Prudence Jones

Prudence Jones is a writer and commentator on the Pagan traditions of Europe and associated spiritual systems. A History of Pagan Europe, co-written with Nigel Pennick, is a standard textbook in the field. Her current publications concern the historical roots of the New Age Triple Moon Goddess.

Beginning as an academic philosopher at Cambridge, Prudence later taught there and at the University of Alberta, where her research was in ancient and mediaeval logic. Her interest in other esoteric systems, particularly astrology and archaeoastronomy, led to a series of lectures, articles and translations in small-circulation periodicals, then to the publications listed below. She also trained as a psychotherapist at the Women’s Therapy Centre and the Minster Centre, and is a member of the Independent Practitioners’ Network.

She is a past President of the Pagan Federation and a past Chair of the Association of Professional Astrologers. She has served on the Astrological Association Council and the committee of the Royal Society of Arts, East Anglia. She currently chairs the Cambridge branch of the Cambridge Society.

Her publications include Voices From the Circle (Aquarian, 1990, co-edited with Caitlin Matthews), Creative Astrology (ed., Aquarian, 1991; Capall Bann, 2002), and A History of Pagan Europe (Routledge, 1995, with Nigel Pennick). She contributed the Pagan history section to the BBC website, and ‘Contemporary Paganism: a Guide for the Perplexed’ is due to appear in the Journal of New Age Studies. She has contributed chapters in History and Astrology (ed. Annabella Kitson, Unwin Hyman 1989; Mnemnosyne Press, 1995), Gawain, Knight of the Goddess (John Matthews, Aquarian, 1990), The Household of the Grail (ed. John Matthews, Aquarian, 1990), The World Atlas of Divination (ed. John Matthews, Headline, 1992), Paths to Peace (ed. John Matthews, Rider 1992), Paganism Today (ed. Graham Harvey & Charlotte Hardman, Thorsons, 1996), Nature Religion Today (ed. Joanne Pearson, Richard H. Roberts & Geoffrey Samuel, Edinburgh U.P., 1998), and Astrology and the Academy (ed. Nicholas Campion, Cinnabar Books, 2004).

Goddesses and Gods of Europe (with Nigel Pennick) and The Triple Moon are in preparation.

PRUDENCE JONES: '"Aspects" of Deity' in Astrology and the Academy, ed. Nicholas Campion, Patrick Curry and Michael York, Cinnabar Books, Bristol, 2004, ISBN 1-898485-07-0, RRP £9.99

The Triple Moon Goddess of contemporary New Age thought has much deeper roots than is commonly assumed. This paper traces the apparent incorporation of Babylonian astrological tradition in the development of a triple Moon goddess during the Hellenistic era. Astrological and theological terminology overlap in speaking of the 'aspects' or 'faces' of the goddess.

She is an Incorporated Linguist and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.