Waxing Moon Circle is a working and training Wiccan Circle that has been meeting in the Mountain View–Palo Alto area of California since 1982. We are a community with deep roots in British Traditional Wicca and a tradition of our own — the Waxing Moon Tradition — built over more than four decades of consistent practice, teaching, and community life in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Origin & History

The story of Waxing Moon Circle begins in 1978 with a study group in Palo Alto led by “Grandma” Julie Tower, Matriarch of the Tower Family tradition. The group was taught by Julie and Alison Harlow of Vanthi Coven — a Third Degree Gardnerian initiate off of Lady Athena of Southern California, and a Feri Tradition initiate off of Gwydion Pendderwen. Additional instruction came from Dan Norman of the New Reformed Orthodox Order of the Golden Dawn, and the group received visits from luminaries including Oberon Zell and Tom Williams of the Church of All Worlds and Isaac Bonewits of the New Reformed Druids of North America.

One student stood apart: Valerie Voigt, who became Julie Tower’s personal apprentice and was eventually initiated by Dan Norman under Julie’s direction in a Circle cast by Julie herself. In 1981, at Julie’s encouragement, Valerie and two other study group graduates formed a new coven — Daughters of the Duck — whose practice was shaped by everything the founders had learned from their extraordinary constellation of teachers.

Valerie was also coordinator of the Pagan/Occult/Witchcraft Special Interest Group of Mensa, then one of the few publicly visible organizations of its kind. So many people asked to learn that the Daughters of the Duck soon found themselves teaching a class. The first student to arrive — two hours early, dropped off by his parents after church — was Zephyr Starwater, a teenaged prodigy who had read every book he could find and practiced as a solitary for years.

The Circle grew quickly, drawing solitaries, initiates new to the Valley, visiting Elders, and curious seekers. Guests came from many branches of the Craft: Druid orders, Asatru kindreds, the Church of All Worlds. On one memorable occasion, a visiting Babalawo from Nigeria — who had learned about Wicca from a coven Gerald Gardner had founded there — served as guest High Priest, to the delight of all.

Four Decades of Leadership

At Beltane 1988, Valerie stepped down to focus on family and further study, handing the sword to Lady Marilyn. Lady Marilyn served for seven years before retiring in 1996, when Lady Dale — also a Gardnerian Third Degree — became High Priestess. Lady Dale later relocated when her husband took a position on the East Coast.

In the spring of 2000, Valerie returned as High Priestess and has held that office ever since. Phosphoros serves as High Priest. Upon returning, Valerie polled current and former members about the Circle’s strengths and weaknesses. The response was nearly unanimous: the ongoing education was beloved; the lack of a formal initiation system was the single thing most wanted to change.

Since then, most initiates have remained with the home Circle, while others have moved away and, as Third Degree Elders, founded circles and covens of their own. Circles with Waxing Moon roots have been noted in Fresno, Sacramento, Eugene, Portland, New York City, Texas, and Washington.

The Waxing Moon Tradition

Waxing Moon Circle is the home of the Waxing Moon Tradition — a distinct tradition with its own theology, working style, and initiatory lineage. Our deepest roots are in the teachings of Julie Tower and Alison Harlow, enriched by NROOGD, BTW, and the Feri Tradition of Victor and Cora Anderson.

Initiation & Training

Our Esbats are open by invitation of the High Priest/ess, and no one is required to pursue Dedication or Initiation in order to attend. For those who do hear the Call, we offer a structured initiatory path. A student becomes a Dedicant through a formal Dedication ceremony — a commitment to pursuing initiation within the Waxing Moon Tradition. We offer two tracks:

• First Degree — priest/ess to oneself
• Second Degree — priest/ess to the coven
• Third Degree — priest/ess to the community

The minimum time between degrees follows the traditional year-and-a-day standard, with practical expectations of at least a year and a day of group study before First Degree, two additional years before Second, and three additional years before Third. Students may switch tracks, and initiates of other British Traditional lineages may, upon satisfactory examination, be adopted as First Degrees rather than re-initiated.