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During the 20th century, interest in witchcraft in English-speaking and European countries began to increase, inspired particularly by Margaret Murray's theory of a pan-European witch-cult originally published in 1921, since discredited by further careful historical research. Interest was intensified, however, by Gerald Gardner's claim in 1954 in ''Witchcraft Today'' that a form of witchcraft still existed in England. The truth of Gardner's claim is now disputed too. | During the 20th century, interest in witchcraft in English-speaking and European countries began to increase, inspired particularly by Margaret Murray's theory of a pan-European witch-cult originally published in 1921, since discredited by further careful historical research. Interest was intensified, however, by Gerald Gardner's claim in 1954 in ''Witchcraft Today'' that a form of witchcraft still existed in England. The truth of Gardner's claim is now disputed too. | ||
The first [[paganism|Neopagan]] groups to publicly appear, during the 1950s and 60s, were Gerald Gardner's Bricket Wood coven and Roy Bowers' Clan of Tubal Cain. They operated as initiatory secret societies. Other individual practitioners and writers such as Paul Huson also claimed inheritance to surviving traditions of witchcraft. The [[Wicca]] that Gardner initially taught was a witchcraft religion having much in common with Margaret Murray's hypothetically posited cult of the 1920s. | The first [[paganism|Neopagan]] groups to publicly appear, during the 1950s and 60s, were Gerald Gardner's Bricket Wood coven and Roy Bowers' Clan of Tubal Cain. They operated as initiatory secret societies. Other individual practitioners and writers such as Paul Huson also claimed inheritance to surviving traditions of witchcraft. The [[Wicca]] that Gardner initially taught was a witchcraft religion having much in common with Margaret Murray's hypothetically posited [[cult]] of the 1920s. | ||
Various forms of Wicca are now practised as a religion of an initiatory secret society nature with positive ethical principles, organised into autonomous covens and led by a High Priesthood. There is also a large "Eclectic Wiccan" movement of individuals and groups who share key Wiccan beliefs but have no initiatory connection or affiliation with traditional Wicca. Wiccan writings and ritual show borrowings from a number of sources including 19th and 20th-century [[ritual magic|ceremonial magic]], the medieval [[grimoire]] known as the ''[[Key of Solomon]]'', [[Aleister Crowley]]'s [[Ordo Templi Orientis]] and pre-[[Christianity|Christian]] religions. A survey published in November 2000 cited just over 200,000 people who reported practicing Wicca in the United States. | Various forms of Wicca are now practised as a religion of an initiatory secret society nature with positive ethical principles, organised into autonomous covens and led by a High Priesthood. There is also a large "Eclectic Wiccan" movement of individuals and groups who share key Wiccan beliefs but have no initiatory connection or affiliation with traditional Wicca. Wiccan writings and ritual show borrowings from a number of sources including 19th and 20th-century [[ritual magic|ceremonial magic]], the medieval [[grimoire]] known as the ''[[Key of Solomon]]'', [[Aleister Crowley]]'s [[Ordo Templi Orientis]] and pre-[[Christianity|Christian]] religions. A survey published in November 2000 cited just over 200,000 people who reported practicing Wicca in the United States. | ||
==Modern movement== | ==Modern movement== | ||
Wiccan and Neo-Wiccan literature has been described as aiding the empowerment of young women through its lively portrayal of female protagonists. In the 1960s and 70s, interest in witchcraft as an alternate religion spread throughout Europe and the United States. [[Sybil Leek]], considered one of the most famous modern | Wiccan and Neo-Wiccan literature has been described as aiding the empowerment of young women through its lively portrayal of female protagonists. In the 1960s and 70s, interest in witchcraft as an alternate religion spread throughout Europe and the United States. [[Sybil Leek]], considered one of the most famous modern [[witch]]es, helped spread accurate information about witchcraft. | ||
Part of the recent growth in [[Paganism|Neopagan]] religions has been attributed to the strong media presence of fictional pop culture works such as '' | Part of the recent growth in [[Paganism|Neopagan]] religions has been attributed to the strong media presence of fictional pop culture works such as ''[[The Craft]]'' and the ''Harry Potter'' series with their depictions of "positive witchcraft," which differs from the historical, [[African diaspora religion|traditional]], and Indigenous definitions. Even films that depict witches as malevolent, such as the ''[[The Witch]]'' (2015) or ''[[Hereditary]]'' (2018) are viewed favorably by modern witches. | ||
[[Wicca]]n beliefs, or pop culture variations thereof, are often considered by adherents to be compatible with liberal ideals such as the Green movement, and particularly with some varieties of feminism, by providing young women with what they see as a means for self-empowerment, control of their own lives, and potentially a way of influencing the world around them. This is the case particularly in North America due to the strong presence of feminist ideals in some branches of the Neopagan communities and the long tradition of women-led and women-only groups such as in Dianic Wicca | [[Wicca]]n beliefs, or pop culture variations thereof, are often considered by adherents to be compatible with liberal ideals such as the Green movement, and particularly with some varieties of feminism, by providing young women with what they see as a means for self-empowerment, control of their own lives, and potentially a way of influencing the world around them. This is the case particularly in North America due to the strong presence of feminist ideals in some branches of the Neopagan communities and the long tradition of women-led and women-only groups such as in Dianic Wicca. | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||