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Wicca,
Wicca, Who’s Got the Wicca?
or
My
Tradition, or Yours?
[An
article which attempts to make sense of all the various
Traditions, Brands, Denominations, etc., which may confuse
the unwary new-comer to Neo-Paganism (Wicca in particular).]
By:
Hurn
Greetings,
and Bright Blessings... Welcome to this, the next in a
series of introductory pieces on Alternate Religions. Today,
we shall take a look at the many varied Traditions in the
Wicca Family of Faiths.
Whilst there is, indeed, a large number of groups who
profess one set of tenants, or ideas; one soon begins to see
why they may all be lumped together as one Religion.
Obviously,
to start, one must define Religion as it applies to these
groups of people. Next, a listing of some of the more
Popular Traditions, giving a basic description of each.
Lastly, some comments on the “cords which bind these
groups together”, ie. a discussion on the Underlying
Philosophies of the New Age Movement, Neo-Paganisms in
particular.
1.
What
is a Religion?
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A
dictionary definition of religion looks something
like:
Religion,
n.; An organized system of Beliefs and/or Rituals,
centering on a Supernatural Being or Beings.
Everyone
with me so far? Good. I think we can all agree on
definitions for “Beliefs” and
“Supernatural”, so the only sub-definition will
be “Ritual”: any ordered sequence of events or
actions, including directed thoughts, especially one
that is repeated in the ‘same’ manner each time,
and that is designed to produce a predictable
altered state of consciousness, within which certain
magical or religious results may be obtained.
|
(Artist
unknown) |
Now,
by using these definitions, the astute reader may realize
that one need not “believe” in anything in order to
belong to a Religion, although most ‘established’
churches Do require that one has conforming beliefs in order
to become ‘accepted into’ that Religion. One of the
beauties of the Pagan/NeoPagan/Wiccan Religion is that the
majority of the sects do not require one to have
‘conforming’ beliefs. One need not Believe in the God/dess
in order to worship them, and this is the key to being a New
Age type Religion.
New
Age Religions acknowledge that there are many paths to
Godhood, and that each person should find his/her own way.
Thus, while there is communication and discussion between
the diverse ways of Wicca, there is generally no cause for
religious persecution or Holy Wars. Also, there are very
little ‘missionary’ type efforts, since there is no
Prime Directive stating that everyone who does not believe a
certain piece of Dogma is Wrong, and will burn in Hell
forever, unless saved, or made to see the light.
Contrary
to most religions, it is Not the shared set of Beliefs, or
similar Dogma which holds the Wiccan Religions together.
Rather, it is the Attitudes of the people involved, and
their common Heritage which provide the bonds of cooperation
among the Pagan Peoples. These points of agreement shall be
further addressed following a brief list of some of the more
popular Traditions, with a description of each.
2.
Traditions/Branches/Gatherings/Sub-Groups/Interpretations/etc.
[nb.
This is not, by any means, an all inclusive list]
A.
Gardnerian:
Started
by G. Gardner, in England, in the mid 1950’s, this
Tradition claims to have existed, in secret, since the
Witch-Burnings began during the Middle Ages. While there is
some doubt as to whether or not it is as old as it claims,
there is no denying that the Gardnerian Sect has been one of
the most Influential of the Traditions. In fact, many of the
groups which follow were started by people who had been
introduced to Paganism and the Worship of the Lord and Lady
as members of a Gardnerian group.
Characteristics:
A structured religion with definite hierarchy within each
group (known, as a Coven), but little to no Authority of one
coven over another. Within the coven, a Matriarchy exists,
with the High Priestess generally being considered the
leader (there are, of course, exceptions to this, but these
descriptions are, for the most part, only generalizations
based upon information gathered from many sources).
The
typical Gardnerian view of the God/dess is that of a
Dominant Three-Faced Goddess (Maid, Mother, and Crone) with
a Male Consort (Who has 2 sides.. the Young Summer King, and
the Old Winter King).
Ceremonies include a series of initiations into
higher levels of the Craft, various Holiday Celebrations
(based, of course, upon the “Wheel of the Year” calendar
of Feast days.
B.
Alexandrian:
Started
about the same time as Gardner’s, this tradition is fairly
similar, with a little more emphasis upon Ceremonial Magick.
There are numerous Covens in both US and Europe.
C.
Dianic:
This
is more of a Sub-class, rather than a particular Tradition.
There are several Feminist Traditions which are considered
Dianic. This sub-class tends to emphasize the Female aspect
of the Goddess, sometimes to the exclusion of the Male God.
Some feel that these groups are rather reactionary and self
limiting. Be that as it may, the Dianic Covens tend to be
more politically active.
D.
School of Wicca:
Headed
by Gavin and Yvonne Frost, this School is the largest
correspondence school of Witchcraft in the US. Numerous
Covens have resulted from this School, although it is
somewhat unconventional (if, that is, anything dealing with
Wicca could be called conventional). The Frosts’ views on
Wicca as a religion do differ with the majority.. in that
they do not consider Wicca as “Pagan”, but rather as
Monotheistic.
E.
Seax (or Saxon) Wicca:
Started
by Raymond Buckland, who was originally a leader in
promoting the Gardnerian Tradition, as an alternative to the
existing Covens. Unlike most traditions, which consider the
Coven group to be the normal unit of division (ie. all
ceremonies/Rituals = Group Rites), the Seax version has
provision for lone witches (often referred to as
Solitaires). Another thing which sets this particular brand
apart is its non-reliance upon being properly initiated into
the Wiccan community. Many of the other groups require that
new members be brought to existing covens to be ceremonially
initiated into that Tradition, and that only after years of
study within the group is one ready to start a new coven.
The Seax tradition, recognizing that there may not be a
friendly, neighborhood Coven, allows for self-initiation,
and Auto setup of a Coven.
F.
Traditionalist (Welsh, Scots, Greek, Irish, etc...)
Like
Dianic, this is a sub-class. Each Traditionalist group is
based upon the traditions, literature, myth, and folktales
of that particular geographic/demographic area. This is
evident in the Names of the God/dess used by individual
groups.
3.
Common ties/beliefs/Ideals/etc...
As
stated earlier, it’s not doctrine/dogma similarities which
tend to hold these diverse groups together, rather, it is
the common Ideals and feelings expressed by the Pagan
Peoples themselves. Here are some examples:
The
Wiccan Rede: “An it harms none, do what thou will.” is
almost universally accepted amongst the groups. Most groups
tend to be polytheistic, animists, pantheists, ect. One is
not “converted” to Wicca, rather, the new comer feels a
sense of “Coming Home”, or, more poetically, “The
Goddess calls to Her own”. Nature plays a big part in most
Traditions, either as direct personification of the God/dess,
or as aspects of them. There is no counterpart to the Devil,
as such, in the Pagan religions... no personification of All
Evil, rather, the choice is there for all to make. However,
there is the Law of Three Fold Return, which states “That
which thou dost send out shall return three fold”, so good
begets good, and evil befalls those who are evil (a
horrendous understatement / simplification, but true).
Blessed
Be...
Hurn
Back
to top |
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Which
Witch is Which?
By
Silver RavenWolf
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| Alexandrian
Tradition |
Founded
in England during the 1960s, Alex Sanders referred to
himself as the "King" of the Witches. The
rituals are said to be modified Garnderian. |
| British
Traditional Witch |
A
mixture of Celtic and Gardnerian beliefs. Most famous
organization at this time is the International Red
Garters. British Traditionals move mostly from within
the Farrar studies (the famous Witch husband and wife from
England). They, too, are fairly structured in their
beliefs, and train through the degree process. Their
covens are also co-ed. |
| Celtic
Wicca |
The
use of a Celtic/Druidic pantheon mixed with a little ritual
Gardnerian, and heavily stressing the elements, nature and
the Ancient Ones. They had a vast knowledge of and
respect for the healing and magickal qualities of plants and
stones, flowers, trees, elemental spirits, the little
people, gnomes and fairies. |
| Caledonii
Tradition |
Formally
known as the Hecatine Tradition, this denomination of the
Craft is Scottish in origin, and still preserves the unique
festivals of the Scots. |
| Ceremonial
Witchcraft |
Followers
of this Tradition use a great deal of ceremonial magick in
their practices. Detailed rituals with a flavour of
Egyptian magick are sometimes a favourite, or they may use
the Qabbalistic magick. |
| Dianic
Tradition |
First
pinpointed by Margaret Murray in 1921 in "The Witch
Cult in Western Europe", this term appears to include a
mixture of various traditions. However, their prime
focus in recent years is on the Goddess, and has been pegged
as the "feminist" movement of the Craft. |
| Eclectic
Witch |
Look
in any personals column in a Craft-orientated newsletter or
journal and you will see this catch-all phrase.
Basically, it indicates that the individual does not follow
any particular Tradition, denomination, sect or magickal
practice. They learn and study from many magickal
systems and apply to themselves whatever seems to work best. |
| Gardnerian
Tradition |
Organized
by Gerald Gardner in England in the 1950s, just why is this
fellow so darned important? Gerald was one of the few
people so determined that the Old Religion should not die
that he took the risk of publicising it through the
media. Under all the hype, I truly believe he
understood that the young needed the Craft as much as the
Craft needed a new generation to survive. |
| Hereditary
Witch |
One
who can trace the Craft through their family tree and
who has been taught the Old Religion by a relative who was
living at the same time. Channeling doesn't
count. How far one has to go back on the family tree
to meet the conditions of the first part of this definition
is debatable. Family Trades (another name for
Hereditary Witches) occasionally adopt individuals into
their dynasty. This decision is never a light one, and
usually stems from the lack of offspring to carry on the
line, or the high regard they hold for the person in
question. The ceremony is intricate and
important. After all, it is not every day you can pick
your relatives! It is much like the marriage of an
individual into a family. |
| Kitchen
Witch |
You
will hear this term every once in a while. Basically,
this type is one who practices by hearth and home, dealing
with the practical side of religion, magick, the earth and
the elements. There are some who groan loudly at this
type of terminology, viewing it as degrading or simply
inappropriate. Just remember that the Old Religion
started somewhere, and most likely the kitchen (or cookfire)
was the hub of many charms, spells, healings, and
celebrations. After all, where does everyone
congregate during the holidays? Grandma's kitchen has
always produced magickal memories for humanity; visions of
Mother making that something special for a sick child still
holds true today for many of us. |
| Pictish
Witch |
Scottish
Witchcraft that attunes itself to all aspects of nature:
animal, vegetable, and mineral. It is a solitary form
of the Craft and mainly magickal in nature with little
religion. |
| Pow-Wow |
Indigenous
to South Central Pennsylvania. This is a system, not a
religion, based on 400-year-old Elite German magick.
Pow-Wow has deteriorated to a great degree into simple faith
healing. Although Pow-Wow finds its roots in German
Witchcraft, few practicing Pow-Wows today in Pennsylvania
follow the Craft or even know the nature of its true birth. |
| Satanic
Witch |
One
cannot be a satanic Witch because Witches do not believe in
Satan.
[Weathewax Note:- I
disagree with Silver on this one as a witch is simply a
person who practises witchcraft - spells, herbs, oils, etc.
and can therefore be of any religion - even Satanic.
The religion of Wicca does not recognize Satan and therefore
you could not be a Satanic Wicca - but you could be a
Satanic Witch). |
| Seax-Wicca |
Founded
by Raymond Buckland in 1973. Although of Saxon basis,
it was authored by Raymond himself without breaking his
original Gardnerian oath. Raymond Buckland's
contribution to the Craft is a significant one. Not
only did he develop a Tradition that is more than acceptable
to many individuals, he also has written a large volume of
textbooks on different magickal aspects and practices of the
Craft, thereby enhancing many lives in a positive direction. |
| Solitary
Witch |
One
who practices alone, regardless of Tradition, denomination,
or sect. Solitaries come in various forms. Some
were at one time intiiated into a coven and eventually chose
to extricate themselves from that environment and continue
practicing a particular Tradition or sect by
themselves. A solitary can also be an individual who
has no desire to practice with or learn from a coven
structure, but still may adhere to a specific Tradition or
sect through the teachings of another. For example, a
member of a Hereditary Family may choose to teach a close
friend the art and science of the Craft, but choose not to
adopt them as a Family member for any number of
reasons. And finally, a solitary Witch can be a person
who has decided to tough it out on their own, learning from
books, networking, and fellow Witches of different
Traditions. These people have the ability to pick
themselves up and brush themselves off, and live to try
again. More and more individuals are selecting the
solitary path rather than that of group interaction.
Another name for a solitary Witch is "Natural
Witch." You may hear this word from time to time
as well. |
| Strega
Witches |
Follows
a tradition seated in Italy that began around 1353 with a
woman called Aradia. Of all the traditional Witches,
this group appears to be the smallest in number in the
United States; however, their teaching are beautiful and
should not be missed. |
| Teutonic
Witch |
From
ancient times the Teutons have been recognized as a group of
people who speak the Germanic group of languages.
Culturally, this included the English, Dutch, Icelandic,
Danish, Norwegian and Swedish people. This is also
known as the Nordic Tradition. |
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| [Weatherwax
Note:- You many also add to this list Wiccan Witch,
Christian Witch, Buddhist Witch, etc. These are
witches (people who practice the art of witchcraft) within
their chosen religion. Remember - a witch can belong
to any religion.] |
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