I'm presently reviewing Pearson, Joanne, (2007). Wiccan and the Christian
Heritage: Ritual, Sex and Magic. Abingdon. Routledge.
Pearson discusses the influences of Crowley, OTO and the Hermetic Order of
the Golden Dawn along with the somewhat complicated heterodox Christian
church. This is by far one of the mot interesting (and for Wiccans perhaps
controversial) books.
Although the lineages of the Epescope Vagantes were baffling this was well
worth the effort because of another interest I have in Celtic nationalist
groups (but that's for another forum).
There is a good chapter on ritual where she describes the influence of the
RC and Orthodox churches, the HOGD and the OTO on the framework of Wiccan
ritual.
The degree structure she attributes to the HOGD.
Gardner's eclectic pursuit of just about any group that fitted in with his
feelings probably contributed to Wicca. For instance the passing of the
Chalice seems to have been taken from the Plymouth Brethren....
All the best
Chris
----- Original Message -----
From: "Chas S. Clifton" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2008 6:05 PM
Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Witchcraft/Nature worship talk.
Midlands, England.
> -----Original Message-----
>>From: David Green <[log in to unmask]>
>
>>
>>I think that simply Ronald meant that Wicca was 'created' by Gardner in
>>England and, as an indigenous spirituality of sorts, the context was
>>that this is the only religion that the English have bequeathed to the
>>world (as opposed to English developments of Christianity, e.g.,
>>Anglicanism, Methodism, etc.). It's less ambiguous when seen in the
>>original context.
>
> Thanks for your clear explanation, David. I am in my
> office, and my copy of TRIUMPH is at home, but I think
> you paraphrased it correctly.
>
> Remember too, as Philip Heselton demonstrated (quite in
> contrary to his original thesis), Gerald Gardner was quite a
> spiritual seeker in the late 1930s and 1940s. He joined or
> visited several esoteric groups, of which Crowley's OTO was
> only one of the last.
>
> The novel he wrote about Witchcraft in the 1940s, HIGH MAGIC'S AID,
> describes something totally unlike Gardnerian Wicca. It is more
> like ceremonial magic filtered through Robert Louis Stevenson.
>
> Wicca as we know it suddenly appeared about 1951, in conjunction
> with his partnership with Cecil Williamson in the Isle of Man
> witchcraft museum.
>
> Personally, I think the most parsimonious explanation was that
> if one is going to have a Witchcraft Museum, it helps to be able
> to exhibit articles, books, etc. from contemporary Witches --
> even if those articles, etc., were created the week before.
>
> Chas Clifton
> http://www.chasclifton.com
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