Wiccan Witchcraft History

There is a common belies that modern witchcraft is the result of an unbroken tradition of passing secret magical knowledge down through the generations, either by blood or by initiation, and often by both. This belief, while appealing for obvious reasons, is, to put it politely, poppycock.

Were there self-professed Witches in the Western world prior to the Gardnerian coming out party in the middle of the century? Absolutely. Folklore was enjoying a boom, Frazer's The Golden Bough (three editions of various sizes from 1890 to 1915) was being widely devoured, and Theosophy, Spiritualism, the Society for Psychical Research, and dozens of esoteric societies and orders were thriving.

It's hard to imagine that in such a climate no one was embracing a form of Witchcraft. On top of that, the tradition of cunning men and women (often old-school Witches by any other name) was still hanging in there. There may well have been numerous examples of what would today be called Family Traditions (or Famtrads, if you go to far too many SF conventions), though there's regrettably little evidence for these.

What has not been established, though, is whether there was a Witchcraft movement, a network of Witches bound by a reasonably uniform collection of traditional practices and beliefs. Some authors, Gardner among them, have been deeply attached to the idea of such a network, but proportionately ineffectual at establishing its reality.

Advocates of this Murray-ish take on the Craft (such as those who credit the rather ill-reputed cunning man George Pickingill with everything from the rulership of nine Covens to being where Crowley nicked his best magical moves) still fly the flag, but since all attempts to substantiate such claims invariably lead to (a) impenetrable oaths of secrecy and (b) severe migraines, they have trouble getting anyone much to salute. Of course, a lack of proof is often accompanied by a lack of refutation, but all we have then are matters of faith.

The good news for the status of Witchcraft and Wicca, however, is that this couldn't really matter less. Darwin might have called the Biblical account of our origins into question, but he certainly didn't make a little girl's Bat Mitzvah any less meaningful or Salisbury Cathedral any less inspiring. Magic is not reliant on history but on the state of the spirit.

Battling child witchcraft accusation - Myjoyonline.com

UNICEF (press release)

Battling child witchcraft accusation Myjoyonline.com The latest United Nations report on accusation of child witchcraft says the practice is on the rise continent-wide. It is a shame to African elites thinking ... Africa: Rising Number of Children Accused of 'Crime of Witchcraft'AllAfrica.com all 7 news articles »

Rising number of children stand accused of 'crime of witchcraft' - East African

Rising number of children stand accused of 'crime of witchcraft' East African There has been no comprehensive study to suggest how widespread child witchcraft allegations are, or the number of children who have been beaten or killed, ... and more »

On Macbeth, Gender and "Glamazons" - Buffalo Rising (blog)

On Macbeth, Gender and "Glamazons" Buffalo Rising (blog) That Macbeth was caught is a web of fateful witchcraft which inevitably sealed his fate. Macbeth literally died on a tarot card in that one. ... and more »

Is witchcraft homeopathy? - The Guardian

Is witchcraft homeopathy? The Guardian The question is whether what matters, in homeopathy or witchcraft, is the practice or its theoretical justification. Which came first, the theory or the ...

History Done Right Leads to More Questions - Madison County Courier

Madison County Courier

History Done Right Leads to More Questions Madison County Courier In the fall of 1835 Chapman moved on to Fayetteville Academy to study languages before entering Hamilton College in 1836. He graduated from Hamilton in 1839 ...