Herman Slater (1935-1992) was the author/editor of several magical books and the owner of The Warlock Shoppe, the oldest witchcraft shop in Brooklyn N.Y.  The shop later moved to W. 19^th Street in Manhattan and operated under the name Magickal Childe.  He was a Wiccan High Priest who did much to advance the growth of contemporary witchcraft in America through television (appearing on the Today Show and a Manhattan Cable station with “The Magickal Mystery Tour”) and print (formed a publishing co. from which he published “Earth Religion News”).  A contradictory side of the man earned him the name “Horrible Herman," a title which some believe he enjoyed cultivating.

Lady Sintana met this “gentleman” when she was performing on the New York stage.  She stated his store the Warlock Shoppe “had everything in the world.”  She said “he knew all the spells and made up his own.”  “The Contorta tree in the Circle at Vivid Lane is in his honor as it is twisted as Herman was Hoaki.”  Herman would come to Ravenwood once a year in the beginning and he was very supportive of Lady Sintana when she was in jail.  Lord Starhawk wrote a heartfelt message in the Magickal Childe’s website guestbook.  He stated “Lord Govannan was the funniest and most knowledgeable man he had ever met in the Craft.”

Above all else, he was a businessman and the Warlock Shoppe established itself as the central information hub for local Witches and the then newly emerging Neo-pagan communities.  Books written or published  by Herman Slater:  A Book of Pagan Rituals,  The Necronomicon, Magickal Formulary Spell Book I & II,  The Hoodoo Bible.