Chapter 5: History and Traditions

The beginnings of Wicca are somewhat unknown/debated. Most of the core beliefs and practices are drawn from ancient pagan faiths. Some people think Wicca comes from "the old ways" being passed down and practiced in secret by small numbers of people in secretive covens (the "Witch Cult Hypothesis"), and while that may or may not be true the real reason we have Wicca as it is today is largely creditted to a man named Gerald Gardener and his contemporaries. He claimed he had been initiated into one of those covens and tried to publicize the religion during the 50's to encourage more to join the faith. Some people think that Gardener made everything up, but no matter how it started it soon spread and new Wiccan traditions started developing in Britain, the United States and elsewhere.

Wiccans have the same core beliefs, but different traditions practice their beliefs in different ways. To be clear, a “Pagan” is not the same as a “Wiccan”. Pagans are any religion that is not Judeo-Christian. The following traditions are Wiccan, not Pagan. There are many traditions, but these are the biggest five.

•Electric – This is the type of Wicca that this little book is about. It is best defined as Wicca that is non-traditional, as in it doesn’t focus on the European based roots of the religion and does not fall under any of the other traditions of Wicca. Many of the smaller traditions start as Electric and then when they get enough of a following they choose a name and become a new tradition in their own right.

•Alexandrian - Traditionally, they work with and worship the Old Gods of Europe, primarily focusing on Our Lady of the Moon and her Consort, the Horned One. Alexandrian initiates may work with other deities on a personal or group basis as well. They aim for a personal connection with and an understanding of deities and ancestors, as well as the rhythms and tides of nature. They have no laity, only Priests and Priestesses. They use both traditional and experimental magical techniques. To become an Alexandrian initiate one must be initiated by a properly prepared and authorized Alexandrian High Priestess or Priest in a cross-gendered Initiation. Most rituals are performed skyclad, which means naked.

•Gardnerian – This was the first tradition that really brought back Wicca. Since Wiccans and witches had been persecuted for so long many people were not openly practicing this religion and the old knowledge was dying out. Gerald Gardenia brought it back in the 1950s. There is a stress on action instead of words in this tradition. It is an oral tradition that consists of rituals and practices that are used by its initiates to understand the “Craft Mysteries”. They use a spiritual system to gain a non-conceptual understanding of the age old questions of life, death, eithics and so on. Sometimes this is referred ot as British Traditional Wicca.

• Pow-wow – This is simply Wicca combined with Native American Traditions, with an emphasis on drums, singing, and animal spirits.

• Dianic – This is powered by the woman’s movement. Only women can be in these covens, and only women who were born women. Men are only seen as creations of women, since there are only women and their children. The Goddess represents the whole web of life, birth and death. Instead of praying they focus their energies on different parts of the female energy, like different strands in the web of life. They emphasize creativity and the sacredness of sex. It is named after the Goddess Diana, which represents females and the moon.