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Traditions
Listed below are some of the different Traditions and sects Witches use today.
Alexandrian Tradition: Founded in England during the 1960s, Alex Sanders referred to himself as the "King" of his witches. The rituals are said to be modified Gardenarian.
British Traditional Witch: A mix of Celtic and Gardenarian beliefs.
Celtic Wicca: The use of Celtic/Druidic pantheon mixed with a little ritual Gardenarian, and heavily stressing the elements, nature, and the Ancient Ones. They had a vast knowlegde of and respect for the healing and magickal qualities of plants and stones, flowers, trees, elemental spirits, the little people, gnomes, and fairies.
Dianic Tradition: Their prime focus in recent years is on the Goddess, and has been pegged as the "feminist" movement of the Craft.
Electic Witch: An individual that does not follow any particular Tradition, denomination, sect, or magickal practice. They learn and study from many magickal systems and apply to themselves what appears to work best.
Gardenarian Tradition: Organized by Gerald Gardner in England in the 1950s. Gardner publicized through the media, determined not to let the Old Religion die.
Kitchen Witches: This type is one who practices by hearth and home, dealing with the practical side of religion, magick, the earth and the elements.
Pictish Witchcraft: Scottish Witchcraft that attunes itself to all aspects of nature: animal, vegetable, and mineral. It is a solitary form of the Craft and mainly magickal in nature with little religion.
Satanic Witch: One cannot be a satanic Witch because Witches do not believe in satan.
Seax-Wica: Founded by Raymond Buckland in 1973. Although of Saxon basis, it was authored by Raymond himself, without breaking his original Gardnerian oath. Raymond Buckland's contribution to the Craft is a significant one. Not only did he develop a Tradition that is more than acceptable to many individuals, he also has written a large volume of textbooks on different magickal aspects and practices of the Craft, thereby enhancing many lives in a positive direction.
Solitary Witch: One who practices alone, regardless of Tradition, denomination, or sect. Solitaries come in various forms. Some were at one time initiated into a coven and eventually chose to extricate themselves from that environment and continue practicing a particular Tradition or sect by themselves. A solitary can also be an individual who has no desire to practice with or learn from a coven structure, but still may adhere to a specific Tradition or sect through the teachings of another. And finally, a solitary Witch can be aperson who has decided to tough it out on their own, learning from books, networking, and fellow Witches of different Traditions. Another name for a solitary Witch is a "Natural Witch."
Strega Witches: Follows a tradition seated in Italy that began around 1353 with a woman named Aradia. Of all the traditional Witches, this group appears to be the smallest in the United States.
Teutonic Witch: From ancient time the Teutons have been recognized as a group of people who speak the Germanic group of languages. Culturally, this included the English, Dutch, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish peoples. This is also known as the Nordic Tradition.
The above information taken from To Ride a Silver Broomstick, by Silver Ravenwolf.
This page was last updated on June 29, 1999.
