The words “Wicca” and “Witchcraft” (Brujería) share the same etymology, as in Old English they appear as “Wiccacraeftig.” However, the concept distinguishes between contexts where each word should fit.
The word “Brujería” (Witchcraft), in a broad sense, is used generically to describe surviving folk practices and non-Judeo-Christian beliefs of extinct cults from each indigenous or native group of a specific region or nation. In this sense, Andean shamanic practices are classified as “Brujería,” as are Voodoo, Santería, Amazonian healing practices, Western European esotericism, Stregheria, etc.
When Gerald Gardner nostalgically adopted an archaic Anglo-Saxon word to identify the practitioners of his initiatory and mystery-based system known as the “Witch-Cult,” it was later, through the influence of Doreen Valiente and the incidental intervention of Robert Cochrane after Gardner’s death, that the system was rebranded with the name “Gardnerian Wicca” or simply “Wicca” to recognize those within that initiatory lineage.
Self-Initiation, Solitary Practitioner, Eclecticism, and Self-Taught Practice
It was not until 1973 that a new tradition was born from the Gardnerian tradition in the United States, known as “Seax-Wica.” This tradition proposed a structural reform of the “Witch-Cult” while maintaining Gardner’s criteria. Founded by Raymond Buckland (a Third Degree initiate, initiated in Gardner’s presence through Monique Wilson, his heir), this reform allowed anyone sympathetic to the tradition to join through orthopraxy via Solitary Dedication or Self-Initiation, as well as through Coven Initiation. Other changes included what was known as the “Book of Shadows,” which was reformed and called “The Tree.” It eliminated the oath of secrecy and the degree progression system, establishing only one status: that of Initiate or Gesith.
In 1986, Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft (often called the “Big Blue Book”) was published. It allowed anyone to explore “The Craft” through a series of basic lessons outlining how instruction should take place within a tradition similar to Gardnerian or Seax-Wica. At the end of the suggested practices, the book’s appendices presented a list of covens and traditions that interested individuals could approach, knowing what to expect from each.
In 1988, inspired by Buckland’s work, Scott Cunningham published Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, which addressed the need of many people to work a witchcraft practice independently, free from group obligations, schedules, or commitments. During the 1980s, the Generation X demographic presented more individualistic needs. Scott, who had been trained in Stregheria by Raven Grimassi and initiated into North American Shamanic Witchcraft in the “SerpentStone Family” community by Lord Serphant and Lady Rhiannon, summarized his experience to create a book enabling individuals to follow their own path, with a series of practices written in their “Book of Shadows.” Cunningham’s system, although not essentially identical to Gardnerian Wicca, adopted the term interchangeably with “Witchcraft/Brujería,” as seen in his book’s “Linguistic Note.” This marked the beginning of two new movements that would follow this approach: Hedge Witchcraft and Kitchen Witchcraft.
During this period, “Solitary Practitioner” was understood as one who followed a witchcraft system suitable for a practice “of one, for one,” without the need for others. This did not promote designing one’s own system but rather adhering to an organized system within a more innocuous criterion.
Thus, in the 1990s, more self-named “Wicca” groups appeared along with a series of blends known as “Eclectic Traditions.” Wicca ceased to be a word associated with Gerald Gardner or his systems and became a movement representing witchcraft practice in a way that allowed individuals freedom to practice as they saw fit.
While Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca grew slowly, Seax-Wica spread, and other traditions like Dianic and Feri resurfaced. Additional traditions such as Correllian Wicca and Celtiberian Wicca also appeared, as revivals of inherited or local practices adapted to the modern world. During this time, self-taught practitioners emerged, who, with varying understanding of the books they read on magic, esotericism, witchcraft, and/or Wicca, pieced together elements from one author and another without distinguishing between their approaches. They created their own “Circles,” “Churches,” “Schools,” or “Seminaries,” always using “Eclectic” to denote their origins in merging different systems, attempting to unify everything under one concept as proposed in 1974 by Carl “Llewellyn” Weschcke’s 13 Principles of Witchcraft. Coming from individuals who were neither trained nor truly instructed, these groups caused considerable discord among different traditions, often pressuring them to accept their status as equals in gatherings or meetings.
These groups misused the term “eclectic” rather than defining themselves as “self-taught.” In Paganism or Wicca, eclecticism refers to an attitude in which a person or group of people belong to two or more systems, understanding their essence, reaching their highest levels, and thus reflecting on them to develop a belief system based on experiences. This process involves removing any harmful or negative rituals and is based on studied and harmonized information to create a new devotional system. The validity of this type of Wicca largely depends on its results, the authenticity of its history, and the practices of its founders and members.
In some conversations I had with Raymond Buckland in 2012, he shared the following:
“An Eclectic Coven is one that doesn’t belong to any specific tradition but borrows a bit from various traditions, and it may also include new ‘invented’ materials, piecing them together to create a set of rituals and beliefs suitable for the individual or group practicing them. It’s an ‘independent’ coven, unique in its type, beginning and ending with that particular coven.”
“A Traditional Coven, however, is one that continues on, having other covens that follow the same rites and beliefs. Each new coven must be born from the mother coven.”
“To give you examples: The Gardnerians are the primary example of a Traditional Coven. All Gardnerian Covens originate from a previous Gardnerian Coven. There is a lineage among them. A tradition may have continued for years or could be a relatively new one, but it has certainly grown progressively beyond the Original Coven.”
“An example of an Eclectic Coven was the original AL-GARD Coven. It began with a First Degree Gardnerian who took part of the Gardnerian system and mixed it with elements of the Alexandrian to suit their needs. That was Eclectic.”
“But when others began using it, adopting ‘borrowed’ rites and calling themselves AL-GARD, it ceased to be merely eclectic and became a new Tradition: AL-GARD.”
“There are many Eclectic Covens, borrowing parts or pieces from various sources—Egyptian, Native American, Chinese, or any other—and combining them within a Wiccan format. As long as they operate alone, they remain an Eclectic Coven. However, once others adopt the SAME format and start practicing it, it ceases to be an eclectic coven and becomes a new tradition.”
With the rise of the internet in the 21st century, information about ‘Wicca’ was largely written by enthusiasts rather than initiated practitioners; out of every 100 websites, only 2 or 3 were by formally initiated practitioners of a recognized ‘Wiccan’ system. Meanwhile, more online courses emerged offering ‘Wicca’ as though it were a workshop like tarot—whereby upon receiving a certificate, one could practice Wicca as if it were a trade or occupation. It became common to find websites where tarot readers, healers, and mediums promoted their services on the basis of having obtained a ‘Wiccan’ certificate.
The ‘Wiccan Movement’ thus produced, amid this informational confusion, a series of hybrids, difficult for more traditional practitioners to accept but highly popular with a new generation eager to break with traditional frameworks. During this period, we encountered Thelemic Wicca, Chaos Wicca, Satanic Wicca, Draconian Wicca, Gothic Wicca, Dark Wicca, Christian Wicca, etc. It became clear that these new labels contradicted the meaning or context of what ‘Wicca’ was intended to be—a religion that emphasizes the polytheism of a specific European culture and was not meant to be associated with Judeo-Christian or monotheistic icons or beliefs, nor with influences that are negative or counter-cultural.
Final Conclusions
On social media, clashes intensified between ‘Self-Taught Wiccans’ and ‘Traditional Wiccans,’ with the former seeking recognition and presence, while the latter defended the concepts and contexts of their own practices, trying to prevent widespread misinformation on the internet. Self-Taught practitioners often act as internet trolls, defending their positions by denying any connection between Wicca and Gardner or his influences, presenting libertarian, independence-driven, and anti-colonial narratives, along with new myths and legends about Wicca’s origins based on New Age concepts. They also draw on various authors and philosophies to make their practices appear ‘light’ or ‘white,’ sometimes even adopting political radicalism, including leftist ideas, to gain followers.
In doing so, they belittle those initiated into recognized traditions, freely shaping the word ‘Wicca’ to suit their narrative, presenting their concept as the most official. Some do this to gain fame, recognition, profit, or even to take advantage of their followers. Some who blend Christianity, citing Jesus or the Bible and self-labeling as Wiccan, seek to appeal to those who don’t wish to leave Christianity but also desire to practice magic or divination. In this context, those promoting Christian Witchcraft often have hidden intentions that go against the true essence of Wicca.
Furthermore, most ‘pseudo-teachers’ in these new self-identified forms of Wicca lack what we know as the ‘mystical process,’ which ensures the spiritual growth of a person on a true spiritual path. Additionally, anti-establishment radicals who adopt Satanism in an iconoclastic manner without truly understanding it, misuse the word Wicca to push their ideas, resentments, and traumas. Although Satanism as proposed by Anton Szandor LaVey and Michael Aquino reflects more of an atheistic and humanistic philosophy rooted in hedonism, using Satan’s imagery as a means of liberation from Christian dogma rather than a being who grants powers, reading or hearing of those who identify as Wiccan while promoting Satanism, church-burning, or revenge against persecuted witches does not align with Wicca as we understand it. Wicca, as a religion, would not accept such monotheistic notions, especially those with limited and intolerant perspectives of the surrounding world.
These self-taught proposals, lacking meaning, training, or foundational context, create turmoil in modern pagan communities, dividing and disillusioning seekers and feeding the arguments of religious opposition from Judeo-Christian, evangelical, and radical groups.
For these reasons, understanding this text should help place you within the context of the vast information you may find regarding what is said about ‘Wicca.’ Therefore, thoroughly research what each author says about Wicca, identify the differences among the approaches, and trace each tradition’s foundations or how each practice labeled as ‘Wicca’ develops. Find the path that resonates with you and feels most comfortable; only then can you truly grasp the system and understand the mystical process it entails.
