History of Wicca
From an outsider's
perspective...
Witchcraft or WICCA
By Rick Branch
Founder: While Gerald B. Gardner is generally credited
with the modern revival of Wicca, he was neither the first to practice
nor the founder of Witchcraft.
Founding Date: In 1949 Gardner published his first
book, which was later followed by several other works.
Official Publication: Because of the varied nature
of Wicca, there is no single official publication.
However, Llewellyn's New Worlds of Mind and Spirit and Llewellyn New
Times (Llewellyn Publishing) are two of the key periodicals.
Organization Structure: Each individual coven
is autonomous and therefore will have their own organizational structure.
Generally the high priestess is considered the leader of the Coven.
Unique Terms: Witch refers to both male and female
members. Sabbats are the meetings held on festival dates while esbats are
the general meetings held by local Covens.
Other Names: The Craft and The Old Religion are
sometimes used to refer to the magical aspects of Wicca or to its revival
of ancient non-Christian traditions. While Neo-Paganism is often associated
with Wicca and the two certainly share many of the same characteristics,
Neo-Paganism is, technically speaking, somewhat different in its ideology.
HISTORY
Though Witchcraft can be traced back several centuries before the coming
of Christ, through the early Christian church period, the inquisition,
early American colonies and finally through Spiritism of the past century,
for the purpose of this Profile, the historical overview will begin with
Wicca's modern revival in 1949 (The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft,
Rosemary Ellen Guiley, pp. 368-374).
Gerald Gardner published his High Magic's Aid, a novel about "The Craft,"
in 1949 under the pen-name, "Scire" (Drawing Down The Moon, Margot Adler,
p. 61). The pen-name was used because of the current laws of the land.
However, "In 1951 the Witchcraft Act of 1736, and a section of the Vagrancy
Act of 1824, were replaced by the Fraudulent Medium Act. For the first
time in more than 300 years in Britain, witchcraft was no longer a crime"
(Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft, p. 374). Due to the changes in
the legal system, Gardner was able to follow-up his novel with two other
non-fiction works under his own name.
Guiley has observed, "It is difficult to say whether Gardner intended
to create a new religion or whether it grew spontaneously from public interest
in his writings" (Ibid.). However, Frank Smyth writes in Man, Myth and
Magic, "In the absence of any evidence except hearsay, there is a strong
case in favour of the suggestion that Gardner invented the cult of Wicca
to satisfy his own sense of the esoteric" (Richard Cavendish, Editor, Vol.
14, p. 1869). Other authors have indicated that Gardner's revival of Witchcraft
also "centered mainly around discreet sexual frolics in the nude, aided
by drugs" (Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology,
Leslie Shepard, Vol. 1, p. 366).
Throughout his life, Gardner was fascinated with many different aspects
of the Occult. He had been a follower in varying degrees of such people
and philosophies as Aleister Crowley, Ordo Templi Orientis, the Hermetic
Order of the Golden Dawn and Rosicrucianism (Encyclopedia of Witches and
Witchcraft, p. 375).
Historians have credited Doreen Valiente, a follower of Gardner who
he initiated into the Craft in 1953, with "increasing the emphasis on the
Goddess" (Ibid.).
While followers of Witchcraft had been in America for hundreds of years,
its "greatest growth took place in the 1960s and 1970s, during a general
revival of interest in Occultism" (Ibid.). Many historians of Wicca credit
Raymond Buckland and his wife Rosemary with Wicca's successful spread into
American society. "The Bucklands came to the U.S. in 1962" having been
followers of Gardner (Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology, Leslie
Shepard, Vol. 1, p. 133).
In 1973, Llewellyn Press, one of the most prolific publishers of Occult
material, "sponsored a meeting of Witches in Minneapolis." The gathering,
attended by Witches from seventy-three different Craft traditions, attempted
to write a statement of principles. The attempt failed to satisfy all participants.
The meeting was followed in 1974 by the Council of American Witches which
did finally draw-up the Principles of Wiccan Belief. Later, in 1975, thirteen
covens would "ratify the Covenant of the Goddess" (Drawing Down the Moon,
pp. 99-103)
Rosemary Guiley explains why most modern followers prefer the term
Wicca to Witchcraft. "As a religion Witchcraft often is called `Wicca,'
an Old English term for `witch,' in order to counter the negative stereotype
of Witches as ugly, evil, and Devil-worshipers" (Harper's Encyclopedia
of Mystical and Paranormal Experience, p. 647).
Because of their wish to avoid stereotypes and the autonomous nature
of Wicca, several key groups have sprung into existence over the past few
decades. Some of these groups are the Gardnerian (founded by Gerald Gardner),
the Alexandrian (founded by Alexander Sanders), the Dianic (based on the
worship of the Greek goddess Diana), the Celtic (based on worship of ancient
Celtic myths) and several others (Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft,
pp. 377-379).
One other group which differs somewhat in its theological perspectives,
yet is Wiccan in its overall philosophy is the School of Wicca founded
by Gavin and Yvonne Frost. By some estimates, this group "may have created
a hundred covens through its activities" (Drawing Down the Moon, p. 125).
DOCTRINE
As with most groups that fall under the wide umbrella term of Occultism,
the theology of Wicca varies from group to group and even from coven to
coven. However, the following are a few of the doctrines that most Wiccan
covens will believe and practice.
1) Autonomy: "There is no central authority or liturgy; various traditions
have their own rituals, philosophy and beliefs. Some have added elements
from Eastern, Native American Indian, aboriginal and shamanic systems;
others have injected politics into their traditions. New ritual, songs,
chants and poetry are continually created" (Encyclopedia of Witches and
Witchcraft, p. 376). Raymond Buckland explains, "All religions lead in
the same direction, simply taking different paths to get there.
Witches feel that all should therefore be free to choose their own
path" (Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft, p. 99).
2) Experience verses Dogma: Because of the Autonomy of each Coven and
even to a large degree of each individual member of Wicca, the experience
of the individual is of greater importance than any set of dogmatic doctrines.
"Generally speaking Witches are very open-minded people, especially where
religion is concerned. They have no hard and fast `Commandments,' no catechisms"
(Ibid.).
Adler adds, "By creating our own divinities we create mental steps
for ourselves, up which we can mount toward realizing ourselves as divine.
The lack of dogma in the Craft, the fact that one can worship the Goddess
without believing in Her, that one can accept the Goddess as `Muse' and
the Craft as a form of ancient knowledge to be tested by experience; these
are precisely the things that have caused the Craft to survive, to revive,
and to be re-created in this century" (Drawing Down the Moon, p. 173).
3) Rituals: These individual or Coven experiences are gained through
self-designed rituals. "We are talking about the rituals that people create
to get in touch with those powerful parts of themselves that cannot be
experienced on a verbal level. Rituals are also created to acknowledge
on this deeper level the movement of the seasons and the natural world,
and to celebrate life and its processes" (Ibid., pp. 197-198).
4) Magic: Many of these rituals involve divination or magic. "In his
book of shadows, Gardner listed eight ways to raise magical power (singly
or in combination): (1) meditation or concentration; (2) chants, spells,
and invocations; (3) trance and astral projection; (4) incense, wine and
drugs; (5) dancing; (6) blood control by binding parts of the body with
cords; (7) scourging (not enough to draw blood); (8) ritual sex" (Harper's
Encyclopedia of Paranormal Experience, p. 649).
5) Goddess Worship: This worship of the Goddess sometimes manifests
itself as the worship of "the Mother Goddess in her three aspects of Maiden,
Mother, and Crone." Sometimes it is the worship of "what we potentially
are" (Drawing Down the Moon, pp. 10-11, 202).
In many covens the high priestess is seen as the personification of
the "mother goddess who is the principal deity of witchlore" (Man, Myth
and Magic, Vol. 14, p. 1866).
6) Feminism: While not all feminists are Wiccans, many find the philosophy
of Wicca to be a compatible philosophy. "Women who have come to the Goddess
outside the channels of Neo-Paganism and the Craft are beginning to find
rituals and concepts that allow for the same idea.
They are finding the Goddess within themselves and within all women.
And, as might be expected, those feminists who have found joy in rituals,
and who have discovered that the concept of `Goddess' feels right inside,
are often drawn into the Craft"
(Drawing Down the Moon, p. 205).
7) Seasonal Festivals: The worship of nature or natural order is of
paramount importance. "Wicca is basically a fertility cult and its great
festivals are geared to the seasons." Key dates in the Wiccan calendar
would include February 2 (Candlemas), March 21 (spring equinox), April
30 (Beltane), June 22 (summer solstice), August 1 (August Eve), September
21 (autumn equinox), October 31 (Halloween), December 21 (winter solstice)
(Man, Myth and Magic, Vol. 14, p. 1866).
8) Evil: Wiccan groups do not accept the existence of evil. They explain,
"Wicca can be defined as a pagan mystery religion with a polarized deity
and no personification of evil." In the Principles of Wiccan Beliefs is
stated, "We do not accept the concept of `absolute evil,' nor do we worship
any entity known as `Satan' or `The Devil' as defined by the Christian
tradition" (Drawing Down the Moon, pp. 100, 103).
9) Horned God: As mentioned, some Wiccan covens worship not only a
Mother Goddess, but also a masculine deity. "Many Craft traditions also
worship a god, related to the ancient horned lord of animals, the god of
the hunt, the god of death and lord of the forests" (Drawing Down the Moon,
p. 11).
