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Rev. Don's Vlog for June 13, 2010 - Gerald Gardner's Birthday

Rev. Don discusses Gerald Gardner's birthday, and changing attitudes toward Gardner, his legacy, and what Wicca is or is not. See all of Rev. Don's Vlogs at www.witchschool.com/page/rev-don-lewis-vlog

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Comment by Megan L Herrod on June 17, 2010 at 7:02pm: The Legacy of Gerald Gardner is obvious and important. Many many of us would not be wiccan today, or even pagan if he didn't write his books and start his tradition.

I personally think it is obvious that Gardner pieced together a lot of different occult ideas and beliefs to create a "franken-faith" that works against all odds.I think there is a lot of value in accepting that we don't HAVE to have an ancient unbroken line to be a valid faith.

He said that what his "witches" told him and showed him was fragmented. I really honestly believe that he knew that from the remains of these rites and rituals a faith could be resurrected, and that was his goal. How much he changed, added and adapted we will never surely know. But nevertheless he made most of "mainstream" wicca what it is today.

I have respect fo the people who challenged Gardner's "facts" however. In our spirituality it is important ti be critical and search for the truth. We know gardner was heavily influenced by Margaret Murray and he probably re-adapted her information to fill some of the "gaps" in his new wicca. Since that time (when she was in good standing) she has been discredited. This is not to say that she "made it all up" simply that she may have over-embellished or mis-represent facts to fit her theories, and she had insufficient proof. If Gardner used her information it was because he trusted it as scientific fact.

She wasn't a bad person either, and the evidence is mounting that there was witchcraft in the UK lasting through the inquisition to relatively modern times. She might have made the wrong conclusions, but her main goal; proving witchcraft had survived, might come to fruition.

With a religion that was pushed underground for centuries it makes sense that there is little evidence. Tradition's can claim ancestry but with no evidence we have to take those claims on "faith".

I personally think that wicca is an adapted religion, part occult- part folklore -part english witchcraft. It has evolved into a satisfying spirituality and magical system. The beauty of eclectic wicca is that is is freely shared and has endless pathways. Who cares if our religion is old? It works, doesn't it?

Happy Birthday Gardner! Thank you for you vision, creativity, bravery, and above all your gift to the world "Modern Wicca".

Megan

Comment by Joshua E'mile Massenburg on June 13, 2010 at 2:43pm: I like the discussion on Gerald Gardner and what he brought to the wiccan/pagan world its people like him that paved the way for the modern witch to learn and express themselves and be apart of the bigger picture. Thank you Gerald Gardner and Happy Birthday.