Wicca Magickal Beginnings
A study of the possible origins
of the rituals and practices found in this modern tradition
of pagan witchcraft and magick.
By Sorita d'Este and David Rankine
The origins of the Wiccan Tradition
have long been a subject of debate amongst practitioners
and scholars alike. Did Gerald Gardner invent the tradition?
Is Wicca a survival of a British folk magick system?
Could it be a continuation of a European tradition of
Pagan Witchcraft? Might it be that it evolved from Victorian
ceremonial magick, or perhaps it is the modern manifestation
of the medieval Grimoire Tradition?
In this book the authors explore the
possible beginnings of the tradition by examining the
practices in the context of magickal and spiritual thought
spanning thousands of years.Through setting aside the
endless debates about initiatory lineages, they look
beyond the personalities of the people and instead focus
on what they consider to be at the heart of the tradition
- the practices. Evidence from many previously uncredited
and unconsidered sources is examined. This clearly shows
how all the significant component parts of Wiccan ritual
and practice have roots reaching back, in some instances
thousands of years, before its public emergence at the
hands of Gerald Gardner in 1950’s England. They
explore the sometimes surprising antecedents for key
practices such as initiation, magick circles, ritual
tools, the invocation of the Guardians of the Watchtowers,
Drawing Down the Moon and The Great Rite. The precedents
for the Book of Shadows, Wiccan Rede and Charge of the
Goddess are also considered as part of this groundbreaking
work.
Wicca Magickal Beginnings may well answer
as many questions as it creates about the true origins
and nature of what is probably the most influential
of the Western Esoteric Traditions today. Through combining
scholarly research with practical knowledge, the authors
clearly illustrate that the future of the tradition
lies in utilising the rich diversity of its past, through
the appreciation of its magickal origins and the untapped
potential inherent in it.
This book will be invaluable to anyone
with an interest in the history, practices and beliefs
of the Wiccan Tradition - and its links to Paganism,
Witchcraft, the British Folk Traditions and Ceremonial
Magick.
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PB, RRP £14.99, 284pp,
ISBN 978-1905297153
This edition published by Avalonia June 2008
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