arethinn | (no subject)

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British Traditional Witchcraft [i.e. Wicca]: Bull-Crap - according to Janet Farrar.

Quote:

Well, a load of bull-crap in the sense that, there are no British Traditional Witches to be found before Gerald Gardner, and certainly no British “Traditional” Witches to be found in the Witchcraft Traditions of British Culture before Gardner. (There are plainly British Witch “Traditions” to be seen in the British Isles before the 20th century; none, however, correspond to the Gardnerian- and subsequently Alexandrian- Traditions of Witchcraft, which again, as Ms. Farrar noted, do not exist prior to Mr. Gardner.)
In short, first Gerald Gardner, and then Alex Sanders, “made up” a fictitious, non-existing “history” of Traditional British Witches. No more than what any Progressive Witch has noted at least since the mid-90s- but how bracing (as my friends found) to have it acknowledged so forthrightly by such a notable Elder in the Witchcraft Movements.

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That's very cool. I'm now considering getting Farrar and Bone's book Progressive Witchcraft.

I'm surprised. It was my understanding that Murray, who Gardner sourced from was the one who made up the witchcraft descriptions and has long been discredited... and that this was common knowledge to all but the fluffbunnies.

Yes, it is pretty common knowledge by now - "No more than what any Progressive Witch has noted at least since the mid-90s", in the author's words that I quoted. But it is interesting to hear an elder of Alexandrian Wicca forthrightly say "It was all made up in various ways".

Hmm, I don't think that beats the Gardnerian Wiccan that said it to us in Uni, wish I could remember his name...

I wish more authors and practitioners of Wicca would just accept this. So many of them stick their fingers in their ears and think that if they keep shouting over it it'll make it go away.

Reconstructism is awesome! It means you can create and adapt your religious/spiritual craft to something that fits your own world view.

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