Glossary - exWitch Australia (formerly 'Born Again Pagan')

PROGRESSIVE WICCA

A movement within Wicca in Britain which claims to adopt a more eclectic approach by spanning Traditions. Covens embracing Progressive Wicca place emphasis on networking, proximity to nature, personal growth and co-operative development. Strict adherence to a Book of Shadows is rejected and the movement grows and changes with each new witch.

Progressive Wicca is claimed to be less a tradition than an attitude and its membership is claimed to be drawn from Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Traditional Craft, Welsh Traditional Witchcraft, Hereditary Craft and others. This is somewhat unlikely as many of these Traditions are extremely strict and disciplined forms of Wicca and older forms of Witchcraft that are often mutually exclusive and at odds with each other. Critics of Progressive Wicca within the Neo-Pagan community claim that its adherents are merely disillussioned ex-members of the above-mentioned Wiccan and Witchcraft Traditions and Paths that, for whatever reason, did not 'make the grade' within their own Tradition.

Its roots originate in England in the early and middle 1980s and it has spread to Europe, America and Canada. The name, Progressive Wicca, was, however, effectively launched only in 1989 through discussion between Ariadne Rainbird (Cylch y Gwyllt a'r Rhydd) and others, including The Company of Witches and Silver Rose.

Among the principal aims of Progressive Wicca is care for the environment and it follows a preference for outdoor working. Outside of these commonalties, however, covens within the network operate very differently from each other. They subscribe to an initiatory tradition but without fixed rituals (see INITIATION).

Progressive Wicca is not an organization as such because of its considerable diversity but rather reflects an attitude towards Witchcraft. A Progressive Witchcraft Foundation has been set up through the Cylch y Gwyllt a'r Rhydd coven to provide information and training. Other training courses also exist and details are available through the magazine of Progressive Wicca, Dragons Brew.

PLEASE NOTE:
One of the major problems with 'defining' Paganism and/or its beliefs and practices is that it is an 'organic' movement, in that it is undergoing constant change and re-evaluation from within, and as such any 'one-size-fits-all' approach to understanding Paganism will be found wanting.

Due to the very 'organic' nature of Paganism, and the many differing Paths and Traditions within it, in many cases no one definition may be universally accepted by all Pagans. Therefore, where such cases of possible conflicting and/or contradictory meanings of certain terms occur I have endevoured to give not only the generally accepted meaning, but also any major 'variations' in belief and/or practice.

Christians who believe this difference in meaning of certain key terms, beliefs and practices to be unique to Paganism need to remember that such conflicts also arise within the Body of Christ - the Church. Take for instance the differing practices amongst Christians concerning Baptism and the different attitudes towards women in the clergy.

- Jean-Luc