Everything Under the Moon

Those of you who are Wiccan, how do you feel about the term "NeoWicca"? I have only seen it used/interpreted in three ways:

1. People who aren't Wiccan talk about NeoWicca as if it is just another type of Wicca.

2. People who are BTW (traditional Wiccans) seem to use it in an "othering" sense (e.g. "That's not Wiccan, that's NeoWiccan [that OTHER type of Wicca that is not as good as my type].") I'm pretty sure they are the ones who made up the term, to distinguish non-BTW from BTW.

3. People who are Wiccan but are not BTW get offended by this term.

#2 doesn't happen every single time (I've seen at least one instance of it used in a positive, inclusive sense against the "non-BTW is not Wicca" argument), but I have never met a Wiccan who isn't offended by this term when someone calls them a NeoWiccan. So I find it a bit peculiar that #1 happens at all.

Ok, did that make sense? So, what are your thoughts?

Also, sorry I haven't been that active...I've been busy with some other things! I'll catch up with the threads I'm watching at some point.

"Neo" means new and personally to me this term means the "new generation" of Wicca. For example if you have read "To Ride a Silver Broomstick" by SIlver RavenWolf. She explains there about how the younger generation is coming out with a new type of Wicca. Generally speaking, however traditionally you would self intiate to be accepted. Many who have been praciticing for years self intiated (myself included). Many of the "newer" followers/believers of the Wicca/Pagan path do not. It is all about belief and in this religion there is no "wrong" way. Personally, I have never been called Neo but then most people I tell my religion to and the fact I have been praciticing for 20 years now probably stops them from calling me Neo. I wouldnt get offended though because that person may be uneducated on what Neo actually means. If I simply ask them the meaning of Neo and they tell me something off the wall, I would simply let them know it means New & let them read the definition. I wouldn't take offense either way, but that is just me

My personal opinion on that is this:

Wicca (as we know it to be today) is still in the infant stages of religion. Yes, we acknowledge ancient deities but it is a revival of the old ways conceived by Gardner's inspiration and fascination of the mystical and ancient. The ancient forms of witchcraft have virtually been extinct for hundreds of years and what few real hereditary that do exist are so far removed from the original craft it's hard to really tell what is the pure philosophy & practices verses evolving beliefs and practices. (alot of this is semantics in the big scheme of things really so there is a lot of debate about how old Wicca is, to me because of varying definitions of a Wiccan and Witch... but I digress...)

With that being said, Wicca has evolved a lot in just the 60 years of it's conception. It's still evolving and I suspect that various terms (such as NeoWiccan) and their definitions will change and evolve as well.

I'm sorry for not replying sooner--I've just started coming here again. Thanks for your insight, everyone. I know what NeoWicca is supposed to imply, I was just curious how different people (especially of the different generations of witches) felt about it. It doesn't seem to have the same meaning for everyone. It also seems to me like even initiated witches who have been practicing for decades argue over whose tradition is "real" Wicca and whose is NeoWicca. Alexandrians and Gardnerians aren't the only ones considered BTW by some people.

I guess I'm also angry that the people who are so adamant about distinguishing BTW from NeoWicca seem to be rather uneducated in Wicca's history and basics, and aren't Wiccan themselves. In three instances that I've witnessed, their backup has been "Well my friend who is BTW / somebody on Amber and Jet told me so." From doing my own studies, the line between BTW and NeoWicca is not really that cut-and-dry. Because one of these people helps run a popular Pagan tumblr, I'm concerned that they are misinforming new witches and setting the stage for a lot of unnecessary in-fighting, as far as the evolution of Wicca goes. Not like that doesn't already happen for other reasons...but hey.

Neo-Wicca is non-intiates who base their practice on outer court teachings. I want to say it started with Buckland and his big blue book. There was no self-intiation prior and the only instance that was similar before then was Valiente's self-initiation into witchcraft NOT Wicca. I don't think Gardner, Sanders, nor Valiente had problems with the craft evolving. But we need to admit that Neo-Wiccans aren't intiates and that it is not an insult. The practice is not invalid. (After all I am essentially Neo-Wiccan.)