There are different 'schools' of Wicca and detailed below is a general outline for your guidance.
- Gardnerians
- Gerald Gardner is often termed the 'father of modern Witchcraft'. After the repeal of the Witchcraft Act in the 1950s, he was the first author and Witch to write about the Craft and to be relatively open about his involvement in it.
Gardnerian Witchcraft included a lot of formalised ritual and quite a lot of working on the astral or psychic plane. Gardnerian witches follow, quite strictly, the rituals and rites of Gerald's original Coven, and trace their descent, by initiation, from that Coven. To become a gardnerian Witch you have to be initiated by a Gardnerian or by one who is recognised by Gardnerian Witches.
- Alexandrians
- Alex Sanders came to prominence in the 1960's and 1970's when his flamboyant approach attracted a lot of public and media attention to the Craft, not all of it good!
Alexandrian Craft is less formal than Gardnerian. Its rituals can be adapted to suit people in many circumstances and in this way is a more open and free form religion. The three degrees of initiation is also practised here.
- Hereditaries
- Hereditary Witches are those whose craft is passed down through their family. The only way to become a Hereditary is to be born into a 'Witch family', to marry into one or to be 'adopted' as a Hereditary Witch. Most Hereditaries are quite secretive, so no one outside the family knows that they practise the Craft.
- Traditionals
- Another term for a traditional Witch is an Instinctual. These Witches are those whose learning and practice cannot be easily traced through either family or Coven practices. It is believed that The Instinctual Witch is one who has been reincarnated with the Craft knowledge from a previous life!
- Hedgewitches
- These witches follow a more nature based path and their rituals are often less formal than those of the Gardenarians and Alexandrians. Their magick is usually strongly connected to herbs and plants, and frequently takes place in the open or in the kitchen.
- Solitaries
- This is the term used for those who worship and practice alone, whether through choice or through circumstances. Solitaries may come from or follow any of the paths. A great many Witches start by being solitary, only joining a Coven when the right one comes along. Indeed most people who follow the Craft will find themselves working as a Solitary at some time in their practice.