Wicca Origins

This is a matter of some debate. Some practitioners see their inspiration and traditions as coming directly from the gods. Certain Wiccan mythology holds that Wicca has come down from the Stone Age, surviving persecution in secret covens for hundreds of years.

Others say that their Wicca is a long-held family tradition (or "fam trad"), passed down through villages and grandmothers. Aidan Kelly argues that modern Wicca was largely pieced together by Gerald Gardner from Margaret Murray, Charles Leland and other sources, along with significant revisions by Doreen Valiente (and others), beginning in 1939. Whatever its origins, today it is a vibrant, modern religion, open to change, creativity and personalization.

As a whole, practitioners value balance with a respect for diverse complexity, seeing sexuality and embodiment as essentially positive, spiritual gifts. There is a sense of personal connection to the divine life source, which is open to contact through psychic power, mysticism or "natural magic."

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