Michael Howard

Michael Howard (1948–2015) was an English practitioner of Luciferian witchcraft and a prolific author on esoteric topics. From 1976 until his death he was the editor of The Cauldron magazine.

Born in London, Howard developed an interest in supernatural subjects through fiction literature, later exploring Tibetan Buddhism after a near death experience.

 He proceeded to study at an agricultural college in Somerset, learning about the local folklore from an elderly farm worker, in particular folk beliefs about magic and witchcraft.

He advanced his knowledge of esoteric subjects through reading books by prominent occult authors like Allister Crowley and Helena Blavatsky, and in 1964 joined the fledgling Witchcraft Research Association, becoming particularly interested in the articles in its newsletter that were authored by the witch Robert Cochrane.

Returning to the London area, in 1967 he developed a friendship with the Luciferian ceremonial magician Madeline Montalbano, joining her Order of the Morning Star.

In 1969 he was initiated into Gardnerian Wicca, joining a coven of its practitioners, and in the early 1970s became a member of Christine Hartley's Co-Masonic lodge in West London.

In 1975, Howard published his first book, Candle Magic, which was followed the next year by the beginning of The Cauldron.

From 1977, the magazine became the vehicle for Bill Liddell's controversial articles about the nineteenth century cunning man George Picking ill, and it would also serve as a platform for articles by a wide range of esotericisms.

In 1999, Howard was contacted by Andrew Chumley, and in 1999 he joined Chumley’s "Traditional Witchcraft" order, the Cults Sabbath.

The Pagan studies scholar Ethan Doyle White described Howard as a "prominent figure in the British Craft movement", while Hutton characterized him as "the most open-minded of Pagan editors".