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The History of Modern Wicca
While based on the old traditions and lessons learned in the past, Wicca is a modern, living religion. This is to be expected. We are not the early farmers or hunters who first began to understand the Divine Power. These early Pagans were attuned to nature, and were searching for means to manipulate their environment. We, on the other hand, know all to well how to manipulate, but we have lost our connection to nature and the Divine Power.
Modern Wicca was born out of a hermetic order called Golden Dawn. The Golden Dawn was a society formed in late 19th century England. It's purpose was the study and practice of magic and the occult, applied in ways to bring about enlightenment. Presumably the organization emerged from a chance event. A master mason named A.F.A. Woodford purchased a second hand book, in which he found a document written in a 15th century cipher. His friend W. Wynn Wescott, a brother mason, recognized the code and had it translated. To their delight, the document turned out to be the framework for some curious initiation rituals and a letter from a supposed Rosicrucian adept named Anna Sprengel. One of the followers of the Golden Dawn was Aleister Crowley.
In 1904 British poet, magician, and philosopher, Aleister Crowley received the channelled dictation of a book called Liber Legis, or "The Book of the Law". The angelic intelligence dictating the Book declared its name to be Aiwass, and identified itself as "the minister of Hoor-paar-kraat" - that is, the minister of the Egyptian God of Silence, virtually the "Voice of the Silence" itself. The Book of the Law declared the dawning of a new spiritual era for humanity, governed by the God Horus, Child of Isis and Osiris, rather than by the "slain god" archetype of Christ which had governed, in different forms, the few thousands of years preceding. From this work, Crowley created the Temple of Thelema, the first modern group of witches. The Thelema order is still practicing today, carrying on many of the traditions formed by Crowley.
In 1921, Dr. Margaret Murray, an anthropologist, published "The Witch Cult in Western Europe", and followed it up with "The God of the Witches" in 1931. This was the first time anyone publicly challenged the hysterical ranting of the Church. She described two aspects of Witchcraft: ritual Witchcraft (the religious aspect) and operational Witchcraft (magick).
In 1954, in England, Gerald Gardner published "Witchcraft Today", the first positive book about Witchcraft. Gardner was the first to call this form of Witchcraft "Wicca", and its practitioners, "Wiccan". He reinforced the description of Witchcraft as published by Dr. Murray, and went further to claim that he himself was a witch. Gardner was a press- hound; his coming out made headlines around the world and drew a lot of interest from people. Raymond Buckland was one of these. He was initiated by Gardner's High Priestess and in the early 1960's, brought Wicca to the United States. With freedom of religion guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, the US was fertile ground for the revival of the old ways. In 1971 Buckland followed up with his own book, "Witchcraft from the Inside". In Europe too, Wicca was flourishing. In the late 60's and early 70's, a Witch named Alex Sanders made headlines and started his own Wiccan tradition in Britain, now known as "Alexandrian Wicca".
Written in the 80's -“Wicca, a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner” by Scott Cunningham is considered by many to be one of the most influential works on modern Wicca. Cunningham gave accreditation to those who practiced without a coven. The old belief was that it took a Witch to make a Witch, and that initiation into the Craft was conferred within a coven. Cunningham showed that being Wiccan was a matter of the heart and between the practitioner, and the God and Goddess. Scott Cunningham, among others, showed that Wicca was not just about following old rituals, but that a Wiccan can invent their own rituals, should investigate the Divine Power for themselves, and should do what is right for them.
In the past twenty years, interest in Wicca, Witchcraft and pagan beliefs have enjoyed massive growth, and today there are many books available on the subject. Authors such as Margot Adler, Stewart and Janet Farrar, StarHawk, Raymond Buckland and others have paved the way for the growth of information available about pagan beliefs. The boundaries of traditional beliefs are being pushed, and new covens and belief systems are being born every year – perhaps, as in ancient times, created to reflect our environment and unique needs today. Possibly the most attractive aspect of these beliefs is their ability, unlike other religions, to grow with the times, to adapt and to meet the needs of its worshipers … while enabling our own growth and spiritual satisfaction.
Traditional [tolerant] attitudes towards witchcraft began to change in the 14th century, at the very end of the Middle Ages. ... Early 14th century central Europe was seized by a series of rumor-panics. Some malign conspiracy (Jews and lepers, Moslems, or witches) was attempting to destroy the Christian kingdoms through magick and poison. After the terrible devastation caused by the Black Death [bubonic plague] (1347-1349), these rumors increased in intensity and focused primarily on witches and "plague-spreaders." Witchcraft cases increased slowly but steadily from the 14th-15th century. The first mass trials appeared in the 15th century. At the beginning of the 16th century, as the first shock-waves from the Reformation hit, the number of witch trials actually dropped. Then, around 1550, the persecution skyrocketed. What we think of as "the Burning Times" -- the crazes, panics, and mass hysteria -- largely occurred in one century, from 1550-1650. In the 17th century, the Great Hunt passed nearly as suddenly as it had arisen. Trials dropped sharply after 1650 and disappeared completely by the end of the 18th century. Robin Briggs calculates that 20 to 25 percent of Europeans executed for witchcraft between the 14th and 17th centuries were male. Regional variations are again notable. France was a fascinating exception to the wider pattern, for over much of the country witchcraft seems to have had no obvious link with gender at all. Of nearly 1,300 witches whose cases went to the parliament of Paris on appeal, just over half were men. ... The great majority of the men accused were poor peasants and artisans, a fairly representative sample of the ordinary population.
This is an overestimate by a factor of up to 200, for the most reasonable modern estimates suggest perhaps 100,000 trials between 1450 and 1750, with something between 40,000 and 50,000 executions, of which 20 to 25 per cent were men.On average, 48% of trials ended in an execution, [and] therefore he estimated 60,000 witches died. This is slightly higher than 48% to reflect the fact that Germany, the center of the persecution, killed more than 48% of its "witches".
Blessed Be to all.
Modern Wicca was born out of a hermetic order called Golden Dawn. The Golden Dawn was a society formed in late 19th century England. It's purpose was the study and practice of magic and the occult, applied in ways to bring about enlightenment. Presumably the organization emerged from a chance event. A master mason named A.F.A. Woodford purchased a second hand book, in which he found a document written in a 15th century cipher. His friend W. Wynn Wescott, a brother mason, recognized the code and had it translated. To their delight, the document turned out to be the framework for some curious initiation rituals and a letter from a supposed Rosicrucian adept named Anna Sprengel. One of the followers of the Golden Dawn was Aleister Crowley.
In 1904 British poet, magician, and philosopher, Aleister Crowley received the channelled dictation of a book called Liber Legis, or "The Book of the Law". The angelic intelligence dictating the Book declared its name to be Aiwass, and identified itself as "the minister of Hoor-paar-kraat" - that is, the minister of the Egyptian God of Silence, virtually the "Voice of the Silence" itself. The Book of the Law declared the dawning of a new spiritual era for humanity, governed by the God Horus, Child of Isis and Osiris, rather than by the "slain god" archetype of Christ which had governed, in different forms, the few thousands of years preceding. From this work, Crowley created the Temple of Thelema, the first modern group of witches. The Thelema order is still practicing today, carrying on many of the traditions formed by Crowley.
In 1921, Dr. Margaret Murray, an anthropologist, published "The Witch Cult in Western Europe", and followed it up with "The God of the Witches" in 1931. This was the first time anyone publicly challenged the hysterical ranting of the Church. She described two aspects of Witchcraft: ritual Witchcraft (the religious aspect) and operational Witchcraft (magick).
In 1954, in England, Gerald Gardner published "Witchcraft Today", the first positive book about Witchcraft. Gardner was the first to call this form of Witchcraft "Wicca", and its practitioners, "Wiccan". He reinforced the description of Witchcraft as published by Dr. Murray, and went further to claim that he himself was a witch. Gardner was a press- hound; his coming out made headlines around the world and drew a lot of interest from people. Raymond Buckland was one of these. He was initiated by Gardner's High Priestess and in the early 1960's, brought Wicca to the United States. With freedom of religion guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, the US was fertile ground for the revival of the old ways. In 1971 Buckland followed up with his own book, "Witchcraft from the Inside". In Europe too, Wicca was flourishing. In the late 60's and early 70's, a Witch named Alex Sanders made headlines and started his own Wiccan tradition in Britain, now known as "Alexandrian Wicca".
Written in the 80's -“Wicca, a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner” by Scott Cunningham is considered by many to be one of the most influential works on modern Wicca. Cunningham gave accreditation to those who practiced without a coven. The old belief was that it took a Witch to make a Witch, and that initiation into the Craft was conferred within a coven. Cunningham showed that being Wiccan was a matter of the heart and between the practitioner, and the God and Goddess. Scott Cunningham, among others, showed that Wicca was not just about following old rituals, but that a Wiccan can invent their own rituals, should investigate the Divine Power for themselves, and should do what is right for them.
In the past twenty years, interest in Wicca, Witchcraft and pagan beliefs have enjoyed massive growth, and today there are many books available on the subject. Authors such as Margot Adler, Stewart and Janet Farrar, StarHawk, Raymond Buckland and others have paved the way for the growth of information available about pagan beliefs. The boundaries of traditional beliefs are being pushed, and new covens and belief systems are being born every year – perhaps, as in ancient times, created to reflect our environment and unique needs today. Possibly the most attractive aspect of these beliefs is their ability, unlike other religions, to grow with the times, to adapt and to meet the needs of its worshipers … while enabling our own growth and spiritual satisfaction.
Colonial Wicca
The colonials believed that witches were cursing there village and/or villagers. These so called "witches" or "devils children" were no more than God fearing people who have had feuds with other villagers. 9 times out of 10 these were the same people convicting them of witchcraft. Traditional [tolerant] attitudes towards witchcraft began to change in the 14th century, at the very end of the Middle Ages. ... Early 14th century central Europe was seized by a series of rumor-panics. Some malign conspiracy (Jews and lepers, Moslems, or witches) was attempting to destroy the Christian kingdoms through magick and poison. After the terrible devastation caused by the Black Death [bubonic plague] (1347-1349), these rumors increased in intensity and focused primarily on witches and "plague-spreaders." Witchcraft cases increased slowly but steadily from the 14th-15th century. The first mass trials appeared in the 15th century. At the beginning of the 16th century, as the first shock-waves from the Reformation hit, the number of witch trials actually dropped. Then, around 1550, the persecution skyrocketed. What we think of as "the Burning Times" -- the crazes, panics, and mass hysteria -- largely occurred in one century, from 1550-1650. In the 17th century, the Great Hunt passed nearly as suddenly as it had arisen. Trials dropped sharply after 1650 and disappeared completely by the end of the 18th century. Robin Briggs calculates that 20 to 25 percent of Europeans executed for witchcraft between the 14th and 17th centuries were male. Regional variations are again notable. France was a fascinating exception to the wider pattern, for over much of the country witchcraft seems to have had no obvious link with gender at all. Of nearly 1,300 witches whose cases went to the parliament of Paris on appeal, just over half were men. ... The great majority of the men accused were poor peasants and artisans, a fairly representative sample of the ordinary population.
This is an overestimate by a factor of up to 200, for the most reasonable modern estimates suggest perhaps 100,000 trials between 1450 and 1750, with something between 40,000 and 50,000 executions, of which 20 to 25 per cent were men.On average, 48% of trials ended in an execution, [and] therefore he estimated 60,000 witches died. This is slightly higher than 48% to reflect the fact that Germany, the center of the persecution, killed more than 48% of its "witches".
Wicca in Early 1900's
In the early 1900's the witch hunts were not as widely discussed of in public view. The witch trials gave the people a sense of regret knowing that many of the accused were not actually witches. Into the 1920's on through the 1950's scientists began to try and explain the sensations that happened do to the paranormal interaction of the wicca community. For a while during this period, the average person would be disgusted and repulsed. Now, mostly this was because Wiccas have , in the most part, been respectful of others, no matter what race or religion. Wicca in Modern Day
In modern Wicca we've had are name trashed as ''devil worshipers" by people who misconstrue the purpose and direction of the teachings. These people are known as ''unknowers" or "playgans". They resort to Wiccanism as a fad or trend to seem more mysterious and denier. This was a big thing back in the early 90's and late 80's. Now I don't mean to downgrade these people but if you know someone like that then try to show them that being wicca is not just a state of mind but a real religious experience. Studies show that at least 52% of pagans today are ''playgans". This is mostly to do with the lack of knowledge give to the public through media and Hollywood. For instance, the movie "The Craft",1996, had alot of things about witchcraft right as far as the spells and rituals and the Book of Shadows. However Hollywood felt it was necessary to involve myth and legend into the movie, such as the physical flight and energy pushing on physical things.This kind of thing was not unheard of in the mid 90's to early 2000's. In the early and mid 90's "playgans" were poping up all over the place. People were dressing in goth and saying they will "hex" or "spell" people that made fun of them. Now, some of these people were showed the truth about Wiccanism and Paganism and deterred from mudding our name. Hopefully, in the modern age of Wicca we as humans, children of the Mother Earth and of the Lord and Lady, can learn to live without religious, racial, and ethnic hatred towards eachother. Blessed Be to all.
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