Alternative Religions...Page Eleven...

Alternative Religions, Con't...

Page Eleven...

Continue To Page Twelve...

Alex Sanders was initiated by Gardner and established the Alexandrians. Z. Budapest was also initiated into a Gardnerian group before she claimed to be a part of a Hungarian witch lineage, moved to Los Angeles and took Gardner’s Book of Shadows and revised it to be solely devoted to the Goddess and removed the God. She started women’s only covens called “Dianic” covens (which are not actually in agreement with mainstream Wicca as most believe the balance of God and Goddess and everything else is essential.) From this feminist view of Wicca came Starhawk who became more Gardnerian after moving up to San Francisco and modelling her own eco-feminist that also incorporated the faery tradition. Soon Wicca was opening up more and more to include even Solitary witches, those who practice alone (Christensen). As you can see, there was a lot happening on the religious front, that would be conducive to the reintroduction of witchcraft. From the law of correspondences so central to Swedenborgianism and Transcendentalism, the magical secrets and communing with spirits we see in Rosicrucianism and the power of mind over matter we see in Mesmerism and power of words we see in Christian Science, all these were not only influences on Wicca/Neo-paganism but helped clear the way for it.