YOU DO NOT have to be born on Halloween to be a Witch. You do not have to have a five-pointed star in the lines of your hand to be a Witch. You do not have to be the seventh child of a seventh child to be a Witch. Nor do you have to wear strange robes, or be naked,wear lots and lots of jewelry, or paint your fingernails black to be a Witch. Witches are ordinary people who have found the right religion for themselves. They worship the Old Gods—the God of Life and Death; the Goddess of Nature and Fertility—celebrating the seasons and practicing the ancient arts of healing, magick, and divination.
Witchcraft, or Wicca, is an ancient religion and practice that predates Christianity. It is not anti-Christian (or anti anything) but simply non-Christian. For centuries, due to the Christian persecution, it had to operate in hiding, “underground.” Over so many repressed generations, the Craft almost died out, but it did manage to struggle on, in isolated areas, through to the twentieth century. Midway through that century, the last laws against Witchcraft were finally repealed and any survivors were once again free to come out into the open. Few, however, took that chance.
One man—Dr. Gerald Brousseau Gardner—did take the chance. He had stumbled upon the Old Religion late in his life and was so delighted to find (a) that it was still alive, and (b) that it was not the negative, anti-everything it had been painted to be, that he wanted to run out and tell the world about it. It was, however, several years after first becoming a Witch that he was finally able to publish his findings.
Gardner was, almost single-handedly, responsible for the resurgence of interest in the Old Religion; certainly in establishing it as a viable alternative to the established creeds. I am happy to say that I was able to play a small part in that renaissance myself, by extending Gardner’s teachings to the shores of the United States. Today,Wicca is practiced around the world.
Wicca is free-flowing in its form, with no central governing authority and with a wide variety of denominations, or “traditions.”Most of those traditions have their roots in what Gardner first presented in the 1950s. The form of the rituals, the tools used, the celebration of the Sabbats; in most traditions these all follow the general format revealed by Gardner.
Suddenly, by the 1970s and early 1980s, there were large numbers of books being published about Wicca. As with most things, some were good and some not so good. Some contained factual, worthwhile material that could be of real use to those seeking the path. Others presented a mishmash of folklore, magic, and superstition that did nothing but cloud the issues. Practicing Witches began to show themselves, but they could not be “conjured up” whenever someone wanted to meet with them. This was especially frustrating to those who, discovering the truth about Wicca, wanted to become a part of the movement.
In the mid-1980s I presented this current work. I felt that there was a very real need for some good, basic, “foundation material.” By that I mean material on which anyone wanting the Craft could build, either as a Solitary Witch or in starting a coven. My aim was to present all the basic essentials, yet in enough depth and substance to allow the founding of something lasting. Insofar as most traditions follow Gardnerian lines, so do the rites in this book. Yet they are not, in fact, Gardnerian rituals. Neither are they Saxon rituals—or Celtic,Norse,Welsh, or any other specific type. They are very deliberately nonsectarian. They were written specifically for this book alone, and they were written as a guide; to show how it is done. It was my hope that readers/seekers would use these rituals to get the feel of the Old Religion, then adapt them to suit their individual needs. For religious needs are individual . . . here is a field where there should be no compromise. In relation to deity, the individual needs to feel totally comfortable.
Over the many years since this work first appeared, it has been extremely well received, completely fulfilling my hopes for it. It has become the introduction to Wicca for numerous (now, for generations of) seekers. Apparently it has even become known (affectionately, I am told!) as “Uncle Bucky’s Big Blue Book,” or just “Big Blue.”Why, then, a new edition?
This is not new in that it has lots of new, and different, material. That would not be fair to those who have already purchased the book, and worked with it. No, it is simply a new, and I think more pleasant, layout. There are some more photographs and illustrations; an extended, more up-to-date, recommended reading list; and a slight rearrangement of material (for example, the examination questions are now immediately following the lessons to which they pertain; an arrangement I had originally hoped for).
One of the drawbacks of trying to include contacts, in a book such as this, is that names and addresses get out of date. For this reason, in the section dealing with the variety of traditions, I have dropped such particulars. In today’s computer-based world, there is a plethora of information about Wiccan groups available on the Internet. Many covens, and even individuals, now have websites. These can be found through the various search engines. A word of caution, however. Just because someone has a website, and is giving out information, do not automatically assume that it is “gospel.” Published books are still, to my mind, the best source for accurate, verified information on the Craft. But even there, not everything you read is infallible. You will still have to read a lot, and then decide what is right for you. Do not ever be coerced into doing, or accepting, something that seems wrong to you. Today, especially, there are enough possibilities for contacting Wiccan groups that you do not have to accept the very first one you find.
Wicca is based on a teaching of love for all life. Keep this in mind; in fact, make it your ideal. I know, from the feedback I have received, over many years, that this book can help set you on the right path. I hope you will read it, study it, and enjoy it.
In love and light
Raymond Bucklan
Ohio, 2002
Acknowledgements
I would be remiss if I did not thank Llewellyn Publications for refurbishing this book. A large part of those thanks must go to Kimberly Nightingale, a truly dedicated editor, art coordinator Hollie Kilroy, and proofreader Tom Bilstad. You have all helped breathe new life into Big Blue. A sincere thank-you!