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.

The Ordeal of Kid Witches - Newswatch (subscription)

The Ordeal of Kid Witches Newswatch (subscription), Nigeria - Jan 4, 2009 ... into their children the culture of shunning greed otherwise they could be contaminated by witchcraft spirit through food and snacks in schools. ...

How to Stop the War on Drugs - OpEdNews

How to Stop the War on Drugs OpEdNews, PA - 7 hours ago The witch-hunt doctor's Rx is for every bust to numerate a bigger tax-load over a smaller denominator of payers. Spend more on prisons than on schools. ...

Removal of Bishop Pelotte voted top local story of 2008 - Gallup Independent

Removal of Bishop Pelotte voted top local story of 2008 Gallup Independent, NM - Jan 2, 2009 19, despite rumors of witchcraft, skinwalkers and uranium-contaminated fill dirt; despite losing the Gaming Regulatory director two days before the opening; ...

Religion news in brief - The Associated Press

Religion news in brief The Associated Press - Dec 17, 2008 ... in religious schools, the Tax Code should not subsidize this choice." ___ http://www.irs.gov ___ Woman says she was fired because she's a witch LINCOLN, ...

Mugabe: Zimbabwe is mine - Trinidad & Tobago Express

Mugabe: Zimbabwe is mine Trinidad & Tobago Express, Trinidad and Tobago - Jan 3, 2009 Authoritarianism permeates our families, our villages, our schools, our churches. It is for us a way of life." Etounga-Manguelle makes another assertion ...