1735
The British Witchcraft Act
A law in Great Britain treated claims of magical power in particular ways. It would be repealed in 1951.
Legal history, not the origin of modern Wicca.
Research lead: British Witchcraft Act 1735THE HERITAGE PROJECT
History, in its own time.
Explore dated historical milestones, their context, and carefully identified research leads.
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Historical method: dates refer to the event or publication noted, not proof of every religious claim associated with it. An event's influence and its factual accuracy are distinct questions.
1848
Modern Spiritualism Gains Attention
Events associated with the Fox sisters became prominent in American Spiritualism, influencing later esoteric and religious currents.
The Spiritualist movement is not identical to Wicca.
Research lead: Historical studies of Spiritualism1888
The Golden Dawn Era
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn developed ceremonial practices that influenced later Western esoteric traditions.
Its members were not an early Wiccan coven.
Research lead: Studies of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn1890
The Golden Bough Begins Publication
James George Frazer published the first edition of The Golden Bough, influential in later ideas about seasonal myth and comparative religion.
Frazer's theories have themselves been revised and criticized.
Research lead: J. G. Frazer, The Golden Bough1899
Aradia Published
Charles Godfrey Leland published Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches, a debated source later influential in witchcraft literature.
The work is contested as an account of Italian folk traditions.
Research lead: C. G. Leland, Aradia (1899)1921
Margaret Murray's Witch-Cult Theory
Murray published The Witch-Cult in Western Europe, arguing for a surviving organized pre-Christian witch religion.
The central historical theory is not accepted by contemporary scholars.
Research lead: M. Murray, The Witch-Cult in Western Europe1930s–1940s
Claims of Gardner's Initiation
Gerald Gardner later described initiation into an existing witchcraft group. Researchers continue to debate the records and details.
This is an attributed claim, not proof of an uninterrupted prehistoric religion.
Research lead: Ronald Hutton, The Triumph of the Moon1951
Repeal of the Witchcraft Act
Britain repealed the Witchcraft Act of 1735. The legal change forms part of the context of Wicca's public emergence.
The repeal did not formally establish a religion.
Research lead: British legislation and legal histories1954
Witchcraft Today Appears
Gerald Gardner published Witchcraft Today, one of the influential public texts of modern Wicca.
Read the book as a historical primary source with particular claims.
Research lead: Gerald Gardner, Witchcraft Today1959
The Meaning of Witchcraft
Gardner published The Meaning of Witchcraft, continuing his public explanations of the movement.
Published arguments should be compared with other contemporary evidence.
Research lead: Gerald Gardner, The Meaning of Witchcraft1960s
Wicca Expands in North America
Raymond Buckland and others contributed to the spread of Gardnerian Wicca in the United States during the 1960s.
This milestone represents a decade, not an exact founding day.
Research lead: Chas S. Clifton, Her Hidden Children1974
Principles of Wiccan Belief
The American Council of Witches developed a statement known as the Principles of Wiccan Belief.
This statement is influential but does not bind all Wiccans.
Research lead: American Council of Witches, Principles of Wiccan Belief1975
Covenant of the Goddess Formed
The Covenant of the Goddess emerged as an American organization supporting Wiccan religious community and communication.
Organizations represent participating communities, not all Wiccans.
Research lead: Covenant of the Goddess historical information1979
The Spiral Dance Published
Starhawk published The Spiral Dance, a highly influential book in feminist spirituality and contemporary witchcraft.
This is a modern published work with a distinctive viewpoint.
Research lead: Starhawk, The Spiral Dance1986
Dettmer v. Landon
A U.S. federal appeals court discussed Wicca as a religion in a prison religious-exercise case.
Legal recognition in a case should not be generalized into a universal institutional endorsement.
Research lead: Dettmer v. Landon, 799 F.2d 929 (4th Cir. 1986)1989
The Rebirth of Witchcraft Published
Doreen Valiente published a retrospective account of the movement and its personalities.
An important firsthand work, best compared with other surviving sources.
Research lead: Doreen Valiente, The Rebirth of Witchcraft1996
The Stations of the Sun Published
Ronald Hutton's study of Britain's ritual year offered historical context for customs later adapted into modern seasonal observances.
Historic seasonal practices and modern rites should be differentiated.
Research lead: Ronald Hutton, The Stations of the Sun1999
The Triumph of the Moon Published
Ronald Hutton published a major historical account of the development of modern Pagan witchcraft in Britain.
The book is a scholarly interpretation, not the only voice in the discussion.
Research lead: Ronald Hutton, The Triumph of the Moon2004
Witching Culture Published
Sabina Magliocco's study examined contemporary Pagan cultural expression and community life in America.
A valuable scholarly lens on living communities.
Research lead: Sabina Magliocco, Witching Culture2006
Her Hidden Children Published
Chas Clifton examined the development of modern Paganism in America and its varied religious communities.
A research source for American Pagan history.
Research lead: Chas S. Clifton, Her Hidden Children2007
Pentacle Approved for U.S. Veterans' Grave Markers
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs authorized the Wiccan pentacle among available religious emblems for government headstones and markers.
A significant public recognition of a Wiccan symbol in the United States.
Research lead: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs emblems of belief2016
Wicca: History, Belief, and Community Published
Ethan Doyle White's scholarly introduction examined Wicca's development, religious beliefs and community life.
One accessible research-oriented starting point for students.
Research lead: Ethan Doyle White, Wicca (2016)