THE FUTURE OF WITCHCRAFT
As we near the millennium, the society is becoming more diverse. What is the future of witchcraft?
For the purposes of this article, witchcraft will be defined as Wicca and other neo-Pagan religious paths that have adopted the word "Witch." This somewhat narrows the field (excluding African witch doctors), but not too much I hope.


WITCHCRAFT IN THE PAST
Before looking at the future of witchcraft, there should be some history to determine what has come before, so an extrapolation can be made with more information.
Modern witchcraft cannot be reliably traced back any further than 1954, to Gerald Gardenr's book, What Witches Do. He wrote a novel in 1949 under the pseudonym Scire, called High Magic's Aid, and thought it contained much information about what was to become Gardnerian Wicca, it was still only a novel and could be dismissed as imagination. I'm ignoring Aradia, Gospel of the Witches by Leland (circa 1900), Margaret Murray, materials written during the inquisition, and archeological records. We are looking for historical proof of the practice of witchcraft, and those works were not written by actual adherents.
Even in the early days (before the mid-60s) most who called themselves Witches were extremely secretive. Until 1951 in England, there were anti-witchcraft laws on the books, and because of the Inquisition and other religious persecutions, being a Witch was not just unpopular, it was detrimental to livelihood and life itself. Gardner himself was not quiet about being a Witch. He seemed to court publicity, and became the "Official Witch of Endland," as described by the press. His openness was unpopular, and his group split up over publicity, among other things. Except for Gardner and a few notable others, early Witches were very private.
In the mid 60s, came the explosion of occult material, some of it on witchcraft. The books by Sybil Leek, an admitted Witch, though not of Gerald Gardner's line, brought the messate that Witches were alive and well in the modern world. With the occult explosion and a little publicity (Sybil Leek was a very famous witch in her time), more people came to witchcraft and the religion grew. Still, though people might been open about their occult practices, they were still mostly silent about their witchcraft.
Then in 1979, everything changed. Two books published on Octover 31,The Spiral Dance by Starhawk and Drawing Down The Moon by Margot Adler, detailed the art and practice of witchcraft and Goddess worship and gave examples of those who were actually practicing these religions. There had been books published earlier about witchcraft and Wicca, but these two books were so popular that they became the cornerstones for a great revival of witchcraft. After them, and partially in response to their popularity, Many other books were published about witchcraft, Wicca, and other neo-Pagan religious paths. The number of people practicing witchcraft after 1979 exploded. Suddenly where witchcraft had been a curiosity and oddity practiced by an eccentric few, witchcraft became a bona-fide religious movement, even achieving cult status in the eyes of some detractors. The Witches who joined after 1979 were, for the most part, more open and vocal. Critical mass had been reached, and suddenly it became possible to actually have a Witch living near you or working with you. The cultural consciousness had been raised and witchcraft and Wicca were a part of life in the 1980s and beyond.
After a few years the general popolation became more used to the idea that Witches were alive and well and living in their neighborhood. The cult panic subsided and became the domain of extreme fundamentalists. Then witchcraft, Wicca and other neo-Pagan religions became a part of the lunatic fringe, part of what went on in the everyday culture, but not necessarily mainstream.
This "part of the lucatic fringe" (strange but mainly benign) is where witchcraft seems to be today. Most Witches today are just plain folks and are not as vocal or flamboyant as the witches of the '80s. Witchcraft is just another part of their lives, not as aspect that overrides all other ties and affiliations. These people are no less faithfull or devoted in their practives, they just have no need to make an issue of it in non-witchrcaft contexts. After all, how many people, on first meeting, loudly proclaim their religious affiliation for all to know and possibly challenge!


WITCHCRAFT IN THE FUTURE
It is hoped that in the future, Witches, Wiccans, and other neo-Pagans will become just another minority religous group. It will be no more remarkable to be a Witch than it is to be a Quaker, Ba'Hai, or Buddhist. Because of the nature of witchcraft, there will probably never be a jajority of adherents. The religion is too individualistic and self-motivated for it to be universally appealing. To be a full practiciing Witch takes more time and energy than most people devote to their religious lives at present.
There are predictions that Wicca is the fastest growing religion in the U.S., and there are more adherents to Wicca than to some mainstream Protestant sects. Given the fierce individuality and lack of coherence or large congregations of Wiccans, it's questionable how anybody, in Wicca or outside, could ever come up with an accurate count. Further, it is estimated that half of the Wiccans today are solitaries (practicing alone without any group support), so you the movement becomes impossible to quantify.
Witchcraft has changed and evolved since 1954. Gardnerian Wicca 1954 was different from Gardnerian Wicca in 1967, which is in turn different from Wicca today. Nowadays, there a many more types or traditions of Wicca. In the 1960s, Sybil Leek said her Wicca was different from Gardner's. New traditions have started since the 1969s as well. Eclectic Wicca, probably having the most adherents, is an amalgam of Gardnerian Wicca, Feminis witchcraft, and whatever else people can mix and match into their practices.
One thing the future will probably hold is a re-defining of witchcraft, what it is, what people do, and how it manifests in a person's everyday life. Most people who are Witches today have undergone some sort of initiation and are considered to be a Priestess or Priest in their own right. This may change as Wicca evolves, perhaps adapting to the modern style of clergy/congregation worship. Not everyone is cut out to be a Priestess or Priest. Wicca may become more accessible as a spectator religion; people can come and take part in a circle yet not be obligated to undergo training or work in the circle themselves. Maybe someday the persecution and prejudice will be gone, but that's definitely in the future, as humans tend to fear anything that is different or unfamiliar.
Certainly witchcraft will continue to evolve to fit the needs and interests of its adherents. Whether there will be a Wiccan church, temple, or grove on any corner remains to be seen. Many faiths thrive in rented space or people's homes, so having buildingsor land is nat a necessity for Witches. Witchcraft dows not now operate in the same way as mainstream religions, so how much it will adapt to fit that model is yet to be seen. Wicca has had an impact on mainstream religious group. Some Protestants explore the female aspect of divinity and worship in circles or outside. Wicca seems to have had more of an impact than its numors might predict.
The future of witchcraft will bring change, but more stability also. As more people join and are raised Wiccan, Wicca will have more impact on the world at large, more than an actual number of adherents. Wiccans may become the future leaders or harbingers of what is to come. Maybe Wiccans willhelp bring a kinder, gentler, less frenetic and more spiritual future. BLESSED BE!

~By Estelle Daniels~
~®The Almighty Sorceress, ©2000~



    

  

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