary Paganism, including Starhawk and the late Gwydion Pendderwen.

An accident during childhood left Victor almost totally without sight. As a result, he attended a school for the blind in Oregon. Largely self-educated, Victor had a profound love of physics, chemistry, literature and world spiritual traditions. He was an avid reader, storyteller and brilliant linguist who spoke numerous languages, among them Hawaiian, Spanish, Creole, Greek, Italian, Gaelic and Dahomean.

He was gifted with a beautiful voice, loved to sing and was adept on the drum. Victor earned his livelihood as a musician, playing the accordion at public and private dances. He was a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Alameda Lodge for 40 years.

Victor crossed over on September 20 in his home. His passing was swift and painless, as was his wish. He will be sorely missed by his beloved wife of 57 years, Cora Ann; his son, Victor Elon; daughter-in-law, Lois Diane; grandchildren: Victoria, Nathan and Elon Thomas; adopted grandchildren: Lori, Jared and Jason; several great-grandchildren; and the members of his coven, Nostos (aka Blue Circle).

The family would like to thank all those who have sent prayers and flowers. Special thanks to Max for arranging the bagpiper at Victor's memorial service. This could not have been done without the hard work of many folks.

The Witchvox Staff offers our sincerest regrets to the family, friends and countless Pagans whose lives have been touched by Victor. If YOU have hear of any other info on Victors passing kindly email us so that we can share it with all.

Eulogy for Victor H. Anderson
by Starhawk
Sunday, September 23, 2001

I just received news of Victor Anderson's death, and my heart is full of sorrow, with love and sympathy for Cora and their son and for all who know and have been touched by Victor.

Victor was one of my first teachers in the Craft. I will always be grateful for the worlds he opened up for me.

Visiting Victor and Cora meant stepping into a magical realm hidden behind the fa�ade of an ordinary suburban house. Victor would sit in his rocking chair; I'd ask questions, and he would roam the galaxies in his answers. Cora would chime in with warmth, wisdom and common sense. And then we might go do magic...

Victor was never about sweetness and light. He was fierce, passionate, powerful, real. An inspired poet, he was a brilliant creator of myth and liturgy. He was allied spiritually with all the indigenous traditions of the planet; a true shaman. We didn't always agree on many matters; but I always felt Victor respected someone who would argue with him, and enjoyed it. I hope he also felt the honor and respect, and deep love, I hold for him and for Cora.

I can't help but think there is a reason he chose to cross over so suddenly just in this moment of so much collective death and pain. I believe he was called to work for us as an ancestor and a Guardian of the Craft.

My heart goes out to Cora and all of Victor's family, students and friends. I'm so sorry that I can't be with you at his memorial tomorrow, but I'm on the East Coast and just got this word and it's not possible. But my heart and thoughts and love are with you.

Weaver, weaver, weave his thread,
Whole and strong into your web,
Healer, healer heal our pain,
In love may he return again.

Starhawk

Eulogy for Victor H. Anderson
given by his son, Victor E. Anderson
Monday, September 24, 2001
Chapel of the Chimes, Hayward, California

Friends, brothers, and sisters, we are here to honor a man of respect, a father, a husband, a scientist, a musician, a singer, a poet, and above all a priest. All of these things and more. Victor Henry Anderson, my father, learned his craft well. He polished and worked it every day until like the full moon, it shone in all its glory. As a true son of the Goddess, he studied and taught many of us. He was a wise counselor, a healer, a true friend in time of need.

The cherry blossom falls into the still pond. It ripples spread and are felt by all. So too with my father's teachings. The people he taught and the things they learned have done much to influence and spread Pagan traditions throughout these United States and beyond. This is our heritage.

Remember the Blue Warrior. His was a will of iron. General Chamberlain, medal of honor winner at Gettysburg, was said to have the heart of a lion and soul of a woman. Victor Anderson has these qualities. His craft, the Faerie Tradition, is about many things. It is about the essence of being a warrior. Like the Kodokan Judo, I so love, Faerie also has much to do with the polishing and perfecting of character. Father told me many times, "Anything worth having is dangerous." In the white hot heat of battle, you must learn to live and die with true honor. The study of religion is no less a dangerous enterprise. You must learn to perfect your character so that you are worthy of your knowledge and skills, so that your relationship with God can be a pure and honest one. My father also taught me about getting to the heart of the matter. We must learn to have purity of purpose, to know the central core of what we are about.

And so, we celebrate this day the life of a priest. One who dedicated his life to the old gods, one who looked to the Great Mother. He honored Her consort, and Her son - the Sacred King, and celebrated the Mother of us all. The Word was given. Holy union was consecrated. By Her triple will there was light and the universe was born from the great egg. From this stardust we were born. Man and woman, we were made in God's image. As my father said, we are the product of a loving god.

Father you have honored us with your presence. So we honor and celebrate your life. Brothers and sisters this was indeed a priest, a man of rare worth. Cherish the memory of Victor Henry Anderson.

The family and coven Nostos would like to thank all those who have sent prayers and flowers. Special thanks to Max for arranging the bagpiper at Victor's memorial service. This could not have been done without the hard work of many folks. If you would like to send cards or donations to Cora, they will be graciously accepted. Please contact Tombo Studio for the mailing address. Blessed be!

Eulogy for Victor H. Anderson
given by Cornelia Benavidez
Monday, September 24, 2001
Chapel of the Chimes, Hayward, California

One timid phone call twenty years ago opened the door to a great treasure. A treasure filled with the silvered bells of music, the jewels of knowledge, the gold of science and magic, and the pearls of wisdom. That warm, strong, and resonant voice that answered my call was not only a pleasure to hear but, to my awa, really knew what he was talking about. I, the grateful fish, prayed to be reeled in.

A part of that first conversation, oh so long ago, was about the history of humankind. "How long, " he asked me, " do you think mankind, in various forms, has roamed the earth?"

"Science says about 1.6 million years, but I think it may be a bit older myself, " answered I.

"Well, I'll make you a bet that in the course of my lifetime that they will get it just about right, " he twinkled with a rascally grin.

Twenty years later, two days before he died, I am reading to him out of Discovery magazine about the latest human fossil find in the heart of mother Africa. He snapped to attention. "How old? How old did you say?"

"5.6 million years, Victor, " I answered.

He started to chuckle, "Must be getting time to go. They almost got it right."

How can one express in words the poetry of such a man and his life?

Cornelia Benavidez

From K.C. Anton: "With great sadness and feeling I pass onto you the news that Grand Master of the Feri Tradition, Victor Anderson, passed away on September 20th at approximately 2:20 p.m., after a number of attempts to revive him en route to the hospital after an initial collapse. Cause is still unknown.

Our thoughts and love are with Victor as he travels the paths to the Apple Land. Just as prayers and thoughts are with Cora at this time of loss. Blessings to his House, his coven family and students.

The blessings of this poet and shaman will be on my heart, my mind, and my lips during this time of harvest celebration. May he share his path with others in the next life as he did in this one."

Testimonial
given by M. Macha Nightmare
Monday, September 24, 2001

Chapel of the Chimes, Hayward, California

The testimony I chose to share at Victor's memorial was the observation of Penny Novack, a witchen friend in New England. Penny is a woman of many years practice of the Craft in various places on the East Coast. When she read my e-mail advising her of Victor's passing, she responded:

"Victor has been on my mind since last Wednesday night when, at a class Mary Colleen is running, we ended up speaking of Victor and Cora and Victor's book, Thorns of The Blood Rose. At the time he died, I was frantically ransacking our shelves looking for my copy. It gave the announcement of his death a dream-like quality.

". . . with all that she's [Cora] done over the years to maintain Victor's ability to exist, she deserves kudos and love and comfort. . . . I would like to tell her of my admiration for her and my sympathies that the old poet and mystic has died. Victor may be even more influential in the Witch and Pagan movement than Gardner when the long run becomes the paths of future social reality. He wrote very little, but his students have burst upon the scene over and over with the most creative and forceful visions of any set of trainees I have ever seen.

"Either more creative, dynamic and intelligent people were attracted to him, or he truly was exceptional. And Cora was the Muse and linchpin which allowed that stage to be set and kept on track. She must be someone I could admire a lot. . . ."

I had never considered what Penny posits, and I think it's a fascinating observation.

In love may he return again.

Blessings,

M. Macha Nightmare

A BELATED VOICE
by Penny Novack
10/23/01

I can't adequately explain the intricacy of the connections in our lives created by the influence of Victor and Cora Anderson. To us, our beloved copy of his book of poetry and the songs which were his from Gwydion's first album tied together a sense that our commitment to a future, national Pagan community could happen. If there is poetry and art then there is culture. And where there is culture, community has an anchor in the future. For years, the little I knew of these two was enough to be one of my hopes and mainstays, along with Gwydion's album.

In the late sixties and seventies, these were the basis of much of what our children understood about the Old Religion though they were too shy to ask about the meaning of "Song to Mari". Our grandchildren sing Gwydion's songs. These are our history, but what we did not know was that much else which is our history and our culture flowed out from the work of Victor and Cora Anderson. In teaching, they created a huge pool of talented, intelligent Witches and Pagans whose huge body of work has deeply influenced the entire nation. Within this dynamic fountain of creative force which has fed and lifted the psyche of the those whose lives paths followed the Old Religion, were all the arts plus philosophy and healing.

No other single source in this country has had the tremendous impact of Victor and Cora Anderson if only by the teaching and vision they must have given their students. And while we, who were a continent away, have been sustained and validated by this living treasure, I don't believe many are aware of the connections or how much gratitude we all owe.

May She whose Arms held Victor Anderson's passionate soul in life, lift him again -- into Her glorious Dance. We have been blessed.

Penny Novack

Footnotes:
To learn more about Victor and Cora Anderson and the Feri (Faery) Tradition, see The Feri Tradition at the Witches' Voice, Lilith's Lantern, The White Wand, and Witch Eye magazine.

Copyright: Copyright � 2001 Soul Fire. This text file may be freely distributed so long as no editing is done, credit is given, and everything in this notice is included.

Article Specs

Article ID: 3624

VoxAcct: 208675

Section: passages

Age Group: Adult

Days Up: 2,986

Times Read: 22,195

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