Which Witch is Which? (Or Is It Wiccan?)

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How did Witchcraft come to be called Wicca? And why do some Witches call themselves Wiccans? The religion today known as Witchcraft or Wicca is a Pagan religion whose roots lie in the early 20th century, though many of our traditions go back to ancient times. The occultist and Witch Gerald Gardner is generally thought of as the “father of modern Witchcraft,” but he never used the word "Wicca" to describe the religion. He did refer to the practitioners of the Craft as the “Wica,” but to my knowledge we don’t really know if this different spelling is the result of a spelling error (and Gardner has sometimes been described as dyslexic!) or whether his word was a completely different one. The first use of "Wicca" seems to be traced to a man named Charles Cardell, who would become Gardner's nemesis. Cardell began to refer to his coven of "Wiccens," and to use the word Wicca in describing the religion itself, in the late 50s in England. This use later spread to North America and was popularized through the press and through books on the religion, in the 1960s and 1970s. By the 1980s, most people I know preferred to refer to the religion as "Wicca" because it was an unknown word, free from negative associations. Later decades saw a reversal of this trend, as more contemporary Witches sought to draw a distinction between the traditional paths and “pop Wicca.” The former religions are often highly structured, lineaged, and initiatory. They are known by names such as British Traditional Witchcraft, Gardnerian or Alexandrian Witchcraft, the Craft, "Wica," etc. There is an emphasis both on traditions that have been handed down over generations, and on contemporary scholarship into the Pagan past. By contrast, “Wicca” generally tends to be used by eclectic Pagans whose often practise as solitaries or in loosely formed groups that tend to be short-lived. While some “Wiccans” are members of larger Pagan communities that offer public ritual celebrations and sometimes religious instruction, this type of Witchcraft is also heavily influenced by popular web sites, how-to manuals and books that preserve the Pagan experience of late 20th century North America. So which title is correct: Witch, Wiccan, or perhaps Pagan? It really depends on the individual and her path. Most of us have a great deal in common, but we each have our own preferences when it comes to the titles we claim. Image: ClkerFreeVectorImages/Pixabay;CC0