Eclectic Wicca

Eclectic Wicca is an all-purpose term applied to NeoWiccan traditions that don't fit into any specific definitive category. Many solitary Wiccans follow an eclectic path, but there are also covens that consider themselves eclectic. A coven or individual may use the term "eclectic" for a variety of reasons. For example:

• A group or solitary may use a blend of beliefs and practices from several different pantheons and traditions.

• A group could be an offshoot of an established tradition of Wicca, such as Gardnerian or Alexandrian, but with modifications to their practice that make them no longer that original tradition.

• An individual may be creating his or her own tradition of beliefs and practices, and because this system can't be defined as something else, it can be defined as eclectic.

• A solitary may be practicing what he or she has learned from publicly available sources on Wicca, but not be using oathbound, initiatory material, and so recognizes that his or her practice is eclectic.

Because there is often disagreement about who is Wiccan and who isn't, there can be confusion regarding existing lineaged Wiccan traditions, and newer eclectic traditions. Some would say that only those lineaged covens are permitted to call themselves Wiccan, and that anyone who claims to be eclectic is, by definition, not Wiccan but Neowiccan. Bear in mind that the term Neowiccan simply means someone who practices a newer form of Wicca, and is not meant to be derogatory or insulting.

reblogged
-The Crafty Witch

What is NeoWicca?

Sometimes you may see the word "NeoWicca" used at About Pagan/Wiccan. It's one that appears often in discussions about modern Pagan religions, so let's look at why it's being utilized.

The term NeoWicca (which essentially means "new Wicca") is typically used when we want to distinguish between the two original traditional forms of Wicca (Gardnerian and Alexandrian) and all other forms of Wicca. Many people would argue that anything other than a Gardnerian or Alexandrian tradition is, by default, NeoWicca.

Much of the publicly available material labeled as Wicca in books and on websites is in fact considered NeoWiccan, simply because Gardnerian and Alexandrian material is generally oathbound, and is not made available for public consumption. In addition, to be a Gardnerian or Alexandrian Wiccan, you must be initiated - you cannot self-initiate or dedicate as a Gardnerian or Alexandrian; you have to be part of an established coven. The concept of lineage is also important in these two forms of traditional Wicca.

In general, someone who follows an eclectic path of magical practice, in which they incorporate practices and beliefs from a variety of different systems, would be considered NeoWiccan. Keep in mind that the term NeoWicca is not meant to imply any inferiority to these two original traditions, simply that a NeoWiccan is practicing something newer and therefore different than an Alexandrian or Gardnerian.

Many NeoWiccans adhere to the Wiccan Rede and the law of threefold return. These two prinicples are not typically found in Pagan paths that are not Wiccan.

reblogged
-The Crafty Witch

Sybil Leek's Six Tenets of Witchcraft (3 of 6)

Trust

 A key part of many NeoWiccan paths today is the concept of perfect love and perfect trust. To someone who is spiritually whole, trust is a many-layered principle. It not only means trust in those around us, but also in our gods and in ourselves. Trust is not blind, but it does involve faith. For example, we may know that the gods walk with us and guide us; we trust them to do so because of past experience, not because someone has told us to believe this. Trust is being willing to close your eyes and fall, knowing that the person waiting to catch you will do so.

 

Original author *Pattie Willington

 

-The Crafty Witch