The Meaning of "Wicca": A Study in Etymology, History, and Pagan Politics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/pome.v12i2.185Keywords:
Wicca, Neo-Paganism, Paganism, WitchcraftAbstract
This essay provides the first comprehensive examination of how the term "Wicca" - used in reference to the modern religion of Pagan Witchcraft - has been utilised throughout the faith's history. Examining its antecedents, including the Old English "wicca" and the early Gardnerian "Wica", the author looks at the many definitions that the term has seen over the last seventy years, and comes to conclusions that provide a new interpretation of not only how the term has been used in the Pagan community of the past and the present, but also how it can most effectively be used in the future.References
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Bracelin, Jack. Gerald Gardner: Witch. London: Octagon Press, 1960.
Budapest, Zsuzsanna. The Holy Book of Women’s Mysteries Volume I (revised edition). Privately published, 1986 [1979].
Buckland, Raymond. The Tree: The Complete Book of Saxon Witchcraft. York Beach, Me.: Weiser, 1974
———. Witchcraft—the Religion. Brentwood, N.Y.: The Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick, 1966.
Chakraverti, Ipsita Roy. Beloved Witch: An Autobiography. New Delhi: HarperCollins India, 2000.
Clay-Egerton, A. R. Coven of the Scales: The Collected Writings of A.R. Clay-Egerton. London: Ignotus Press, 2002.
Clifton, Chas S. Her Hidden Children: The Rise of Wicca and Paganism in America. Lanham, Md.,: AltaMira Press, 2006.
Cochrane, Robert. “The Craft Today,” Pentagram 2, November 1964.
———. The Robert Cochrane Letters: An Insight into Modern Traditional Witchcraft. Milverton, Somerset: Capall Bann, 2002.
Crowley, Vivianne. Wicca: The Old Religion in the New Millennium. London: HarperCollins, 1996
Crowther, Arnold, and Patricia Crowther. The Witches Speak. Douglas, Isle of Man: Athol Publications, 1965.
Cunningham, Scott. Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. St. Paul: Llewellyn, 1998.
Farrar, Stewart. What Witches Do: A Modern Coven Revealed. London: Peter Davies, 1971.
Field, Arnold. “Yes I Am A Witch.” The Daily Dispatch, 5 August 1954.
Finnin, Ann. The Forge of Tubal Cain. Sunland, Calif.: Pendraig, 2008.
Gardner, Gerald. The Meaning of Witchcraft. London: Aquarian Press, 1971 [1955].
———. Witchcraft Today. London: Rider, 1954.
Glass, Justine. Witchcraft, the Sixth Sense—and Us. London: Neville Spearman, 1965.
Grimassi, Raven. Italian Witchcraft: The Old Religion of Southern Europe. Woodbury, Minn.: Llewellyn, 2000.
Griffiths, Bill. Aspects of Anglo-Saxon Magic. Hockwold-cum-Wilton, Norfolk: AngloSaxon Books, 1996.
Guiley, Rosemary. The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft & Wicca. New York: Checkmark Books, 2008.
Gwyn. Light from the Shadows: A Mythos of Modern Traditional Witchcraft. Chieveley, Berkshire: Capall Bann, 1999.
Harvey, Graham., Listening People, Speaking Earth: Contemporary Paganism. London: C. Hurst & Co, 2007.
Heselton, Philip. Wiccan Roots: Gerald Gardner and the Modern Witchcraft Revival. Chieveley, Berkshire: Capall Bann, 2000.
Howard, Michael. Modern Wicca: A History from Gerald Gardner to the Present. Woodbury, Minn.: Llewellyn, 2009.
Huson, Paul. Mastering Witchcraft: A Practical Guide for Witches, Warlocks & Covens. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1970.
Hutton, Ronald. The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Janus-Mithras, Nuit-Hilaria, and Mer-Amun. Wicca: The Ancient Way. Toronto: IsisUrania, 1981.
Johns, June. King of the Witches: The World of Alex Sanders. London: Peter Davies, 1969.
Kane, Paul. “Mastering Witchcraft.” The Cauldron 135, February 2010.
Kelly, Aidan A. Inventing Witchcraft: A Case Study in the Creation of a New Religion. Loughborough, Leicestershire: Thoth Publications, 2007.
Kemp, Anthony. Witchcraft and Paganism Today. London: Michael O’Mara Books, 1993.
Lamond, Frederic. Fifty Years of Wicca. Sutton Mallet: Green Magic, 2004.
Martin, Stephanie. “Teen Witchcraft and Silver RavenWolf: The Internet and Its Impact on Community Opinion.” In The New Generation Witches: Teenage Witchcraft in Contemporary Culture, edited by Hannah E. Johnston and Peg Aloi, 130-32. Aldershot, Hampshire: Ashgate, 2007.
NightMare, M. Macha. Witchcraft and the Web: Weaving Pagan Traditions Online. Toronto: ECW Press, 2002.
Pearson, Nigel G. Treading the Mill: Practical Craftworking in Modern Traditional Witchcraft. Milverton, Somerset: Capall Bann, 2007.
RavenWolf, Silver. Teen Witch: Wicca for a New Generation. St. Paul: Llewellyn, 1998.
Ryall, Rhiannon. West Country Wicca: A Journal of the Old Religion. Chieveley, Berkshire: Capall Bann, 1993.
Seims, Melissa. “Wica or Wicca? Politics and the Power of Words.” The Cauldron 129, August 2008.
Starhawk, The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1999 [1979].
Steele, Tony. The Rites & Rituals of Traditional Witchcraft. Milverton, Somerset: Capall Bann, 2001.
Tiernan, Cate, Book of Shadows. London: Puffin Books, 2002 [2001].
Valiente, Doreen. Preface to Witchcraft: A Tradition Renewed, by Evan John Jones. London: Hale, 1990.
———. Where Witchcraft Lives. The Centre for Pagan Studies, 2010 [1962].
Vayne, Julian. “The Discovery Of Witchcraft: An Exploration of the Changing Face of Witchcraft through Contemporary Interview and Personal Reflection.” In The New Generation Witches: Teenage Witchcraft In Contemporary Culture, edited by Hannah E. Johnston and Peg Aloi, 57-72. Aldershot, Hampshire: Ashgate, 2007.
Bracelin, Jack. Gerald Gardner: Witch. London: Octagon Press, 1960.
Budapest, Zsuzsanna. The Holy Book of Women’s Mysteries Volume I (revised edition). Privately published, 1986 [1979].
Buckland, Raymond. The Tree: The Complete Book of Saxon Witchcraft. York Beach, Me.: Weiser, 1974
———. Witchcraft—the Religion. Brentwood, N.Y.: The Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick, 1966.
Chakraverti, Ipsita Roy. Beloved Witch: An Autobiography. New Delhi: HarperCollins India, 2000.
Clay-Egerton, A. R. Coven of the Scales: The Collected Writings of A.R. Clay-Egerton. London: Ignotus Press, 2002.
Clifton, Chas S. Her Hidden Children: The Rise of Wicca and Paganism in America. Lanham, Md.,: AltaMira Press, 2006.
Cochrane, Robert. “The Craft Today,” Pentagram 2, November 1964.
———. The Robert Cochrane Letters: An Insight into Modern Traditional Witchcraft. Milverton, Somerset: Capall Bann, 2002.
Crowley, Vivianne. Wicca: The Old Religion in the New Millennium. London: HarperCollins, 1996
Crowther, Arnold, and Patricia Crowther. The Witches Speak. Douglas, Isle of Man: Athol Publications, 1965.
Cunningham, Scott. Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. St. Paul: Llewellyn, 1998.
Farrar, Stewart. What Witches Do: A Modern Coven Revealed. London: Peter Davies, 1971.
Field, Arnold. “Yes I Am A Witch.” The Daily Dispatch, 5 August 1954.
Finnin, Ann. The Forge of Tubal Cain. Sunland, Calif.: Pendraig, 2008.
Gardner, Gerald. The Meaning of Witchcraft. London: Aquarian Press, 1971 [1955].
———. Witchcraft Today. London: Rider, 1954.
Glass, Justine. Witchcraft, the Sixth Sense—and Us. London: Neville Spearman, 1965.
Grimassi, Raven. Italian Witchcraft: The Old Religion of Southern Europe. Woodbury, Minn.: Llewellyn, 2000.
Griffiths, Bill. Aspects of Anglo-Saxon Magic. Hockwold-cum-Wilton, Norfolk: AngloSaxon Books, 1996.
Guiley, Rosemary. The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft & Wicca. New York: Checkmark Books, 2008.
Gwyn. Light from the Shadows: A Mythos of Modern Traditional Witchcraft. Chieveley, Berkshire: Capall Bann, 1999.
Harvey, Graham., Listening People, Speaking Earth: Contemporary Paganism. London: C. Hurst & Co, 2007.
Heselton, Philip. Wiccan Roots: Gerald Gardner and the Modern Witchcraft Revival. Chieveley, Berkshire: Capall Bann, 2000.
Howard, Michael. Modern Wicca: A History from Gerald Gardner to the Present. Woodbury, Minn.: Llewellyn, 2009.
Huson, Paul. Mastering Witchcraft: A Practical Guide for Witches, Warlocks & Covens. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1970.
Hutton, Ronald. The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Janus-Mithras, Nuit-Hilaria, and Mer-Amun. Wicca: The Ancient Way. Toronto: IsisUrania, 1981.
Johns, June. King of the Witches: The World of Alex Sanders. London: Peter Davies, 1969.
Kane, Paul. “Mastering Witchcraft.” The Cauldron 135, February 2010.
Kelly, Aidan A. Inventing Witchcraft: A Case Study in the Creation of a New Religion. Loughborough, Leicestershire: Thoth Publications, 2007.
Kemp, Anthony. Witchcraft and Paganism Today. London: Michael O’Mara Books, 1993.
Lamond, Frederic. Fifty Years of Wicca. Sutton Mallet: Green Magic, 2004.
Martin, Stephanie. “Teen Witchcraft and Silver RavenWolf: The Internet and Its Impact on Community Opinion.” In The New Generation Witches: Teenage Witchcraft in Contemporary Culture, edited by Hannah E. Johnston and Peg Aloi, 130-32. Aldershot, Hampshire: Ashgate, 2007.
NightMare, M. Macha. Witchcraft and the Web: Weaving Pagan Traditions Online. Toronto: ECW Press, 2002.
Pearson, Nigel G. Treading the Mill: Practical Craftworking in Modern Traditional Witchcraft. Milverton, Somerset: Capall Bann, 2007.
RavenWolf, Silver. Teen Witch: Wicca for a New Generation. St. Paul: Llewellyn, 1998.
Ryall, Rhiannon. West Country Wicca: A Journal of the Old Religion. Chieveley, Berkshire: Capall Bann, 1993.
Seims, Melissa. “Wica or Wicca? Politics and the Power of Words.” The Cauldron 129, August 2008.
Starhawk, The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1999 [1979].
Steele, Tony. The Rites & Rituals of Traditional Witchcraft. Milverton, Somerset: Capall Bann, 2001.
Tiernan, Cate, Book of Shadows. London: Puffin Books, 2002 [2001].
Valiente, Doreen. Preface to Witchcraft: A Tradition Renewed, by Evan John Jones. London: Hale, 1990.
———. Where Witchcraft Lives. The Centre for Pagan Studies, 2010 [1962].
Vayne, Julian. “The Discovery Of Witchcraft: An Exploration of the Changing Face of Witchcraft through Contemporary Interview and Personal Reflection.” In The New Generation Witches: Teenage Witchcraft In Contemporary Culture, edited by Hannah E. Johnston and Peg Aloi, 57-72. Aldershot, Hampshire: Ashgate, 2007.
Published
2011-06-05
Issue
Section
Articles
How to Cite
Doyle White, E. (2011). The Meaning of "Wicca": A Study in Etymology, History, and Pagan Politics. Pomegranate, 12(2), 185-207. https://doi.org/10.1558/pome.v12i2.185
