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Wicca 101 - Misconceptions

How old is Wicca?
Approximately 50 years. The first book on it was published in 1954 (Witchcraft Today) , although the author claims to have been practicing since 1939.[more]

What are the Burning Times?
The Burning Times refers a mythical time when the Christian Church hunted and executed pagans on a wide-scale, most notably during the witch-trials. The simple fact is that by the time Christianity had enough pull to do such a thing, the pagan religions were already dead. Some people still protest the Burning Times as having been an attack of women, which is a ridiculously simplified view of the witch-craze.

Note that stating that the Burning Times did not happen does not mean that the witch-hunts did not happen. They did, but they were hunting who the Christians by and large thought were actually cavorting with the Devil and murdering people with magic. What they were not hunting was pagans. [more]

Is Wicca Celtic?
No. Wicca has been influenced by a number of ancient soceities, the Celts included, but Wicca is a thoroughly modern phenomena.

I'm not even sure where this misconception comes from. The Major Sabbats are based on Celtic holidays, but the minor Sabbats are largely Norse. The Celtic god Cernunnos is a prominent figure, but so is the Roman Diana.

It is true that many other elements of Wicca are called Celtic, but these claims are largely in error. For instance, there are claims that our dualistic God and Goddess are Celtic, but this simply isn't true. Neither are the four elements - I believe those originate in Greco-Roman thought. Why we attribute so much of Wicca to the Celts continues to elude me.

When were there matriarchal societies?
Never. That's just feminists getting their panties in a bunch.

Does Wicca really have prehistoric roots?
Not to any useful degree. The usual argument points out that prehistoric man worshipped nature (supposition) and we worship nature (an exaggeration), so we have the right to declare ourselves the world's oldest religion. Any knowledge of the beliefs of prehistoric man in spurious to say the least, because so little evidence remains. You could say with just as much authority (that is to say, none at all) that prehistoric man recognised a greater power and Christianity recognizes a greater power, therefore they must be one in the same. [more]

What is the Old Religion?
This is the mythical religion of ancient pagans that supposedly survived in secret up to the present day. First of all, there was no one religion of ancient pagans. Second, it didn't survive. Based on the works of authors such as Margaret Murray, Gardner declared Wicca to be the modern face of the Old Religion. In light of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, continuing to make such claims is ignorant at best. [more]