"The Craft" is a much older way to describe what is commonly known as witchcraft. Practitioners who use this term either do not have a religious facet to their practice, or are pagan in faith and use the term to encompass their magical belief and practice. Members who claim to be descended from relatives who were witches often use this term.
Gerald Gardner met Crowley in the 1930's at a social event held in the New Forest of England, according to Robert, a member of Gardner's coven. At this meeting, it is believed by Robert's informant (the curator of the Museum of Witchcraft on the Isle of Mann, who was at the meeting), several prominent members of London society were planning a magical order which would be quite like that proposed by Yeats and Gonne, using the formal magic practiced by the Ceremonial Magicians (like the Golden Dawn) in combination with the folk magic of the common people of Britain.
At the time, the Irish and all things Celtic were not yet as favoured as they are today, so the English would have wanted a more pure British group. Dorothy Clutterbuck was among those present at that meeting. When discussion turned to who would be chosen to lead the order as High Priestess, it was decided that it should be someone who had good relations with the commoners in her acquaintance and who could convince them to share their powerful, albeit vulgar, secret magic. Clutterbuck was chosen to lead one of many New Forest covens formed that night. Later, in the 1960's, Sybil Leek became famous as a New Forest witch, claiming descent from a long family line of witches.
The romantic idea that Wicca survived from the "Old Religion" through the "Burning Times" is an important part of the belief of many modern practitioners. As in any religion, rigid scholarship is not a requirement for membership. This idea is another tenet that provides a point of separation among the groups within the movement, along with yet another small faction that believes witches are survivors or reincarnations of the citizens of Atlantis.
Wiccan practitioners believe in a balanced polarities, especially that of the feminine and masculine. These two aspects of nature are embodied in two dieties, known as the Goddess Goddess and God . Traditionally most Pagan gods such as Diana, Hecate, Pan and Zeus are considered to represent the different aspects of the Goddess and God. Most traditions worship the two dieties as equals where none deserves more importance than the other. This usually translates into a balance between the feminine and masculine forces in a coven, although men tend to be a minority in the Wiccan religion (Adler, 108; Matthews, 344). However a few branches, such as Dianic, give more (or sole) importance to the feminine aspect (Lewis, 280).
There are many neopagans who are monotheists, polytheists or duotheists. Many regard the gods as real, not simply as aspects of a male or female deity. Hence, the gods are worshipped as themselves. Some groups, such as the Church of All Worlds, acknowledge one another as manifestations of deity, addressing each other in ritual as "Thou art God, Thou art Goddess". Not all groups worship all gods. Some may only worship the Norse pantheon or the Greek. Others may only worship specific gods, alone or in combination with gods from the same or different pantheons. In some groups each person has their own deities, while the group may have tutelary deities.
According to Wiccan tradition, the Goddess is the immanent existing force and the origin of all creation as in the Earth, nature and life itself. Evidence of Goddess worship since the pre-Christian era exists in the form of small statues and carvings of voluptuous female figures that have been found throughout Europe (Cabot, 21-22). The Goddess has three faces: the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone (Lewis, 19-20). These faces correspond to the many different cycles in nature: the waxing, full and waning phases of the moon; the menstrual cycle and the cycle of life in birth, life and death.
The God aspect is better known as the Horned God from the ancient Celtic god, Cernunnos ("The Horned"). Evidence of a belief in the Horned God dates back to cave paintings from the Paleolithic times in Europe. Other representations of the Horned God later appeared in Egypt, Mesopotamia and India (Murray, 1952, 23-24). The Horned God is worshiped as the masculine side of nature as well as the opener of the gates of life and death. The Horned God represents the fertility that allows the Goddess to create life so in essence, all life originates from Him. He also known as the Hunter so eventually, He is a bringer of death (Adler, 218). According the Wiccan belief, the Horned God represents a masculine force that is wild, strong and expressive without being violent, patriarchical and destructive. Essentially, the Horned God is the perfect opposing force and complement to the Triple Goddess.
Some neopagans and Wiccans do worship the gods or aspects of the god which are indeed warlike or patriarchal. Each person is able to create their own set of beliefs about the nature of deity and their relationship. One of the big drawing cards in the early neopagan movement was its lack of dogma. The movement flourished in the 1960's anti- establishment environment. Its ideas may have been introduced by people who follow a structured coven or initiatory path, but it was quickly adapted by countless others who saw an opportunity to find meaning in a confusing religious mileu.
Due to its innovative nature, Wicca does not have a written set of rules for its members to follow. However three main beliefs guide practitioners through their actions and beliefs. The first law is known as the Wiccan Rede which states: "An ye harm none, do what ye will." The basic meaning is that members are allowed to follow whatever path they choose so long as no harm befalls others, including themselves. The Wiccan rede also serves as an ethical guideline for magical practices in everyday life and ritual (Matthews, 341).
The Wiccan Rede is closely related to the writing of Aleister Crowley who said, "Do what you will is the whole of the law." The rede is probably a later adaptation by Gardner, and is certainly not necessarily a part of all neopagan belief.
The second law that Wiccans follow is the Threefold Law , which simply states that a person's deeds return to him/her three times over. The Threefold Law has large implications in governing one's behavior because due to its meaning, the repercussions of both good and evil behavior return to their originator three times over (Matthews, 341).
The final belief is that of Reincarnation . Wiccans do not believe in heaven or hell since death is considered to be another form of existence. Some Wiccans believe that a soul is continually reborn whereas others believe that once a soul learns all the life lessons, it is granted eternal rest in a place called the Summerlands. Reincarnation is the ultimate method for curbing the misuse of magic and evil behavior since it deals out a type of cosmic justice in that person is reborn in a position that befits their deeds from the previous life (Matthews, 341).
Some do not believe in reincarnation at all. Nor does belief in a deity from a historically Greek pantheon, for example, necessarily require one to worship in the historical Greek manner. Part of the modern pagan religion is a mix and match set of beliefs and practices refined to suit the sensibilities of the modern world. Human sacrifice is out. Dancing naked under the moonlight is in, in some groups.
Although Wiccan practices vary greatly from tradition to tradition and coven to coven, most practitioners follow a basic system of ritual and celebration. Covens range in number of members, but traditionally have a maximum of thirteen (Adler, 108). When the number of members in a coven exceeds thirteen, the common belief is that the coven should split, to continue the self-perpetuation process. Wiccans do not have any holy buildings for their rituals. Due to their beliefs, any place in contact with the Earth will suffice. Instead Wiccans worship what is known as the Circle. The area is purified by the four elements and then the Circle is cast , usually by someone walking clockwise along its perimeter and drawing an actual circle, sometimes with a wand or athame which are two common Wiccan tools. After this, the four cardinal directions are greeted and invoked, according to the tradition and preference of the practitioners (Cabot, 114).
