Dianic Wicca

Dianic Wicca
Symbol of the Goddess with the pentacle
TypeWicca
OrientationFeminist Wicca
TheologyGoddess movement
GovernanceWoman-centered; led by priestesses or led by collective
RegionUnited States
Origin1970s
United States
MembersAround 1,000–2,000

Dianic Wicca, also known as Dianic Witchcraft,[1] is a modern pagan goddess tradition focused on female experience and empowerment. Leadership is by women, who may be ordained as priestesses, or in less formal groups that function as collectives.[2][3] While some adherents identify as Wiccan, it differs from most traditions of Wicca in that only goddesses are honored (whereas most Wiccan traditions honor both female and male deities).[2][3]

While there is more than one tradition known as Dianic,[2] the most widely known is the female-only variety,[1] with the most prominent tradition thereof founded by Zsuzsanna Budapest in the United States in the 1970s.[3][2] It is notable for its worship of a single, monotheistic Great Goddess (with all other goddesses—of all cultures worldwide—seen as "aspects" of this goddess) and a focus on egalitarian matriarchy. While the tradition is named after the Roman goddess Diana, Dianics worship goddesses from many cultures, within the Dianic Wiccan ritual framework.[3] Diana, (considered correlate to the Greek Artemis) "is seen as representing a central mythic theme of woman-identified cosmology. She is the protector of women and of the wild, untamed spirit of nature."[4]

The Dianic Wiccan belief and ritual structure is an eclectic combination of elements from British Traditional Wicca, Italian folk-magic as recorded by Charles Leland in Aradia, New Age beliefs, and folk magic and healing practices from a variety of different cultures.[3][2]

  1. ^ a b River, Falcon (7 May 2004). "The Dianic Wiccan Tradition". The Witches Voice. Archived from the original on 11 November 2005. Retrieved 23 May 2007. and, to some also as "Dianism," "Dianic Feminist Witchcraft," or simply "Feminist Witchcraft"'
  2. ^ a b c d e Adler, Margot (2006) [1979]. "Chapter 8. Women, Feminism, and the Craft". Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today (Reprint rev. and expand. ed.). New York: Penguin/Arcana. ISBN 0-14-019536-X. | at Archive.org
  3. ^ a b c d e Budapest, Zsuzsanna. Holy Book of Women's Mysteries, The. 1980 (2003 electronic). ISBN 0-914728-67-9.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Barrett was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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