Rosaleen Miriam Norton, born on October 2, 1917, and passing away on December 5, 1979, was an Australian artist and occultist who called herself “Thorn.” She practiced a unique form of pantheistic and Neopagan Witchcraft, focusing much of her devotion on the Greek god Pan. Norton spent her later years in the bohemian neighborhood of Kings Cross in Sydney, earning the nickname “Witch of Kings Cross” from the tabloids. There, she led her own coven and became a central figure in the local occult scene.
Norton’s artwork, often compared to that of British occult artist Austin Osman Spare, featured vivid depictions of supernatural beings—pagan gods, demons, and mystical creatures—sometimes shown in erotic or controversial scenes. In the conservative Australia of the 1940s and 1950s, where Christianity dominated and censorship was strict, her art sparked outrage. Authorities responded harshly: police removed her paintings from exhibitions, confiscated books containing her images, and repeatedly tried to prosecute her for public obscenity.
As her biographer Nevill Drury noted, Norton’s magical beliefs, her view of the universe, and her visionary art were deeply connected, reflecting her distinctive approach to the occult. She was especially drawn to the “night” side of magic, exploring darkness, the qlippoth, and practicing forms of sex magic inspired by the writings of English occultist Aleister Crowley.
