Doreen Valiente's Athame

Doreen Valiente's Athame
Origin	Doreen Valiente
Type	Black handled knife
Effects	Epiphany fodder
Downsides	Harasses acrid individuals
Activation	Speaking a woman’s name
Collected by	Warehouse 13
Section	Aradia-027T
Aisle	Gardner-2284
Shelf	818055-9125-813
Date of Collection	March 28, 2007
[Source]

Origin

Doreen Valiente is considered the founding mother of modern day witchraft. Her introduction into the Bricket Wood coven under Gerald Gardner’s tutelage exposed her to many old rituals and documents passed down through the ages of worship. While Gardner compiled all the fragmented tidbits into a Book of Shadows, Valiente refined all the instructions into a cohesive framework. Respect for the sacred feminine and nature became core tenets underneath her lyrical prose.

When Gardner proved too eager to publicly return English paganism back to form, the two split. (Some claim Gardner also falsified the age of many ritual artifacts). Valiente kept close contact with other coven leaders, although some disappointed her just as much as Gardner. Even unannounced house guests were ignored for interrupting her work.

In later life, she founded the Centre for Pagan Research to dispel many of the stereotypes associated with witches (broomsticks, curses and pumpkin-bump noses). Valiente co-authored many other texts with her fellow Wiccan writers and is often credited with being the shaping force behind current Wiccan practices.

Effects

Her continual indulgence in rarely documented hush-hush rituals, word of mouth stories and mystical vocabulary instilled themselves into her knife. Speaking a female name will slowly percolate random information into the far-flung corners of their thoughts.

Knowledge on obscure and esoteric topics such as proper talwar grip, 1970s American tax fraud scandals, even local herbs usable for traditional medicines intrude without prompting. They just appear, regardless of whether any of it has been historically recorded. At some point, the massive vault of data becomes useful. It’s just up to the wielder to decide what to focus on.

Makes people one disagrees with get constantly harassed. Colleagues they have a grudge against and those unwilling to change their mind. A sudden spate of bad luck and public shaming turns the once proud into scared little gophers.