Description
This article is from the magicK kreEePing
oOze FAQ, by tyagi nagasiva tyagI@houseofAos.abyss.coM with
numerous contributions by others.
13.2: "Where did Wicca come from? Did Crowley invent it? (etc.)" cont
Wicca was invented by Gerald Gardner (and possibly some other folks), probably
around fall equinox 1939. The seed of inspiration for this invention was
Margaret Murray's books, "The Witch Cult in Western Europe" and "God of the
Witches". Originally, GBGs Wicca was focussed on a male God of Death, etc.,
per Murray. However, GBG also had a strong inclination toward a Goddess
figure (maybe he found a Goddess easier to relate to?) so he created a
duo-theistic symbolism, using some of the sexual imagery he had learned from
being ninth degree OTO. (Actually, he got the degrees by buying an OTO
charter and a copy of the rituals from Crowley during Crowley's last year.)
The other source GBG used for the rituals was the "Greater Key of Solomon",
which he used for the basic circle casting, though he gradually paganised the
language.
In 1953, GBG initiated Doreen Valiente, who soon began rewriting substantial
parts of the Book of Shadows. She was influenced by Robert Graves' "The
White Goddess", and that became the fundamental theology of Wicca for a few
decades. As far as I can tell, it is still the fundamental theology for all
of Gardnerian Wicca (including the Alexandrians). Valiente, who had read
some of Crowley's published work, intentionally replaced the parts of the BoS
that were taken from Crowley. (Well, most of them...there are still a couple
quotes she left in place.)
Please note that this analysis is grossly the same as Kelly's in "Crafting
the Art of Magic", but without the histrionics about scourging. However, I'm
not just accepting Kelly's analysis. This is also based on Valiente's own
statements about her role as well as some reading of Crowley, Murray, the
"Oxford English Dictionary", etc.
---
There was witchcraft before Gardner, and even before the Inquisition. The
word existed in Old English because it meant something to those people. As
far as we can tell, the original meaning of witchcraft is folk-magic. This
is how this word is used by anthropologists as well.
However, there was no such thing as Witchcraft, a pagan religion, until
Gardner invented it. The concept of Witchcraft being religious has no
basis in anything before Margaret Murray let her imagination run away with
her. If anyone has *any* evidence to the contrary, *please* let me know.
Lots of us would love to see it.
--Br'anArthur
==============
Actually, I believe the correct statement is that Gardner created
'Wicca'. In other words, he assembled a collection of beliefs and
practices, some of which may have had ancient roots, some of which
were borrowed from popular magickal systems of the times, and some
of which he just plain made up to fill in the gaps, and thus 'created'
a (more or less) coherent belief system to which he assigned the
name Wicca. This does not mean that there were no witches around
before Gardner, nor that there were no folks around who were called
'witches' before Gardner. Certainly there were - England's anti-
witchcraft laws were REPEALED in Gardner's time, not established.
It just means that the practices were not 'codified' and called
Wicca. It's just the same as if I gathered together some elements of
musical styles and 'created' a new style and gave it a name - the
pieces (large or small) existed before me, but the style and its
name are new.
Before Gardner, people who practiced 'witchcraft' (in Great Britain
at least) probably did not call themselves anything in public - there
were standing laws against witchcraft.
meade@twod.gsfc.nasa.gov (Paul E. Meade)
----------------------------------------
Continue to:
Share and Enjoy
Bookmark this story so others can enjoy it:
Tags
new-age, paranormal, spiritual, magicK, kreEePing oOze, Hermes' wand, pentagram, Melkizedek, Theosophy
