British Traditional Wicca


British Traditional Wicca is the term used, mainly in the United States of America, to group a set of Wiccan traditions originating in the New Forest region of England. The term British Traditional Wicca is used to define the originator traditions and practices apart from other subsequent forms of Wicca. It is rarely used by initiates in the United Kingdom, as there are fewer alternative traditions to distinguish from.
The most prominent of these traditions are Gardnerian Wicca and Alexandrian Wicca but also other traditions claiming a shared New Forest history. These reach as far abroad as America with traditions such as Central Valley Wicca.

History of the term Wicca

The term "wicca" is well-attested as the Old English word for " witch", the female form being "wicce" both older forms of the Modern English "witch". In modern usage, however, it came into the public lexicon with the works of Gerald Gardner, with the spelling "wica".