# What Is Wicca? (2)

In the 1960s, in England, Wicca was still largely confined to esoteric and neo-pagan circles. But during the following decade, in the social and intellectual turmoil that agitated American society, she found, in feminist circles in particular, a very favorable development field. Its followers will leave their mark on American feminist thought, which in turn will profoundly modify the movement.

In the first part of this article , we followed the beginnings of the birth of Wicca, born from the fantasy of rediscovering the ancient European religion. However, it was outside of Europe, in the United States, that Wicca really took off, thanks to the social upheavals and the political and spiritual effervescence that agitated the country in the 60s and 70s.

Covens In Maryland:

Gardner initiated several Americans in the early 1960s, who imported Wicca to the United States.

Among them, Raymond Buckland and his wife. They are the first administrators of a museum of witchcraft and magic on Long Island. It is in this context that they hear about Gardner, with whom they start a correspondence, and that they end up going to visit on the Isle of Man. They will then be initiated according to an accelerated 3-week program. Raymond Buckland will be initiated to the second degree by Monique Wilson, the high priestess of Gardner. She accompanies the Buckland couple on their return to New York, and will initiate Raymond to the third and final degree. This in turn initiates his wife, and they found several covens. Benefiting from significant media coverage, they largely participated in the dissemination of the movement on American territory.

Initiation:

The first degree is reached after at least one year and one day of apprenticeship. This rite symbolizes the new birth of the follower, and makes him or her the brother or sister of all the members of the coven. It is usually accompanied by the choice of a wizarding name, which will only be used within the framework of the coven. The follower therefore becomes a sorcerer or a witch, but also a priest or a priestess, empowered to enter into communication with the gods.

The initiation to the second degree usually takes place three years later. It allows the sorcerer to become a high priest or high priestess. Only second-degree initiates are authorized to conduct certain ceremonies and select new adepts, and conduct first-degree initiations.

Access to the third level is normally only granted after ten years of study. This rite presupposes in principle a sexual relationship between the officiants. It reproduces the sacred marriage between the God and the Goddess, supposed to invest the body of the officiants during the ceremony. The initiate couple can be made up of two third degree postulants, or one initiate and one postulant.

This rite, however, remains purely symbolic in the vast majority of covens. The insertion of the blade of an athame , the ceremonial dagger, in a cup filled with wine can thus represent the union of the two officiants.

Once reached the third degree, the sorcerer can leave his coven, and found a new one, theoretically independent, in which he will have all the power to conduct the ceremonies and initiate the adepts to all the degrees.

New traditions:

The possibility given to any initiate in the third degree to create a new coven, as well as the absence of dogma strictly speaking is both a strength and a danger.

It is easy to understand the potential for dissemination that lies in this process of swarming, allowing any initiate to create a new coven according to its rituals and its own tradition. The Wicca movement thus faces a profusion of new currents. Anne-Marie Lassallette-Carassou presents some of them in her book Wizards, Witches and Neopaians in America Today :

Seax Wicca:

Wotan

In 1973, the Bucklands divorced, and passed on their role in the direction of the Gardnerian coven. Raymond Buckland then created, with his second wife, the Seax Wicca. It refers to the Saxon pantheon (Freya and Wotan). There is only one degree of initiation left, and there is equality of importance between the deities and the male and female members. The rituals are practiced skyclad (completely ■■■■■) or in short tunic. Initiation practices deemed humiliating are banned, as are sexual rites, even symbolic ones. Buckland assumes a certain degree of chance in the choice of the Saxon pantheon. He considers that a reference to a historical tradition is necessary, but does not claim any affiliation with an ancient tradition. Buckland published a work in 1974, which describes all the beliefs and rituals of the tradition. This publication leads to the creation of autonomous Seax wicca covens, first in the eastern United States, then throughout the territory.

Alexandrian Wicca:

Alexander Sanders is British, like Gardner. He claims to have been initiated in 1933 by his grandmother. However, the specialist in new religions Gordon Melton maintains that he was a member of one of the first Gardnerian coven. He would then have created his own coven, in London, in 1967 with his wife Maxine. He became a celebrity following the publication of his biography in 1967 and the making of a film in 1970. The rituals are very similar to those in force in Gardnerian Wicca. He in turn will initiate an American, Stewart Farrar, who will import the Wicca Alexandrian tradition to the United States and will publish several texts which will inspire many followers of “eclectic” currents.

American Order of the Brotherhood of Wicca:

Lady Sheba, who claims to descend from a line of Celtic witches and would have been initiated in the 1930s, founded this group in the 1970s. The rituals remain very close to those of Gardnerian Wicca, apart from ■■■■■■, which is prohibited. On the other hand, the philosophy diverges quite clearly from that of Gardner. It empties Witchcraft of all religious content, associating it with magic, but denying any connection with a cult of fertility or nature. She published her grimoire and her book of shadows, revealing to the general public the rituals and magical practices of her tradition.

Algard Wicca:

Algard claims to have Alexandrian ( Al- ) and Gardnerian ( -gard ) influence .

Created by a former Alexandrian High Priestess, it reconstituted a very hierarchical tradition, each coven being under the authority of a Very High Priestess (herself at the beginning of the movement) and a Very High Priest, sole spokespersons for the tradition. Neophytes, aged at least 18, are supervised by a council of elders, homosexuals are excluded.

New reformed Orthodox Order of the Golden Dawn (NROOGD):

This tradition is the opposite of the previous one in terms of openness. It was born in 1968 from a collective ritual experience, as part of a course at the University of San Francisco, and not an individual course. The founders composed a ritual based on the works of Murray, Graves and Gardner, which has served as a basis for the practice ever since. However, each coven is free to create new ones. Poetry, creativity and personal transformation are in the spotlight. Each celebration ends with the sharing of a banquet, which marks the transition to everyday reality.

The name of this movement comes from the fact that it was at its creation a new tradition, Orthodox because it borrowed its beliefs from the ancients, and considered itself a magical order, according to the heritage of the Hermetic Order of Golden Dawn. .

The covens affiliated with this tradition enjoy a wide autonomy, and work on the search for a consensus.

Dianic Wicca:

Dianic Wicca is now one of the most active traditions, and is very representative of the contribution of the feminist, ■■■ and environmental movements to Wicca. This denomination refers to two branches, independently created in 1971, both of which seek to explicitly combine spiritual and feminist engagement.

One was founded in Venice, California, when Zsuzsanna Budapest founded the “Susan B. Anthony Coven No. 1” coven. The second branch hatched the same year in Texas under the leadership of Morgan McFarland .

Followers of Dianic Wicca move away from Gardner traditions insofar as they reject male-female balance. They consider Craft to be a female religion. Marked by the influence of Murray and Leland, the Dianic cult is a cult of the Goddess, in her three aspects of Young Creative Girl, Great Mother and Old Woman. While the Mc Farland covens can be mixed, those of the Z. Budapest trends are exclusively female.

The risk of dispersion:

This list is far from exhaustive, other traditions are for example presented on the Covenant of the Goddess website . But we understand the risk that this profusion represents. The question of the recognition of new covens is thus not completely evaded. Indeed, if there is no dogma accepted by the whole Wicca movement, most of its tendencies are recognized by a “common tradition”. Some people fear that this diversification will lead to a multitude of sects depending only on the authority of their leaders, and cut off from each other. This would mean the disappearance of the movement as such. Anne-Marie Lassallette-Carassou takes up words cited by Margot Adler in her book Drawing Down the Moon, Witches, Druids, Goddess Worshipers and other Pagans in America Today

“I don’t believe our Goddess would deny anyone the right to worship Her on the grounds that he or she was not initiated by another member of Wicca. How do we know if the initiator has really been initiated himself? Much of our origins are obscure, and the lack of evidence is with us more the rule than the exception. witches, or against fundamentally evil people who could damage the reputation of the Craft. But this cannot prevent people from calling themselves wizards. The mysteries and secrets of Craft can be discovered independently of Craft: our Path is not the only one possible. Gods can be discovered independently of the Craft; and the Gods alone can make sorcerers. Man can only confirm the divine anointing. I have met people who have carefully built their “traditions” from scratch, and who are proud of it; they initiated themselves and then jealously guarded their secrets and they were inspired, sincere and effective. Moreover, I have happened to meet wizards and witches perfectly qualified, in principle, to conduct so-called “valid” initiations - and who have made use of this qualification on numerous occasions - except that in general they were formal initiations, that is to say, they initiated nothing at all and could not be of any use to new adepts. For these so-called “real” wizards, Wicca means little more than a gimmick, it is a means of earning a living or a business of self-aggrandizement. So who can claim to be able to say which are the “real” members of Wicca? "

The New York priestess who speaks here perfectly sums up the tensions that run through American Wicca. The challenge here is to safeguard the openness that characterizes it, while preserving the unity, however tenuous, of the movement.

Wicca and feminism, between controversy and convergence:

The movement of the goddess:

American feminists, in their fight against patriarchy, are interested in writings on the original matriarchy, some of which are in part at the origin of Wicca, and will continue them. The research of the archaeologist Marija Gimbutas , the theologian Merlin Stone or the historian Carole Patrice Christ , for example, will cause much stir. They will contribute to the emergence of the Goddess Movement . This movement will maintain a relationship of reciprocal influence with Wiccan traditions, in particular via the Dianic covens, and will generate intense controversy.

The Venus of Willendorf, one of the many prehistoric female statuettes that would justify the existence of the cult of the Goddess.

Certain feminists thus accuse this movement of essentialism. At the same time, the rigor of the work of Marija Gimbutas, in particular The Language of the Goddess , will also be strongly criticized in academic circles. Patrick Snyder recently returned to these intense debates for the journal Nouvelles Questions feministes in “The movement of the goddess: controversies in the feminist academic field” .

Feminist attacks:

The Dianic covenants and the development of the Goddess Movement mark the emergence of feminist thought in Wicca. They will transform her profoundly, exposing the ambiguities of Craft towards women. Indeed, although Wicca has integrated the feminine principle as central in its theology and practice, we are then far from the feminist perspective.

Thus, the writings on the cult of the goddess at the origin of Wicca are essentially the work of men.

Feminist thinkers make an exegesis of these texts, in order to highlight the stereotypes they contain. They denounce, for example, references to “the eternal feminine”. This notion would place women on the side of creativity and fertility. Action and intellect would remain intrinsically masculine values.

They are increasingly openly challenging the Gardnerian principle of male-female balance. In return, some Craft enthusiasts accuse them of resuscitating a transcendent monotheism. However, this would be fundamentally incompatible with neo-pagan polytheism, which guarantees the diversity of the movement.

Towards a synthesis:

In the 1970s, growing tensions between proponents of traditional craft and feminist witches were at their height. The schism threatens the very existence of the movement. It is in this context that two events will allow it to reinvent itself, and allow reconciliation.

The Covenant of the Goddess

In 1975, several covenants sought to unite in order to obtain legal recognition as a constituted religion. But the diversity of dogmas and the visceral attachment to the autonomy of Wicca make it unthinkable to create a hierarchical structure. Aidan Kelly, one of the founders of NROOGD, therefore proposes to adopt the model of congregational churches . This proposal is accepted, and leads to the creation of the Covenant of the Goddess. A Council of coven signatories governs the structure, while guaranteeing them total internal autonomy. It is not intended to make decisions on behalf of these members. He cannot create a new coven or initiate anyone. The Covenant’s charter reaffirms the attachment to diversity and eclecticism that are consubstantial with Wicca:

“This council is established to bring us closer and help us better serve the Craft and the Pagan community. We define ourselves this way: We all worship the Goddess, but many others worship other deities. We are bound by the law of Craft, but it is not necessarily the same in all traditions. We reciprocally recognize the right to be in the Craft. We are not the only wizards and witches. Wizards and witches who refuse to join us are nonetheless wizards. Each coven is autonomous. The Council derives its authority only from the free choice of each coven, which can be withdrawn at any time. "

The COG will be tremendously successful in its dual mission. It will make the community and neo-pagan thought more visible, and facilitate contacts and exchanges between its members.

In this atmosphere of tolerance and syncretism, the pantheon of Craft will develop exponentially. The various traditions will each contribute to integrate multiple influences. The figures of the horned God and the triple goddess will be identified with deities of all origins. Greek mythology, Celtic pantheon, Saxon or Sumerian, none escapes Wiccan interpretation.

These divinities coexist within the Craft, respecting its guiding principle inherited from Crowley; “As long as you don’t hurt anyone, do whatever you want” .

The Reclaiming group:

The Reclaiming tradition, founded by Diane Baker and the charismatic Starhawk , is arguably the ideal example of the fusion between Craft and feminism.

The enormous success of the book The Spiral dance , published by Starhawk in 1979, will popularize this group.

Initiated in the Faeri tradition , and influenced by the writings of Zsuzsanna Budapest, she began to give classes devoted to magic and the worship of the goddess, which caused the creation of dozens of covens, first exclusively female, then mixed. . For Starhawk, magical practice and political commitment go hand in hand. The founding principles of the tradition are as follows (translated by Anne-Marie Lassallette Carassou ):

"Principles of Reclaiming Unity

Our tradition is based on the fundamental idea that the earth is alive and that all forms of life are sacred and interconnected. We see the Goddess as present in the cycles of birth, growth, decline, death, and rebirth. Our practices are based on a spiritual commitment to Earth, healing, and the relationship between magic and political action. Each member of the group is the embodiment of the divine. Our only spiritual authority is within ourselves, and we don’t need anyone to interpret the sacred for us. We encourage questioning and honor freedom in all its forms, intellectual, spiritual and creative. Our tradition is evolving and dynamic. We are proud of our status as wizards and witches. We honor both God and Goddess, and we work with images of male and female divinity, keeping in mind that their essence is a mystery that has no form. The rituals of our community are participatory and ecstatic; they celebrate the cycles of the seasons and our lives, and the energy they give off is intended for personal, collective and planetary healing."

Starhawk’s commitment to ecofeminism has had a tremendous influence on the convergence of political struggle and spiritual commitment.

The values displayed by the Reclaiming tradition have been incorporated into the practices of many Wiccan and neo-pagans. At the same time, Starhawk’s political activism legitimized the practice of magic as a form of direct action. This validation of alternative forms of action has profoundly transformed the forms of struggles within the social movement, a recent avatar of which is the appearance of witch blocks , during demonstrations against the reform of the labor code.

This tradition is very representative of the formidable plasticity of Wicca. Since its beginnings, it has been able to integrate the most diverse influences, in an astonishing syncretism. But his propensity to absorb everything and his “tinkered” rituals have a dark side. Many thus criticize Wicca for erecting cultural appropriation as its only dogma. Wicca would not be really a religion, but a simple fashion, annihilating at the same time all the protest potential of the figure of the witch …