Phoebe Halliwell (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sensethevisions) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2007-07-19 07:47 am
sensethevisions) wrote in fandomhigh2007-07-19 07:47 am
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History Of Witchcraft II [Week Two : Thursday, Period 4, Danger Shop]
Class was once again being held in the Danger Shop. There was atable set up with drinks and snacks and Phoebe was sitting on her desk. She was smiling, but she also looked a little pensive.
"Okay, for class today, we're going to do two things. First of all, we're going to start talking about modern day witchcraft. Second of all, I'm going to give you an assignment for next class. I'll explain more about that in a few minutes."
She looked around the room. "After the horror of the witch trials and the Burning Times, most witches went underground into hiding for fear of being prosecuted or killed because of their faith and practice. many different religious and spiritual paths cropped up to hide Witchcraft. One of the ones we are going to start talking about today is the practice of Wicca."
"In theory, most people think that Wicca is just another name for Witchcraft and use the two terms interchangeably. They are not the same." Phoebe wrinkled her nose at this. "The history of Wicca is much debated. Gerald Gardner claimed that the religion was a survival of matriarchal Pagan religions of pre-historic Europe, taught to him by a woman known either as "Dafo" or "Old Dorothy". Doreen Valiente identified these as a single person, Dorothy Clutterbuck. However modern researchers such as Philip Heselton have theorised that Dafo and Clutterbuck were two separate individuals. It has been posited by authors such as Aidan Kelly and Francis X. King that Gardner himself invented it, rewriting the rituals of an older witchcraft tradition according to his own whim, and incorporating elements from the thesis of Dr. Margaret Murray, sources such as Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches by Charles Godfrey Leland and practices of ceremonial magic. While Clutterbuck certainly existed, Ronald Hutton concluded that there was no evidence for her involvement in Gardner's Craft activities. Heselton, citing more recent evidence, concludes that she probably was involved, and that while Gardner may have been mistaken about the ancient origins of the religion, his statements about it were largely made in good faith. Gardner's account is as follows: After retiring from adventuring around the globe, Gardner encountered Clutterbuck and her New Forest coven in the region, and was initiated into the coven in 1939, where he stayed for years until England's witchcraft laws were repealed, and claims of "supernatural" powers were no longer legally considered fraud. At this point, and later claiming to fear that the Craft would die out, he worked on his book Witchcraft Today, releasing it in 1954, followed by The Meaning of Witchcraft in 1960. It is from these books that much of modern Wicca is derived."
She shook her head. "Keep in mind, that just because it has been written in a book that you can buy in stores, that doesn't mean that it is accurate."
She smiled a little bit. "As you can imagine, there is much that can be debated about Wicca and the way is is used in some ways to try to portray modern witchcraft."
She shook her head. "Okay, homework assignment for next week." She looked at everyone. "I want you to think about two questions. Do you believe in a Higher power and why? What do you think the relationship between that Higher power and those of us down here is... or should be?"
"Okay, for class today, we're going to do two things. First of all, we're going to start talking about modern day witchcraft. Second of all, I'm going to give you an assignment for next class. I'll explain more about that in a few minutes."
She looked around the room. "After the horror of the witch trials and the Burning Times, most witches went underground into hiding for fear of being prosecuted or killed because of their faith and practice. many different religious and spiritual paths cropped up to hide Witchcraft. One of the ones we are going to start talking about today is the practice of Wicca."
"In theory, most people think that Wicca is just another name for Witchcraft and use the two terms interchangeably. They are not the same." Phoebe wrinkled her nose at this. "The history of Wicca is much debated. Gerald Gardner claimed that the religion was a survival of matriarchal Pagan religions of pre-historic Europe, taught to him by a woman known either as "Dafo" or "Old Dorothy". Doreen Valiente identified these as a single person, Dorothy Clutterbuck. However modern researchers such as Philip Heselton have theorised that Dafo and Clutterbuck were two separate individuals. It has been posited by authors such as Aidan Kelly and Francis X. King that Gardner himself invented it, rewriting the rituals of an older witchcraft tradition according to his own whim, and incorporating elements from the thesis of Dr. Margaret Murray, sources such as Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches by Charles Godfrey Leland and practices of ceremonial magic. While Clutterbuck certainly existed, Ronald Hutton concluded that there was no evidence for her involvement in Gardner's Craft activities. Heselton, citing more recent evidence, concludes that she probably was involved, and that while Gardner may have been mistaken about the ancient origins of the religion, his statements about it were largely made in good faith. Gardner's account is as follows: After retiring from adventuring around the globe, Gardner encountered Clutterbuck and her New Forest coven in the region, and was initiated into the coven in 1939, where he stayed for years until England's witchcraft laws were repealed, and claims of "supernatural" powers were no longer legally considered fraud. At this point, and later claiming to fear that the Craft would die out, he worked on his book Witchcraft Today, releasing it in 1954, followed by The Meaning of Witchcraft in 1960. It is from these books that much of modern Wicca is derived."
She shook her head. "Keep in mind, that just because it has been written in a book that you can buy in stores, that doesn't mean that it is accurate."
She smiled a little bit. "As you can imagine, there is much that can be debated about Wicca and the way is is used in some ways to try to portray modern witchcraft."
She shook her head. "Okay, homework assignment for next week." She looked at everyone. "I want you to think about two questions. Do you believe in a Higher power and why? What do you think the relationship between that Higher power and those of us down here is... or should be?"
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And yes, she might also want to meet Savannah to see if she was good enough for her nephew. Old habits die hard.
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"Uh... sure."
Ask About The Homework Assignment
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Well, at least she hadn't sworn in front of a full-fledged faculty member. Had to give her points for that one.
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"In fact, you should do it in class so I can see."
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OOC
And I am so sleepy...
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*eyes you* I swear I was just having a conversation about this stuff last night OMG YOU ARE SPYING ON MY BRAIN.
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