Witchcraft Today.....The Neo Paganism Movement & Eclectic Wiccans

The term Neo Pagan means "New Pagan". This term provides a means which goes on to distinguish the difference between the modern day Pagans & historical Pagan religions from different ancient cultures. Many Neo Pagan Traditions incorporate some form of magick into their practices. Wicca, for example, emphasizes the role of Witchcraft & Ritual into itself. It is within Witchcraft that you find the use of magick.

Many Neo Pagans today celebrate as the Pagans in the days of old did the cycles of the Moon (13 New Moons/Dark Moons & 13 Full Moons; also known as Esbats) . Also as in the past, they celebrate the 4 Greater Sabbats (Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh, & Samhain), as well as the change of seasons, which are also known as the 4 Lesser Sabbats (Ostara-Spring Equinox, Mid Summer-Summer Solstice, Mabon-Autumn Equinox, & Yule-Winter Solstice).

Gardnerian Wicca founded by Gerald Brousseau Gardner (GBG) is an example of an Eclectic Neo Pagan Tradition as well as such other branches (forms) of Wicca: Alexandrian Wicca, British Traditional Wicca, Dianic (Feminist) Wicca, & Seax-Wica. There are also Neo Pagans, who follow everything that is Wicca down to minute details in their Rituals, would rather be called Eclectic Neo Pagans or just plain Witches and detest being called Wiccans. In essence they share reverence for nature, worship some form of the Goddess & the Great Horned God, practice magick & Ritual, hold Esbat Rituals each month for the Full Moon & the New/Dark Moon and Honor the 8 Sabbats each year, but still refuse to be labeled as Wiccans (even though Wiccans themselves are Eclectic as you will see in the next installment of this series!).

If it wasn't for a pioneer such as GBG, there would be no Wicca and the Covens that exist today would not. So I feel that these people should look at themselves from the outside & realize that they are just as Wiccan as me & GBG was with a few Eclectic things thrown in their own version of Wicca to make it work for them. I view myself as an Eclectic Wiccan since I was never initiated into a particular Wiccan Tradition, but that of an Eclectic Tradition. Most of these Ultra Neo Pagans do not realize that Wicca as founded by GBG is an Eclectic Religion since after all he put bits & pieces from other Religions together to make it work for him.

The next installment of this series in a few weeks (or maybe a few months), will deal with Gerald Brousseau Gardner, the Father of Modern Day Wicca.

Peace & Blessings,

Caedmon