The current Wiccan tradition, derived first off from British teachers such as Gerald Gardner and Alex Sanders, is about half a century old. I have been writing about it for about half that period, and my first contacts were individuals trained either in the Gardnerian mode or in a family tradition that was very similar, and what I was told matched up to what can be found in books such as Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon. In the 1970s there was a proliferation of covens in the United States, some opting for a radical feminism and others assimilating many native American or Asian techniques. About the same time the Satanism associated with Anton LaVey splintered into a number of groups that in some ways overlapped the tradition of Wicca but still should not be confused with it. Even a quick check of the sites on the Web indicates the variety of approaches available.

The original Gardnerian pattern stressed secrecy and a hierarchical structure that called for formal initiation (a pagan version of the Catholic Church's notion of "apostolic succession"). Increasingly, however, self-initiation came to be acceptable, and there was also increased militancy on the part of Witches who did go public to counter an image of the Craft as devil worship (an image in part fed by LaVey, who ironically had himself drastically redefined Satanism away from the bloody images of Western folklore). Today the best rule for the individual seeking out an existing group is to read widely first, then request contacts through a number of the sites now on the Web (the logos of some that I have found especially interesting are set up as links on the homepage). There are a number of public gatherings throughout the country, and through participation in these the newcomer can get some idea of what Wicca is today.

The material I am presenting on this site was developed for use in Pale Horse a number of years ago. It is distinctive in a number of ways, and it may prove useful for individuals or covens considering different patterns of symbolism. All of it is copyrighted but may be used and adapted freely as long as no group attempts to represent itself as the "real" Pale Horse Coven.

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