Celtic Wicca

Wicca, as established by Englishman Gerald Gardner in the 1950s,[3][5][6] was not Celtic in nature but contained some influences and borrowings from Celtic sources.[1] "Celtic" Wicca can be seen as emphasizing and elaborating on the facets of Gardnerian Wicca that practitioners believe to be Celtic, while de-emphasizing some of the more obviously non-Celtic facets (such as the worship of deities from other cultures).[1][2] Author Jane Raeburn believes that while there is "a firm distinction between historical Celtic inspiration and modern Wiccan practice", that the two can be blended to form "a living path of ethical and spiritual growth".[2] As Carl McColman has observed, many people find beauty and meaning in this spirituality that blends "religious witchcraft with Celtic wisdom".[1] Many Wiccans are Druids, but most druids are not wiccan. Which can lead to certain similarities in philosophy and religion.

Several different variations of the tradition have existed. For instance, Lady Sheba (Jessie Bell) called her tradition "American Celtic Wicca".[7][8][9] Gavin Frost and Yvonne Frost of the Church and School of Wicca called their tradition "Celtic Wicca" and followers of this tradition identify as Celtic Wiccans.[10][11] Additionally, numerous Eclectic Wiccan groups and individuals incorporate what they believe to be Celtic features and self-identify as Celtic Wiccans or Celtic neopagans.[2][12]

Wicca is eclectic, rituals to preform are decided by the individual. "Though rituals and practices vary among people who identify as Wiccan, most observations include the festival celebrations of solstices and equinoxes, the honoring of a male god and a female goddess, and the incorporation of herbalism and other natural objects into rituals."[13] That does not mean there are no shared rituals and or beliefs. The ancient Celts believed in the supernatural, and magic, they often used or acquired said magic through plants and herbs. This deeply rooted their beliefs in nature; thus, many Celtic Wiccans worship nature. Many also choose Celtic deities, and build alters for them. This is a quite common ritual for many Wiccans. "Connecting with Celtic deities is a key aspect of Celtic Wicca." [14] Honoring said deities can look like research and learning about who they are and what they stand for, praying, to building alters and gifting offerings. Almost all Celtic Wiccans honor the moon, some may associate a god or Goddess with it, such as Rhiannon, a Celtic Goddess of the moon, also associated with many more virtues. A moon ritual can look many ways, but some of the most common ways of ritual include moon bathing, meditation, etc... Other rituals can include burning of candles, herbs, and chants. These can be performed alone, as a solitary witch, or in a coven.

Celtic Wicca can be seen as both a form of Wicca and a branch of Celtic neopaganism.[1] On the neopagan continuum from eclectic to reconstructionist, Celtic Wicca is at the eclectic end: as non-historical as most forms of Neo-druidism,[15] and contrasting firmly with Celtic reconstructionism, which emphasizes cultural focus and historical accuracy.[16]

Celtic Wicca is criticized for a number of reasons. Critics point to the very recent development of the "tradition", its modernly syncretic nature, its misappropriation or misrepresentation of authentic Celtic traditions and history, and its difference from all historically attested Celtic beliefs and practices.[3][5][15][17] Authors including Ronald Hutton, Aidan Kelly, John Michael Greer and Gordon Cooper have noted that Celtic Wicca draws on mythology by way of the Romanticist Celtic Revival rather than historical fact.[3][5][6][15] Further, these authors have documented that Gardnerian Wicca was synthesized from elements of many cultures and traditions including Hinduism, English folklore, romanticized misinterpretations of what Gardner believed to be Native American beliefs and ceremonies,[5] and the ritual structures and terminology used by the Freemasons.[3][5][6] Greer and Cooper specifically point to Gardner's involvement in the English Woodcraft and Kibbo Kift groups as a strong influence.[5]

• Modern Celts

• The Wicca That Never Was: The real story of the world's newest "ancient" religion (part 1), by Andy Steiner, Utne Reader
• When is a Celt Not a Celt? by Joanna Hautin-Mayer