Maxine Sanders

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Maxine Sanders (born Arline Maxine Morris) is a prominent member of the Wiccan faith and a co-founder with her late husband, Alex Sanders, of Alexandrian Wicca.

Maxine was educated at St. Joseph’s, Manchester. At fourteen she was introduced to the charismatic Alex Sanders (re-introduced actually, she had met Alex as a young child). Two years later, at sixteen, while a student at secretarial college, she was initiated into Alex’s coven; Maxine and Alex were handfasted later in the same year.

In January 1966 photographs of a naked Maxine (with other members of Sanders’ coven) were published in a local tabloid (The Comet) and widely syndicated. Press interest in Alex and Maxine was, thereafter, intense. Maxine was hounded by paparazzi and subject to considerable local vilification. Shortly thereafter, her mother died. Maxine abandoned her studies; in 1967 she married Alex in a civil ceremony and moved into a basement flat near Notting Hill Gate in London. In the same year their daughter Maya was born; a son Victor was born in 1972. It was about this time that the Sanders separated.

The Sanders became household names during the late sixties and early seventies. The Sanders’ ran their coven and taught classes on Witchcraft. Constant media publicity, guest appearances on talk-shows, and public speaking engagements led to a number of record, film and book contracts. A record of the initiation of Janet Owen, 'A Witch is Born', was released in 1970. The Sanders’ coven also appeared in 'Legend of the Witches' (1970), 'Witchcraft ’70' (1970) and 'Secret Rites' (1971). A biography of Alex appeared in 1969 (King of the Witches, by June Johns); biographies of Maxine appeared in 1976 (Maxine: The Witch Queen) and 1977 (The Ecstatic Mother, by Richard Deutch). Syndicated photos of Maxine and Alex also appeared in a number of high-profile publications, dramatically bringing Witchcraft, its practices and reality into global consciousness.

Maxine remained in the London flat where, for many years, she continued running the coven and teaching the Craft. More recently Maxine has retired from the work of teaching.

[edit] References

Jordan, Michael (1996). Witches: An Encyclopedia of Paganism and Magic. Kyle Cathie Limited. ISBN 185626193X.
Sanders, Maxine (1976). Maxine: The Witch Queen. A Star Book. ISBN 035239738.
Deutch, Rickard (1977). The Ecstatic Mother: Portrait of Maxine Sanders, Witch Queen. Bachman and Turner. ISBN 085974048X.