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Group structure of Wicca and witchcraft
Varies from group to group. Wiccans and witches are either solo practitioners {solitaires} or belong to a coven. Some Wiccans and witches do both.
Solo practitioners {solitaires} are individuals. There are numerous reasons as to why there are solo practitioners but the three most common ones are:
-The solo practitioner does not have local access to a coven or a group of Wiccans or witches.
-The solo practitioner is in a situation where that their religious affiliation, were it to become
publicly known, would suffer from persecution.
-The solo practitioner wishes to exercise either complete or more free will than some covens
practice. For example:
-Some covens require that all magical rites are practiced sky-clad {naked}.
-Some covens require that to be called a witch, a person must go through rigorous, strict,
and long-term training.
-Some covens do not allow men to be practitioners.
Covens - many number 13, a magical and non-evil number in Wicca and witchcraft because of the relationship to the Moon {13 moons per year}. Most covens have at least one high priestess. Some covens have a high priest(s).
Is the focus within Wicca and witchcraft on the individual or the group?
Both, actually, dependent on the situation and/or if the "group" is a coven or a solo practitioner.
At the same time, there is a deeply personal aspect to Wicca and witchcraft. Because there often is no formal priesthood within Wicca and witchcraft {and even when there is}, practitioners are able to "talk" to and/or intercede with the Goddess directly. This places both a distinctly individual and "free will" focus on and atmosphere around the practitioner.
History of Wicca
Introduction
"Officially", Wicca was founded in the late 1950s in England by Gerald Gardner. But, there probably has never been any time in European society when there hasn't been some kind of interest or fashionable following about magic, the occult, or witchcraft. Much of it, sadly, was negative - the worst period being the Burning Times of the witch hysteria.
The 18th century saw an upsurge in the belief that EVERYTHING could be explained logically and fitted neatly into some kind of scientific slot. And so, things like fairies, superstition, ghosts, occult, prehistoric stone circles {ie, Stonehenge}, medieval alchemy - things that could be construed as related to witchcraft - came under scientific scrutiny.
The only real scientific winner in this was medieval alchemy - it became the basis of today's modern chemistry.
Another partial scientific winner was archeology. A desire to explain ancient ruins helped towards the understanding of the who, why, what, where, and how of ancient and prehistoric peoples - which in many ways has matured considerably during the 20th century [so now it is a winner]. Archeological research helped spark an interest in Druidism {via the stone circles and monuments of Britain and Europe - even though they turned out NOT to be Druidic}, Egypt, and Kabbalism {Jewish religious thought}.
By the turn of the 19th century, mediums became a prevailing fashion. Mediums became famous in both Europe and the United States and stayed that way throughout the whole of the century. Nevertheless, the mediums of the 19th century were a mixed lot - many were outright frauds but just as many were genuine - and this reputation has stayed with mediums right
through to today.
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