Gardner's Witchcraft Today

I finally got around to buying a copy of Gerald Gardner's book, Witchcraft Today. Since deciding to read it last summer, I had kept an eye out for a used copy of the book but to no avail. I decided it was time to read it anyway, and ended up buying the book online. As I read it, I will be posting what I have learned from the book.

As many of you know, Gardner's book was the first non-fiction book published on the religion of Wicca. There is much controversy regarding the history and the beginnings of the Wiccan religion. One such controversy is the accusation that Gardner and his friend, Aleister Crowley, made up the religion by mixing elements of the Golden Dawn, ceremonial magic, anthropology and mythology.

In the first chapter of the book, entitled Living Witchcraft, Gardner introduces the ideas of how he got involved in Witchcraft and why he has the expertise to impart knowledge of "the cult." He states his roles as an anthropologist and as the director of the Museum of Magic and Witchcraft in England. He also mentions that he had a long-time fascination with magic* and like subjects.

Gardner's explanation of how he got involve in the Witch cult, as he calls it, seems to imply that he joined the group almost by accident. "I found myself in the circle and took the usual oaths of secrecy...." I guess I found his explanation to be a little silly and wished he could have been more forth coming with his reasoning. Still, this chapter did answer several lingering questions I had regarding other things such as why Gardnerians worship naked, the use of the circle in ritual, and the necessity for a partner (as many these days are considered solitary Witches).

Why worship naked? That was one question that no one could seem to answer for me when I asked. A friend of mine told me that she didn't understand that part of the Gardnerian denomination and that was why she didn't belong to a group that was Gardnerian, even though she had been learning that path. She felt that when you go to worship, you should feel at your best, which for her was to be nicely dressed with full make-up.

What I read in the book regarding this issue, however, seems to make sense. Gardner states that this is how Witches release their energy. In other words, clothes will impede that release. He goes on to explain that if your mind believes that something will not work unless you do certain things (in this case, take of your clothes), it will not work. This sounds like a case of using superstitions as your logic, but I can understand his reasoning. The mind and body work together, and if your mind says no, so will your body.

Another question I had was regarding the use of a circle for the worship rituals. The space inside the circle is seen as being between worlds and is the domain of the Gods. I have heard many confusing details of why a circle is necessary, but I found out that it is to seal the energy in with the worshipers until it is ready to be formed to their will. Another thing that I find interesting is that people have said that you have to cut a doorway if you are walking out of the circle and to seal it once you are back in. In the book it just states that if you walk out of the circle you will lose some built up 'power' and to avoid doing so as much as possible.

As for the use of partners, he states "to form [a] battery of wills, male and female intelligences are necessary in couples." I am taking this to mean that to build up the right balance of energy, there needs to be both male and female energy. At the end of the chapter, he states that if you don't have time to learn the practice or have a suitable partner, don't take up Witchcraft. His discussion regarding a suitable partner was amusing, basically seeming to state that anybody that has similar interests and seems like a decent partner will work with only one exception: whatever you do, don't bring you maiden Aunt - even if she is a romantic.


*To those that have a habit of spelling magic with a "k", Gardner does not use the added letter to distinguish between the religious use of magic and stage magic.