From: lib1p@jane.uh.edu (Tammy Stark Blandino)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Re: Documented Evidence
Date: 4 Jan 1993 21:10 CST
Organization: University of Houston
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: jane.uh.edu
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    

In article <C0AzAn.MD5@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, ba@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu (B.A. Davis-Howe) writes...
>lib1p@elroy.uh.edu (Tammy Stark Blandino) writes:
> 
>>In article <C07KIM.LwE@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, ba@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu (B.A. Davis-Howe) writes...
>>> 
>>>George Papp makes some interesting comments about oral tradition and evidence.
>>> 
>>>I, personally, am perfectly willing to accept oral tradition from someone who
>>>doesn't seem to be working straight out of Gardner's BoS.  However, both 
>>>Fam-Trads I know are incredibly unlike modern Wicca.  (They are also incredibly
>>>unlike each other, as the two people who I know, and who know each other, will
>>>agree.)  One is a tradition of some simple folk magic and some talents for 
>>>Healing.  The other is more a tradition of mysticism than magic, though every
>>>generation has had its share of magical practitioners.  *Neither* of them are
>>>religions, and both are unwritten.  I acknowledge that this sort of Fam-Trad
>>>exists, but I've seen no evidence of Wicca, or an ancestor religion of Wicca,
>>>existing before Gardner.  If anyone has some, I'd love to hear more about it.
>>> 
> 
>>I started not to reply to this thread and I did say that I wouldn't, but I
>>noticed something earlier and my big mouth just won't let me stay shut up..:)
> 
>>The way it seems to be comming out is that only Gardenarian Wicca is 
>>"Witchcraft" and only it is a witch religion.  Fam Trads are not because of
>>the fact that they are not Gardenerian, but only folk magic.  Therefore
>>you have no documented evidence of Wicca existing before Gardener.
> 
>>Does everyone else see the circle that I do?
> 
>Well, I certainly am NOT Gardnerian, but it is the oldest source I can trace.
>Because of that seniority, I refer back to it a lot.  As for the distinction
>between folk-magic and religion, I do think that it is meaningful.  I am
>responding to people's claims that there has been a structured initiatory
>religion kept hidden during the Burning Times.  What my two Fam-Trad friends
>have inherited is neither initiatory, or a religion.  Neither one is ritual
>based.  If I can find anything that isn't obviously Gardnerian that is a
>religion, I will be thrilled.  Does this still seem to be a circle?
> 
>Enjoy the journey!
>                      --Br'anArthur
>                                      Queer, Peculiar, and Wyrd! :-)
> 
>******************************************************************************
>"We are secretly replacing the fine quartz crystals this medicine pouch maker
>usually uses with Folgers crystals.  Let's see what happens...."
>                                      --DACCrowell


Bran,

Please forgive me, I was not following you up.  I thought about this on a
previous post and started to follow up, but declined and went on reading
posts.  When you replied also, I thought I would stick it in there.  Perhaps
I should have made it a seperate post.

Asking forgiveness,
Tammy


Newsgroups: alt.pagan,talk.religion.misc,alt.atheism,alt.slack