The History of Wicca
There is some debate about the origins of Wicca. Many Wiccans believe that because Wicca reveres and tries to replicate the "Old Ways" of our pagan ancestors, Wicca is almost as old as the human race. The fact of the matter is that modern day Wicca is not an exact replica of the old ways. Much has been lost to time since our ancestors shared their knowledge by word of mouth. Much of the old ways have been lost to translation, forgotten or changed over the many generations that have actually passed them down.
In fact, I would go so far as to say that shamanism was the first magickal tradition. The first peoples to honor the elements, earth and it's living creatures were nomadic in nature. They didn't hold to today's Wiccan culture of "an it harme none, do as thou wilt". They were more concerned about survival than living in harmony with all living things... the irony being that despite not going out of their way to live in harmony they were doing so just the same.
That being said, the history of Wicca ultimately depends on the definition one chooses to use. If it's about honoring the old ways then Wicca certainly is ancient. If your definition is the history of Wicca as it stands today, it is very young comparatively.
In fact, I would go so far as to say that shamanism was the first magickal tradition. The first peoples to honor the elements, earth and it's living creatures were nomadic in nature. They didn't hold to today's Wiccan culture of "an it harme none, do as thou wilt". They were more concerned about survival than living in harmony with all living things... the irony being that despite not going out of their way to live in harmony they were doing so just the same.
That being said, the history of Wicca ultimately depends on the definition one chooses to use. If it's about honoring the old ways then Wicca certainly is ancient. If your definition is the history of Wicca as it stands today, it is very young comparatively.
It's generally accepted that Modern Wicca as we know it today was founded by Gerald Gardner around the 1950's. He was a merchant who travel and was very interested in the metaphysical such as freemasonry, buddhism & tribal magick. There is some debate about a claim that he was initiated into the New Forest Witches in England by Dorothy Clutterbuck.
Gardner basically created the framework of Modern Wicca from which MANY traditions sprang up from. Most traditions revere and work with a God & Goddess (though a few exceptions such as Dianic Wicca deal strictly with the Goddess). There are 3 degrees (First, Second & Third) and usually consist of groups called Covens. A High Priestess and/or Priest resides over the coven, leading it during ceremonies, celebrations, rituals & gatherings. A basic set of tools are used (such as the athame, wand, chalice, pentacle, cauldron etc). Materias such as herbs, crystals, oils, specific times etc are used to according to their correspondences (love, abundance, cleansing, protection, etc) to lend energy to spells.
As for belief system, most traditions acknowledge & observe a God & Goddess representing the duality/polarity that is all around us. The God of the Day, The Goddess of the Night... etc.
As for specific deities, that depends on what tradition you follow and a lot of traditions do not require specific deities while others have you pick from a specific pantheon. If you followed a Celtic Tradition you might be encouraged to pick a God & Goddesss from that pantheon. Nordic Traditions from the Norse Gods. Dianic/Greek/Roman Tradition from that pantheon....etc. But along with the Gods & Goddesses you may be encouraged to celebrate dates significant to that culture or incorporate certain aspects. For Example, the Norse/Viking/Teutonic religion also has aspects of shamanism that you might incorporate into your rituals, spells etc.
There's also the Kabbalah & Enochian Magick which deals with the Angels & Archangels which may resonate more with someone who has a Christian background or interested in incorporating them into their craft.
There aren't any hard & fast rules, especially for the solitary. So the best thing you could do is start reading up on the different traditions & find what resonates with you then incorporate it into your Craft.
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