Eddie Buczynski was a trailblazing American Wiccan (Gardnerian initiate), archaeologist, and LGBT rights activist who lived from January 28, 1947, to March 16, 1989. Buczynski, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, had a pivotal role in the formation of two separate traditions: the Minoan Brotherhood and Welsh Traditionalist Witchcraft. The latter was especially noteworthy as one of the first Wiccan rituals designed with homosexual and bisexual men in mind.
In the 1970s, Buczynski and his business partner Herman Slater established The Warlock Shop, a significant occult supply store in Greenwich Village that served as a focal point for the growing pagan subculture. Buczynski’s contributions to Wicca and his fight for LGBTQ+ inclusivity created a long legacy in both the queer and pagan communities, despite the tremendous hurdles he faced as a result of his sexuality.
