Oberon Zell-RavenheartWriter ∞ Artist ∞ Wizard ∞ Ordained Priest of GaiaBorn Timothy Zell, November 30, 1942, St. Louis, Missouri. Age 83.Name IterationsBorn Timothy Zell → adopted Otter G'Zell in the Church of All Worlds community → became Oberon Zell-Ravenheart (with Morning Glory, the Ravenheart surname taken together as a bonding rite) → now signs as Oberon Zell. Each shift reflects a deepening or transition in his public identity and sacred role — a pattern common to initiatory traditions and visible across the Mythica's cast of characters.Who He IsOberon Zell is one of the founding Elders of the modern Neopagan movement — widely acknowledged as "The Father of Neo-Paganism." A transpersonal psychologist, metaphysician, naturalist, theologian, shaman, author, artist, sculptor, lecturer, and ordained Priest of the Earth-Mother, Gaia. Active since 1967.He was among the first to articulate the Gaia Hypothesis — the understanding of Earth as a single living organism — publishing it in 1970 independently of James Lovelock. He was also the first to adopt the terms "Pagan" and "Neo-Pagan" to describe the newly emerging Nature religions of the 1960s.In the context of the Mythica, he is named explicitly in the Realms document as "one of the avatars of the Gaian consciousness, fulfilling his dharma as a torch-bearer for the eventual return to sanctified relationship to the Land." First encountered during the 'Firedance' episode of 2003 — "The Western Shores."EducationBA in Psychology, Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri (1965)Doctoral program in Clinical Psychology, Washington University in St. LouisDoctor of Divinity, Life Science College, Rolling Meadows, Illinois (1967)Teaching certificate, Harris–Stowe State University (1968)Major OrganizationsChurch of All Worlds (CAW)Co-founded with R. Lance Christie on April 7, 1962 — the first legally recognized Pagan church in the United States. Founded on the ritual of "sharing water," inspired by Robert Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land. The Church's stated mission: to evolve a network of information, mythology, and experience that provides a context and stimulus for reawakening Gaia and reuniting her children. Oberon served as High Priest and Primate from the 1960s through the late 1990s, and returned to lead as First Primate in 2005.Green Egg Magazine (1968–present)Founded and originally edited by Oberon. The first and most influential NeoPagan journal — instrumental in the coalescence of the modern Pagan movement before the internet era. Its letters column served as the primary public forum for the global Pagan community for decades. Now published as an online magazine.Ecosophical Research Association (ERA, 1977)Co-founded with Morning Glory Zell. An organization exploring the truth behind myths. Most famously created Living Unicorns — unicorns produced by minor surgery to the horn buds of goats, a technique patented in 1984. One of their unicorns, Lancelot, toured with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.Grey School of Wizardry (founded 2005)Founded by Oberon; incorporated March 14, 2005 as a nonprofit educational institution in California. An online school teaching ancient wisdom and esoteric magic across 16 departments of study. Grew from the Grey Council, the team that created the Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard. In November 2022, Oberon passed the title of Headmaster to his protégé Nicholas Kingsley, continuing as President of the Board.Mythic ImagesA business founded with his family through which Oberon's sculptural artwork — images of Pagan deities, original creations and historically-based — is distributed.Academy of Arcana (2015–2017)A center in Santa Cruz, CA featuring a store, library, classroom, museum, meeting space, and offices. Closed at end of 2017.Selected BibliographyGrimoire for the Apprentice Wizard (New Page Books, 2004)Companion for the Apprentice Wizard (New Page Books, 2006)Creating Circles & Ceremonies with Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart (New Page Books, 2006)Dragonlore: From the Archives of the Grey School of Wizardry (2006)Green Egg Omelette: An Anthology from the Legendary Pagan Journal (2008)The Wizard and the Witch: Seven Decades of Counterculture, Magick, and Paganism with Morning Glory Zell, oral history by John C. Sulak (Llewellyn, 2014; expanded 2-vol. edition 2021)Death Rights & Rites: A Practical Guide to a Meaningful Death with Judith Fenley (Llewellyn, 2020)Song of Gaea with Kiri Johnson, children's book (2021)GaeaGenesis: Conception and Birth of the Living Earth (Left Hand Press, 2022)That Undiscover'd Country: A Traveler's Guide to the Afterlife (2021)Morning Glory Zell-RavenheartOberon's lifelong partner and co-creator. Co-founder of the Ecosophical Research Association and the unicorn project. Influential in the modern polyamory movement alongside Oberon. She died on May 13, 2014, of multiple myeloma, surrounded by family, friends, lovers, and over 360 Goddess images she had collected from around the world. Her body was interred at the Church of All Worlds sanctuary of Annwfn, with an apple tree planted over her heart — her green burial securing Annwfn as an officially recognized cemetery.Aka / Grove SignatureOberon is the most classically-formed Avatar of the Grove in the Mythica's cast:The Gaia Hypothesis — articulated independently and prior to Lovelock, through direct perception rather than scientific modelingChurch of All Worlds — an entire spiritual community built around reawakening relationship to the living EarthGreen Egg — the connective tissue of the global Pagan movement; literally building the Grove's communication networkLiving Unicorns — making myth material; the literal embodiment of the principle that the invisible becomes visibleGrey School of Wizardry — transmission of the old wisdom into new generations; the torch-bearing function in institutional formHis entire life's work is the Grove made organizational: building the containers, publishing the transmissions, creating the communities through which the Gaian frequency can move.The Mythica IntersectionOberon is named explicitly in the Mythica's Realms document as "one of the avatars of the Gaian consciousness, fulfilling his dharma as a torch-bearer for the eventual return to sanctified relationship to the Land."First Encounter — 2003, "The Western Shores"First encountered during the Firedance episode, documented in the Ashland/Western Shores chapter of the Soil. Peter witnesses Oberon in the context of the festival/ritual community — one of the presiding elder intelligences of the Pagan world, embodying the Grove frequency in its most institutionally complete form.Soil Chapter AppearancesOberon threads through multiple Soil chapters in the Mythica record:“Mythic Messengers”“Stranger in a Strange Land”“Call of Mercury” – old“Wizards in Winter”His presence in the Mythica is not incidental — as the co-founder of the Church of All Worlds and the living institutional memory of the modern Pagan movement, encountering Oberon is encountering the Grove in one of its most self-aware, articulate, and elder expressions. He is not becoming an avatar of Gaian consciousness; he has been one for over fifty years.Cross-LinksSoil chapters: see linked pages aboveAvatars of the Grove thread: UntitledRelated character: Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart (co-founder, ERA; passed 2014)Church of All Worlds: caw.orgGrey School of Wizardry: greyschool.orgLinksWebsite: oberonzell.comChurch of All Worlds: caw.orgGreen Egg Magazine: greeneggmagazine.com