(Dave & Trish)
Sadly, Dave Bracey died peacefully at the age of 87 on the 18th February 2025 after a short stay in hospital. He lived those 87 years to the full.
Born in Hertfordshire, not far from Bricket Wood, Dave married the love of his life Tricia, and they remained devoted to each other until Tricia died in 2016.
Dave and Tricia spent much of their early adult life together abroad. After completing a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, Dave joined the Royal Air Force, specialising in electrical engineering, and was stationed in Cyprus during the dispute between Greece and Turkey. Dave recalled getting into trouble with the Americans for swapping the Star-Spangled Banner for the Soviet flag during the morning flag-raising ceremony. One time after a night on the lash, he returned to base rather worse for wear. Crawling on his hands and knees, he was confronted by a pair of army boots. The Military Policeman said, “Where do you think you are going hippy scum?” The then long-haired Dave looked up, saw that he outranked the MP and relied, “That’s hippy scum sir!”
After seeing some action, Dave came out of the RAF and was stationed in Perth in Western Australia. He worked in electrical engineering/communication and played a part in the Apollo missions, working on the ‘dish’. Dave and Tricia also joined a free-style ‘church in the round’, before becoming involved in Theosophy. They became interested in and experimented with the Christos technique, an exercise that could be used to have out-of-body experiences and past life regression.
While in Western Australia, Dave and Tricia had their two children, Romany and Kirk, and they became infamous for their wild parties. Dave said that if there wasn’t at least one divorce or hook-up, it wasn’t a proper party. They were on the fringes of the intelligence community and were told off by British intelligence for repeatedly waving at the spy camera outside the communist bookshop.
After a few years in Australia, Dave and Tricia moved to Mauritius. Dave continued to work in communication systems, but was also working for British Intelligence, keeping an eye on a Chinese airport that was being built on the island. Dave and Tricia took to the Raj lifestyle of Gin and Tonics and garden parties at the local club. They managed to survive a monsoon, probably with a good dose of the British stiff upper lip and plenty of Gin & Tonic. Dave said that this experience taught him about the power of nature and treating the elements with respect.
Dave and Tricia’s garden was much admired by a local politician who asked them how they got their flowers to bloom so nicely. Dave answered that they dowsed the right spot for planting, and Tricia offered to do the same in the politician’s garden, with excellent results. Impressed, the politician asked if he could do anything to repay them. Dave and Tricia replied that some decent environmental laws on the Island would be nice.
Dave then moved into management, troubleshooting and was stationed at airports and hospitals in Saudi Arabia. This meant that he and Tricia had to start their own home brewing to ensure they had something to drink. Dave told many stories about their time in Saudi and he learned to speak pretty good Arabic. One time, he and his family were nearly blown up by terrorists, but he received an apology and was told that the bomb was not meant for him.
Dave and Tricia returned to the UK in the early 80s. They settled in Brandon in Suffolk, with Dave taking a civil service job in the Ministry of Defence as a health and safety officer at Lakenheath, working alongside the USAF. Although Dave said that his father was a member of a rural magical group in Hertfordshire when he was a boy, it was then that Dave and Tricia took up Initiatory Witchcraft. They were initiated into a Gardnerian coven at Surlingham in Norfolk, and when the High Priestess and High Priest moved to Ireland, they began a coven of their own. Living not too far from West Stow Anglo-Saxon village, they gave their coven a ‘Saxon’ twist, working with local Saxon names for the Lord and the Lady.
Dave and Tricia took a no-nonsense approach to the Craft. They were both very down to earth and did not approve of all the new age airy fairy stuff. They were keen to make sure that any Witches they initiated would get proper training, and so they started up a pre-initiation training group. For Dave, the Craft was part of the Western Mystery Tradition, and he stressed the importance of the inner alchemy of the Great Work. Dave often used to say that Craft was the mystical branch of Paganism. Having had his own mystical experiences, he sought to initiate those profound experiences in others. As a trained counsellor, he often used the language of the psychologist Carl Jung to explain the psycho-spiritual alchemy of the Great Work. Neither Dave nor Tricia suffered fools gladly, and would not accept stock or parroted answers to their questions, as they wanted you to think for yourself. The Witchcraft training group was challenging, and they made a formidable couple. They made a formidable High Priestess and High Priest.
When one of the trainees, a young man serving in the USAF, unexpectedly died. Dave was instrumental in helping the USAF Chaplain and the widow plan the funeral. This experience inspired Dave to earn a PhD in comparative religion, writing his thesis on ritual.
Dave took up active roles with the Green Circle and the Pagan Federation, becoming the District Manager for East Anglia for many years. He helped to set up the District Manager system and served for a time on the Pagan Federation Council and as a ‘Sky pilot’ – a prison chaplain. Dave also supported the Life Rites organisation.
Unfortunately, Dave ran foul of a News of the World exposé, where he was dubbed the “High Priest of Filth”. This did not deter him, as he got himself some new calling cards owning this new moniker. He and Tricia also appeared on the Sex Education Roadshow Programme for Channel 4, talking about sex for the elderly. The comedian Russell Howard got hold of the clip and, of course, hilariously, showed it out of context. Is it a coincidence that he had broken his arm by the next programme? You don’t mess with Witches – especially not those Witches.
Due to Tricia’s ill health, Dave and Tricia stepped down as coven leaders, handing the reins, to a new High Priestess and High Priest. They remained active in the coven as elders. They handed over the running of the Witchcraft training group in the year 2000. However, Dave still took an active role in mentoring and training witches right up until the end of his life. He would keep his hand in giving lectures and mentoring trainees. The last trainee he mentored is to be initiated into the Gardnerian Craft this year. Dave continued to write articles for various Initiatory Craft magazines and give talks at Initiatory Wicca conferences.
Dave and Tricia both enjoyed travelling and went on many cruises together. When Tricia died, Dave continued this passion for travel, going to India, South Africa, Norway, Greenland, Iceland, the Baltic, Russia, the Canary Islands, the Azores and all around the Mediterranean. He was due to go for a cruise to the Azores, three weeks after he died. I worry about the financial viability of Saga Cruises now that he is dead.
The legacy of Dave and Tricia lives on in the covens that were spawned from their coven and all the Witches that they trained over a long Craft career. There have been at least five covens in East Anglia that can trace their lineage back through Dave and Tricia to Ray Bone. Three of those covens are still active and thriving in Suffolk and Norfolk today.
Dave lived a very full life and loved to share the stories of his adventures. I know that Martika and I will miss our monthly visits with him, listening to his stories, his humour, and his wisdom; putting the world to rights over a bottle or two of very nice wine.
Article “Death”, by Dave Bracey.
