The Meaning of "Wicca"
A Study in Etymology, History, and Pagan Politics
Keywords:
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.
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