Sunteți pe pagina 1din 12

BORE 2

nd
Dec
The birth of religions: Wicca
Dr Stuart Whomsley, Clinical Psychologist
Melissa Seims, High Priestess and Ritual Magician.
Introduction
Paganism is considered to e one o! the !astest gro"ing religions grou#ings in Britain and
the $S% &re!'. What does this gro"th tell us aout the changes in these societies and ho"
s#iritual needs are met( % modern !orm o! Witchcra!t, )Wicca*, is one such Pagan #ath
that is !ollo"ed in Britain y oth solo #ractitioners, )Hedge+"itches*, and y grou#s,
)Co,ens*. -t is a secreti,e, initiatory tradition "ith all memers considered #art o! a "ider
Priesthood. .his #a#er outlines the de,elo#ment o! Wicca in order to demonstrate the
!ollo"ing central themes/ ho" s#iritual needs are incor#orated into a religious #ractice0
ho" the "ider cultures o! the societies in "hich the religion is !ormed a!!ects "hat it
ecomes.
.here is a #o"er!ul something in the $ni,erse, William 1ames &date' termed it )something
more*, this )something more* "hen outside o! #eo#le it is the #ro,ince o! theology0 ut
"here this )something more* is in #eo#le, it is called s#irituality and the #ro,ince o!
.rans#ersonal #sychology. S#irituality is di!!erent !rom religion/ s#irituality is !elt and
e2#erienced y the indi,idual, religion is institutionali3ed and !ormali3ed, and it is ased on
!aith+ "hat other #eo#le elie,e or ha,e elie,ed. .his distinction is increasingly
recogni3ed as #eo#le ma4e !irm statements that they are s#iritual, ut not religious.
Religions are the socially constructed containers and conduits !or s#irituality. .hey can
e, as Mar2 &date' suggested, the o#ium o! the masses0 "ith the congregation !ollo"ing
!aith!ully the #riesthood o! "hate,er denomination as the men "ho are running the sho",
and they are usually men. .his may indeed e aout earthly, material #o"er. But can a
materialist account gi,e a !ull e2#lanation !or the !oundation o! religions( Con,ersely, can
accounts o! religions that e2#ress the ine,itaility o! the re,elation o! a deity5s message at
that time through the e2act methods o! the deity5s choosing #ro,ide an account that is
satis!ying to anyone ut the de,oted adherent o! that religion( We consider that "hat is
re6uired !or an ade6uate account o! the irth o! a religion is oth an a##reciation o! the
socio+#olitical and economic !actors o! that time together "ith an a##reciation o! that
)something more* that is s#irituality.
.he containers and conduits o! s#irituality, that are religions, are the #roducts o! the social
and #olitical circumstances o! the time and #lace in "hich they are created. Ho"e,er, in
order to sur,i,e and to maintain themsel,es across time, #lace and the changing social
and #olitical circumstances they need to ada#t. 7e,ertheless, the conce#tual #atterns
!ormed at their ince#tion remain dee#ly encoded into them. %s society e,ol,es around
them they may re!ormulate in order to ada#t to the ne" conte2t, ut still #reser,es "hat
"as essential to their original !orm. 8or e2am#le, the e,olution o! Christianity has e,ol,ed
through many !orms all in,ol,ing the ada#tation o! the Christian message to the changing
social and #olitical conte2t. .he res#onse o! a religion to the gloal conte2t can e
"itnessed at the start o! the t"enty+!irst century in the de,elo#ment o! radical -slam in
res#onse to Western #olitics and #ostmodernism. Po"er!ul #rocesses o! needing to
elong to your #ac4, trie or grou#, are in,ol,ed0 together "ith !earing "hat is outside,
eyond the grou#5s oundary, out there in the "oods, out there in the dar4.
1
BORE 2
nd
Dec
S#irituality is hard to su##ress. % s#iritual com#onent seems to e a !eature o! eing
human. 8or those "ho state that they ha,e no religion, their s#irituality may ha,e ta4en
another #seudo+religious !orm, such as an adherence to the ,alues o! science or a #olitical
mo,ement. Ho"e,er, many #eo#le need the container and conduit o! s#irituality that is a
religion. -! there is not a codi!ied, contained s#irituality that is acce#tale to #art o! the
#o#ulation, then a ne" religion "ill !orm. .he uilding o! religious containers and conduits
may e a social necessity as !ree !loating s#irituality may e dangerous. Religions come
and go, ut s#irituality endures. We are interested in the transition #oint, o! ho" s#irituality
ecomes contained and channelled "ithin a religion through codi!ication and #eo#le may
ecome #ro#hets or deities, and "ritten "ords ecome sacred.
8rom the mid t"entieth century on"ards there de,elo#ed in Britain a religious mo,ement
called Wicca. .his "as a uni!ication o! high magic, as #re,iously #racticed y intellectual
grou#ings o! academics, theologians and aristocrats, through grou#s such as .he 9olden
Da"n+ an ascending s#iritual #ath, and the rituali3ed #ractices o! rural #eo#le and !ol4
magic+ a descending s#iritual #ath &re!'. Wicca incor#orated the more #rimiti,e direct
grounded earth s#irituality o! oral traditions "ith the re!le2i,ity o! "ritten "ord ased
religions. -n so doing something uni6ue "as created, as the historian Ronald Hutton
&2::;' suggests that <modern #agan "itchcra!t5 that emerged in the ;=>:5s is the only
religion that Britain has gi,en to the "orld.
% study o! Wicca has the ad,antages !or the researcher that they are close in time to it5s
irth/ the documents are !resh0 the ma?or characters are not long dead &it is the #ossile to
tal4 to someone "ho 4ne" them'. -n addition, the mo,ement o! Wicca et"een t"o similar
ut di!!erent cultures, Britain and the $S%, #ermits consideration o! the im#act o! cultural
shi!ts on a religion5s de,elo#ment. We suggest that the #rinci#les discussed in the
e2amination o! the irth o! Wicca are com#arale to ho" the "orld5s ma?or religions came
into e2istence.
The context for the early practitioners: how Wicca become a container and conduit
for spirituality in the second half of the 20
th
Century in Britain and the U!
9erald 9ardner, the <!ounding !ather5 o! Wicca disco,ered and "as initiated into Witchcra!t
in;=@= shortly a!ter the eginning o! World War ."o. -n ;=A:, shortly a!ter 8rance had
!allen to 9ermany, 9ardner, a staunch #atriot and %ir Raid Precaution Warden, ?oined
se,eral other Witches to #er!orm a magical o#eration that aimed to #re,ent the in,asion o!
9erman !orces, called <O#eration Cone o! Po"er5, 9ardner recounted its e,ents as
!ollo"s/ "We were taken at night to a place in the Forest, where the Great Circle was
erected; and that was done which may not be done except in great emergency. And the
great Cone o !ower was raised and slowly directed in the general direction o "itler. #he
command was gi$en% &'o( cannot cross the )ea. 'o( cannot cross the )ea. '*+
CA,,*# C*-.% '*+ CA,,*# C*-.&. /(st as, we were told, was done to ,apoleon,
when he had his army ready to in$ade .ngland and ne$er came. And, as was done to the
)panish Armada, mighty orces were (sed, o which 0 may not speak. ,ow to do this
means (sing one&s lie1 orce; and many o (s died a ew days ater we did this. -y
asthma, which 0 had ne$er had since 0 irst went o(t .ast, came back badly. We repeated
the rit(al o(r times; and the .lders said% &We eel we ha$e stopped him. We m(st not kill
too many o o(r people. 2eep them (ntil we need them&". &Bracelin,;=B;, #age'. .his e,ent
increased 9ardner5s #assion !or Witchcra!t, and shortly a!ter the end the Second World
War he #ulished his !irst oo4 related to Witchcra!t. .hough disguised as a "or4 o! !iction,
<High Magics %id5 &;=A=' contained magical #assages and instructions. .his #ulication
2
BORE 2
nd
Dec
coincided "ith a time "hen the British "ere ada#ting to the conse6uences o! the War/
many #eo#le had lost !amily and !ound their !aith in the traditional order undermined,
including con,entional Christianity. Rationing im#osed se,ere restrictions and #eo#le
e2#erienced their #ersonal control and !ree choice as limited and restricted. %s a
conse6uence, the idea o! eing ale to do <Magic5, to in!luence your li!e, and to regain
some o! that control, "as attracti,e. Wicca !rom its ince#tion had a #hiloso#hical ase that
encouraged a re+connection to the Earth and to 7ature0 it em#hasised a celerating the
cycles o! li!e "hilst also understanding death as a natural #art o! that #rocess. One oo4
that #articularly in!luenced 9ardner, and therey the 9ardnerian Boo4 o! Shado"s, "as
Ceyland5s )%radia/ 9os#el o! the Witches* &date'. %radia is the name gi,en to the
messianic daughter o! the 9oddess Diana, a cham#ion !or the o##ressed and underdogs
o! society0 gi,en the social circumstances o! that time, it is understandale that this oo4
and the stories o! %radia, in!luenced 9ardner, and "as in accordance "ith #ost "ar Britain
and the social and #olitical !orces that lead to the de,elo#ment o! the Wel!are State.
.he Second World War also lead to rea##raisal o! "omen5s5 roles in society &re!'.
Women, "ho #rior to the Second World War, had generally occu#ied <traditional5 domestic
roles, gained ne" "orth, status and #o"er through land+"or4 and "or4ing in munitions
!actories. .his social change maintained momentum during the ;=>:5s and ;=B:5s through
the Women5s Cieration and 8eminism mo,ements. .he in,ention o! the contrace#ti,e #ill
!urther encouraged se2ual lieration "hich connected to Wicca5s intrinsic ideas aout
se2ual e2#ression. .he 8eminist Mo,ement do,etailed into the Wiccan lin4ed 9oddess
mo,ement. .he male 9od o! Christianity and the central !emales o! Mary Madonna or
Mary Magdalene can e di!!icult religious !igures o! identi!ication !or some #eo#le. 8or
men, a!ter the rutalities o! "ar, .he 9oddess "ith her innate nurturing and healing
6ualities o!!ered an alternati,e, as a deity that could e lo,ed as a mother. .he sociologist,
9loc4 &;=BA' suggests that ne" religions arise "hen #eo#le !eel that they had een
de#ri,ed o! something that they e2#ected !rom li!e. %t the end o! the Second World War
the e2#ression o! the human s#irit and a desire to retain some asic control o,er ones li!e
and en,ironment encouraged ne" !orms o! religions.
% great enaler in the de,elo#ment o! Wicca "as the re#eal in ;=>; o! the ;D@B
Witchcra!t %ct. .he re#eal #ermitted #eo#le to #ractice <Witchcra!t5 "ithout #rosecution. -t
"as an o##ortunity !or 9ardner to #ulish directly aout the #ractice, "ithout the guise o!
!iction, and he did so in the oo4 )Witchcra!t today* &;=>A'.9ardner strongly disli4ed
modernity, #articularly industrialisation and uranisation0 he desired a return to a golden
age e#itomi3ed in !ol4lore, myths and trial magical #ractices. He had een a memer o!
the 8ol4lore society !or many years0 gi,ing tal4s and "riting aout the su?ect. His
reactions to modernity can e com#ared to those o! William Morris in the ;=
th
Century
"hen he egan the %rts and Cra!ts Mo,ement &re!' and to 1ung &re!'. His interest in a
return to a #ast golden age can e com#ared to the Druidery re,i,al o! the late ;=
th

Century that "as the re+a"a4ening o! Pagan #aths.
-n addition, to loo4ing to the #ast !or ins#iration, Wicca "as also ins#ired y the scienti!ic
ad,ances o! the ;=>:s and ;=B:s. .hrough ad,ances in s#ace tra,el, it "as #ossile to
see images o! the earth !rom s#ace, and to "itness ho" eauti!ul, and yet also delicate it
a##eared. .hese images hel#ed to connect #eo#le "ith the reality o! the uni,erse "ithin
"hich they li,ed. %nd "ith ne" understandings o! the #lanet5s ecological and
meteorological systems, there "as an increased understanding o! ho" our actions "ere
damaging it. .his a"areness in!luenced alternati,e intellectuals such as 1ames Co,eloc4
and Ru#ert Sheldra4e. Co,eloc4 started "or4 on 9aia theory in the mid B:s and "hich
culminated in 9aia/ % ne" loo4 at li!e on Earth5 &;=D=. .his scienti!ic theory in!luenced
3
BORE 2
nd
Dec
oth academia and the general #ulic, !or "hom Science had ecome a source o! almost
sacred 4no"ledge and a lin4 et"een #eo#le5s daily li,es and the "orld and cosmos. With
the ca#acity to ma4e lin4s to the in!luential e#istemologies o! Science, nature+ased
religions, such as Wicca ecame more acce#tale and understandale. -n addition, "ith its
lin4s to ecological mo,ements, Wicca contained an a##reciation o! not only #ersonal ut
#lanetary ,ulneraility "ith a !ocus on sa,ing the "orld in "hich "e li,e in rather than
!ocusing on sal,ation in the ne2t.
-t "as not only Wicca that gained #o#ularity at the end o! the Second World War, ut
Re,i,alist Druids, that had started to ecome #o#ular at the turn o! the last century,
continued to gain ad,ocates in the second hal! o! the t"entieth century. Druidry tended to
attract a di!!erent ty#e o! #erson to Wicca. -t "as more male+orientated, #roaly due to
the main Druid Re,i,al o! the eginning o! the 2:th century ha,ing close lin4 to that <men+
only5 rotherhood, the 8reemasons. Druidery ceremonies "ere more theatrical and
rehearsed in contrast to the s#ontaneity o! Wicca. Druidery "as 4no"n #ulicly through
the Stonehenge Summer Solstice Rites "hich had ta4en #lace !rom the turn o! the century.
.hese di!!erences did not #re,ent close connections to Wicca. 9ardner ecame a
memer, and in ;=AB egan to attend druid ceremonies, and therey ecame "ell
ac6uainted "ith the then head o! the %ncient Druid Order &%.D.O.', 9eorge Watson
Mac9regor+Reid. 9ardner suse6uently ecome close to %.D.O. memer, Ross 7ichols,
"ho may ha,e hel#ed him to "rite Witchcrat #oday3 &;=>A'. 7ichols !ormed the Order o!
Bards, Druids and O,ates in ;=B@, and in!luenced 9ardner5s ,ie" o! nature religions as
"ell as contriuted ideas and energy to "hat ecame 4no"n as <9ardnerian Witchcra!t5.
.he ne", alternati,e nature religion o! Wicca gained sustenance !rom its earlier !orear o!
Re,i,alist Druidery.
Des#ite the ;=>:s and ;=B:s #ro,iding the conditions !or Wicca to e orn, the contrasts
to mainstream society should not e underestimated. During the second author5s
con,ersations "ith Charles Clar4, "ho ?oined 9ardner5s Witchcra!t grou# around ;=>A, he
made her a"are o! ho" alternati,e the Wica, as he termed it, a##eared in the si2ties.
British society "as still 6uite conser,ati,e and the social and moral re,olution o! the ;=B:5s
had yet to ma4e dee# inroads into the acce#ted societal norms. 8or e2am#le, although the
!inal Witchcra!t Ca"s had een re#ealed in ;=>A, there "ere still strong la"s controlling
nudity &nudity eing im#ortant !or Co,en "orshi#'. -n the early ;=B:5s, Clar4 su##orted the
#hotogra#her 1ean Stra4er, "ho had !allen !oul o! British Censorshi# Ca"s y #ulishing
images that sho"ed #uic hair. Stra4er "as #rosecuted under the Oscene Pulications
%ct and im#risoned. His suse6uent a##eal "as acce#ted and his con,iction o,erruled
"hich ins#ired change in the Censorshi# Ca"s in ;=B>.
Early Wiccans also held many traditional ,alues. % "riter "ho inter,ie"ed se,eral Wiccan
grou#s in England in the ;=B:5s note that memer5s tended to"ards conser,atism &Smyth,
date'. -t has also een noted y Hutton &2::;' that Wicca started "ith 9ardner as a !orm
o! radical conser,atism ut de,elo#ed through Starha"4 in the $S% into radical socialism.
Perha#s, the !ounders o! Wicca had the goal o! #ersonal s#iritual de,elo#ment, and "ere
in"ard loo4ing0 ut through the amalgamation o! their ideas "ith the #olitical mo,ement o!
!eminism, ,ia the 9oddess mo,ement, Wicca ecame out"ard loo4ing "ith goals !or social
re!orm.
Wicca does not !ollo" the traditional Western #attern o! se#arating magic and religion.
Some religions egan "ith magic and religion lin4ed, ut lost those lin4s as they
de,elo#ed. 8or e2am#le, Christianity egan as a mystery religion, containing mystical and
arcane 4no"ledge. Ho"e,er, a schism et"een the 9nostic mystics and the orthodo2
4
BORE 2
nd
Dec
thin4ers created a !luctuating #o"er alance &Pagel, date'0 "ith the orthodo2 thin4ers
e,entually trium#hant. .herey many alternati,e ideas and inter#retations aout the li!e o!
1esus, "ere su##ressed or lost. .he disco,ery o! the 7ag Hammadi lirary in ;=A> has
#ro,ided details o! this #rocess &re!'. .his schism "as the result o! di!!erences in
#ersonality, culture and the !undamentals o! #olitics and #o"er. Ho"e,er, Co#tic
Christianity also inherited s#ell+cra!t tradition !rom %le2andria and older, #haronic magical
traditions. Co#tic Christianity no longer o#enly encourages the use o! s#ells although its
#riests do still carry out magical rites. 1udaism is another religion "here a #ath o!
mysticism can still e !ollo"ed, #articularly through Eaalah &re!'
.he #ractice o! Wicca in Co,ens relies u#on memer5s unity. -t is elie,ed that e,ery
grou# has an Egregore, a conce#t similar to 1ung5s &re!' conce#t o! the collecti,e
unconscious. .here is limited se#aration et"een the #riesthood and the congregation as
"hilst Co,ens do ha,e a High Priestess and High Priest, roles usually held y #eo#le "ho
are e2#erienced #ractitioners o! the Cra!t, and they are generally considered as <!irst
amongst e6uals5 only. E,ery Co,en has a <central doctrine5 4no"n as a Boo4 o! Shado"s
&BOS' "hich is an outline !or ho" the Cra!t is to e #ractised in that Co,en. Some Co,ens
stic4 rigidly to their original BOS te2t0 others "ill elaorate and change as the Co,en
de,elo#s. .here is an ac4no"ledgement o! the di!!erences amongst #eo#le "ho choose
Wicca as their s#iritual #ath in ho" they "ish to #ractice.
%ccording to Hutton &2::;, #.@D:', Margot %dler, a #rominent $S% Wiccan and the author
o! the in!luential te2t <Dra"ing Do"n the Moon5 &date', <recognised that Wicca had
probably been b(ilt (pon a pse(do1history, and then s(ggested that this was normal or
the de$elopment o religio(s traditions and that Wiccans deser$ed credit or the act that
they were increasingly conscio(s o this witho(t losing a sense o the $iability o their
act(al experience o the di$ine.5
The spiritual and other needs that "odern Witchcraft met for the early practitioners:

Many #eo#le "anted to celerate that they "ere ha##y to e ali,e !ollo"ing World War
."o and Wicca "as an o##ortunity !or some to celerate li!e through the Mother 9oddess.
-t "as a celeration that "as not ased around ho#es o! sal,ation in an a!ter+li!e ut
!ocused on li!e and the #lanet in the #resent. -t met #eo#le5s desire !or integration and a re+
connection "ith the Di,ine, the uni,erse and ones+sel!. .he methods o! "orshi# met the
needs o! the early #ractitioners. Ritual drama could e creati,e and !un and had long
associations "ith magical orders "ho understood the #sychological e!!ects o! ritual "or4. -t
"as through <.he 8irst Rosicrucian .heatre in England5 that 9ardner !irst encountered
memers o! the 7e" 8orest Co,en, into "hich he "as later to e initiated. .here "ere,
and are, many !lamoyant )#er!ormers* in Wicca. Sel!+con!idence and the aility to act are
good s4ills !or the #ractitioner to ha,e, es#ecially in relation to ritual and in,ocation as such
s4ills hel# to con,ince the #ractitioner and grou# memer5s o! the ritual5s intent.
9ardner, a naturalist, and had een since ;=@:s "hen, on ad,ice !rom his doctor, and
memer o! the <Cotus Ceague5 Sun Clu &Heselton, date'. He "as com!ortale "ith the
na4ed ody and this attitude contriuted to the de,elo#ment o! Wicca5s <s4yclad5 &na4ed'
rituals. %dditionally, -n his oo4s, 9ardner stated that clothes someho" hindered the
)#o"er*0 as he stated in High M%gics %id &;=A=,#;>:'/ < .$erything (sed m(st ha$e been
made with this ob4ect in $iew, so e$erything (sed brings to the brain o the mag(s, the
reason o the work. #hereore was #h(r clad in the symbolically p(re, clean white linen
robe, signiying light, strength and p(rity, also 5this is important6 bearing no colo(r or
5
BORE 2
nd
Dec
pattern that co(ld distract the mind o the wearer or his acolyte. For the same reason the
girl was n(de, this signiied p(rity (ns(llied, and the nat(ral magnetism in the h(man body
co(ld low (nhindered to the s(pport o the mag(s. "ere wo(ld be no temptation, no
distraction or him in this bea(ty (nadorned beca(se a mag(s m(st be imm(ne to s(ch
conditions ere he may become a mag(s, or i he cannot at all times pre$ent his mind rom
straying, ail(re in his enterprises wo(ld be ine$itable; rather was s(ch n(dity an added
strength to him, or by its presence it signiies the strength o his will and the power o his
sel1 control. For a mag(s m(st e$er work with a naked woman till n(dity is na(ght to him,
lest an e$il or mischie$o(s spirit sho(ld appear th(s, and distract his mind at the critical
moment and so r(in an operation.3 .his is a deatale #osition, and alternati,ely many
Wiccan5s see the asence o! clothes as gi,ing rise to #sychological na4edness, o#enness,
and trust0 something "hich is ,ery im#ortant "hen you are "or4ing "ith a rich symolic
!rame"or4 "here intent is the 4ey to the magical "or45s e!!ecti,eness. 9ardner had a
!ondness !or the na4ed !emale !orm, "hich encouraged the conce#t o! na4ed rites.
Wor4ing na4ed, or <s4yclad5, is lierating to some, "hilst others !ind it !rightening. -! "ould+
e initiates are uncom!ortale "ith the idea this may e sym#tomatic o! a ody+issue that
the "ould+e candidate may ha,e to address e!ore entry "ould e gained. Being s4yclad
ma4es issues o! se2uality and o! the di!!erences et"een man and "oman #rominent.
Wicca is ri#e "ith se2ual symolism due to its em#hasis on !ertility. .he symolism can
e oser,ed in the Blessing o! the ca4es and "ine, a ceremony that is usually #er!ormed
at the end o! a ritual or Saat. .his is "hen the <male5 athame5 &a !orm o! dagger' is
di##ed into the <!emale5 cu# containing <the "ine5, !or <con?oined they ring lessedness5.
Such se2ual o#enness attracted #eo#le "ho "anted to e2#lore there o"n se2uality !urther,
and e2#lains "hy the se2ual lieration era o! the ;=B:5s increased the gro"th o! Wicca.
Wicca #ro,ided a home !or many on the margins o! society, a #lace, !or e2am#le, !or
disen!ranchised intellectuals "ho did not 6uite !it in else"here. .he "riter 8ran4 Smyth,
"ho inter,ie"ed se,eral Wiccan grou#s in England in the ;=B:s noted that most o! their
memers "ere #olitically right+"ing &Smyth,date'. Ho"e,er the second author5s
con,ersations "ith Charles Clar4 indicated that Wicca also attracted #eo#le on the <se2ual
!ringe5 such as transse2ual and gay #eo#le. Perha#s as a result o! Wicca5s lieral ,ie"s on
nudity and y e2tension an alternati,e a##roaches to se2uality. 9ardner himsel! leaned
more to"ards the non+su##orti,e ,ie"s aout homose2uality o! his generation. Ho"e,er,
Wicca contained #eo#le "hose ,alue system "as not the mainstream, and this included
some "ho "ere ahead o! their time, some may consider them as !ore+runners o! moral
decline, either+"ay, the current social "orld "ould ha,e een more acce#ting o! their
,ie"s the ;=>:5s and early ;=B:5s
.he de,elo#ment o! the Women5s Mo,ement in the ;=B:5s lin4ed to Wicca through the
9oddess Mo,ement to the reclaim the !eminine in the Di,ine. .his contrasts "ith many
other religions "hich are andocentric. Wicca met the need !or #eo#le "ho "anted a more
direct access to <9od5 "here e,eryone "as a Priests or Priestesses and access to di,inity
is through ones+sel!. Religions can ecoming disconnected "ith a #ro#ortion o! their
!ollo"ers i! they no longer #ur#ort to o!!er their !ollo"ers direct contact "ith the Di,ine, ut
only an #riest mediated e2#erience. -n addition, Wicca o!!ered a grounded e2#ression o!
s#irituality, !or e2am#le in its use o! the !our elements.
Wicca incor#orated e2#eriences that remain outside o! mainstream religion, such as
mediumshi# and the #aranormal. .hough not uni6ue in doing this, the S#iritualism
mo,ement had done so earlier0 Wicca "as another "ay to incor#orate these e2#eriences
into a religious conte2t. %s a ne" and de,elo#ing religious #ath it "as o#en to the
assimilation o! religious and s#iritual ideas !rom "orld religions. 9ardner lo,ed Eastern
6
BORE 2
nd
Dec
mystic traditions !rom the time he s#ent in the 8ar East, es#ecially Su!ism, and he "as
close !riends "ith -dries Shah. Other in!luences included ancient 9ree4 Bacchanalian
ideas &#roaly ,ia 9ardner5s !riend, Dion Byngham'. .here "as also a strong in!luence
!rom 8reemasonry and hermetic traditions, in addition to the Druidery re,i,al. Wicca the
chance o! !ame. .he ma?ority o! the High Priests and High Priestesses o! 9ardner5s
Witchcra!t !rom the ;=>:5s and early ;=B:s a##eared in ne"s#a#ers, ga,e tal4s, authored
oo4s, a##eared on tele,ision and "ere consulted on !ilms aout Witchcra!t and magic.
The de#elopment of ritual and its codification: the extent to which artefacts and
texts become sacred
.hroughout the ;=>:s Wiccan rituals "ere su?ect to re,isions. 9ardner encouraged
e,eryone to creati,ely add to their BOS. Ho"e,er, limited codi!ication occurred as the
result o! )lines* "ith strong High Priestesses, "ho adored 9ardner and !or "hom he "as
#erha#s a <surrogate !ather5, remaining stead!ast to his initial a##roach and BOS. %dler
de!ined a religion as )any set o symbolic orms and acts that relate h(man beings to
(ltimate conditions o existence, cosmic 7(estions and (ni$ersal concerns* &%dler, date,
#.;;'. Wicca is a coat rac4 on to "hich to hang symolism. -n its early years it "as
relati,ely !ree o! dogmatism, "ith ne" ideas and a##roaches readily inserted into its then
sim#le theological !rame"or4.
-n the $S% at the start o! the t"enty+!irst century a greater !undamentalism aout the
#ractice o! Wicca de,elo#ed "ith te2ts ta4en more literally. .his may e due to the $S%
not ha,ing the de#th o! Britain5s cultural history. % com#arison can e made to Pagel5s
account o! the di!!erences et"een Orthodo2 and 9nostic Christianity. .e2ts ha,e ecome
<co,eted5 in the $S%, !or e2am#le it is necessary to sign a disclaimer to otain a co#y o!
selected e2tracts !rom 9ardner5s oldest, e2tant #enned "or4 )Fe Bo4 o! the %rt Magical*
and it remains di!!icult !or initiates to otain co#ies o! 9ardner5s early BOS. .his can e
com#ared to the di!!iculty that scholars !ace in gaining access to the dead sea scrolls.
When ne" material is ac6uired it o!ten remains in the #ossession o! scholars and
academics. .he literary ,alue o! ne" material, and the oathound secreti,e nature o!
Wicca means that it is di!!icult !or them to e shared #ulicly.
.he in,estment o! s#ecial signi!icance in Wiccan material o?ects is small com#ared to
Christian. Wiccan arte!acts are not GsacredG as such, ut ha,e monetary ,alue and ha,e
ecome museum #ieces. .he 8irst co,en, Bric4ett Wood, still uses the s"ord that 9ardner
ga,e to them0 it is #ri3ed ut not in the "ay o! a Christian relic. Wicca has material that is
considered <oathound5, ho"e,er, "hat constitutes <Oathound5 ,aries !rom one <line5 to
the ne2t, and indeed !rom #erson to #erson. .he #ractice o! ma4ing something oathound
is an attem#t to #rotect "hat is #ercei,ed as an innate mystery and <#o"er5. -n contrast,
9ardner himsel! #rinted many o! the rituals, and shortly e!ore his death discussed the
#ulication o! more material "ith Charles Clar4 as agreed that it may etter as this "ould
hel# #eo#le to etter understand the Cra!t.
Wicca in,ol,es the de,elo#ment o! an emodied shared #ractice, !or e2am#le through the
casting a circle. %ttem#ts to ca#ture the ritual, its #rocess and #rocedures, y recording
them in a "ritten te2t, re#resent a "ay to gi,e guidance o! ho" to recreate the right setting
conditions !or the desired e2#eriences oth !or each indi,idual #resent and the grou# as a
"hole. .he use o! language o! a "ritten !orm rings the #ossiility !or re!lections, to re,isit
"hat you ha,e "ritten, ut language also im#oses limitations, "ords can solidi!y a
meaning as reathy s#eculations ecome talets o! stone. % s#ecial use o! language that
7
BORE 2
nd
Dec
the general #ulic "ould most associate "ith Witchcra!t is that o! the casting o! a s#ell.
S#ells in Wicca are a "ay o! eing acti,e in your o"n and other5s #sychological #rocesses.
.o s#ell things out and to name things re#resents the #o"er o! language as Da,id %ram
elaorates in ).he s#ell o! the sensuous* &date'.
$ow Wicca has adapted to the changing socio%political context & with particular
reference to the mo#ement in the U! and to the internet' $ow has it represent itself
to itself( to the public and to other religions'
Early di,ersity occurred "hen Wicca "as e2#orted to the $S%. )!agan witchcrat let
8ritain or the +nited )tates as a 7(ietist religion, seeking a pri$ate b(t sec(re place within
a wider society, and ret(rned transormed into an e$angelical one, seeking to alter the
world* &Hutton, 2::;, #@:B' -t #osed a challenge to the social and religious ,ie"s o! the
$S% that it trans!ormed !rom the radical conser,atism o! 9ardner to the radical socialism
o! Starha"4 and her elie! that it is a )religion o! #oetry not theology* &Starha"4, date,#
22'. But "here has %merican 8eminist and Wicca le!t men and the Horned 9od(
With the ad,ent o! the -nternet in the ;=H:5s, Wicca in the $S% Britain estalished easier
contact "ith each other. %!ter t"enty to thirty years "ith a degree o! isolated de,elo#ment,
"ith the -nternet and its ra#id e2change o! in!ormation, it ecame a##arent that the
9ardnerian tradition o! the $S% had ada#ted and colourised their <Cra!t5 di!!erently to
Britain. .he second author5s o#inion, ased u#on her #ersonal e2#erience in -nternet
Wegrou#s, that the $S% Wiccans are o!ten more <orthodo25 than their counter#arts in
Britain, ta4ing, !or e2am#le, many things in the BOS more literally. Perha#s this is due to
the !act that 9ardner and his cultural u#ringing are closer to, and easier to relate to y
British #ractitioners. Practitioners in the $S% are more li4ely to elie,e that 9ardner "as
#assing on a tradition that had een 4e#t underground !or hundreds o! years0 in contrast
$E #ractitioners are more li4ely to elie,e that 9ardner re,i,ed and reconstructed
something ased on historical records and scholarly history oo4s such as
)Witchcra!t*&date' y Dr. Margaret Murray. .he #o#ularity o! Wicca in the $S% may relate
to the relati,e ne"ness o! the culture o! the Euro#eans "ho settled there. .he nati,e
s#irituality o! 7orth %merica elongs !irmly to the 7ati,e %merican -ndians. So, it is
understandale that #eo#le in the $S%, "ho "ere see4ing an alternati,e to Christianity,
should turn to a !aith tradition that they attriute as eing the indigenous one o! their
Euro#ean motherlands. Ho"e,er, there are also indications o! $S% Wiccans eing
dogmatic and critical o! those in Britain0 this may re#resent the de,elo#mental stage o! the
$S% and #art o! the "ider socio+#olitical conte2t o! ho" the $S% o#erates in the "orld in
the !irst #art o! the t"enty+!irst century.
%t the start o! the t"enty+!irst century Wicca has ecome a usiness. .here are D-F
courses, and #ersonalised roes and e6ui#ment, "ith the <see4er5 o!!ered a di,erse array
o! Witchcra!t ty#es and traditions, es#ecially in the $S%. -n an attem#t to a,oid con!usion,
many #ractitioners in the $S% ha,e ado#ted the lael <British .raditional Witchcra!t5 &B.W'
!or traditions that stem !rom the 7e" 8orest Co,ens, these included/ 9ardnerians,
%le2andrians, lines descending !orm Syil Cee4s Horsa Co,en as "ell Central Ialley
Wicca, "hich dis#lays some stri4ing similarities to 9ardner5s Wicca &although their lineage,
and e2actly ho" and "hen arri,ed in the $S% is still a matter !or research'..he term <B.W5
is generally not used in Britain. .he ,arious <lineages5 and traditions are still !airly se#arate,
ut as the Pagan #aths gain increased #o#ularity, traditions are merging "ith the ,ie" that
a stronger and more com#rehensi,e !rame"or4 "ill e !ormed. -t is understandale that
#eo#le "ant to integrate their !a,ourite #arts o! di!!erent traditions into their o"n #ath. %s
8
BORE 2
nd
Dec
there is no central go,erning ody the Pagan #aths readily lend themsel,es to ada#tation
and #ersonalisation.
-n re#resenting itsel! to itsel!, the #ulic and to other religions Wicca has increasingly een
ale to re#resent itsel! in a non+scandalised "ay ,ia the mainstream media. )9uest
"itches* a##ear on tele,ision, !or e2am#le in 2::>Ee,in Carylon, a##eared on )S#irituality
sho##er* re#resenting the Paganism. -n the late ;=B:s in the $S%, .im Jell estalished
the Church o! %ll the Worlds0 a collection o! mystics in!luenced y the sci+!i genre and
images o! $to#ia. 8rom this collecti,e arose 9reen Egg a classic Pagan maga3ine "hich
"as res#onse to a #lanet in crisis. <9reen Egg5 "as a #ioneering $S% Pagan com#arale
to <.he Pentagram5, <.he Wiccan5 and <.he Cauldron5 in Britain. Many #ulications, unli4e
the online !orums, emrace more than one Pagan #ath. %s there are no" many #agan
#aths and i! se#arated, many "ould not ha,e a su!!icient readershi#, ut together they
create a signi!icant audience. Wiccan #ractitioners ha,e een in,ol,ed "ith inter!aith
mo,ements, including Don 8re" in $S% and 1ohn Macintyre o! the Scottish P8. -nter!aith
moots ha,e een started y #agans in 7ottingham in an attem#t attract other religions to
attend. Paganism is a road+s#ectrum #luralistic !aith that emraces o! other #aths, and
has a stated aim o! lo,e !or all and a recognition o! the interconnectedness o! all.
The needs it meets for more recent practitioners( spiritual and otherwise' The
people it attracts today compared to )0 years ago' Would it be recogni*able to the
founders+ Can it be a container and conduit for part of a person,s spirituality whilst
other religions also contain and carry part+
.he s#iritual #ractices o! Wicca unite #eo#le through ritual and the grou# egregore or
<mind5. 8or e2am#le, "hen casting a s#ell, #artici#ants o! a #articular grou# tend to "or4
"ith the same symolism. .his may e a #articular #antheon or a #articular tale o!
corres#ondence, such as those gi,en y Cro"ley in <DDD5 &;=:='. %ll magical orders are
ased on a #articular set o! rituals and a symolic !rame"or4. Peo#le are attracted to
those that !it most closely to their other elie!s. Some are more anarchic than others, ut
y de!inition they "ill all ha,e a asic #sychological !rame"or4 in #lace. .he #ur#ose o!
these !rame"or4s is to #ro,ide the suconscious "ith a <language5 to use. % long
estalished de!inition o! <magic5 states that <it is the aility to e!!ect change in con!ormity
"ith Will5+ "ith )Will* re!erring to the #erson5s true desires and needs as o##osed to the
more su#er!icial ones "e !ind oursel,es #ursuing through !undamental iological and
hormonal in!luences. Magic, or )Magic4* has een de!ined in the !ollo"ing "ays. 1oyce K
Ri,er Higinotham de!ine Magic4 as the actions o! many consciousnesses ,oluntarily
"or4ing together "ithin an a"are and interconnected uni,erse to ring aout one or more
desired results &is this a 6uote('. .yson &date' considers Magic to# e the art o! a!!ecting
the mani!est through the $nmani!est. .he mani!est is all that can e seen, touched,
#ercei,ed, mani#ulated, imagined, or understood. .he $nmani!est is none o! these things.
-t is the #lace, or rather the non+#lace, !rom "hich e,erything issues. %ll that comes into
eing comes !rom the $nmani!est. %ll that #asses a"ay goes ac4 to the $nmani!est. %nd
according to the !amous occultist %leister Cro"ley, magic4 is Lthe Science and %rt o!
causing Change to occur in con!ormity "ith Will.L ... -n !act, Cro"ley... says that Le,ery
intentional act is a Magic4al %ct.L -! you !ollo" his line o! reasoning, there is a great deal o!
,alidity in "hat he says, although it is not "hat "e are see4ing at this time. We need to
ma4e the de!inition o! magic4 a it longer/ -agick is the science and art o ca(sing change
5in conscio(sness6 to occ(r in conormity with will, (sing means not c(rrently (nderstood
by traditional Western science. &Eraig, date+ not sure o! "here this "as a 6uote'.
Wicca aims to unite #eo#le/ i! the rituals "or4 "ell, attendees !eel that they ha,e had a
9
BORE 2
nd
Dec
shared e2#erience "hich lin4s "ith "hat could e considered one o! the #hiloso#hies o!
Wicca +that e,erything is connected. .his #hiloso#hy is not uni6ue to Wicca, as 7agar?una
the Buddhist Mon4 stated/ ).hings deri,e their eing and nature y mutual de#endence
and nothing in themsel,es.* &re!' -n !act, this #hiloso#hy o! Wicca may ha,e een ado#ted
!rom Buddhism. .he <grou# mind5 the egregore, is o! #aramount im#ortance "hen "or4ing
"ith others, although it is #ossile !or #eo#le to #ractice solo0 solo and grou# #ractice are
considered to o!!er di!!erent !orms o! re"ards and understanding. Wicca has limited
dogma0 though le,els may ha,e increased "ith its increasing #o#ularity. Ho"e,er, "ithin a
Co,en, although all memers "ill e using a similar #sychological toolo2 and !rame"or4,
the #ersonal e2#erience and "hat is #ercei,ed is indi,idual. 8or e2am#le, memers o! a
Co,en may ha,e ,arying inter#retations o! "hat the 9od and the 9oddess are/ one #erson
may elie,e them to e actual <eings5 another #erson may consider them as as#ects o!
their o"n sel!, and yet another may see them as #ersoni!ications o! natural !orces in the
"orld around us. .hese di!!ering #erce#tions are not considered to e a hindrance to
magical "or4. .he Pagan #aths, es#ecially Wicca, "here "or4ing <s4yclad5 &na4ed' is
common, o!!ers a lierating <acce#tance5 o! the ody thatcontrasts to religions "here guilt
is a more signi!icant com#onent. .his is healthy !or the !ragile human ego and is a "ay o!
reclaiming the ody, and e2#eriencing the ody as magical regardless o! ho" it con!orms,
or not, to cultural stereoty#es o! the #er!ect ody. %s 9reen"ood states/ ).he ody is the
!ocal #oint o! all Western magical "or4* &date'.
Wicca at the start o! the t"enty+!irst century attracts #eo#le "ho are di!!erent, yet similat to
those in the ;=>:5s and ;=B:5s. -t attracts #eo#le "ho are !rom the !ollo"ing sucultures/
9oths, Hi##ies, Iegetarians, Dungeon and Dragon game #layers , -n!ormation .echnology
#ro!essionals, "ould e mediums, ause ,ictims,+ those "ho are more on the G!ringeG o!
society . What remains consistent is that the attraction is to those "ho are marginalised
and on the edges o! society, #eo#le "ho there!ore #erha#s identi!y "ith the traditional
image o! the "itch in the Middle %ges o! someone on the age o! the ,illage. -t still meets
similar needs/ a re?ection o! modernity, a desire !or green li,ing, a sim#le li!e, to e in the
countryside, a"ay !rom the chaos o! modern li!e, yet an interest in scienti!ic #rinci#les. -t
#ro,ides a su##orti,e net"or4 !or #eo#le "ho are marginali3ed+ o!!ering social su##ort,
meaning ma4ing, solidarity and hel#ing to a,oid alienation.
-t #ro,ides a #lace !or those "ho ha,e had transliminalM #sychosis e2#eriences. Sur,i,ors
o! ause and trauma+ these ad e2#eriences may lead to anomalous e2#eriences and
ne" s#iritual understandings. Practitioners o! Wicca are most li4ely not orn into "itch
!amilies, ut may !ind a ne" !amily in a Co,en "here they are ale to tal4 aout their
e2#eriences and de,elo#ing s#iritual a"areness. Closely lin4ed to Wicca, es#ecially in
$S%, is 9oddess S#irituality, "hose ad,ocates, such as Starha"4 and Su3sanna
Buda#est, tends to attract more middle+class "hite "oman, "ho are o!ten middle+aged
and needing to GreclaimG something !or themsel,es, #erha#s a!ter de,oting much o! their
li!e to children, #artner, home and ?os. Ci!e+stage issues and the a##eal o! Wicca may
also e a##arent in its attraction to teenagers, "ith the additional0 in!luence o! #o#ular
culture ,ia !igures such as Harry Potter and Bu!!y the Iam#ire Slayer.
-! one considers the 6uestion/ Would the !ounders still "ant to ?oin( .he ans"er is/ Fes,
#roaly. %lthough they "ould notice di!!erences. .he se2uality com#onent in the early
;=>:Gs and ;=B:Gs lead more o!ten to se2ual acti,ity. -n that #eriod Wicca "as a
?usti!ication to ha,e more se2ual #artners, a ?usti!ication o longer er6uired. .hey "ould
!ind the #ractitioners more le!t+"ing. .hey "ould !ind the current !orms less egalitarian.
9ardenerian and %le2andrian Co,ens are 4no"n !or eing some"hat elitist, and the
#reser,e o! closed co,ens and hard to !ind. .hey "ould !ind that the #ractices ha,e
10
BORE 2
nd
Dec
ecome more !i2ed no". Ho"e,er, ecause o! the di,ersity, they "ould e ale to !ind a
co,en some"here that suited them.
Wicca can e a container and conduit !or #art o! a #erson5s s#irituality in comination "ith
other religions. 8or e2am#le Christian Wicca is emerging in the $S%. .hey ha,e a .rinity
deity/ 9od the !ather, 9od the mother and 9od the son. Cin4s "ith Christianity are not as
sur#rising as they might at !irst a##ear. Hutton &2::;' dra"s #arallels "ith the )House
church* o! British Christianity "ho meet in homes and ha,e a di,ersity o! #ractice "ithin a
common !rame"or4+ !aith healing and )in,ocation* &#ossession y the Holy S#irit'. -n
addition, there are already underlying lin4s as Christianity ado#ted Pagan !esti,als, !or
e2am#le Fule+ reirth o! the sun, ecoming Christmas and the irth o! the )son* o! 9od.
%nother relati,ely ne" #ath in,ol,es the amalgamation o! Druidry and Wicca to create
Druidcra!t. Peo#le can use Wicca to !ollo" s#eci!ic #antheons/ Celts Wicca , Sea2 Wicca.
Wicca5s !le2iility results in its a##ro#riation y others/ it has the aility to assimilate,
accommodate and to e assimilated and accommodated.
Word count: --).
/eferences
%ram, D. &' .he s#ell o! the sensuous .
%dler, M &' Dra"ing do"n the moon
Bracelin &;=B;'
Cro"ley, % &;=:='
9ardner, 9. &;=A=' High Magics %id
9ardner, 9. &;=>A'. Witchcra!t .oday
9loc4, C. &;=BA'.
9reen"ood & '
Heselton &'
Higginotham
Hutton, R. &2::;'.
1ames, W.
1ung
Eraig &'
Ceyland, C &' %rcadia/ 9os#el o! the Witches
Co,eloc4 &;=D='. 9aia/ % ne" loo4 at li!e on Earth
11
BORE 2
nd
Dec
Cuhman &'
Murray, M. &'
7agar?una
Pagel, E. &;=H='. .he 9nostic 9os#els 7e" For4/ Random House.
Sheldra4e, R & '
Smyth &'
Starha"4
.yson
12

S-ar putea să vă placă și