Extract from the Washington State Handbook of Religious Practices
Witchcraft, or Wicca, is the 'Old Religion,' the tribal worship of ancient peoples based in magic, herbology, healing and the worship (primarily) of the Mother Goddess and (secondarily) her consort, the Horned God. Witches have existed throughout known history in many parts of the world. The term 'witch,' more properly 'wicca,' comes
from the Anglo Saxon word for 'wise.' Wicca's marked revival in the 20th centery is largely due to such scholars as Margaret A. Murray, who traced the existence of the Old Pagan Religion in pre-historic Europe. At the forefront of this revival is Gerald Gardner, the famous witch of the Isle of Man.
After years in the east, Gardner returned to England in the 1930's, located a Wicca group and was initiated by 'Old Dorothy' Clutterbuck. He participated in the 'Operation Cone of Power' during World War II, in which English witches joined forces to turn back Hitler's invasion of England. In 1949, he published High Magic's Aid,
a novel about Medieval Wicca based on his growing knowledge of 20th century withcraft. After repeal of the last anti-witchcraft law in Britain in 1951, Gardner became publicly prominent. He opened a Museum of Witchcraft on the Isle of Man and in 1954 published Witchcraft Today in which he attacked the idea that Wicca was the wroship
of Satan and declared himself a witch devoted to the Mother Goddess. As a result, many witches associated with him and other people contacted him to join the Craft. Those who associated with Gardner, who shared his views of Wicca and who started to use the rituals he used have come to be called 'Gardnerians.'
Wicca is both a religion and a craft, aspects with Margaret Murray has distinguished as 'ritual witchcraft' and 'operative witchcraft.' Like any other religion, its purpose is to put the individual and the group in harmony with the Divine creative principle of the Cosmos, and its manifestations, at all levels. As a Craft,
its purpose is to achieve practical ends by psychic means, for good, useful and healing purposes. In both aspects, the distinguishing characteristics of Wicca are its Nature-based attitude, its small group autonomy with no gulf between priesthood and 'congregation,' and its philosophy of creative polarity at all levels,
from Goddess and God to Priestess and Priest.
Wicca (or Witchcraft) is an earth religion, a re-linking with the life forces beyond. In city apartments, in suburban backyards, in country glades, groups of women and men meet on the new and full moons and at festival times to raise energy and put themselves in tune with these natural forces. They honor the old goddesses and gods,
including the Triple Goddess of the waxing, full and waning moon, and the Horned God of the sun and animal life, as symbols of immanent nature.
The Wicca religion is not a series of dogmatic precepts or beliefs administerred by a self-sustaining hierarchal bureaucracy. Rather, it is believed that each person has within themselves the capacity to reach out and experience the Myster--that ineffable oneness with all life. Those who wish to experience this transcendence must work,
create and participate in their individual religious lives. For this reason congregations, called covens, are small groups which give room for each individual to contribute to the efforts of the group by self-knowledge and creative experimentation within the agreed-upon group structure or tradition.
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Most recently updated: September 13, 2006 c.e.
