Scott Cunningham

Scott Douglas Cunningham (June 27, 1956 – March 28, 1993) was an American writer. Cunningham is the author of several books on Wicca and various other alternative religious subjects.

His work Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, is one of the most successful books on Wicca ever published; he was a friend of notable occultists and Wiccans such as Raymond Buckland, and was a member of the Serpent Stone Family, and received his Third Degree Initiation as a member of that coven.

Early life Scott Cunningham was born at the William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, USA, the second son of prolific author Chester Grant "Chet" Cunningham and Rose Marie Wilhoit Cunningham. using pseudonyms, such as "Cathy Cunningham" or "Dirk Fletcher", for his novels. During this period he had as a roommate, magical writer Donald Michael Kraig and often socialized with Neopagan witchcraft writer Raymond Buckland, who was also living in San Diego at the time.

Wicca In 1980, Cunningham began initiate training under Raven Grimassi and remained as a first-degree initiate until 1982 when he left the tradition to pursue a solo practice of witchcraft.

Death In 1983, Scott Cunningham was diagnosed with lymphoma, which he successfully overcame. In 1990, while on a speaking tour in Massachusetts, he suddenly fell ill and was diagnosed with AIDS-related cryptococcal meningitis. He suffered from several infections and died in March 1993. He was 36.

Published works

Non-Fiction 1982 – Magical Herbalism: The Secret Craft of the Wise 1983 – Earth Power: Techniques of Natural Magic 1985 – Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs 1987 – The Magical Household: Spells and Rituals for the Home (with David Harrington) 1987 – Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem, and Metal Magic 1988 – The Truth About Witchcraft Today 1988 – Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner 1989 – The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews 1989 – Magical Aromatherapy: The Power of Scent 1991 – Earth, Air, Fire, and Water: More Techniques of Natural Magic 1991 – The Magic in Food 1993 – Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen 1993 – Divination For Beginners 1993 – Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner 1993 – Spell Crafts: Creating Magical Objects (with David Harrington) 1993 – The Truth About Herb Magic 1994 – The Truth About Witchcraft 1995 – Hawaiian Magic and Spirituality 1997 – Pocket Guide to Fortune Telling 1999 – Dreaming the Divine: Techniques for Sacred Sleep 2009 – Cunningham's Book of Shadows: The Path of An American Traditionalist – A rediscovered manuscript written by Cunningham in the late 1970s or early 1980s.

Fiction 1979 – "Cathy Cunningham", Shadow of Love 1980 – The Cliffside Horrors 1982 — "Dirk Fletcher", High Plains Temptress [SPUR #1] [p. 4: "Copyright 1982 by Scott Cunningham"] 1987 — "Dirk Fletcher", San Diego Sirens [SPUR #23] [p. 5: "Special thanks to Scott Cunningham for his contribution to this book"] 1990 — "Dirk Fletcher", The Miner's Moll [SPUR #32] [p. 4: "Special thanks to Scott Cunningham for his contribution to this book"; "Copyright 1990 by Chet Cunningham"]

Art by Robin Wood Several of Scott's books include black and white drawings and (in some editions) cover art by the Wiccan artist Robin Wood. Among these books are Magical Herbalism, Earth Power, and Earth, Air, Fire, Water.

Videos Herb Magic

Film references

Never Say Macbeth, a 2007 film, is based around a group of actors who battle the curse of Macbeth by using Scott's book, Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. This film was released on DVD by Vanguard Cinema in August 2008.