I found this picture somewhere on the internet (sorry I've lost where) & since I love it more the more I see it, I simply had to post it here.
I think I commented before on a video of one of their initiations, that I love the way the Wiccans of the 1970s tend to be pictured doing ritual in their own home. Well, that's where witches do do a lot of ritual, isn't it? In the video I talked about Janet is shown instructing the new initiate & Stewart is pictured in the background listening while sitting in an armchair smoking a fag. That's such a witch thing, don't you think?
I love that this picture shows Stewart's desk setup, presumably in the 1970s. I love the wallpaper. I love the heterogeneous collection of pictures & ornaments. I love the worn labels on the filing cabinet drawers. I love the battered typewriter, which has got 'old faithful' written all over it. This is plainly the scene where Stewart wrote the books & articles that brought in the daily bread.
But here's what I love the best - Stewart (if not Janet, she's too young to have the smoker look) clearly smoked. You can see the evidence in the bottom left hand corner. He smoked Rothmans, which to me is a surprisingly trendy choice for the seventies. I've obviously misjudged him - I'd've expected him to smoke a brand like Senior Service or Park Drive. And here's the best bit, which makes the picture perfect for me. I *really* appreciate this touch. On the ashtray are two nub ends, & one half-smoked cigarette. And yes, your eyes don't deceive you, it's in a holder! I loooove the image of a foremost exponent of the witch religion of the time, smoking cigarettes in a holder!
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