Search results
Aug 29, 2023 · Alexandrian Wicca, founded by Alex Sanders in the 1960s, follows a more flexible structure compared to Gardnerian Wicca. While still respecting certain traditional elements, Alexandrian covens are often led by high priests or priestesses who maintain a more democratic approach to decision-making.
- Origins of Alexandrian Wicca
- Influences from Gardner
- Who Was Alex Sanders?
- Maxine Sanders Today
Formed by Alex Sanders and his wife Maxine, Alexandrian Wicca is very similar to the Gardnerian tradition. Although Sanders claimed to have been initiated into witchcraft in the early 1930s, he was also a member of a Gardnerian coven before breaking off to start his own tradition in the 1960s. Alexandrian Wicca is typically a blend of ceremonial ma...
Similar to the Gardnerian tradition, Alexandrian covens initiate members into a degree system. Some begin training at a neophyte level, and then advance to First Degree. In other covens, a new initiateis automatically given the title of First Degree, as a priest or priestess of the tradition. Typically, initiations are performed in a cross-gender s...
A Witchvox article by an author listed only as an Elder of the Alexandrian Tradition says, "Alex was flamboyant and, among other things, a born showman. He played the press at every opportunity, much to the dismay of more conservative Wiccan Elders of the time. Alex also was known for being a healer, diviner, and a powerful Witch and magician. His ...
Today, Maxine Sanders has retired from the work that she and her husband spent much of their lives on, and practices alone. However, she still makes herself available for occasional consultations. From Maxine's webpage, "Today, Maxine practices the Art Magical and celebrates the Craft’s rituals either in the mountains or in her stone cottage, Bron ...
- Patti Wigington
Alexandrian Wicca is similar in many ways to Gardnerian Wicca, and receives regular mention in books on Wicca as one of the religion's most widely recognised traditions.
- Alexandrian Wicca. The Alexandrian Tradition was created by Alex Sanders and his wife Maxine, who were members of the Gardnerian Tradition and initiated into one of its covens in the early 1960s.
- Dianic Wicca. Dianic Wicca differs significantly from the older traditions it grew out of. Originating in the United States as opposed to the UK, this is a feminist tradition, with a cosmology that focuses solely on the supremacy of the Goddess, rather than emphasizing the gender polarity of the Gardnerian concept of deity.
- Seax-Wicca. Seax-Wica was also founded in the U.S. in the 1970s, by a British-born witch named Raymond Buckland. Buckland had been a High Priest in the Gardnerian Tradition and started the first Gardnerian coven after moving to New York in the early 1960s.
- Norse Wicca. A relatively new path within the Wiccan community, Norse Wicca is infused with the beliefs, practices, and deities of the ancient Norse traditions of Scandinavia.
In several older traditions, such as Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca, initiates can advance through two additional degrees, reflecting the influence of Freemasonry’s three-degree system. Being initiated into a tradition connects the newcomer to that tradition’s lineage—something that certain Wiccans place great importance on.
- Ethan Doyle White
Aug 14, 2012 · Although similiar to Gardnerian Wicca, Alexandrian Wicca tends to be more eclectic, and liberal. Some of Gardnerisms strict rules, such as the requirement of ritual nudity, have been made optional by Alexandrian Wicca. Mary Nesnick, an American initiate in Gardnerian and Alexandrian traditions founded a ‘new’ tradition called Algard.
The Alexandrian Wiccan tradition was among the first offshoots of Gardnerian Wicca. Started by Alex and Maxine Sanders in the 1960s, Alexandrian Wicca has a lot of similarities to the original Gardnerian tradition. Both are initiatory practices that emphasize the polarity between masculine and feminine energies.
