Wicca in History
Wiccans have been persecuted throughout the ages, as well as thousands of innocent people. The Salem Witch Trials were arguably the most well-known trials concerning witchcraft. So many innocent people died due to fear of the unknown. And why the dreadful fear of witchery? Power. People are afraid of someone having power over their lives. Yet witchcraft is not a religion based on power, nor does it try to seize control over or turn other people.
Witches and accused witches were persecuted for hundreds of years, until, in 1951, the law in England was rewritten because of a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald B. Gardner. While employed as a civil servant, he decided to declare his religious preference – Witchcraft. He demonstrated a ritual to the Parliament and explained the nature of his worship so they would realise that his religion was not about demons, destruction and sacrifice. Wicca was portrayed in its nature: the peaceful worship of the Goddess and the Horned God, equality in all living things. The Parliament declared Witchcraft a legal religion. In 1953, Gerald B. Gardner petitioned his right to coven, and that right was also declared legal.
