A Brief History Of Wicca

There are two ways to discuss the history of the modern witchraft revival and Neo-Pagan movement. Some scholars argue that the history of Wicca and modern witchcraft can only go back 60 years at the most, while others proclaim witchcraft to be the world's oldest religion, dating back to the most ancient civilizations we have discovered. Complicating this debate is the fact that Wicca is a very fluid and diverse religion with little structure and less dogma. Groups flourish autonomously, often with no communication with other groups. By its very nature, Wicca changes constantly and new traditions spring up overnight. To discuss the history of Wicca , paganism and witchcraft, it is crucial to first define these words.

Paganism is an umbrella term which is often used to describe any follower of a mystical religion that is not Judeo-Christian or Muslim. However, this is not the best definition of the word. Quaballa is a Jewish mystical tradition and some of its practitioners identify themselves as Pagan, but most Buddhist or Hindus do not. “Pagan” is also used to mean a non-believer, but most athiest would argue that they are most certainly not Pagan. For most that do identify themselves as a Pagan, the term describes a religion which honors the divine in more than one form, also known as polytheism. There is usually a reverence for nature, a belief in the human soul, and often the belief in reincarnation. “Neo-Pagan” has been used in the past few decades to refer to the re-emergence of these ideas in religion.

One important thing to note is that these terms, Wicca, Pagan, and witch, are not by any means interchangeable. Pagan is a broader term that includes many religions of large cultural variance, only one of which is Wicca. There are among Wiccans untold numbers of traditions, each with its own customs, beliefs and rituals. Most Wiccans will be quick to dispel the notion that Satanists are part of the Neo-Pagan movement, and rightfully so. But the traditions of Wicca do vary widely, from the more female-centered Dianic Wicca, to the Norse Asatru. Most Wiccans incorporate many influences into their spiritual belief system, and would define themselves as Eclectic Wiccan. They may use Greek, Celtic and Egyptian mythology simultaneously. Regardless of tradition, however, not every Wiccan will call themselves a Witch, and not every Witch is Wiccan. It is easy to see why any discussion of the history of Wicca quickly becomes convoluted by these confusing labels.

Ancient cultures were most certainly Pagan in nature in the pre-Christian world, and the evidence was widespread throughout the globe. The ancient Mayans worshipped a sun god, the ancient Egyptians built temples to Isis as well as Osiris, and the ancient Europeans revered a long list of various gods and goddesses, including Brighid and Cernunnos. The common theme among these different cultural beliefs is the ties that dieties had to nature, and the presence of female dieties in their pantheons. These two themes are what the modern Neo-Pagan religions are based on. The key words here are “based on”, for they are not historical copies, merely ideas that have flowed down through the ages and re-emerged as Wicca. Wiccans have embraced these ideas, expanded on them and made them their own.

It would be a lovely thought, most Wiccans would agree, to think that our religion had somehow survived in a clandestine way all the persecution throughout the ages, and to some degree it has. But history will show that the majority of people, mostly women and children, who were put to death for witchcraft over the centuries, had very little to do with paganism. More often, they were the village healer who may have been unable to treat a sick child with simple herbs, and were subsequently accused of causing the child's death. None of the Salem victims were witches, but instead were the casualties of a Puritan hysteria. The unknown masses in history who lost their lives were not Wiccans, and most were not witches. A fair amount may have been targeted for using divination methods, but far more women were targets because they were overly charming, or overly reclusive.

It was not until Britain repealed its witchcraft laws in the late 1940s that the practice of witchcraft as a religion in modern society began to emerge. Gerald Gardner wrote that the witchcraft tradition had been kept alive and passed down in secret through families who worshipped a goddess through ritual and that one must be initiated by one of these secret covens to be a witch. Much of the occultist Aliester Crowley's influence can be seen in Gardner's writings, as well as elements from Charles Leland's Aradia: Gospel Of The Witches and The White Goddess by Robert Graves, two popular and somewhat controversial novels. There exist today many groups that identify with the Gardnerian tradition of witchcraft with its emphasis on initiation and ceremony, but most of these have made it their own just as most Wiccans tend to do. Despite the debates on whether Gerald Gardner founded a new religion or exposed an old one, it can't be denied that he did much for the Craft.

Over the next few decades the new age movement grew alongside the ecological and feminist movements and the natural blending of these ideas helped to produce so many new traditions of the Craft that an accurate history is next to impossible. The Dianic Wiccans were almost exclusively female and centered on the goddess, to the dismay of other groups who felt that this emphasis on the feminine only was out of balance. Many groups emerged that had a very strong environmental message. The fact that so many came to this path despite the fact that Wicca does not seek converts inspires awe and makes our growth seem almost like a collective spiritual evolution.

As new traditions were formed, new ideas were introduced, some that took hold and became widely accepted and others not. However, throughout all of the growth pains of Wicca, the most important and possibly the only dogma still holds strong, the Wiccan Rede. Do as you will, and harm none. This is the core of Wiccan ethics and simply means that you are free to live and worship as you like so long as what you do brings no harm to another, including yourself. Whether Wicca is sixty years old or six thousand, this is a powerful and beautiful message to live by in the troubled and turbulent times of the 21st century.

The future of Wicca is strong. We can see the ideas of feminine deity becoming more mainstream, as evidenced by the conversations started by The Da Vinci Code. The blockbuster movie based on the best-selling book and starring Tom Hanks, one of the greatest actors of our time, put up on the silver screen that the pentacle has nothing to do with devil worship but is an ancient goddess symbol. That statement in that context would have been unheard of thirty years ago. The world is also waking up to the ecological crisis we face with global warming, and as people begin to embrace the protection of the Earth, their spiritual connection to it will be enhanced. These factors may play a big part in the acceptance of Wicca in the future.

Wicca is the fastest growing religion in the United States and continues to gain acceptance. The victory won in court to place the pentacle on fallen soldier's headstones is just a start. There are this very moment Wiccans who are forced to hide their religion for fear of losing a job, an apartment or even a child. Only if we continue to educate those who do not know, foster growth in those who seek to know, and learn to overcome our minor differences will we stand up to these adversities. The burning times are over and the light of the ancient ones is shining on us all.