Wicka: The Chronicles of Elizabeth Blake

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Other differences between Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca include the choice to practice in clothing or ritual wear, and an added emphasis on ceremonial magic and Hermeticism. The Alexandrian tradition isn't necessarily quite as secretive or dogmatic. While there is some emphasis on respecting tradition and following protocol, there is a greater emphasis on growth and living out your own path, allowing for many changes and adjustments as practitioners see fit.

The 11th century saw the arrival of Scholasticism. Scholastic philosophy meant that all of created nature became an object of scrutiny from which scholastics could create a model that applied to everything. The inquisitorial eye began to fix itself on aspects of folklore that had been smiled away or incorporated into Christian worship in earlier periods. The Gardnerian deities are the Horned God and the Mother Goddess, and they have specific names that are supposed to be kept secret from non-initiates. There is a great deal of emphasis on using the original Book of Shadows that Gardner created for rituals and magic, which is also supposed to be kept secret, although it has been published in a few different forms over the decades. Murray combined testimony from several witch trials to arrive at the idea that witches met four times per year at coven meetings or "Sabbaths". She also used one piece of testimony to arrive at the conclusion that covens were usually composed of 13 witches, led by a male priest who would dress in animal skins, horns, and fork-toed shoes to denote his authority (the dress was assumed to be a naturalistic explanation for accused witch's descriptions of Satan). The "Grand Master", according to Murray, not only represented the Horned God but was believed to fully embody him, allowing his presence at the Sabbath. She wrote: A significant symbol in Wiccan practice, the besom or broom is symbolically used for purification or cleansing, as well as sweeping negative influences away from any place. Some people may be under the impression that Wicca is “evil.” This is due to mistaken associations between Wicca and Satanism, which is a different religious affiliation altogether. But the answer is no: Wicca is not an “evil” religion, and there is no connection between Wicca and any sort of “devil worship.” In fact, most Wiccans actively avoid harming others; they seek out peace in their daily lives and are focused on coexisting as harmoniously as possible with the world around them. Wicca and magicThe Alexandrian Tradition is covered extensively in books by Stewart and Janet Farrar, authors and Wiccan practitioners who were both initiated into the main coven of the tradition by Maxine Sanders herself the 1970s. Dianic Wicca

The God, meanwhile, is known sometimes as the Horned God, sometimes as the Green Man, and other times as the Oak and Holly King. Although that first one might sound a little scary, don’t worry! This iteration of the God has nothing to do with Satanism or devil-worship; rather, the horns represent his masculine virility and connection to nature, as Hellenic forest deities such as Pan were often represented with antlers. Like the Goddess, the God also splits the year: in autumn and winter, he is the Holly King, and in the spring and summertime, the Oak! The connection of Wiccans with nature is therefore very strong, found represented throughout their beliefs and the characteristics of their deities. The Ogham—a Gaelic writing system with a similar function to runes—may be used in magical symbolism and divination, and some practitioners adopt the Celtic classification of elements (Earth, Sky and Water) rather than the standard Wiccan system. Celtic covens may or may not involve a hierarchy or degrees of advancement—it depends on how much of the Gardnerian or Alexandrian Traditions they wish to incorporate into their syncretic form of the Craft.

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If you choose to celebrate the festivals on the Wiccan calendar, how you choose to do so is up to you. If you’re part of a coven, you and your fellow witches may have follow certain rituals and customs connected to the holiday. If you are a solitary practitioner, take the time to learn about each Sabbat and learn about the colors, foods, and decorations associated with each. A relatively new path within the Wiccan community, Norse Wicca is infused with the beliefs, practices, and deities of the ancient Norse traditions of Scandinavia.