Part I: Types of Traditional Witches

Part II: Traditions of Witchcraft

Part III: Neo-Pagan (New Age) Movements

Witchcraft is a way of life for individuals, not the masses,
and there's no point in you coming toward the Craft
if you are a wimp,a follower, a coward, or a fool,
as sorcery is both a practice and a priesthood,
and it is not a garment that can be discarded when the going gets tough. 

~ Ly de Angeles  ~

Types of Traditional Witches

Augury Witch: Similar to a shaman in practice, the augury witch will help to direct those on a spiritual quest by interpreting the signs and symbols the traveler encounters. The term derives from the official Roman augurs, whose function was not to foretell the future but to discover whether or not the gods approved of a proposed course of action by interpreting signs or omen such as the appearance of animals sacred to the gods. It is important to note that augury witches are not "fortune tellers", as their gifts are of prophecy and not divination. In the context of prophecy, in his Scottish play Shakespeare's witches appear as augury witches.

Ceremonial Witch: Witches who combines both the practices of witchcraft and ceremonial magick, though they are more spiritually centered than most ceremonial magickians. Ceremonial witches are very exacting in the performance of ritual and their rituals are usually followed by the book, to the letter and with much ceremony. They may use a combination of various mystical disciplines drawn from the Old Ways, but will often incorporate scientific approaches such as sacred mathematics and quantum mysticism as well.  They will call upon a ecclectic band of spiritual entities, leaning towards archetypal figures representative of the energies they wish to manifest.

Cosmic Witch (Star Witch): Comic or Star witches are contemporary witches whouse planetary and celestial energy in their practice. They study and feel a personal and spiritual connection with not only the main planets in our solar system, but with asteroids, meteors, supernovas, stars, constellations, galaxies, and black holes. Cosmic witches pay particular attention to astrology, horoscopes, and zodiac signs. Cosmic witches are focused on how celestial energy influences the inner self, but also the world.

Cyber Witch (Techno Witch): The idea of an “internet or computer witch” is an interesting concept. In magick circles “cybermancy” (also called technomancy) is magick based upon technology and it has become an accepted magickal practice and therefore a legitimate arena for witches to enter into. Granted, a “cyber witch” may not sound like a type of traditional witchery, but it is intrinsically no different a concept than a kitchen witch or an elemental witch and if your computer is your kitchen and the internet your element then you may be a cyber witch. (read more: Cyber (Techo) Witch)

Eclectic Witch: An individual approach in which the witch picks and chooses from many different traditions and creates a personalized form of witchcraft that meets their individual needs and abilities. They do not follow a particular religion or tradition, but study and learn from many different systems and use what works best for them.  (read more: Eclectic Witch)

Elemental Witch: A witch who practices by honoring/acknowledging the 4 or all 5 elements: Water, Earth, Air, Fire, and Spirit. Commonly an Elementalist will dedicate different areas of their altars to each element, call upon them during spells and rituals, and use symbols to represent each. (read more: Elemental Witch)

Faery (Fairy/Fey) Witch: A Faery Witch is an eclectic witch who seeks to commune with faery folk and nature spirits in their magick workings. They have no organization or tradition and it has developed of its own accord through common practice.  When a faery witch needs help or guidance they may call on a specific kind of fairy to help them. Fairies are also said to be big helpers in leaving signs and symbols but also can cause chaos and upset if they are angered. Fairies are quite powerful and easily offended, hence why many books will tell you to leave offerings a lot to keep the fey from playing pranks or causing chaos in the home. (Not to be confused with the Neo-Pagan 'Feri Wiccan Movement' )

Folk Witch: A traditional folk witch typically practices the folk magic of his or her ancestors or of the people in the nearby geographic area. Those who practice traditional folk magic, are knowledgeable about the spirits of land and place in their area, as well as customs and folklore of their region. Common traditions of folf magic include the Appalachian 'Granny' Tradition and Pow-Wow Tradition of American Witchcraft.  

Green (Garden) Witch: A practitioner of of witchcraft whose focus is on the use of natural items and places. The goal of the Green Witch is upon achieving magick through communion with Mother Nature and using Her energies. A Green witch is very similar to a Kitchen/Cottage witch (see below) with the exception that the Green witch practices in the fields and forest in order to be closer to the Divine spirit. The Green witch makes his or her own tools from accessible materials from outdoors.  A Green or Garden Witch, that works primarily with floral materials and flowers in their practice is often called a Flora Witch and one who works with herbs and other plants a Herbal Witch. 

Hearth (Kitchen/Cottage) Witch: A practitioner of witchcraft who uses the tools at hand to work their spells and create their rituals and who deals with the practical sides of religion, magick and the Elements of the Earth. Some who hear the term “Kitchen Witch” may think it is a magickal art confined only to the kitchen or cooking, but it is much more. It is about the finding of the sacred in everyday tasks, no matter how mundane they may appear to be. An increasingly popular type of witchcraft, it is about working with the energies of nature to make the hearth and home a secure and sacred place. (read more: Beginning Kitchen Witch: An Introduction)

Hedge Witch: Hedgecraft is a path that is somewhat shamanic in nature, as they are practitioners of an Earth-based spirituality. These are the ones who engage in spirit flight and journey into the Otherworld. They can, in this capacity, be very powerful midwives and healers. A bird of one kind or another is usually associated with the Hedge Witch, most commonly the raven and the goose. The term “hedge” signified the boundary of the village and represents the boundary that exists between this world and the spiritual realm. (read more: Hedge Witch Forest)

Hereditary Witch: Also known as a Family Tradition Witch, it is someone who has been taught "The Old Ways " as a tradition passed down through the generations of their family. Though you may be born into a family with the tradition, you can not be born a witch, a conscious decision and acceptance of “The Craft” is necessary to become a witch. Many witches claim to be hereditary witches when in fact, they are not. You must be brought up in a family of witches to be a hereditary witch.

Secular Witch: One who practices a secular or non-theist approach to the Craft, not connecting with deities in their rituals and magick. Secular witches believe the energy used in their magick comes from the Earth and natural world and they will use tools like plants and herbs,  crystals and stones, or other things that they do not worship as deities.

Solitary Witch (Solitaire): One who practices alone, without a family or group and without following any particular tradition. Sometimes they are among that class of natural witches whose skills have been developed in previous lifetimes. There is a legend among witches that when an individual soul has practiced "the Craft" over a period of several lifetimes, the knowledge is reawakened upon reaching puberty.

Water Witch: Water witches are traditional witches with a magickal bond with water and  the weather. They find a calling with inland creeks, rivers, lakes and with the oceans and seas, though it is rare for them to limit themselves to any one type of water (fresh or sea) or one specific body of water. They generally align with all states of water, including rain, fog, snow and ice. (triple point of water). Some may work at a sacred water site such as a holy well , while others may work with hot springs and/or sacred bathing spots. Water is considered a feminine force and the water witch may align with a Goddess or other feminine image, like King Arthur's Lady of the Lake. On the more practicle side, many water witches are often called upon to find hidden sources of water through dowsing and other methods (dowsing itself is often refered to as water witching) or calling on the weather for rain.

• Some modern day water witches refer to themselves as Sea Witches to express their affinity for the sea and the sea shore. However in ancient mythology a Sea Witch (Sea Hag) was a malevolent magickal being known for tempting mermaids to give up their immortality and for luring sailors to their doom.

Additional Common Terminology

Bruja: (Brujería is the Spanish-language word for "witchcraft". People of both sexes can practice; men are called brujo, women are called bruja.) The word bruja or brujo is used to apply to someone practicing low magic, or even sorcery, within a Hispanic and/or Native American cultural context. A contemporary practitioner of Witchcraft or other Neopagan religion might not be considered a ​bruja, but the classic old wise woman on the edge of town who offers hexes and charms may be one. The practice of Brujeria, which is a form of folk magic, usually involves charms, love spells, curses, hexes, and divination. Many practices are rooted in a syncretic blend of folklore, traditional herbalism, and Catholicism. (Despite Brujería inheriting traits from Catholicism, there has been a long history of the Catholic Church demonizing Brujería, referring to it as "evil, Satanism", or the "workings of the devil". ) In general "bruja" is considered a negative term and a malevolent image often associated with shape shifting demons.

Christian Witch (full article): Many people in the Pagan community were raised in a religion that wasn't Paganism, and sometimes, it can be a challenge to set aside the beliefs with which you were raised. Occasionally, however, you'll encounter people who didn't set their beliefs aside at all, but have found a way to blend their Christian upbringing with Wicca or some other Pagan path that they've discovered later in life. So, that begs the question, what about that whole "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" (Exodus 22:18) thing that appears in the Bible?  … 

So, if you go strictly by the very definition of the words, one could not be a Christian Wiccan any more than one could be a Hindu Muslim or a Jewish Mormon. There are Christians who practice witchcraft within a Christian framework, but this is not Wicca. Do keep in mind that there are people who declare themselves to be Christian Wiccans, or even ChristoPagans, honoring Jesus and Mary as god and goddess together. It's generally rude to argue with how people self-identify, but if you go by actual semantics, it seems that one would rule out the other. (Patti Wigington 2018)

Satanic Witch: A pernicious epithet used by those who wish to demonize those practicing witchcraft. Satanic worshippers are not witches. Traditional Witches do not worship Satan as this is a Christian concept not recognized in traditional pagan beliefs. Accordingly, the labels of “white witch” and “black witch , (popularly meaning a “good witch” as one who practices “white magick” and a “wicked witch” as one who practices “black magick”),  are also misnomers as Traditional Witches practice a “natural magick” drawing on the forces of Nature and they refrain from attempting to manifest any form of black magick and the drawing down of negative or demonic energies.

"The major misconception about Witchcraft today is that Witches worship Satan, which is just not so. We do not believe in Satan. That is a Christian creation. We don’t worship evil. Indeed, to give evil a name is not a real intelligent thing to do, because then you give it power."

  ~ Silver Ravenwolf ~

Warlock:: In common, but incorrect usage, the definition of a warlock is said to be “a male version of a witch”. However there is much debate about the usage of the word among witches and male practitioners of the Traditional Craft, many of whom find the term offensive and prefer to be known simply as witches, never referring to themselves as warlocks. The most common etymology of the word can possibly be traced back to the old English or Scottish word "waerloka" which many centuries ago had the meaning "oath breaker" or even "traitor". In which case, the term oath breaker may have been applied to witches as they had 'broken their oaths' with the Christian church, by becoming witches. Conversely though, the word "waerlak" meant "honor bound" and exactly which word became associated with witchcraft is a matter of speculation. Today some wiccans will use the term "warlocking" to refer to the excommunication of someone from their group or "coven".

Witches are the kind of more traditional, home and family, craft people,
so they're the ones who are making things; crocheting shawls and things like that.
But then they also have that slightly confident, dangerous, edge.

 ~Deborah Harkness~ 

Traditions of Witchcraft

African Tradition(s): Different African tribes refer to witchcraft differently. Generally in African traditions there are generally three classifications of practitioners who use magick... The “Thakathi” (often improperly translated into English as "witch" and almost exclusively female) are practitioners who operates in secret to curse others.  The “Sangoma” (usually female) who is a diviner, akin to a fortune-teller, often predicting or advising on a person's future, or identifying the guilty party in a crime.  And the “Inyanga”, (usually translated as "witch doctor" and almost exclusively male), whose job is to heal illness and injury through herbalism and naturopathy and to provide believers with magical items for everyday use. 

• Vodoun (or the anglicized Voodoo): A tradition practiced in the Caribbean and the southern US which combines elements of Roman Catholic ritual with traditional African magickal and religious rites, and characterized by sorcery and spirit possession.

Appalachian 'Granny' Tradition:  An American Witchcraft tradition. The tradition of Appalachain Folk Magick dates back to the first settlers of the Appalachian Mountains who came to the United States from Scotland and Ireland in the 1700's and who brought with them their "Old World" magickal traditions. Those traditions were then blended with the local tradition of the Cherokee Tribes into a combination of local herbal folk remedies and charms, faith healing, storytelling and magick. The 'Granny' Witches will often call themselves 'Doctor Witches' or 'Water Witches' depending upon whether they are more gifted in healing and midwifery, or if they are more in tune with dowsing for water, lay lines and energy vortexes. This tradition is termed 'Granny' from the prominent role played by older women in the mountain communities. 

Asian Tradition(s): In Japan, the Shinto religion is itself a shamanistic religion and thus the Japanese do not attach negative connotations to witchcraft. The word "witch" is actually used with positive connotation in the Japanese language as a female with high skills or fame. Asian witchcraft generally centers on the relationship between the witch and the animal spirits or familiars and in Japanese witchcraft, witches are commonly separated into two categories: those who employ snakes as familiars and those who employ foxes; the Fox Witch being the most commonly seen witch in Japan. In China, witches employs books, staffs, and other implements, similar to the western traditions of witchcraft and the witches are often accompanied by familiars in the form of rabbits, which are universally associated with the Moon, with fertility and with the Goddess. The witches of China are notable for their  extensive knowledge of the occult properties of plants and herbs, as well as for clairvoyance and the study of astrology.

Australian Aboriginal Tradition: Aboriginal female elders were labeled by Christian missionaries as "witches" or, if men, as "witchdoctors"and these missionaries saw the traditional female practice of "love magick" or yilpinji as "witchcraft". Yilpinji is achieved through a creative integration of myth, song, gesture and art against a background of country. Yilpinji, love magick, is invariably based in the empowering link with the homeland shared by everyone in Aboriginal culture. 

Baltic Tradition: (Estonia/Latvia/Lithuania) Pagan and folk religions are thriving across the Baltic states. The old pagan religions are more or less continued today, but it often has influences from the more shamanistic elements of paganism. For many Baltic people the traditional customs and songs at the seasonal festivals are just part of the fabric of everyday life. In modern Latvia and Lithuania, the word ragana literally means “witch” and( not in the most positive sense of that word!). According to Lithuanian folklore, witches fly off to hilltops to rendezvous with Ragana , (the first witch), on her holy night, the Winter Solstice. Ragana in Lithuanian means the Seeing, (“the one who watches”). Ragana  can predict the future from the signs and omens that can be observed. Ragana is not a doer, she is "The Watcher".  Baltic Witches are  primarily Augury Witches (see: “Types of Traditional Witches”) who are similar to shamans. They are not "fortune tellers", as their gifts are of prophecy and not divination . 

British Tradition: (Not to be confused with 'British Traditional Wicca')  Traditional British Crafters generally practice a solitary form of witchcraft and each traditional witch draws on an eclectic mix of beliefs and rituals from the myths and religions of the various pre-Roman and pre-Christian tribes and cultures of the British Isles. The culture of the ancient British determines the cultural context of the tradition. British Traditional Witchcraft is drawn from the "energy" of "The Homeland” and its people. So, there are often differences between the practices of those witches from Welsh or Scottish regions for example, but also many similarities such as the common belief in the "magick" of the British forests and woodlands. Over time though it has begun to evolve into a much more regimented system and some in the traditional craft have become less solitary and started coming together in groups with the Wiccan covens structured initiation and degree process. Though continuing to insist on being "Traditional" and not "Wicca" by adopting its structure they are in realty becoming Wiccan in practice if not in name.

Celtic (Irish) Tradition: The Irish Tradition is really many traditions under the general heading of "Celtic" and Celtic paths are some of the more popular traditional witchcraft traditions. Most are very eclectic and hold to the ancient Celtic myths, divinities, magickand rituals. They are practitioners of the Elements, the Ancient Ones and of Nature. They are usually physical and spiritual healers who work with plants, stones, flowers, trees, the fauns and the faires. 

Cornish Tradition: The traditional magick of Cornish Witches commonly includes the work of the making and provision of magickal charms, simple rituals and magickal gestures with muttered incantations, the healing of disease and injury and divination. (see below: Cunning Folk)

Cunning Folk Tradition: The term "cunning man" or "cunning woman" was most widely used in southern England, the Midlands and in Wales. Such people were also frequently known as "wizards", "wise men" or "wise women" or "conjurers". In Cornwall they were sometimes referred to as "pellars", which originated from the term "expellers", referring to the practice of expelling evil spirits. Folklorists often used the term "white witch", though this was not used amongst the ordinary folk as the term "witch" had an evil connotation. The relationship between cunning-craft and witchcraft is controversial. The original cunning folk were often times witch hunters; seeking out and condemning an individual as a witch responsible for some evil or affliction and then performing curses against the supposed offender. Today “Cornish Tradition Witches” are often mistakenly referred to as cunning folk. 

Familial (Hereditary) Tradition:  There are people in the pagan community who claim “born witch” status because of some ancestral link to an individual who was accused of witchcraft.  There are certainly hereditary traditions of witchcraft, but by “hereditary” it doesn’t mean that the practices are biologically inherited. These are typically small, familial traditions (Fam Trads), in which beliefs and practices are handed down from one generation to the next, and outsiders are rarely included.  

Hecatine (Scottish) Tradition: A tradition in The Craft that comes from a Scottish origin which preserves the unique rituals of the Scots. Drawing on the same cultural influences of Pictish Witchcraft they differ in that Pictish is a more solitary practice. A fairly secretive tradition, not much is known of their rituals by outsiders. In Wicca the Caledonii Movement mirrors much of the same practices and the two are often confused.

Hellenistic (Greek) Tradition: A Greek witch is called a pharmakis (herb woman), from which we have pharmacist and pharmacology. Their basic tradition is working with herbs, medicines and potions. In the Homeric version of Witchcraft it was not an exclusively female thing, so Greek witches are both male and female. Many Greek tradition witches work with Hecate the ancient Greek goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy. (Hecate’s most sacred familiar is the dog.) Many Greek  witches identify with  Medea, who in Greek mythology was an enchantress of divine descent with the gift of prophecy. Medea was an outright witch and used ointments and potions to both poison and heal. On the dark side, the modern perception of Greek witchcraft is that witchcraft is malevolent with its practitioners intentionally causing harm to others, with the evil eye. But, it is also quite right to associate modern pharmacology and healing with Hellenistic witchcraft.

Hoodoo Tradition: (not to be confused with Voodoo) An American Witchcraft tradition. A  folk magic tradition of the Gullah People of the South Carolina Lowcountry which draws from the African-American spirituality that developed from a number of West African spiritual traditions and beliefs. Created by enslaved Africans in the New World these religious practices were practiced in secret away from white slave owners. Following  the Great Migration, Hoodoo practice spread throughout the United States and in many areas is considered an offshoot of Appalachian Mountain Magic. Regional synonyms for Hoodoo witchcraft include conjuration and/or rootwork.

Nordic Tradition (Seiðr): A type of traditional witchcraft practiced in Norse and Germanic tribal societies which flourished during the Northern European  Iron Age.  In Norse mythology it is associated with both the god Oðinn and the goddess Freyja.  "Seiður" is the Icelandic word which is used to describe their magick rituals. The female practitioners were called "vísendakona", or woman of science, and the men were called "seið-menn", or the men of magick ritual.  Seiður was a shamanic ceremony, involving altered states of consciousness and cross-dimensional journeys, wherein sorcerers would gain secret knowledge and accumulate great power which was handed to them by the gods themselves. Most of the symbols and spells appear to be for the use of simple problems in life, from catching a thief, to overthrowing an enemy. Others help heal livestock, whilst others look at cursing the animals of another. There are charms to help preserve food and ale, staves to bless the bearer with strength or courage, or symbols to help with fishing or prevent death by drowning. Many of the Nordic female witches are Augury Witches (see above) and are referred to as a Völva ("wand carrier" or "carrier of a magick staff"), who practice meditation or introspection for the purpose of clairvoyance and divination.

Pictish (Scottish) Tradition: Originally from Scotland, it is a "solitary witch" form of "The Craft". Pictish Witchcraft attunes itself to all aspects of nature; animal, vegetable, and mineral and it is more magickal in nature and practice than it is religious. Pictish witches are solitary and rarely, if ever, do they work in groups or covens

Pow-Wow Tradition: (Pennsylvania Dutch Tradition) An American Witchcraft tradition. Taken from the Alonquin word “pauwau",  which means literally "vision seeker", its principles encompass shamanic like rituals of healing through visions and the application of traditional medicines, which are often accompanied by prayers, incantations, songs, and dances. The word pauwau (pow-wow) was came to be used for Native American ceremonies and councils because of the important role played by the pauwau in both. The Pow Wow Tradition places great significance on the vision seeker as the nexus of  group (coven) activites and rituals. Though some claim that the Pow-Wow Tradition is German in origin, but seems to be more of an amalgamation of local Native American traditions with those traditions of the Dutch immigrants of pagan heritage who settled in the Pennsylvania region of the United States.

Slavic (Russian) Tradition: In traditional Slavic witchcraft, (Rodnovery), the power of magick is considered a realistic part of life without any link to the devil or demonology. It is believed anybody can learn witchcraft with the proper teaching and that teaching often comes in the form of riddles that the initiate must solve. The Slavic witch often possesses the ability to astral travel and can quite easily fall in and out of trance states. Slavic witches observe three canons during their rituals; nudity, silence and not looking back after the working’s conclusion. Russia is considered the birth place of Traditional Shamanism and Slavic Witchcraft draws heavily on this influence.

Stregheria (Italian) Tradition:  Stregheria (an archaic Italian word for "witchcraft") is sometimes referred to as "La Vecchia Religione" (the old religion). These witches are called Streghe (plural), with the title Strega (for a female) and Stregone (for a male). They follow a tradition that is based on the appreciation of wisdom and beauty. Stregheria is not a singular tradition, but instead a collection of practices that have descended from the native traditions of the Italian/Sicilian regions. It is said by some to be based on the teachings of a 14th century woman named Aradia, but, this does not mean that witchcraft in Italy began in the 14th century. The tradition taught by Aradia was a revival of the Old Ways of the folk religions of the ancient Etruscans and Romans during a time of  persecution of the peasants of Italy by the Catholic nobility. To many modern Stregherian Witches most Catholic saints are simply ancient pagan gods dressed in Christian garb and the majority of  Stregherians have removed these saints Catholic veneer and restored them to their pagan deity heritage.

Teutonic (Germanic) Tradition:: From ancient times the Teutons have been recognized as a group of people who speak the Germanic group of languages. Culturally, this includes the English, Dutch, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish peoples. A Teutonic Witch finds inspiration in the differing traditional myths and legends and in the Gods and Goddesses of  “The Homeland” where each individual dialect originated. A German Teutonic Witch might differ from the Nordic Tradition, for example, in that they may not focus on manifesting prophetic power like the witches of Scandinavia.

Welsh Tradition: Originating in Wales, Welsh witches believe themselves to be one of the oldest traditions. It is sometimes said to be confined to certain families and members of the family become "awakened" to their calling and pass through 9 levels of attainment. It is theorhetically hereditary, but you can "be adopted" into the tradition.

 

Feri Movement: A modern movement that was begun in the 1940’s by Victor Anderson and originally called the 'Vicia Tradition'.  It has its own theology with its own Gods, known as the Star Goddess, the Divine Twins and the Blue God. It utilizes ecstatic sexual practices which seek to raise and use “Feri energy” which is seen as a specific power that is passed between members of the movement. This movement is often confused as being Wiccan and while Feri members make no claims to a Wiccan lineage, a case could be made that Wicca is a child of the Feri Movement.

Humanistic Movement: Adhering to an ideal of “Religious Humanism”, Humanistic practitioners follow a Nature-centered path, as contrasted with a deity-centered path. Humanistic practitioners tend to be atheistic or non-theistic and they define their approach to their interpretation of the Craft through the direct existential experience of the Natural world and not through the intervention of any Gods or Goddesses as they seek direct attunement with the power of Nature.

New Reformed Orthodox Order of the Golden Dawn: An American denomination founded by researcher Aiden Kelly of the Covenant of the Goddess, drawing its foundation on the Victorian era Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.  It was established 1967 as a poetic theater arts project for San Francisco State College, and has developed into a fully acknowledged religion by 1976. It has an emphasis on poetry, individual intuition, and experiential ritual. 

Quantum Mysticism: A term that has been used to describe the attempt to interconnect mystical views to quantum mechanics and its scientific interpretations. Quantum physicists attempt to explain how all dimensions of life and reality consists of "quanta", of "energy" as the vibratory nature of atomic particles in. Mystics attempt to explain how everything in the Universe, in all dimensions of life and reality consists of "prana", of "Qi (or Chi) energy" as the vibratory nature of reality. Quantun Mysticism, viewing the two concepts as harmonious and not contradictory, seeks to establish that both paths lead to the same destination. 

Wiccan Movement: Wicca is not"Witchcraft". Witccraft and Wicca are two separate and distinct paths.  Though many Wiccans often incorrectly refer to themselves as whereas, traditional practitioners will never call themselves Wiccan, but will refer to themselves as being a witch, a heathen or they will use another label altogether.

Wicca as a modern organized religion (or some say cult) was developed around 1954 by Gerald Gardner.  Wicca, as created by Gardner, is a concoction of ancient Western European  folk traditions, mixed with ancient Egyptian and Kabbalistic mysticism. The general public, (and many Wiccans themselves), are under the mistaken belief that Wicca has been brewing up over the millennia in some witch's cauldron rather than it being a mid-20th Century “concoction”. However, historically speaking, there is no evidence of the usage of the word "wicca"prior to 1920 when it first appeared in ‘An Encyclopedia of Occultism’ compiled by Lewis Spence. The word was later usurped by Gardner as a label for his Wiccan Movement and he erroneously claimed “wicca” to be a synonym for the word witchcraft.

Although initially Wicca was based more in magickal pursuits, it has since evolved into more of a New Age religious movement centered around a hegemony of priests and priestesses who administer rites and practices based on a doctrinal system of beliefs (a Wiccan Rede), and with a shifting ethics base within each seperate group or “coven". To be of  Wicca you must swear an oath of allegiance and secrecy  to the coven in a structured ritual initiation.  In short, if no Wiccan priest or priestess with proper initiation themselves puts you through the process, you are not Wiccan. This stands in complete contrast to Witchcraft's tradition of self-awakening and self-empowering in the craft. A Traditional Witch does not swear an oath to another human and is bound only by personal allegiance to their own moral codes and ethics.

• Alexandrian Wicca: A modified Gardnerian system founded in the 1960's. More eclectic in practice, in most ways the Alexandrian Movement is very close to Gardnerian with a few minor changes. As with the Gardnerian, it is not considered to be "Old Religion" by traditional witches.
• Blue Star Wicca: The "Coven of the Blue Star" was begun in 1975 by Frank Dufner. The original coven described itself as practicing "Great American Nontraditional Collective Eclectic Wicca".  Which is confusing as eclectic practitioners do not adhere to any particular code and rarely are part of any group or coven. Although modeled from Gardnerian Traditions, some members reject the term Wicca and refer to their movement as Witchcraft. This sect also uses initiation and a degree system, which is Wiccan and Traditional Witchcraft
• British Traditional Wicca (BTW): An umbrella term used to describe the Wiccan Movement as it is established in Britain, the most prominent of which are Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca. Most British Wiccans practice a modern neo-pagan religion, more in line with the new age, humanist movement. Most BTW coveners consider the term Wicca to be rightfully exclusive to BTW coven members.  They do not recognize anyone as a Wiccan that has not been initiated in a BTW lineage coven.
• Caledonii Wicca: A Scottish/Pictish Wiccan sect that mirrors the Hecatine Tradition of Witchcraft. (Hecatine Tradition)
• Christian Wicca:  (Trinitarian Wicca) A religious movement which purports to follow the principals of both Wicca and Christianity. Wicca is an earth-based religion in which its followers worship nature in all of its aspects: both feminine and masculine, (the God and the Goddess), in the tradtion of the ancient pagan religion. Christianity teaches that accepting Jesus Christ is the only path to spiritual redemption, as set forth in the Bible. It is fair then to say that the two philosophies are vastly at odds and Christian Wicca is much more a Christian Evngelical movement than a Wiccan sect.
• Correllian (Nativist) Tradition : Said to be one of the most widespread Wiccan Traditions in existence today, though that depends on who you talk to. It was founded in the early 20th century by American Caroline High Correll who was head of the church until her death in the 1940s. She claimed to come from a line of hereditary witches, and was a psychic, spiritual healer, and herbalist. The Correllian tradition is a pagan path that predates Wicca and borrows on Native American practices and Aradian witchcraft, as well as practices of the Spiritualist Church. Correllian Wicca was not incorporated as Wicca until the 1990s, and some feel this would not be in keeping with her wishes.
• Covenant of the Goddess:  A cross-traditional Wiccan group of solitary Wiccan practitioners and over one hundred affiliated covens (or congregations). It was founded in 1975 in order to increase co-operation among Wiccans and to secure for witches and covens the legal protection enjoyed by members of other religions. Member covens generally focus theology and ritual on the Gradnerian established general practice within Wicca.
• Dianic Wicca:  Sometimes referred to as a modern Cult of Diana, this is the most feminist Wiccan movement. It is a mixture of different paths, though its primary focus is the Goddess who is worshiped in her three aspects of Maiden, Mother and Crone.  As a reflection of a "divine feminine tradition", its covens are mostly for women only. (see: Arcadian Wicca) To an outside observer, Dianic Wicca may appear as a single movement, but actually it is an intertwined group of practices that have influenced each other. Most Dianic Wiccans worship the Goddesses exclusively. An offshoot of Dianic Wicca, "Arcadian Wicca", was begun in the 1950's and unlike most Dianic groups, this movement allows both male and female members and it accords equal status to the divine masculine along with the divine feminine. It centers around the worship of the Horned God of Greece's Arcadian Mountains. 
• Dynion Mwyn Coven:   (also called: 'Y Tylwyth Teg') A modern Welsh movement that was originally created in 1967 in the United States and which was the basis of  a legally incorporated church of Georgia state in 1977. This tradition is said by its adherents to be derived from Welsh and Pictish and Druidic religious practices.
• Eclectic Wicca: There are 2 differing ideas of Eclectic Wicca. The first as an American Wiccan movement which developed following the introduction of Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca to the United States in the early 1960s that was incorporated under the banner of  "The Church of Universal Eclectic Wicca".  This established church borrows elements from several Wiccan movements which some say is a "make it up as you go along" approach to Wicca.  Secondly, 'Eclectic Wicca'  as a label, may be better viewed as a term applied to practitioners that don't fit into any established Wiccan movement. An individual may be creating his or her own tradition of beliefs and practices and because their system can't be labeled as something else, it can be said to be eclectic. Or one might be a solitary, practicing what he or she has learned from available sources on Wicca and so his or her Wiccan practice would be considered eclectic. Though in such examples the practitioner would but not be part of an initiatory nor oath bound lineage, which are primary foundations of  Wicca. So Eclectic Wiccans are in practice more like traditional eclectic witches than they are adherents of the Wiccan Rede of an established group or coven
  
• Gadnerian Wicca:  These are the followers of the original Wicca as founded by Gerald Gardner in 1954. According to Gardner's manifesto; the Wiccan practice has a fairly dogmatic set of elaborate ceremonies and rituals which are overseen by his own initiated lineage of priests and priestesses. Wicca was created during the time of a'neo-pagan spiritual revival' movement which sprang up in Europe in the 1950s and this new religion, (which was probably based on the earlier Feri Movement of the 1940's), has never had credibility amongst traditional witches who see it as promoting the idea of 'weekend witchcraft' and not fostering a true dedication to the Craft. Some people also speculate that the general public’s misconception that witches hold their ceremonies in the nude is directly traceable to Gadrnerian Wicca. Gardner was the owner of the Five Acres Nudist Club in Herefordshire, England and his nudist camp became a mecca for those who wanted to come to “dance skyclad under the Moon”which gives credence to the idea that Wicca was a marketing gimmick for Gardner’s business that took on a life of its own. Today Gardner has come to be remembered by many as a fraud and a huckster who stumbled into the neo-pagan revival at the right moment. 
  
• Georgian Wicca: The name "Georgian" refers to George Patterson, who founded the tradition in 1970 in the United States. It is normally taught from male to female and female to male in a coven by persons who have been initiated and elevated to the priesthood according to the rites and rituals of the tradition, although members are said to be encouraged to learn and study through all resourses available. It incorporates both Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca Traditions and although it is a God and Goddess system, it leans strongly toward the Goddess. 
• Hellenic Wicca: (Hellenism) A movement in Wicca in which the practicer follows Greek ideals/culture and honors the Greek pantheon. Followers of the Hellenic path worship their Gods and make offerings in exchange for the favour of their Gods. Aphrodite for example may be petitioned in matters of the heart or offerings made be made to Dionysus to ask for a good wine harvest.
• Seax-Wicca: (Saxon Wicca) Founded by Raymond Buckland in 1973 and it is loosely based upon Saxon Paganism. Seax Wica does not require initiation or membership into a coven or lineaged group. Members may self-dedicate themselves to the path and they are encouraged to add to or modify the rituals and practices of the tradition as needed. Germanic deities and runes play a significant part in the practice.
• Witta: Said to have been "created" by author Eden McCoy in 1992, Witta is basically Wicca simplified. The most important belief in Witta is that a Witch (Wittan) must connect and work with nature. This leads to a belief that rituals and covens are secondary to one's love for and connection with nature. It has a similarity to traditional Irish witchcraft and because of Witta's more "solitary" tones it, (or rather McCoy herself), has become controversial among some Wiccans.