This information is a brief description of the types of Wicca Paths. I wanted to share with my fellow like minds who are considering their own path. It is up to the individual to do their own research on the path they choose.
*Alexandrian Wicca
Founded in England during 1960's. The rituals are said to be modified Gardenarian.
*British Wicca
A mix of Celtic and Gardenarian beliefs.
*Celtic Wicca
The use of a Celtic/Druidic pantheon mixed with a little ritual Gardenarian, heavily stressing the elements, nature, and the ancient ones. They had a vast knowledge of and respect for the healing and magickal qualities of plants and stones, flowers, trees, elemental spirits, the little people 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 Scottish.
*Ceremonial Witchcraft
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
This tradition appears to include a mixture of various traditions. However, their prime focus in recent years is on the Goddess, and has pegged as the Feminist movement of the craft.
*Gardnerian Wicca
Organized by Gerald Gardner in the 1950's. 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. He believed that the young needed the Craft as much as the Craft needed a new generation to survive.
*Eclectic Wicca
This path is a Solitary One. It indicates that the individual does not follow any particular tradition, denomination, sect, or magickal practice. We learn and study from many magickal systems and apply, what appears to work best.
I happen to be an Eclectic Wiccan. There are other paths but these are the one I researched in my studies. I hope this information was helpful to someone.
Thank you for your comments. But, I am just trying to present a foundation in my post, not teach. These are a Brief Description Of The type of Paths as per Crimsonwolf. I also state that, One Must do their Own research on their path. I am simply starting, start points for further study or provoke further study. But, thank you for reading my post.
I would quibble over some of the groups you've listed.
You stated that "British Wicca" is a mix of Celtic and Gardnerian beliefs which cannot be accurate. The beliefs and practices of Gardnerian Wicca are not shared outside of that Tradition, so they cannot be taken and "mixed" with any other form. There is a term "British Traditional Wicca" but that term refers to all of the Traditions which trace their initiatory lineage back to the New Forest Coven. Such Trads include Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Central Valley Wicca, etc.
The same argument as that about British Wicca is also true of the definition here for "Celtic Wicca". There is no Gardnerian practice in "Celtic Wicca". Celtic Wicca is nothing more than eclectic Wicca where the practitioners choose to honor Celtic deities.
"Ceremonial Witchcraft" isn't Wicca, it is a form of non-Wiccan Witchcraft which is more ritualistic than common practice amongst most Witches.
I would argue that "Dianic Wicca" is not Wicca at all. It was started by Z Budhapest and was originally called "Dianic Witchcraft" rather than Wicca. Dianic Witches honor a Goddess only, completely ignoring the presence of a God figure. Since the balance of male and female energies is central to Wicca that pretty much shows that they are not practicing Wicca but rather some form of religious Witchcraft.
Gardnerian Wicca was founded by Gerald Gardner in the 1940's and based in part on the practices of the witchcraft (not Wiccan) coven in which he trained in the 1930's. He also used bits and pieces of British folklore and practices, some ceremonial magic, and Masonic ritual structure. He made it public in England in 1954 with the repeal of the anti-Witchcraft laws.
Eclectic Wiccans are often solitaries, but they don't have to be. There are thousands of eclectic covens out there as well. I initially trained in an eclectic Tradition that was founded here in the US in the late 1960's.
Now, I'm going to ask where you found this information. As you say it's by Crimsonwolf I'm going to guess that you found it on a website somewhere. In that case you need to indicate with a link where you found this as it strays close to plagiarism.
According to Wikipedia ( the worlds most wacked info site):The term "Gardnerian" was probably coined by the founder of Cochranian Witchcraft, Robert Cochrane in the 1950s or 60s, who himself left that tradition to found his own.Gardner claimed to have learned the beliefs and practises that would later become known as Gardnerian Wicca from the New Forest coven, who allegedly initiated him into their ranks in 1939. For this reason, Gardnerian Wicca is usually considered to be the earliest created tradition of Wicca, from which most subsequent Wiccan traditions are derived.
Yes, Cochrane did coin the term "Gardnerian" as an insult to Gardner and his coven. But the term stuck and that's what we Gardnerians call ourselves now when talking to others about what Tradition we follow.
And you're correct, Gardnerian Wicca is the oldest form of Wicca we have. The group that Gardner was initiated into (And I have no doubts about his initiation.) neither referred to itself as Wiccan nor did they practice anything similar to what we would know as Wicca today. Gardner even said on numerous occasions that the group forbade him to use their materians when Gardner decided to go public. So the material that was handed down and continues to be handed down to every Gardnerian Initiate was created by Gardner and several of his High Prietesses.
No disrespect to anyone, but I do not think it is plagiarism. As I have stated, this information is as per Crimsonwolf. This is information that was obtained. As so, I wrote this post as stated, as a way for like minded individuals to have some sort of foundation for their own research and study as I did. I'm not teaching, I'm just giving a little information to research. I never take what I read first as fact. I always research more about it, so I was hoping that new individuals would do the same.
