Featured Academic Review
'Fifty Years of Wicca' by Frederic Lamond © 2004 Green Magic ISBN 0-9547230-1-5. 136 pages, plus bibliography and contacts.
For anyone seeking to investigate the history of Wicca, this is crucial reading. A short book, it is divided into three parts: Lamond's own story; an overview of Wiccan successes and failures over the past fifty years; and finally suggestions for how Wicca might be shaped in the future.
Its initial value lies in its use as a primary source - Lamond was initiated into Gerald Gardner's coven only a few weeks before Doreen Valiente and others left it. He remained and continued to practice Wica in that coven as initially directed by Gardner, long after Gardner's death. He was ideally placed to witness the defining moments in Wiccan history during the past fifty years, adding his testimony to those of Patricia Crowther, Doreen Valiente, Lois Bourne and others of his Gardnerian generation. Sometimes clarifying controversial episodes recounted by others and embellished over the years; sometimes candid, but always clearly presented. As a major personality within Wicca, this book also contextualizes his position, which will be beneficial to the historian on matters of interpretation. He also knew, or at least met a couple of times, just about every other influential person upon the Wiccan landscape during the past half a century.
Lamond also takes the time to address issues where he has been previously cited as the source, notably in the work of Aidan Kelly who quoted Lamond as saying that Gardner had invented Wica. Lamond recalls the conversation and highlights where he was misquoted, thus removing his own credibility to the body of Kelly's evidence. (pp 64-66) He believes that, though Gardner and Valiente did create much of the original Book of Shadows, refining this over time, and that much of this was lifted from the Golden Dawn, Rosicrucian Fellow of Crotana and the Freemasonry movements, there was a tradition there. He is fully supportive of the work undertaken by Ronald Hutton and Philip Heselton and places Gardner's presentation within the spiritual context of the time. (pp 11-13)
The latter two sections bring the reader face to face with a rarity in the Wiccan bibliography - an opinion regarding the mysticism or theology of Wicca which goes well beyond the 'dummies guide' or '101' books generally filling bookshelves. His unique perspective on these matters provide true depths and certainly gave this reader pause to consider some of the practical arguments with, if applied, could make sense of some of the more bizarre elements of ritual. Often by pointing out where Gardner copied them from in the first place, or providing the reasoning behind things which should never been passed on as doctrine without such explanation.
An excellent example of this is in his description of allocating the circle's quarters. Until now, it has almost been dogma, except for lone voices (which have reassured not explained) that air = east, fire = south, water = west and earth = north. Lamond explains that these shouldn't be so linked, because the first task of raising a circle is to locate the nearest source of these elements. A local hill may be visible, that should link earth to that direction; if a drop of water was spilt in the circle, where would it then run, into which body of water? Discern that and pin water to that direction; where is the sun? If it is night-time, then where would the sun be at midday from your position? That is fire; and finally, air is all around, so will fit into the final, unallocated direction. There is the elemental circle. Lamond speculates that whomever first wrote these down for mass consumption lived in either Wales or the South-West of Britain, from whence the elements would naturally suit the generally prescribed allocations. (p 108-109) There is much more like this within the few pages of this book.
An easily read, engaging narrative, this book would suit historians, theologists and those with a sociological interest in religion. It should also be essential reading for Wiccans of all degrees.
Reviewer: Mab
If you would like to join in on a discussion about this book, please go to the forum here: Fifty Years of Wicca