What Really Is Wicca?
By Foxglove

In recent months I have heard a lot of people talking and fussing over what wicca really is.  As an initiate in the Gardnerian tradition, I feel it I should put my hand up and tell it the way I see it and try to put some peoples ideas and misconceptions aside.

In the 1950’s Gerald Gardner came out of the broom closet (so to speak) about witchcraft in his book “Witchcraft today”.  This not only opened up a whole new era for witchcraft but also gave those who would be interested in learning the truth about the religion an opportunity to do so.

Gerald claimed that he was initiated by “Old” Dorothy Clutterbuck into the new forest coven.  Some people deny her existence; others say they have evidence to show she did.  This is a whole other argument, whether or not she did exist the coven did and it does not change the fact that Gardner brought Witchcraft into the open.  

In his writings he has stated that due to oaths made to the coven he could not reveal certain things (including the members) therefore Dorothy may have been a made up name.  We may never know!.  As for the oaths sworn, there is a lot of information that he could not give to the non-initiated.  This is not because Wiccans are elitist but rather practitioners of a “mystery” religion.  

When Gardner had copied his Book of Shadows from the New forest coven, he had found many gaps in the processes and so when he started initiating people into his own tradition he also rewrote the Book.  keeping a lot of what he had been given and taking from many other sources such as the key of Solomon , Leland, the knights Templars and the masons.  My belief that the information taken by Leland was what was already there, for if you read his information there are a lot of bits and pieces that don’t quite add up to a whole.  As for those people who have a problem with him taking from other sources, may I ask where you get your practice?  I am sure most of you have adopted a “ if it feels right, use it” mentality in your craft practice.  That’s all Gardner did, he recreated a dying tradition, with the assistance of people like Doreen Valiente.

Gardner’s coven have produced many well known witches, amongst them was Alex Saunders.  Whom in an attempt to know all copied the Gardnerian Book and left the group to start his own.  Since Wicca is an oral tradition he never got to see the circle cast nor much of anything else so he had to create his own, going by the clues in the Book.  Once again we find the “if it feels right, use it” practice again.  I don’t hear anyone saying that Alex did the wrong thing.

Soon after, the Alexandrian tradition was established, but Alex not being true to his oath started teaching a little more openly. Whilst on the subject of traditions, I would like to clarify what a tradition is.. a tradition is not necessarily something that has been passed down through the ages, since the dawn of man, as some like to think.  It is actually a set of teachings passed down from one to another, within the initiate’s lineage.  That is what a tradition is.

Other people were coming out of the wood work such as Raymond Buckland, whom after moving to America kept his oath of secrecy, designed his own craft tradition (I’ll bet that most of you own a Buckland book?).  

Others like Scott Cunningham also started to feel that wicca should be accessible to everyone and (keeping to his oath) wrote a book for solitary practitioners.  Once again we find the “if it feels right, use it” mentality and again I think most if not all of us have read this book. 

So, my question to you is... why does our tradition bother you?  For those who are thinking that Wiccans are “fluffy bunnies” think again.  Fluffy bunnies are witches who would worship the Gods happy, pretty sides and neglect that they have darker aspects as well.  A fluffy bunny does not live in harmony and balance with the world as it is but rather take an new age approach to the mighty ones.  Believe when I say that a true Wiccan is not “fluffy”.

And for those who say they are Wiccan, let me ask you a question.  Have you been initiated by a High priestess or High priest?  If you answered no then you are not Wiccan.  A Wiccan is a person who has been initiated into the Gardnerian or Alexandrian traditions. However this does not mean to say that you are not a witch and that we do not accept your love of the Gods.  If you think we are elitist, then I think you should stop trying to rise above something you don’t understand.

If you are a person who sits there moaning and claiming that initiation is not necessary, let me tell you, you are right.  It is not necessary if you choose not to be initiated, however for those who have been initiated will disagree.  Initiation is a ritualistic rebirth, it is where you are presented to the Mighty Ones and you make sacred your oaths to the coven and the Gods.  Initiation is not an easy task, you have to prove you are capable of it and you must pass the ordeal.  To me initiation is also about the guidance one receives from experienced people.  It is easy to read a book and learn what it says, but as an initiate you are shown how to experience the magick, not just do it. Things come easier for those who have specific training, such as a coven, whilst “eclectic” witches need to try and find the right books to read. Lets just say that if you are an initiate you would know what I mean.  If not, request it again *G*. 

So in conclusion to this rant, I would like to just say, that as a traditional “eclectic” Wiccan I would like to remind everyone out there with a gripe for Gerald and what he taught, that you are probably doing the same thing he did in the 50’s and 60’s and that unless you are a hereditary (taught by your family through family initiation) you are practicing something that was created recently also.  So please, if you would like to question the validity of my tradition, try checking the validity of yours and see how different (and modern) they both are.