Inner Circle Sanctuary
  • Home
  • About Us
    • VENERATION
  • Wicca Classes
    • 1st Degree Classes
    • 2nd Degree Classes
  • News
  • Contact

News, Updates, & Information

Happy Birthday to Robert Cochrane

1/26/2020

 
Picture
Happy Birthday to Robert Cochrane, founder of the Clan of Tubal Cain and the Cochrane Craft tradition.

Robert Cochrane was born as Roy Bowers on January 26, 1931 in West London to a family of eight children. He led a controversial life and even his death in 1966 is surrounded by controversy.

Picture
Not much is known about his early life because a lot of it cannot be proven. He claimed to have grown-up in the slums, but his family says they grew up in a middle-class neighborhood. He also claimed his family were witches from an ancient cult dating back two centuries, but his family insists they come from a Methodist background. However, as the Clan of Tubal Cain says, “These highly irrelevant questions become purely academic when we consider that any magickal system stands or falls on its intrinsic ability to produce results. The energy, virtue and exultation experienced during ritual are the only testimonies to authenticity you need.”

Cochrane became interested in the occult at an early age when he attended a lecture by the Society for Psychical Research
https://www.spr.ac.uk/
He formed his first coven shortly after attending the lecture, but it soon fell apart.

In the 1960s, he formed another coven and ran advertisements for membership in the Manchester Guardian.  This group’s working became this basis of his Clan of Tubal Cain. His coven was based on mysticism and philosophy rather than a hard set of rules. He believed that the pursuit of knowledge was the purpose of life and the purpose of any religion. Their teachings were revealed through poetry and riddles, rather than facts and dogma. Their rituals were visions meant to help them understand Truth. Cochrane believed Truth was the Ultimate Godhead behind the faces of God and Goddess.

Picture
Gardner and Cochrane were contemporaries, but they were not friends. Cochrane disliked Gardner and his strict adherence to written rules and coven workings. Cochrane is the man who coined the phrase “Gardnerian” as an insult.  He believed Gardner was a con man and publicity seeker and that his followers were no better.

Doreen Valiente was initiated into Cochrane’s coven after the two met in 1964. By this time she had already left Gardner’s coven, and remarked that there were things she liked better that what Gardner did, mainly the open worship of nature. Cochrane was not looking for publicity with his tradition of witchcraft, and Valiente admired this.

Over the years, Cochrane had been corresponding with several Pagans, other authors and even Witches in America. The American Joseph Bearwalker Wilson took Cochrane’s teachings and mingled them with his own tradition to form the 1734 Tradition. Evan John Jones, a member of the Clan of Tubal Cain, took over the role of Magister after Cochrane's death, keeping the Clan of Tubal Cain alive for over thirty years, and wrote several articles and books about Cochrane's Tradition later in life. He then passed its leadership to Shani Oates, who leads it as Maid to this day.

Robert Cochrane died in 1966 from ingesting Belladonna and other poisonous herbs. According to Doreen Valiente (a one time member of his Clan) in a letter he sent to her he wrote that by the time she read it, he would be dead. Some believed it was a ritual suicide where he chose to become the sacrificed god of Midsummer. Some believed it was an accidental death that happened because of his experiment with vision-inducing herbs.

Despite the controversy surrounding Cochrane, he was still an influential man in the early stages of Wicca and the witchcraft movement of the 50s and 60s. Valiente describes him as a remarkable man with a magical power about him. “He may have been devious; but he was no charlatan.” Cochrane’s belief in practicing witchcraft and Wicca in a free-flowing manner inspired people to break free from the rigid confines of the Gardnerian tradition. This emphasis on the mystical search for gnosis rather than strict ritual liturgy made Cochrane one of the most influential rivals to Gardner’s Wicca and helped create an expanding legacy that is still going strong to this day.

For more info on the Clan of Tubal Cain, please visit their website:
http://www.clanoftubalcain.org.uk/

Info on the 1734 Tradition:
http://www.1734-witchcraft.org/

Picture
Follow Inner Circle Sanctuary on 
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, & YouTube.


​If you are interested in learning more about us,
​please don't hesitate to Contact Us.
​

If you are interested in Joining our classes,
please start with our questionnaire here.

Comments are closed.

    RSS Feed


    Inner Circle Sanctuary

    Inner Circle Sanctuary is a school for traditional style Wicca and holds eight sabbat festivals every year.



    Picture
    SEE OUR LATEST NEWSLETTER OFFERING HERE!

    Subscribe to Newsletter

    Categories

    All
    2021
    2022
    2023
    2024
    2025
    Aleister Crowley
    Alexandrite
    Alex Sanders
    Altar
    Amethyst
    Ancestors
    Apotheosis
    Asters
    Astrology
    Athame
    Audio
    August
    Aurum Solis
    Author
    Autumn Equinox
    Bacchus
    Bealtaine
    Bell Book And Candle
    Beltane
    Birthday
    Birthstone
    Book Of Shadows
    Book Review
    Books
    Bread
    Brighid's Cross
    Calendar
    Calendula
    Cancer
    Candace Ross
    Candle Magic
    Candlemas
    Censer
    Chalice
    Charity
    Charles Godfrey Leland
    Christmas
    Classes
    Cleansing
    Corn Dollies
    Coven
    Covid 19
    Covid-19
    Crafting
    Crystals
    Cup
    Days Of The Week
    Demeter
    Dionysus
    Divination
    Dorothy Eady
    Ed Fitch
    Egyptian
    Equilux
    Equinox
    Erin Lale
    Esbat
    Event
    Events
    Familiars
    February
    Fertility
    Fiction
    Flowers
    Forget-Me-Nots
    Founder
    Full Moon
    Gatekeeping
    Gemini
    Gems
    George Pickingill
    Gerald Gardner
    Gnosis
    God
    Goddess
    Golden Dawn
    Graphology
    Halloween
    Harmony Nice
    Heathen
    High Priestess
    History
    Honeysuckle
    House Plants
    Imbolc
    Imbolg
    Incense
    Indoor Plants
    Inner Circle Sanctuary
    Interview
    Israel Regardie
    Janet Farrar
    John Dee
    July
    June
    Juno
    Kemetism
    Kitchen Witch
    Lady Anwyn
    Lady Bhen Rudha
    Lady Joyanna
    Lady Morgana
    Lady Sheba
    Lady Sistterwolf
    Lammas
    Larkspur
    Las Vegas
    Las Vegas Thelemic Community
    LBRP
    Lecture
    Leo
    Library
    Litha
    Lord Grendel
    Lord Mordred
    Lord Tanys
    Lucifer
    Lughnasadh
    LVCCLD
    LVNHM
    Mabon
    Magic
    Magickal Plants
    Magickal Stones
    Magickal Tool;s
    Magickal Tools
    Maiden
    March
    Matt Whealton
    May
    Mercury
    Midsummer
    Monthly Lore
    Moonstone
    Moon Water
    Morning Glories
    Movie Review
    Mystic Fair
    New Moon
    Newsletter
    November
    October
    Onyx
    Opal
    Ostara
    Ouija
    Pagan
    Paganism
    Pagan Pride Las Vegas Project
    Palmistry
    Palm Reading
    Patricia Crowther
    Pearl
    Pentacle
    Pentagram
    Poem
    Pop Culture
    PPDLV2024
    PPLVP
    Psychic
    Publicity
    Q & A
    Questionnaire
    Raymond Buckland
    Requiem
    Ritual
    Robert Cochrane
    Rose
    Ruby
    Runes
    Sabbat
    Samhain
    Sapphire
    Schedule
    Scott Cunningham
    Scourge
    Scrying
    Sekhmet
    Selena Fox
    September
    Shop
    Sigil
    Spell
    Spell Bag
    Spring Equinox
    Spring Queen
    Starhawk
    Stewart Farrar
    Stones
    Story
    Summer Solstice
    Summoner
    Sun
    Super Moon
    Sword
    Tarostar
    Tarot
    Temple Of Sekhmet
    Temple Of The
    Temple Of The Inner Circle
    Thanksgiving
    Thelema
    Thorn Mooney
    Unitarian Universalist Congregation Of Las Vegas
    Veterans
    Victor Henry Anderson
    Video
    Wand
    Waning Moon
    Water Lily
    Wheel Of The Year
    Wicca
    Wicca Class
    Wine
    Winter Solstice
    Witchcraft
    Yule
    Yule Log


    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    July 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    July 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

Inner Circle Sanctuary
HOME       
ABOUT US
VENERATION
CLASSES GENERAL INFO      
CLASSES 1ST DEGREE      
CLASSES 2ND DEGREE
MAIDEN and SUMMONER CLASS     
UPDATES and INFO        
JOIN OUR CLASSES
​
CONTACT
AUDIO RECORDINGS
VIDEO RECORDINGS
CHECK OUT OUR NEW YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Inner Circle Sanctuary
An Eclectic Traditionalist
Oath-bound, Initiatory
​Wiccan Coven

Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required
/ / ( mm / dd / yyyy )
  • Home
  • About Us
    • VENERATION
  • Wicca Classes
    • 1st Degree Classes
    • 2nd Degree Classes
  • News
  • Contact