Dianic Wicca
Dianic Wicca | |
---|---|
Type | Wicca |
Orientation | Feminist Wicca |
Theology | Goddess movement |
Governance | Woman-centered; led by priestesses or led by collective |
Region | United States |
Origin | 1970s United States |
Members | Around 1,000-2,000 |
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Dianic Wicca, also known as Dianic Witchcraft,
While there is more than one tradition known as Dianic,
The Dianic Wiccan belief and ritual structure is an
Beliefs and practices
Dianic Wiccans of the Budapest lineage worship the Goddess, who they see as containing all goddesses, from all cultures; she is seen as the source of all living things and containing all that is within her.[3]
While Diana does have a triple aspect, it is in Her aspect as Virgin Huntress that She guides Her daughters to wholeness. She is “virgin” in the ancient sense of “She Who Is Whole Unto Herself.” The ancient meaning of “virgin” described a woman who was unmarried, autonomous, belonging solely to herself. The original meaning of this word was not attached to a sexual act with a man. Diana/Artemis did not associate herself or consort with men, which is why these Goddesses are often understood to be lesbian.[4]
Dianic covens practice
Rituals can include reenacting religious and spiritual lore from a female-centered standpoint, celebrating the female body, and mourning society's abuses of women.
Differences from mainstream Wicca
Like other Wiccans, Dianics may form
When asked why "men and gods" are excluded from her rituals, Budapest stated:
It's the natural law, as women fare so fares the world, their children, and that's everybody. If you lift up the women you have lifted up humanity. Men have to learn to develop their own mysteries. Where is the order of Attis? Pan? Zagreus? Not only research it, but then popularize it as well as I have done. Where are the Dionysian rites? I think men are lazy in this aspect by not working this up for themselves. It's their own task, not ours.
— during a 2007 interview[9]
Sociological studies have shown that there is therapeutic value inherent in Dianic ritual. Healing rituals to overcome personal trauma and raise awareness about
Dianic Wicca developed from the
For other lesbian Dianics, as well as heterosexual and bisexual Dianics, excluding males from participation in ritual is not born from a rejection of males but rather an embracing of women’s unique biological rites of passage and how living in female body in a patriarchal world informs and effects our lives. Many women choose Dianic separatist ritual simply because of the joy, fun, pleasure, feeling of safety, and value which they derive from being in a exclusively female space with other like-minded women.[4]
History
Z Budapest's branch of Dianic Wicca began on the
- Traditions derived from Zsuzsanna Budapest - Female-only covens run by priestesses trained and initiated by Budapest.
- Independent Dianic witches - who may have been inspired by Budapest, her published work (such as The Holy Book of Women's Mysteries) or other woman's spirituality movements, and who emphasize independent study and self-initiation.
McFarland Dianic
McFarland Dianic is a Neopagan tradition of goddess worship founded by Morgan McFarland and Mark Roberts which, despite the shared name, has a different theology and structure than the women-only groups. In most cases, the McFarland Dianics accept male participants.[2] McFarland largely bases their tradition on the work of Robert Graves and his book The White Goddess. While some McFarland covens will initiate men, the leadership is limited to female priestesses. Like the women-only Dianic traditions, "McFarland Dianic covens espouse feminism as an all-important concept." They consider the decision whether to include or exclude males as "solely the choice of [a member coven's] individual High Priestess."[15]
Criticism for transphobia
Dianic Wicca has been criticised by elements in the
Talia Bettcher, a professor of philosophy at Cal State L.A., said this trans exclusionary stance is common — though not universal — among women like Budapest who were grounded in lesbian separatism, a political vision that originated in the ’70s. [...] The same defiance that made Budapest a feminist hero in the ’70s has made her a divisive figure for many modern witches today.[20]
See also
- Feminist theology
- Goddess movement – Modern revival of divine feminine or female-centered spirituality
- Gynocentrism – Dominant or exclusive focus on women in theory or practice
- Pachamama – Andean fertility goddess
- Shaktism – Goddess-centric sect of Hinduism
- Thealogy – The study and reflection upon the feminine divine from a feminist perspective
- Witchcraft (feminist)– Neopagan female-centered goddess tradition
References
- ^ 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"'
- ^ ISBN 0-8070-3237-9. Chapter 8: Women, Feminism, and the Craft".
- ^ ISBN 0-914728-67-9.
- ^ S2CID 23866787.
- JSTOR 3712524.
- ^ a b Smith, Brandy and Sharon Horne. "Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered (GLBT) Experiences with Earth-Spirited Faith." The Journal of Homosexuality, 52.3/4 (2007): 235-248.
- ^ Warwick, Lynda L. "Feminist Wicca: Paths to Empowerment." Women & Therapy 16.2-3 (1995): 121.
- ^ "Temple of Diana - The Tradition of Dianic Wicca". templeofdiana.org. Archived from the original on 2013-12-06.
- ^ a b Velkoborska, Kamila, Wicca in the USA: How a British-born Religion Became Americanized (PDF), Tomas Bata University, archived (PDF) from the original on 2012-04-25, retrieved 25 October 2011
- ^ Foltz, Tanic G. and Wendy Griffin. "Ethnographic Journeys of Self Discovery", Composing Ethnography: Alternative Forms of Qualitative Writing. (1996): 301–330.
- ^ Lozano, Wendy G. and Tanic G. Foltz. "An Ethnographic Study of Witchcraft and Death", Qualitative Sociology, Vol. 13, No. 13. (1990): 211–234.
- ^ Jacobs, Janet L. "The Effects of Ritual Healing on Female Victims of Abuse: A Study of Empowerment and Transformation". Sociological Analysis, 50.3 (1989): 265–279.
- ^ Jacobs, Janet L. "Women, Ritual, and Power". Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 11.2–3 (1990): 39–44.
- ^ ISBN 1-56023-315-X.
- ^ "The McFarland Dianics -- A Chronology - Spring Equinox, 2000". Archived from the original on 27 July 2011.
- ^ Scott (2020).
- ^ Thompson (2012), p. [page needed].
- ^ a b von Busack (2021).
- ^ Pitzl-Waters (2012).
- ^ Netburn (2021).
Works cited
- Netburn, Deborah (September 18, 2021). "This feminist witch introduced California to Goddess worship". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-01-08.
- Pitzl-Waters, Jason (February 23, 2012). "The PantheaCon Gender Conversation Continues". The Wild Hunt.
- Scott, Eric O. (June 13, 2020). "Editorial: The Pagan Imperative of Transgender Rights". The Wild Hunt. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
- Thompson, Sarah (2012). Gender and Transgender in Modern Paganism. Cupertino, CA: Circle of Cerridwen Press. ISBN 978-1105433788.
- von Busack (September 22, 2021). "Signal Booster: Z Budapest, Mother of California Goddess Worship". California Local. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
Further reading
- Barrett, Ruth. Women's Rites, Women's Mysteries: Intuitive Ritual Creation. Llewellyn Publications; 2007, ISBN 1-4184-8295-1.
- Eisler, Riane, The Chalice and the Blade.
- Mountainwater, Shekhinah, Ariadne's Thread.
- Ochshorn, Judith and ISBN 1-56024-722-3. pp 122 & 133 referring to Z Budapest and Shekinah Mountainwater, among others, in a discussion of Dianic Witchcraft.
- Pond, Gina, et al. Gender and Transgender in Modern Paganism. Circle of Cerridwen Press, 2012. ISBN 978-1-105-43378-8
- On Starhawk, the Reclaiming Tradition and feminism, M. Macha NightMare Archived 2019-03-11 at the Wayback Machine.
- Interview with ISBN 1-889307-10-6.