Journey of a Witch: Pagan Traditions

Paganism as you know has history just about all over the world. Many of these area had their own cultures and traditions. These Traditions are still around today, but not as many as there once was.

Here is a list of traditions and a brief explanation. I apologize if I forget any.

Alexandrian Tradition- was founded in England during the 1960s by Alex Sanders. It is said the rituals are modified Gardnerian.

British Tradition- This is a mix of Celtic and Gardnerian beliefs. Famous organization is called the International Red Garter. British Transnationals also move mostly from within Farrar studies. They also have a very structured belief system, and train using a degree program.

Celtic Wicca- This is Celtic/Druid pantheon mixed with a little Gardnerian. They heavily stress the elements, nature and Ancient Ones. They also have much respect and knowledge for healing, and magickal qualities of plants, herbs, stones, little people, gnomes and fairies.

Caledonii Tradition- Formally known as the Hecatine Tradition. The denomination of the craft is Scottish in Origin. They will still use the unique festivals of the Scots.

Ceremonial Witchcraft- Members of this tradition use a great deal of ceremony magick. Rituals also have a flavor of Egyptian magick or from the Qabalistic magick.

Diana Tradition- Pinpointed by Margaret Murray in 1921 in "The Witch Cult in Western Europe", this term includes a mix of various traditions. They focus mainly on the Goddess and are pegged as the feminists of the Craft.

Eclectic Witch- Followers of this tradition have no particular tradition, denomination, sect or magick practice. They tend to study numerous magickal systems taking only what they feel suites them personally.

Egyptian Tradition- Ancient Egyptian religion was a complex system of polytheistic beliefs and rituals which were an integral part of ancient Egyptian society. It centered on the Egyptians' interaction with many deities who were believed to be present in, and in control of, the forces and elements of nature. The practices of Egyptian religion were efforts to provide for the gods and gain their favor. Formal religious practice centered on the pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Although a human, the Pharaoh was believed to be descended from the gods. He acted as the intermediary between his people and the gods, and was obligated to sustain the gods through rituals and offerings so that they could maintain order in the universe. The state dedicated enormous resources to Egyptian rituals and to the construction of the temples. Individuals could interact with the gods for their own purposes, appealing for their help through prayer or compelling them to act through magic. These practices were distinct from, but closely linked with, the formal rituals and institutions. The popular religious tradition grew more prominent in the course of Egyptian history as the status of the Pharaoh declined. Another important aspect was the belief in the afterlife and funerary practices. The Egyptians made great efforts to ensure the survival of their souls after death, providing tombs, grave goods, and offerings to preserve the bodies and spirits of the deceased.
The religion had its roots in Egypt's prehistory and lasted for more than 3,000 years. The details of religious belief changed over time as the importance of particular gods rose and declined, and their intricate relationships shifted. At various times, certain gods became preeminent over the others, including the sun god Ra, the creator god Amun, and the mother goddess Isis. For a brief period, in the aberrant theology promulgated by the Pharaoh Akhenaten, a single god, the Aten, replaced the traditional pantheon. Ancient Egyptian religion and mythology left behind many writings and monuments, along with significant influences on ancient and modern cultures.
The Egyptians believed that the phenomena of nature were divine forces in and of themselves.^[2] These deified forces included the elements, animal characteristics, or abstract forces. The Egyptians believed in a pantheon of gods, which were involved in all aspects of nature and human society. Their religious practices were efforts to sustain and placate these phenomena and turn them to human advantage.^[3] This polytheistic system was very complex, as some deities were believed to exist in many different manifestations, and some had multiple mythological roles. Conversely, many natural forces, such as the sun, were associated with multiple deities. The diverse pantheon ranged from gods with vital roles in the universe to minor deities or "demons" with very limited or localized functions.^[4] It could include gods adopted from foreign cultures, and sometimes even humans: deceased Pharaohs were believed to be divine, and occasionally, distinguished commoners such as Imhotep also became deified.^[5]
The depictions of the gods in art were not meant as literal representations of how the gods might appear if they were visible, as the gods' true natures were believed to be mysterious. Instead, these depictions gave recognizable forms to the abstract deities by using symbolic imagery to indicate each god's role in nature.^[6] Thus, for example, the funerary god Anubis was portrayed as a jackal, a creature whose scavenging habits threatened the preservation of the body, in an effort to counter this threat and employ it for protection. His black skin was symbolic of the color of mummified flesh and the fertile black soil that Egyptians saw as a symbol of resurrection. However, this iconography was not fixed, and many of the gods could be depicted in more than one form.^[7]
Many gods were associated with particular regions in Egypt where their cults were most important. However, these associations changed over time, and they did not necessarily mean that the god associated with a place had originated there. For instance, the god Monthu was the original patron of the city of Thebes. Over the course of the Middle Kingdom, however, he was displaced in that role by Amun, who may have arisen elsewhere. The national popularity and importance of individual gods fluctuated in a similar way.^[8]

Gardnerian Tradition- Organized by Gerald Gardner in the 1950s. It also has heavy structures in ceremony and practices. Usually not as vocal as other witches and are very careful both in screening and the practice of the Craft. The adhere to a fairly foundational set of customs.

Hereditary Witch- This is where one can trace the craft through their family tree and who has been taught the Old Religion by a relative who is still living at the same time. Also called Family Tradition. Channeling dead family members to be taught the craft does not count.

Kitchen Witch-This is one who practices by hearth and home, dealing with the practical side of religion, magick, the earth and elements.

Pictish Witchcraft- Scottish Witchcraft that attunes itself to all aspects of nature: animals, vegetable, and minerals. Uses little religion and is a solitary form of the craft.

Pow Wow- Indigenous to south-central Pennsylvania. This is a system based on four-hundred year old Elite German magick.

Satanic Witchcraft- This is a hard one to determine. Do pagans worship Satan..no majority do not. Do Satanists practice witchcraft..yes I believe some of them do. I can say for me I do not believe or worship Satan, but I can not speak for all practitioners of witchcraft

Seax-Wica- Founded by Raymond Buckland in 1973. It is Saxon based, but was written in form of not breaking Raymond's Gardner oath. Is also a tradition, or denomination, of the neopagan religion of Wicca which is largely inspired by the iconography of the historical Anglo-Saxon paganism, though, unlike Theodism, it is not a reconstruction of the early medieval religion itself. Seax-Wica does not employ any secrecy oath.^[2] The official books of Seax-Wica do not intend to omit or misrepresent itself, although they may be a bit sparse in terms of detail, leaving such things to individual practitioners or groups.

Strega Witches- A tradition seated in Italy that began around 1353 with a woman named Aradia. This group is low in numbers in the United States.

Teutonic Witch- From ancient times the Teutonic have been recognized as a group of people who speak the Germanic group languages. The Teutons included the English, Dutch, Icelandic, Danish, Norweign, and Swedish people. Also known as the Nordic Tradition or Astrau Tradition.

Wiccan Witch- This term has many different meanings. a modern pagan, witchcraft religion. It was developed in England during the first half of the 20th century and it was introduced to the public in 1954 by Gerald Gardner, a retired British civil servant. It draws upon a diverse set of ancient pagan and 20th century hermetic motifs for its theological structure and ritual practice. Wicca is a diverse religion with no central authority or figure defining it. It is divided into various lineages and denominations, referred to as "traditions", each with its own organizational structure and level of centralization. Due to its decentralized nature, there is some disagreement over what actually constitutes Wicca. Some traditions, collectively referred to as British Traditional Wicca, strictly follow the initiatory lineage of Gardner and consider the term "Wicca" to apply only to such lineage traditions, while other eclectic traditions do not.
Wicca is typically duotheistic, worshiping a god and goddess traditionally viewed as a mother goddess and horned god. These two deities are often viewed as facets of a greater pantheistic godhead. However, beliefs range from "hard" polytheism to even monotheism. Wiccan celebration follows approximately eight seasonally based festivals known as Sabbats. An unattributed statement known as the Wiccan Rede is the traditional basis of Wiccan morality. Wicca involves the ritual practice of magic.
The term "Wicca" first achieved widespread acceptance when referring to the religion in the 1960s and 70s. Prior to that, the term "Witchcraft" had been more widely used. Whilst being based upon the Old English word wicca, a masculine term for sorcerers, the actual individual who coined the capitalized term "Wicca" is unknown, though it has been speculated that it was Charles Cardell, who certainly used the term "Wiccen" during the 1950s.
Application of the word Wicca has given rise to "a great deal of disagreement and infighting".^[1] Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca are often collectively termed British Traditional Wicca, and many of their practitioners consider the term Wicca to apply only to these lineage traditions. Others do not use the word "Wicca" at all, instead preferring to be referred to only as "Witchcraft," while others believe that all modern witchcraft traditions can be considered "Wiccan."^[2]

Journey of a Witch

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Pagan Traditions

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