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Tradition means a way of celebrating the God and Goddess by the use of semi-structured guidelines passed down through the years, with various modifications to suit the needs of the group along the way. Listed below are some of the different Traditions/Trads and sects Witches use today.
Alexandrian: Founded in England during the 1960s, Alex
Sanders referred to himself as the "King" of his Witches. The rituals are said
to be modified Gardenarian.
British: A mix of Celtic and Gardenarian beliefs. Most
famous organization at this time is the International Red Garters. British Traditionalist
move mostly from within the Farrar studies (the famous Witch husband and wife from
England.) They too are fairly structured in their beliefs, and train through the degree
process. Their covens are also co-ed.
Celtic Wicca: The use of a Celtic/Druidic pantheon
mixed with a little ritual Gardnerian, and heavily stressing the elements, nature and the
Ancient Ones. They had a vast knowledge of and respect for the healing and magical
qualities of plants and stones, flowers, trees, elemental spirits, the little people,
gnomes and fairies.
Caledonii: Formally known as the Hecatine Tradition,
this denomination of the Craft is Scottish in origin, and still preserves the unique
festivals of the Scots.
Ceremonial Witchcraft: Followers of this Tradition
uses a great deal of ceremonial magick in their practices. Detailed rituals with a flavor
of Egyptian magick are sometimes a favorite, or they may use the Qabbalistic magick.
Dianic: First pinpointed by Margaret Murray in 1921 in
"The Witch-Cult in Western Europe," this term appears to include a mixture of
various traditions. However, their prime focus in recent years is on the Goddess, and has
been pegged as the "feminist" movement of the Craft.
Eclectic Witch: Look in any personals column in a
Craft-oriented newsletter or journal and you will see this catch-all phrase. Basically, it
indicates that the individual does not follow any particular Tradition, denomination,
sect, or magical practice. They learn and study from many magical
systems and apply to
themselves what appears to work best.
Gardnerian: Organized by Gerald Gardner in England in
the 1950s. Just why is this fellow so darned important? Gerald was one of the few people
so determined that the Old Religion should not die that he took the risk of publicizing it
through the media. Under all the hype, I truly believe he understood that the young needed
the Craft as much as the Craft needed a new generation to survive.
Hereditary Witch: One who can trace the Craft through
their family tree and who has been taught the Old Religion by a relative who was living at
the same time. Channeling doesn't count. How far one has to go back on the family tree to
meet the conditions of the first part of this definition is debatable. Family Trades
(another name for Hereditary Witches) occasionally adopt individuals into their dynasty.
This decision is never a light one, and usually stems from the lack of offspring to carry
on the line, or the high regard they hold for the person in question. The ceremony is
intricate and important. After all, it is not every day you can pick your relatives! It is
much like the marriage of an individual into a family.
Kitchen Witch: You will hear this term every once in a
while. Basically, this type is one who practices by hearth and home, dealing with the
practical side of religion, magick, the earth and the elements. There are some who groan
loudly at this type of terminology, viewing it as degrading or simply inappropriate. Just
remember that the Old Religion started somewhere, and most likely the kitchen (or
cookfire) was the hub of many charms, spells, healings, and celebrations. After all, where
does everyone congregate during the holidays? Grandma's kitchen has always produced magical
memories for humanity; visions of Mother making that something special for a sick
child still holds true today for many of us.
Pictish Witchcraft: Scottish Witchcraft that attunes
itself to all aspects of nature; animal, vegetable, and mineral. It is a solitary from of
the Craft and mainly magical in nature with little religion.
Pow-Wow: Indigenous to South Central Pennsylvania.
This is a system, not a religion, based on 400 year old Elite German magick. Pow-Wow has
deteriorated to a great degree into simple faith healing. Although Pow-Wow finds its roots
in German Witchcraft, few practicing Pow-Wows today in Pennsylvania follow the Craft or
even know the nature of its true birth.
Satanic Witch: One cannot be a satanic Witch because
Witches do not believe in Satan. This had to be mentioned here, because, there are some
people out there that label themselves as such... and the two together is impossible if
you know anything about the Wiccan religion. The people that call themselves Satanic
Witches are NOT real Witches at all!
Seax-Wica: Founded by Raymond Buckland in 1973.
Although of Saxon basis, it was authored by Raymond himself without breaking his original
Gardnerian oath. Raymond Buckland's contribution to the Craft is a significant one. Not
only did he develop a Tradition that is more than acceptable to many individuals, he also
has written a large volume of textbooks on different magical
aspects and practices of the
Craft, thereby enhancing many lives in a positive direction.
Solitary Witch: One who practices alone, regardless of
Tradition, denomination, or sect. Solitaries come in various forms. Some were at one time
initiated into a coven and eventually chose to extricate themselves from that environment
and continue practicing a particular Tradition or sect by themselves. A solitary can also
be an individual who has no desire to practice with or learn from a coven structure, but
still may adhere to a specific Tradition or sect through the teachings of another. And
finally, a solitary Witch can be a person who has decided to tough it out on their own,
learning from books, networking, and fellow Witches of different Traditions. These people
have the ability to pick themselves up and brush themselves off, and live to try again.
More and more individuals are selecting the solitary path rather than that of group
interaction. Another name for a solitary Witch is "Natural Witch." You may hear
this word from time to time as well.
Strega Witches: Follows a tradition seated in Italy
that began around 1353 with a woman called Aradia. Of all the traditional Witches, this
group appears to be the smallest in number in the U.S.; however, their teachings are
beautiful and should not be missed.
Teutonic Witch: From ancient time the Teutons have
been recognized as a group of people who speak the Germanic group of languages.
Culturally, this included the English, Dutch, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish
peoples. This is also known as the Nordic Tradition.
The information above was taken from "To Ride A Silver Broomstick" by Silver
RavenWolf.
Wiccan Beliefs
The Goddess and God are revered. This is central to Wiccan thought.
Human souls enjoy a series of incarnations. Reincarnation is one of the most wide-spread of Wiccan beliefs. Precisely how and why we incarnate several times is open to mystical speculation.
Power can be sent in non-physical form to affect the world in positive ways. Thus, we accept both the practice of magick and its effectiveness.
What is done will be returned to the doer. Precisely how this energy is returned has been a matter of great speculation.
The Earth is our home, our Goddess. It's not a tool that we can ruthlessly abuse. Ecological concerns are rather new in Wicca, but now play an important role. Many rituals are performed to give healing strength to the Earth.
Wiccans aren't evangelical. We have no need to go out and spread the word. Answering questions about our religion is far different from knocking on doors and asking strangers, "Have you heard the word of the Goddess today?"
Wicca accepts that every religion is correct to its adherents. This doesn't mean that we like every representative of every religion, but ecumenicist must be the way of life.
Wicca accepts members from both sexes, from every race, national origin and, usually, of every sexual preference.
Wicca is a religion, not a political organization. Groups of Wiccan can and sometimes do work toward a common case, and individual Wiccans may indeed become personally involved in the political system, but Wicca as a whole isn't a religion that preaches issues or supports specific political candidates.
Wicca Doesn't charge for private lessons or for initiation. Physical objects created by Wiccans (pentacles, knives, wands, incenses, oils, books) and services (such as public classes and Wiccan-based counseling) can and should be paid for, but not personal, private Wiccan instruction or initiation.
Wiccans Do not sacrifices animals or people in rituals!
Wiccans do not cause harm to others. Unless in self defense. "Harm None"
The information above was taken from "Living Wicca" by Scott Cunningham.