In the words of the late Joseph Bearwalker Wilson:
Flags, Flax, and Fodder (wychwoodacastlebetweentheworlds.com)I created 1734 based upon teachings, customs, and inspirations passed on to me by Sean, Roy Bowers alias Robert Cochrane, and Ruth Wynn-Owen.
1734 is a mystical system. It is a tradition in the standard sense of passing on of customs and thoughts from one generation to another, not as a synonym for a denomination of a religion.
I never intended 1734 to be secret. I never intended the letters to be secret, or to be used as some sort of bible. Roy’s letters to me are examples of teaching the mysteries by poetic inference, nothing more. Those who try to claim them as secret totally ignore Roy’s own teachings regarding secrecy, and therefore invalidate themselves.
I never intended 1734 to have a hierarchal structure. There is no such thing as First, Second, or Third Degree 1734. Those who claim to be “Third Degree 1734” are invalidating themselves.
I repeat. The idea of three initiations in 1734 is an add-on by those who also feel that they need a “Book of Shadows” to make themselves feel really important, justified, and righteous. Initiation into 1734 consisted of a “kit bag” (copies of Roys letters, sometimes in condenced form), an introduction to the spirits, and a boot in the rear. To quote Joanna, “Other initiations are given by the spirits-hopefully helped along by the guidance of a teacher. If the student is really working, there will (eventually) be more than three initiations marked in a person’s soul.” Some people realized that they needed to stick around and get some guidance from a teacher. Others ran off and figured they could do everything themselves.
Those that claim to be the valid “heads” of 1734, and that other lineages are illegitimate on that basis, invalidate themselves. They may be heads of their own covens, and they may be inspired by 1734 philosophy, but that does not make them heads of 1734 any more than a Baptist minister being the head of his church is the head of Protestantism.
I never intended 1734 to have an apostolic succession style lineage. Those who claim this or that group is less 1734 because they don’t have such a lineage have also invalidated themselves. They may have such a lineage for their own coven.
It is the methods of teaching, the philosophy, and the Spirits that is important, not who initiated who else.
The “legitimate tradition” of 1734 is in the heart, not a lineage. It is the process of turning dross into gold, and acquiring wisdom that matters.
I hope that the information on these pages will help all those seekers who are inspired by the mystical tradition of 1734.
Joseph B Wilson
1734 Founder
A Joe continues, “1734 is a Craft tradition which I established in the United States during the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. In its essence, it contains the teachings given to me by three sources. The first of these is a person who I will call Sean, who was my first teacher and who grounded me in the oral traditions of his family. Later I engaged in correspondence with Roy Bowers (alias Robert Cochrane) who, with Sean’s approval and guidance, supplemented those initial teachings. The third source of inspiration and personal guidance was Ruth Wynn-Owen, the matriarch of the Plant Bran. Sean provided the foundation, Roy provided some magical and mystical supplementation, and Ruth provided guidance for group workings.”
Although the name he used for this tradition, “1734”, was inspired by Robert Cochrane, Cochrane is not the founder of the 1734 tradition. Cochrane did not call his tradition “1734” but rather “The Clan of Tubal Cain” and although he used some elements from that tradition to illustrate some things to Wilson, his intention was never to teach him that way but rather to help me to understand them. The Clan of Tubal Cain has a different orientation and practices, as it should.