preview

History of The Ancient Religion Called Wicca

Decent Essays

One of the greatest myths precipitated about Wicca is that it is an ancient religion. Wicca is not an ancient religion. It has no ties to medieval or even pre--‐Christian religious beliefs. Wicca was inspired by a theory of Margaret Murray, who proposed that there was one organized Cult of Diana. This idea is largely dismissed as inaccurate and Murray’s work is considered by scholars to be full of factual errors.

Where Wicca began, is with Gerald Gardner in the early 1950’s. Gardner was stationed in India for several years and while he was there, he studied the Hindu religion. He also had an interest in magick and the “occult”. Once he returned to England and retired, he was initiated into a coven of witches in 1939. This coven was practicing magick and rituals from fragments of undetermined origin. Gardner took these fragments and fleshed them out, adding and changing them until he had something that was workable and more spiritually fulfilling than just the fragments. His work was heavily influenced by Murray’s work as well as Leland’s “Aradia: Gospel of the Witches” and his studies into high ceremonial magick, Hinduism, and the work of Alastair Crowley. Crowley’s work features fairly prominently in Gardner’s work and there is debate about whether or not Gardner hired Crowley, just conversed with him, or possibly stole his work to use. These filled in rituals received another re--‐write in the mid to late 50’s when Gardner initiated Doreen Valiente into his coven.

Get Access