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Gardnerian Wicca
Gerald B. Gardner, a retired British civil servant, is known as the "Grandfather" of almost all Neo-Wicca. In 1939, in England, he was initiated into a coven and persuaded it to let him write a book in 1949 about Wicca in the form of a novel, High Magic's Aid. He then wroteWitchcraft Today in 1954 in which he described additional details about the faith. Largely promulgated and popularized in the 1950s, these books are considered the most influential of the Traditions among the Neo-Pagan community. Gardnerian Wicca is both traditional and family with principles of love and trust. It is a structured religion with definite hierarchy within each coven (a matriarchy exists with the High Priestess being the leader). The typical Gardnerian view of the Goddess is that of a dominant Three-Faced Goddess (Maid, Mother, Crone) with a Male Consort (has two sides: Young Summer King and Old Winter fgtbcontroversial. Gardnerian Wicca requires ritual nudity and Norse Wicca is based out of it. Gerald Gardner was a member of the Ancient Druid Order and, along with Ross Nichols, founded the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids.
Alexandrian Wicca
Alexandrian refers to ancient Alexandria, but is credited to Alex Sanders who was initiated in 1933 by his grandmother. Alexandrian Wicca is very close to Gardnerian, but is more eclectic and liberal with a little more emphasis on ceremonial magick. It has numerous covens in the United States and Europe.
Celtic Wicca/Church-School of Wicca
Founded by Gavin and Yvonne Frost. Celtic Wicca uses three circles (one within the others) made of salt, sulphur, and herbs with runes and symbols between them instead of just one circle. They insist on white-handled athame instead of the black-handled. It is also called "Baptist Wicca". The School of Wicca is the largest correspondence school of Witchcraft in the United States. It is somewhat unconventional and they consider themselves monotheistic, not Pagan.
Dianic Wicca
This is more of a sub-class (there are several feminist traditions that are considered Dianic). Dianic tends to emphasize the female aspect of the Goddess (sometimes excluding the God). These covens tend to be more politically active. There are two branches of Dianic Wicca :
- Founded in Texas by Morgan McFarland and Mark Roberts, "Old Dianic” gives primacy to the Goddess and covens are mixed.
- "Feminist Dianic Witchcraft" focuses exclusively on the Goddess and consists of women-only covens and groups
Radical Faery Wicca
Gay men's tradition
Saxon/Seax Wicca
Started by Raymond Buckland (originally a leader in promoting Gardnerian Tradition), it has provisions for lone witches/solitaires. Saxon is set apart because of its non-reliance upon being properly initiated into the Wiccan community. It allows for self-initiation and an Auto setup of a coven.
Traditionalist (Welsh, Scots, Greeks, Irish)
A sub-class based upon the traditions, literature, mythology, and folktales of that particular geographic/demographic area.
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