The Founder of Gardnerian Witchcraft

Gerald Brosseau Gardner  (1884-1964)

Who was Gerald Gardner?       

• Gerald Gardner is often referred to as the 'Father of Modern Witchcraft'. Following the repeal of the last of the Witchcraft Laws in the early 1950's, he published his classic book Witchcraft Today, which really brought the 'Witch Cult', as he often called it, into the public domain.

In 1952, along with his wife Donna, he moved to the Isle of Man to become the 'resident Witch' at Cecil Williamson's Museum of Witchcraft. Ultimately, the museum became Gardner's after he purchased it from Cecil in 1954.

Gerald Gardner launched Wicca shortly after the end of World War II, and went public with his coven following the repeal of England’s Witchcraft Laws in the early 1950s. There is a good deal of debate within the Wiccan community about whether the Gardnerian path is the only “true” Wiccan tradition, but the point remains that it was certainly the first. Gardnerian covens require initiation, and work on a degree system. Much of their information is initiatory and oathbound, which means it can never be shared with those outside the coven.

Gardner was an educated folklorist and occultist, and claimed to have been initiated himself into a coven of New Forest witches by a woman named Dorothy Clutterbuck. When England repealed the last of its witchcraft laws in 1951, Gardner went public with his coven, much to the consternation of many other witches in England. His active courting of publicity led to a rift between him and Valiente, who had been one of his High Priestesses. Gardner formed a series of covens throughout England prior to his death in 1964.

Also known as *The Father of the Gardnerian Path*

Magic in the hand~

The curious image is most often referred to as the all seeing eye or "eye of providence." The eye, usually depicted in the sky looking out upon the earth, is an ancient symbol of the sun, and historically has been used as a symbol of omniscience. The idea of the solar eye comes to us from the egyptians, who equated the eye with the deity Osiris; the human eye in its ability to perceive light was viewed as a miniature sun.

The use of the eye emblem to represent God was quite common in the Renaissance; often, the eye would be enclosed within a triangle representing the triune godhead. Such an emblem can be found in numerous examples of Christian art.

This emblem was eventually adopted by Freemasons as a symbol for the Great Architect.

A version of this symbol, elaborate onto the capstone of a pyramid (perhaps in a nod the symbol's origins in Egypt) forms part of the Seal of the United States, accompanied by the slogan, Annuit Coeptis , "It (Providence) has favored our undertakings."

Eye surrounded by angels

Related Symbols:

Aerosmith - Pink




Green Day - Boulevard of Broken Dreams




The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil(Neptunes RMX)




I've had such a *GREAT* week, so I feel like
being a little devilish on the weekend.
To ALL of my Blog friends,
~Have a *Wicked* weekend~



Remember, *We* are  *many*. hehehehe

Karajan - Beethoven Symphony No. 9 : Part 1