In our modern times there are many traditions within The Pagan Communities. Often people think that they must choose
a tradition to practice The Craft or to be considered a Witch. This is not correct. A tradition broken down is a "persons" concept of a belief. We are all individuals and it is rare for two people to perceive The Craft in the exact same manner.
In ancient times, Witchcraft was a belief that people followed not necessarily bearing a name in the sense as today. Witchcraft and The Pagan beliefs were simply a way of life in which people lived; it was not forced and it had nothing to do with titles or traditions, it was a natural way of life to those who practiced the ancient beliefs. Witches I firmly believe were held in high esteem; people understood that they were knowledgeable, magickal, healers and teachers. Witches were possibly known as the clergy of The Old Religion.
Many of the traditions of the modern era have very little in common with the ancient teachings of the past. I recently read an article by Doreen Valiente that noted the practices of today would not even be recognized as what she practiced within her beliefs even 30-40 years ago.
As with all things, new times bring about new ways of doing things. This holds very true within the modern day practices.
Emphasis on traditions:
There is often too much emphasis placed on traditions today, it is as if you must belong to a tradition to be considered a Witch; this is not accurate at all. I look to The Goddess and The God when choosing my beliefs. Experience will prove to be the best learning tool. I feel that if you choose to follow a particular tradition or you do not choose to follow one it makes no difference. Witchcraft is not about a title or a name and that is the simple facts. Do what feels right for you, have an open mind and listen to your soul. For it is there that you shall understand the beliefs known as Witchcraft.
Above Information taken from chapters within The Journey into Witchcraft.
© Copyright 2003 The Journey Into Witchcraft
Below are some of the popular and well known traditions today.
Celtic: The Celtic tradition is based on the practices of the pre-Christian Celtic world. This
includes Ireland, Wales, Scotland and some overlap with the Teutonic traditions. There is
also a significant amount of Druid practice used in this tradition. It shares a lot with the
Teutonic tradition, including the use of runes. This tradition is extremely earth based
and strong in the religious aspects of the Craft.
Alexandrian: Originated in England in the 1960's, by Alex Sanders. The rituals are said to
be of modified Gardenarian. Alex Sanders referred to himself as the "King" of his
Wiccans. Although similar to Gardnerian Wicca, Alexandrian Wicca tends to be
more eclectic, and liberal. Some of Gardnerisms strict rules, such as the requirement
of ritual nudity, have been made optional by Alexandrian Wicca.
Eclectic: An eclectic Wiccan doesn't follow any strict traditional guidelines, but instead,
practices the beliefs that suit them best. They mix traditions to fin their most fitting
stance on their religion, using the magic that is most practical for their lifestyle and
studying the parts of the religion they consider to be essential.
Faerie Wicca: Also referred to as fae, fey, faery, fairy, fairie... tradition based of faery lore
and beliefs. (See also: Celtic.)
Gardnerian: Gardnerian is the tradition founded by Gerald Gardner. He was one of the
first to go public with information about the Craft. This is an extremely traditional
path with a hierarchical grade structure. These individuals are very secretive and
take oaths upon initiations. This is really the foundation of modern Wicca. Although
there are a number of Gardnerian Covens active in the US, they are difficult to
locate and once located are not easy to join. This tradition does not lend itself well
to solitary practice, but some aspects of it do. It therefore deserves study by
solitary practitioners.
Dianic: Tradition from western Europe, tracked back to Margaret Murray in 1921. This
tradition has been pegged as the "feminist" movement of the Craft. It is a mix of many
traditions, but its focus is on the Goddess, and Diana. (Diana is a reference often crossed
during study of Greek/Roman mythology.)
Solitary: Individuals preferring to work in private rather than within the confines of
a group setting. Wicca lent itself well to this sort of practice. Solitaries can pick any number
of traditions that fit well into this sort of practice. The historical traditions often work well
for this. Can be as fulfilling as working in a group setting.
Shamanism: Beliefs are connected to contact with the spirit world. Through communication
with the spirits, the Shaman can work acts of healing, divination and magic - revealing by way
of vision, poetry and myth that deeper reaches of the human spirit.
British Traditional Witch: This is a mix of Celtic and Gardenarian beliefs. These traditionalist
move mostly within the Farrar studies and are fairly structured in their beliefs. They train
through a degree structured process. The International Red Garters is the most famous
organization at this time. Often includes druids.
Ceremonial: Less religion, more emphasis on the art and science of magick. Rituals
are generally complex and practices lean towards the esoteric side of Wicca. Not geared
towards the solitary practitioner, but can easily be adapted for those who choose to
work alone.
Hereditary: This is a person that can trace the Craft back on their family tree and was
also taught the craft by a living relative. ("My mother's grandmother's sister's cousin was
a Wiccan" doesn't count.)
Kitchen Witch: This type is one that practices by home and hearth concentration
on the practical side of religion, magick and the earth and elements. A more convenient form of
practice for those who have limited space and resource, mainly suburbanite and city witches.
Pictish: Pictish is Scottish witchcraft with a strong connection to nature in all of
its forms. The practice is actually mostly magickal with little emphasis on the religious
aspect. This is practiced as a solitary tradition.
Pow-wow: This is a system, not a religion, based on 400 year old German Magick. In
this day and time it has lost much of its concentrations and is basically now into
simple faith healing.
Seax-Wica: (Or Saxon-Wica) Founded in 1973, by Raymond Buckland. Raymond
Buckland, authored this tradition without breaking his original Gardnerian oath. His
contributions to the Craft is of great significance.
Strega: This tradition began around 1353 in Italy, with a woman called Aradia. The
teachings are beautiful and should not be missed, for those who practice solitary or in covens,
especially if you are interested in studying all traditions.
Teutonic/Nordic: This is from ancient time, the Teutons have been recognized as a
group who speak the Germanic group of languages. The languages include the English,
Dutch, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish peoples. Also known as the
Nordic Tradition.
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