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The Traditional Craft Compared To Wicca

Vive la difference!

I wish first to be perfectly clear that while there are significant differences between The Traditional Craft, or Trad Witchcraft, and Wicca, both religions deserve recognition and substantial respect. As a Traditional witch I have profound admiration for Wicca. This is born out of the fundamental right of any religion or spiritual path that is predicated on the principles of respect to others to themselves be respected. In this article, the beliefs and practices of Trad Witchcraft, and Wicca will be reviewed.

Wicca

Wicca is a modern henotheistic religion founded in England around 1954 by Gerald B. Gardner. Wicca contains a few elements from the traditions of old British Witchcraft, however it is primarily on a wide range of sources such as the concepts and practices of the ceremonial magick of the Order of the Golden Dawn, the Freemasons, Ordo Templi Orientis, the Rosicrucians, as well as Eastern philosophy, Celtic mythology, and the teachings of Aleister Crowley.

Wicca is now divided into two basic types. Traditional Wicca comprises the original Gardnerian Wicca and its offshoots, such as the Alexandrian, Algard, Aquarian, Blue Star, Central Valley, and Georgian Wicca.

Traditional Wicca followed a very narrow understanding of Wicca based on Gardner's practice. They are very authoritarian and hierarchical with a degree-level system. Ritual nudity is widely practiced. Self-dedication or initiation is not recognized. Solitary practice is not allowed.

Progressive Wicca is a rebellion from this stringency.

The Traditional Craft

The Traditional Craft or Trad Witchcraft, is an family of Nature-oriented old spiritual paths. Blue Moon Manor is a Trad, or tradition, within Trad Witchcraft. At the centre of our belief system is Naturalistic Spirituality, the belief that God (the prime force of the Universe) and Nature is actually the same thing. This abstract concept of God is personified in the Horned God of the Wooded Wilde and the Goddess Diana, which represent the balance of Nature.

Some of these witchcraft traditions can be verified as existing in the seventeenth century, but some probably existed very much earlier. This is nearly impossible to confirm because witchcraft was illegal in Britain. Traditional Craft Trads had to be handed down orally and very secretly. Many witches were solitary or family-only and hidden in practice, mostly because of the fear of identification by authorities. Some Traditional Crafters (witches) would meet occasionally in groups to celebrate the sabbats (primarily the Full Moons).

Today, while some Trads have a name, however many unique Trads are nameless. Traditionally, names were unimportant and the religion was referred to in general terms such as "The Old Craft," "The Nameless Arte," "The Crooked Path," among many other terms.

An increase in seekers has created many new solitary practitioners without a family hereditary source. This may always have been this way, as British Witchcraft has always been mostly the prerogative of those interested in this unconventional religion and magical practice rather than those born into witchcraft families. That so, there is no question that the number of those coming to Traditional Witchcraft is increasing.

Many Trads, representing solitary practitioners and groups, have an ethic of secrecy. Some believe this is necessary as a protection from the unwanted intrusion of outsiders, while others believe on principle, a self-taught seeker, or individual, should seek out their own knowledge without having it spoon-fed to them in a public venue. Those that taught the author obviously did not believe in this position.

Below are a few of the differences that divide Wicca and Traditional British Witchcraft.

Basic Concept of the Gods

Wicca is a henotheistic religion. Henotheism is the belief in several gods with one god supreme. The Wiccans name their supreme god "The One"; this is strictly a 20th century New Age concept.

Wiccans also uniquely believe that "all gods are one god." This is reflected in a merging of all gods into a duel concept of the God and the Goddess, the "Lord and Lady", a male-female set of gods that is the focus of much ritual and the center of the yearly eight-part telling of a Celtic-based mythic tale which is partly presented during the rituals of the eight festivals (called "sabbats" in Wicca).

To personify the gods, Wiccans will commonly accept a variety of historically unrelated gods from unrelated cultures and use them to represent the God and Goddess' manifestations of "The One" supreme godhead. Thus, individual gods become "aspects" of "The One." They will worship these various gods in a typically Wiccan manner with little or no regard to the traditional manner of worship within the god's original cultural religion. Thus, the gods are used mostly for their name and appearance, with little to no historically accurate context of the god's original attributes, powers, beliefs, or worship.

Traditional Witches are predominantly pantheists. Pantheism is the belief that "god is everything and everything is god." In this concept, god is in everything, including plant life, animals, humans, as well as in rocks and the earth. Thus, the earth is as sacred as any other object, place, thing, or person.

In pure pantheism, all life forms, whether physical or spiritual, are fundamentally equal. Thus pure pantheists do not believe in super humans or in gods. Some Trad Witches do take this view, but many take a "soft pantheistic" view that is tolerant of other god concepts.

Most notable of this is the very old polytheistic pantheons worshipped in old Britain. Polytheism is the belief in several gods. Trads of this influence would revere one pantheon from British history, namely, British Celtic, local British, Norse, or the Roman. At one time each of these pantheons of gods were widely worshipped by a significant number of Britains.

The worship would follow traditional worship which is historically correct for that god, or thought to be correct by the Trad. There is virtually no mixing of this devotion and the rituals and spellcraft associated with witchcraft. Thus, the practice of witchcraft and the worship of the gods of the pantheons are kept completely separate.

Relationship to Ceremonial Magick

Ceremonial Magick, also called High Magick, is from the Western Esoteric Tradition, which is to say, the old occult secret fraternities that came about in continental Europe possibly from dark ages. These groups include Freemasonry, Rosicrucian Brotherhood and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, among others.

Arguably, Freemasonry had an influence in Britain after it arrived sometime around the Enlightenment, and even influenced some in Traditional witches. This is seen today in the wide range of acceptance of certain aspects of Ceremonial Magick. While many Trads show little or no influence, such as Blue Moon Manor, others were influienced more. Some Trads show more influence, and a few are dripping with ceremonialism that would make Gardner himself envious. Nevertheless, Ceremonial Magick is taken with a grain of salt by most Trad Witches and is generally not an important aspect of the traditional Magical Arts of Britain.

Wiccan magick is based to a very large extent on the concepts of Aleister Crowley's understanding of Ceremonial Magick, minus the evil spirits, demons, and devil conjuring aspects seen in Golden Dawn and some other societies.

Ethics

Wiccans subscribe to the harm none concept in the Wiccan Rede, which encourages its membership to avoid doing any harm to others, regardless of intent. Generally in Trad Witchcraft, a person's intent determines whether an action is "ethical" or not. This is often the determining factor in both physical action and in working magic. This if one is deliberately harmed, self-defense of self, family, and friends is a ethical right and an obligation.

Wiccans also subscribe to the Threefold Law, in which an action or energy that is sent out will return to the sender three times over. Thus, good actions and bad actions are returned in threes. Trad Witches believe this to be illogical.

Instead, Trad Witches subscribe informally to what some call the Law of Return, which is the law of cause and effect, or the ripple effect, which states that, "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction."

Sacred Space

Wiccans believe that all ritual and spellwork should be done within a circle, which is in keeping with Ceremonial Magick practice. They believe a circle is necessary for the creation of "sacred space,." so they may work with a higher charge of energy and in protection.

We have a different view. To the Traditional Witch, all the earth and the air above it is sacred. Because all the earth is sacred, a compass round, as we call a 'circle', is not thought of as a "sacred space," but rather as a protective temple that filters out negativity and provides a 'separate space' to aid concentration. In practice, a compass is often not necessary except for training purposes and for special circumstances. Seekers are often encouraged to always use a compass, at least for the first year or so.

Ritual Nudity

Gerald Gardner, Wicca's founder, had been a nudist for decades in Asia before he retired to England. Years later, he created Wicca and, of course, he incorporated nudity, or "skyclad," into Wiccan ritual ceremonies. Neo-Pagans, which is heavily influenced by Wicca, also uses ritual nudity.

While Christians had long pictured witches nude in the visual arts, there is zero evidence that nudity had ever been practiced in old British Witchcraft. Quite the opposite, Trad Witchcraft had always believed nudity to be insulting to the spirits and to at least some of the gods.

Ritual Sex

Wicca's prime ritual is the "Great Rite", which is performed on their "sabbats." In its "highest" form, full sexual intercourse between the High Priest and the High Priestess is performed.

While we acknowledging that all sex between humans is innately sacred, nevertheless, Trad Witches take exception to this rite for several reasons.

1) Sex is a private matter that should only take place at a private location for private reasons.

2) Performing public sex is insulting to the spirits and to some of the gods.

This rite would NEVER take place among Traditional Witches.

I should make clear that many liberal or progressive Wiccan covens only perform this rite "symbolically," using a dagger and a cup in a symbolic sex act.

Female Dominance

Conservative Wiccans and many liberal Wiccans recognize a state of superiority of the Goddess over the God, which they reflect in the elevated status of their High Priestesses over their High Priests. This is blatant sexism and it is fundamentally wrong.

Across the ages, gender equality has always been a revolutionary cornerstone in Traditional Witchcraft. It is extremely sad that after centuries of gender equality within British Witchcraft, now a new form of witchcraft, Wicca, institutionalizes female dominance in their traditions. This is repugnant and completely unacceptable.

We note that a few liberal Wiccans do recognize the foolishness of gender bias, in any form.

Cunning Fire

Pantheism lends itself to the general idea of universalism of spirits and the universalism of the powers of energy. As all spirits are equal and equally divine, thus all energy is equal and is equally divine. Taping into this energy for the purposes of magic is essential. The growth of the individual to a point of enlightenment, or awareness, is basic to the realization of this energy.

Cunning Fire is this awakened awareness. Its essence is in all of mankind, potentially providing all of us with the ability to act as gods, to create language, the arts, technology and all other things. Cunning Fire exists in all matter and in all things, most notably in Nature and mankind. We have the ability to utilize this essence of Cunning Fire to change the world for better or worse, and to change fate. Cunning Fire is at the heart of the Magical Arts of Britain and engages the spirit of the Traditional Witch.

Wiccans do not have the concept of Cunning Fire. To Wiccans, their magick is the changing of consciousness at will, to realize particular goals. However, in Wicca, magic is strictly voluntary. Indeed, many Wiccans do not privately practice magic in any form whatsoever. Nevertheless, Wicca does lend itself to magical practice and some Wiccans are adapt witches.

Orientation to Magick/Magic

Wicca places great importance in the use of correspondences, a concept from Ceremonial Magick in which colours and objects are though of as very important in performing the ritualistic or formal magical procedures performed in Wiccan circles. Wiccan use elaborate ceremonialism in coven magick and ritual. This comes from the practices of Freemasonry and other Secret Societies. It does not originate from British Witchcraft. Individual Wiccans often perform little or no magick on their own in their home.

Traditional Witches believe ceremonialism is certainly entertaining but not relevant. Correspondences are nice but they are considered to be not of much importance. While Wiccan spend considerable time collecting 'things' for a ceremonial Magick ritual, Trad Witches spend most of their time DOING the magic.

Inner preparation is of far greater importance than 'things', so the Trad Witch will use meditative techniques and visualizations. We utilize the Cunning Fire, that Invisible Fire that is vaquely defined as the universal energy that is found in life. THAT is the essence of Traditional Magic of the British Isles. The primary guiding energy of any spell comes from the mind of the individual, and not from a ritual, a ritual tool, the colour of the candle, or the collection of props.

Of course, we also work with an array of land, guide, and other friendly spirits that come to our magical workings. Their energy also helps us, but our energy must collect and guide the energy to its intended goal. That is a mental activity, not a ceremonial ritual.

The Traditional Craft is a highly spiritual path that honours and reveres Nature, the traditions of our ancestors, the gods and the spirits. We acknowledge the equally of all, we protect and encourage the development of the individual, as we honour our past, and perform our rituals and magical workings with integrity for the benefit of our friends, family and, of course, for ourselves.

May The Gods Be With You.

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