HISTORY OF WICCA/WITCHCRAFT

my offical stand point on all issues in a nut shell - i havent read all the information thats out there, nor was i THERE when it happened, so i dont think anything we read about history or mythology, whatever, can be considered fact by any means. i dont know and i dont think anyone does. all we have is what we have learned from various sources. i dont believe anyone is right or wrong because NOTHING is proven.

and as quoted by my good friend alissa -

"Being that I haven't read ALL THE AUTHORS out there...I dunno if any of them are historically accurate....I also don't recollect being there at that time to specify any historical inaccuracies when their wasn't a written language" - lady lazarus

 

there are lots of ideas about the history of wicca. i believe that gardner did not invent it. i believe that he was one man in one area of the world that wrote of his experiences and created his own tradition. but he used wicca, the british word for witchcraft really, to call it. he was the first person to use the word and therefore because of that many scholars believe he had invented a new religion, as opossed to witchcraft itself, which had been around for centuries. but i believe they are one and the same and that his was a tradition of witchcraft and not a new religion. a good book that explains these ideas better is "the witches craft" by raven grimassi. even raymond buckland speaks of it as the old religion and talks of them as the same in most cases. i believe it is a more modern form of witchcraft, but not a new religion and not invented by gardner.

:

"witchcraft, or wicca, is an ancient religion and practice that pre-dates christianity" - quoted from raymond buckland's "complete book of witchcraft"

*definition of wicca: "the modern form of witchcraft introduced to the general public in the 1950's by the late dr. gerald gardner. most other forms of wicca, whether claiming a lengthier history or not, are based on the work of gardner and doreen valiente, who put together the gardnerian book of shadows. wicca has become one of the fastest growing religions in the world today. it was introduced to the united states by ramond buckland in the early 1960's. today there is a wide selection of traditions available and the religion has become federally recognized and acknowledged. wicca is a pagan religion of nature, with belief in both male and female deities. it is a positive religion with strict law against harming others." - quoted from raymond buckland's book "wicca for one"

definition of witchcraft: "... is in fact the 'craft of the wise'. it is an early pagan form of religion and magic-working that is not anti-christian (or anti-anything) but merely non-christian. its emphasis is on healing and on acknowledgement of nature and the gods of nature." - quoted from raymond buckland's book "wicca for one"

 

also, by christopher Penczak from sons of the goddess -

what is wicca?
"Wicca" is a word that causes a lot of confusion today. Usually,
it refers to the modern revival of the Old Religion, the
religion of witchcraft. The root of the word "witchcraft" can
be traced to the words wicca and wicce. Some scholars believe
the root means to "bend or shape." This refers to the
witchs ability to do magick, to bend or shape the energies of
life to create spells and healing. Others think the word
means "wise," relating to the root of the word "wizard," and
they think of witches as the keepers of wisdom. The more
you study the Craft, the more you will find differing opinions
among witches, scholars, and experts.

Modern witches often use the word "Wicca" and "Wiccan"
instead of "witchcraft" and "witch" in order to prevent
the bad feelings that the word "witch" can conjure in people.
Alternately, some think "Wicca" refers to the religion and
"witchcraft" to spellwork. Many others use "Wicca" to refer
to formal traditions of witchcraft, such as Gardnerian or
Alexandrian Wicca, and they think of eclectic practices as
simply "witchcraft." I use the words "witch" and "Wiccan"
fairly interchangeably, depending on those around me, but I
prefer the word "witch." I think it is important to make that
word less scary to people, and if they see loving, happy, helpful
witches, then we can break those old stereotypes.