Georgian Wicca
Encyclopedia
Georgian Wicca is a tradition, or denomination
, in the neopagan
religion of Wicca
. In its organisation, it is very similar to British Traditional Wicca
groups such as Gardnerian Wicca
, however, it does not trace its initiatory line to one of the old English covens.
The name "Georgian" refers to its founder, George Patterson, who founded the tradition in 1970 in the United States
.
.
Patterson claimed to have received early teachings from members of a Celtic Coven in Boston
. He told his early initiates when World War II
began, he enlisted in the Armed Forces and served for four years. On his return to Boston, he found family members had destroyed his Book and ritual items. He could not find the family he'd studied with. Despite research into this history, there is no independent evidence any such coven existed. At other times, he told students and initiates that he had been initiated into either the Alexandrian or Gardnerian Tradition, and at one point also claimed to have been initiated into the Craft by his father. Investigation of the claims of initiation into either the Alexandrian or Gardnerian Traditions have demonstrated no verification in the records of either of those traditions; initiation by his father can neither be proved nor disproved.
Soon after forming the group, Patterson applied to the State of California for legal status as an incorporated church and through the Universal Life Church
had a charter (1971) and Ministerial credentials for himself and Silverknife.
Patterson gathered information, lessons and lore from many helpful sources. These included Doris and Sylvester Stuart of England, Lady Gwen Thompson
of the New England Covens of Traditionalist Witches (N.E.C.T.W.), and others. The Georgian Tradition is based on Gardnerian
and Alexandrian Wicca
practices, incorporating Etruscan
lore from Leland, using those rites and rituals shared by the Sylvestrians and N.E.C.T.W. as well as material from New York Covens of Traditionalist Witches (N.Y.C.T.W); Lord Hermes (Edmund Buczynski) and Lady Siobhan (Order of the Silver Wheel) were most helpful. Many of the rituals are similar to those published in various books on what is sometimes called "British Traditional Wicca
" (BTW), such as Janet
and Stewart Farrar
's Eight Sabbats for Witches and The Witches' Way, as well as the privately distributed version of what was later published as Ed Fitch
's Grimoire of the Shadows.
Georgian Wicca is therefore similar to Alexandrian and Gardnerian Wiccan practice, in that it is an initiatory line and oath-bound. Georgian Wicca, however, is not a recognized member of the BTW, as it lacks an important requirement - initiatory lineage back to one of the BTW covens in England. Therefore, it is considered BTW-derived.
At present, there are known Georgian Covens in British Columbia
, California
, Florida
, Oregon
, Colorado
, Maryland
, Michigan
, Washington and Oklahoma
. There is also a current effort being made to reconnect members of the Tradition.
's Emberverse series, the Singing Moon Coven, which forms the basis of the Wiccan Clan MacKenzie, is described as:
A number of aspects of Georgian Wiccan derived practice are portrayed in the series.
Religious denomination
A religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name, tradition, and identity.The term describes various Christian denominations...
, in the neopagan
Neopaganism
Neopaganism is an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by or claiming to be derived from the various pagan beliefs of pre-modern Europe...
religion of Wicca
Wicca
Wicca , is a modern Pagan religious movement. Developing in England in the first half of the 20th century, Wicca was popularised in the 1950s and early 1960s by a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald Gardner, who at the time called it the "witch cult" and "witchcraft," and its adherents "the Wica."...
. In its organisation, it is very similar to British Traditional Wicca
British Traditional Wicca
British Traditional Wicca is a term used to describe some Wiccan traditions which have their origins in the New Forest region of England...
groups such as Gardnerian Wicca
Gardnerian Wicca
Gardnerian Wicca, or Gardnerian Witchcraft, is a mystery cult tradition or denomination in the neopagan religion of Wicca, whose members can trace initiatory descent from Gerald Gardner. The tradition is itself named after Gardner , a British civil servant and scholar of magic...
, however, it does not trace its initiatory line to one of the old English covens.
The name "Georgian" refers to its founder, George Patterson, who founded the tradition in 1970 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
The Georgian Tradition was founded in 1970 by George Eliott (Pat) Patterson III, when he began teaching his first students, two women called Zanoni Silverknife and Tanith. It began as a small coven in Patterson’s home, in Bakersfield, CaliforniaBakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
.
Patterson claimed to have received early teachings from members of a Celtic Coven in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. He told his early initiates when World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
began, he enlisted in the Armed Forces and served for four years. On his return to Boston, he found family members had destroyed his Book and ritual items. He could not find the family he'd studied with. Despite research into this history, there is no independent evidence any such coven existed. At other times, he told students and initiates that he had been initiated into either the Alexandrian or Gardnerian Tradition, and at one point also claimed to have been initiated into the Craft by his father. Investigation of the claims of initiation into either the Alexandrian or Gardnerian Traditions have demonstrated no verification in the records of either of those traditions; initiation by his father can neither be proved nor disproved.
Soon after forming the group, Patterson applied to the State of California for legal status as an incorporated church and through the Universal Life Church
Universal Life Church
The Universal Life Church is a religious organization that offers anyone semi-immediate ordination as a ULC minister free of charge. The organization states that anyone can become a minister immediately, without having to go through the pre-ordination process required by other religious faiths...
had a charter (1971) and Ministerial credentials for himself and Silverknife.
Patterson gathered information, lessons and lore from many helpful sources. These included Doris and Sylvester Stuart of England, Lady Gwen Thompson
Lady Gwen Thompson
Lady Gwen Thompson was the "public Craft name", or pseudonym of Witchcraft author Phyllis Thompson .In the 1980s, she altered her craft forename to "Gwynne"; Thompson is her final married surname....
of the New England Covens of Traditionalist Witches (N.E.C.T.W.), and others. The Georgian Tradition is based on Gardnerian
Gardnerian Wicca
Gardnerian Wicca, or Gardnerian Witchcraft, is a mystery cult tradition or denomination in the neopagan religion of Wicca, whose members can trace initiatory descent from Gerald Gardner. The tradition is itself named after Gardner , a British civil servant and scholar of magic...
and Alexandrian Wicca
Alexandrian Wicca
Alexandrian Wicca is a tradition of the Neopagan religion of Wicca, founded by Alex Sanders who, with his wife Maxine Sanders, established the tradition in the United Kingdom in the 1960s...
practices, incorporating Etruscan
Etruscan civilization
Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to a civilization of ancient Italy in the area corresponding roughly to Tuscany. The ancient Romans called its creators the Tusci or Etrusci...
lore from Leland, using those rites and rituals shared by the Sylvestrians and N.E.C.T.W. as well as material from New York Covens of Traditionalist Witches (N.Y.C.T.W); Lord Hermes (Edmund Buczynski) and Lady Siobhan (Order of the Silver Wheel) were most helpful. Many of the rituals are similar to those published in various books on what is sometimes called "British Traditional Wicca
British Traditional Wicca
British Traditional Wicca is a term used to describe some Wiccan traditions which have their origins in the New Forest region of England...
" (BTW), such as Janet
Janet Farrar
Janet Farrar is a British teacher and author of books on Wicca and Neopaganism. Along with her two husbands, Stewart Farrar and Gavin Bone, Farrar has published "some of the most influential books on modern Witchcraft to date." According to George Knowles, "some seventy five percent of Wiccans...
and Stewart Farrar
Stewart Farrar
Frank Stewart Farrar , who always went by the name of Stewart Farrar, was an English screenwriter, novelist and prominent figure in the Neopagan religion of Wicca, which he devoted much of his later life to propagating with the aid of his seventh wife, Janet Farrar, and then his friend Gavin Bone...
's Eight Sabbats for Witches and The Witches' Way, as well as the privately distributed version of what was later published as Ed Fitch
Ed Fitch
Edward "Ed" Fitch is an occult author and a High Priest of the Gardnerian Wicca tradition, and was a leading figure in the rise of contemporary Wicca and Neo-Paganism in America...
's Grimoire of the Shadows.
Georgian Wicca is therefore similar to Alexandrian and Gardnerian Wiccan practice, in that it is an initiatory line and oath-bound. Georgian Wicca, however, is not a recognized member of the BTW, as it lacks an important requirement - initiatory lineage back to one of the BTW covens in England. Therefore, it is considered BTW-derived.
Newsletter days
Beginning in 1976, Pat edited the "Georgian Newsletter", a chatty, informal correspondence that helped to build the community of Georgians and link them with one another. Following his death in 1984, the newsletter continued for a few years, and subsequently ceased publication. The newsletter contained bits of gossip, "Helpful Hints", book reviews, and the ever popular feature "Being a Witch is ... "Present day
Georgians are now worldwide and growing; many are in the Armed Forces, carrying the Tradition with them. Recently, there has been an upsurge in those interested in reconnecting with or learning about the Georgian Tradition.At present, there are known Georgian Covens in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, Washington and Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. There is also a current effort being made to reconnect members of the Tradition.
Fictional depictions
In S. M. StirlingS. M. Stirling
Stephen Michael Stirling is a French-born Canadian-American science fiction and fantasy author. Stirling is probably best known for his Draka series of alternate history novels and the more recent time travel/alternate history Nantucket series and Emberverse series.-Personal:Stirling was born on...
's Emberverse series, the Singing Moon Coven, which forms the basis of the Wiccan Clan MacKenzie, is described as:
an eclectic Georgian group who favor Celtic symbolism
A number of aspects of Georgian Wiccan derived practice are portrayed in the series.