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.

DiManno: The cruel life of 'child witches' in Africa - Toronto Star

DiManno: The cruel life of 'child witches' in Africa Toronto Star The Catholic Church, which operates orphanages for “child witches,'' has tried to denounce the witchcraft superstitions but has been careful not to preach ... and more »

Protecting child 'witches' in Africa - The Guardian

UNICEF (press release)

Protecting child 'witches' in Africa The Guardian ... even toddlers, being accused of witchcraft in parts of Africa. Once accused of sorcery, children are forced to admit to being witches and to reveal the ... Battling child witchcraft accusationMyjoyonline.com Cases of children accused of 'witchcraft' rising in parts of West and Central ...UNICEF (press release) Africa: Rising Number of Children Accused of 'Crime of Witchcraft'AllAfrica.com all 7 news articles »

How churches fight belief in witchcraft - The Guardian

DigitalJournal.com

How churches fight belief in witchcraft The Guardian All these organisations and agencies unreservedly condemn all instances of child abuse, in particular any church that brands children as witches or as in ... Church children beaten and branded for 'witchcraft'DigitalJournal.com CHARITY CALLS FOR LAW TO BAN BRANDING OF CHILDREN AS WITCHESCommunity Newswire all 9 news articles »

'Nearly 200 women killed every year after being branded witches' - The Hindu

GulfNews

'Nearly 200 women killed every year after being branded witches' The Hindu ... in the country after being tagged as 'witches.' Jharkhand tops the list with 50-60 witchcraft-related murders every year, followed by Andhra Pradesh, ... 200 women killed every year after being branded 'witches'Hindustan Times 200 'witches' killed in India each yearHerald Sun 'Witch' killingsCalcutta Telegraph all 36 news articles »

Witch hunts and racists - Washington Times

Witch hunts and racists Washington Times Being accused of racism is much like being accused of witchcraft or child molestation. The charge itself is toxic. Ms Sherrod was lucky that the context of ... and more »