Gardnerian Witchcraft is the ‘first’ modern tradition of the 1900’s. It is also by far one of the largest traditions of the Craft community today. The Gardnerian tradition is based upon the works and beginning leadership of Gerald Gardner. Gardnerian tradition has a deep basis in Ceremonial Magick concering much of the ritual practices used. Gardner himself was a good friend and student of Aliester Crowley who was one of the founding memebers of the Ordo Templi Orientis and wrote many books concerning Ceremonial Magick. The word ‘magick’ is actually first used by Crowley to distinguish between a circus act ‘magic’...and the serious pursuit of the path ‘magick’.
Gerald Brousseau Gardner was initiated into the New Forest Coven by Old Dorothy Clutterbuck in 1939. At this time no coven was open for scrutiny. All groups were secrect...out of habit and out of necessity. In England at the time the practice of Witchcraft was still illegal. Gardner always felt that the secrecy the Craft held to guard itself was becoming illogical...the Craft he felt was dying...he wrote High Magicks Aid in 1949 with the approval of his coven...but it was fiction. Gardner wanted more...but had been forbidden by Old Dorothy to bring the Craft out into the light of day. In 1951 with the death of Old Dorothy and the repeal of the Witchcraft Laws in England Gardner finally got the approval of his coven to do as he had wanted and publish a non fiction book on Witchcraft. His first book titled Witchcraft Today was published n 1959.
It is theorized that what Gardner put forth as Witchcraft was heavily influenced by his study with Aleister Crowley...and through his study of Ceremonial paths as the Golden Dawn and medevil texts like the Key of Solomon. Gardner was a memeber of the Ordo Templi Orientis, Crowleys Temple. It was Gardners belief that the Craft was dying...and to bring new life into the religion it must be ‘spiced up’ a bit. That there had to be something more than the pagan practices that were presently being upheld in most groups at the time. We do know he had the approval of his coven to publish his book. So it is my speculation that his thoughts on the additions were accepted...if not they would never have went in the book to begin with.
Many of the Rituals in the Book of Shadows has a Ceremonial slant to them...indeed...quite a bit of Gardnerian craft has the infulence of CM (ceremonial magick) ...the tools....the rituals...historically these things were not used in witchcraft...they were borrowed from CM. Doreen Valitnete...Gardners last High Priestess...helped Gardner combine the 2 texts of the Book of Shadows into the final third once which is in use today...and with her suggestion some of the ceremonial slant was taken out.
The main facts to discuss with any tradition are the structure (ie hierarchy), this would also include the degree system of the trad and the ritual structure. These two things, combined with the belief on diety are the core of the trad.
Gardnerain tradition uses the three degree system... 1st Degree is initiation into the Craft and into the coven. 2nd Degree, which confers the rank of High Priestess or High Priest is given when someone is competent to conduct rituals and to instruct first degrees. A second degree can hive off (the process that a growing coven employs to keep the level of people from growing to large in one group) with the approval of the mother covens High Priestess and High Priest. This new coven would remain under the guidance of the mother coven until the new HPS and HP would take their third degree. A 2nd degree, with the approval of the covens HPS and HP can initiate a person to the 1st or 2nd degree. The 3rd degree is the highest degree in Gardnerian trad. This degree confers the autonomy from the coven. As a third degree you answer only to yourself and the gods. Up to this point you still take guidance from your original HPS and HP. You can begin your own coven without approval from the HPS of your mother coven...and can initiate to all levels...again without approval. The 3rd degree is often given to couples who are working partners.
The High Priestess is the leader, with the High Priest as her partner...he acknowledges her primacy and supports and complements her leadership with the qualities of his own polarity. Leadership is required from him too, and in the kind of harmonious partnership that is needed to run a good coven they will find their own natural balance....A good HP will keep an eye on his partner for signs of overstrain, because the HPS’s job is a very demanding one, particularly in a growing coven. She is expected to be a combination of teacher, psychiatrist, nurse, mother-confessor, referee, scapegoat and reference librarian. She is expected to be omnisicient and tireless. New witches especially tend to put her on a pedestal, and to over react when they discover that she is human after all... Her HP should never allow all this to get out of hand. If she is tired he may suggest things, such as another training couple lead for that eve...or perhaps do a training class of his own. -A Witches Bible Complete ...Janet and Stewart Farrar
In many covens this is upheld to the fullest...but since the time of Gardner the role of the HPS and HP have varied slightly...although the HPS is still the final authority concerning things like banishment etc. the HPS and HP are of equal status. She is the leader with him as her consort.
A third function in most covens is the Maiden...she is a kind of assistant HPS...She is the right hand of the HPS...it is often her job to allot coven chorse such as cleaning the Temple, bringing the cakes etc. to coven memebers. This job is very important. It is necessary for the HPS to have someone to help her on ritual nights especially...since often there are people who wish to speak with her and the HP alone...so the Maiden takes care of alot of the administrative duties. My Maiden, Mystic Wolf, takes care of things like sending out the emails that you receive of rituals, notes etc. She also takes notes in our online class of questions etc...I couldn’t do this and type the information as well!
In some groups there is also a male counterpart of the Maiden called the Summoner. He is a courier for the HPS from one group to another...he is also the strong arm so to speak...at outdoor rituals he is the last in the circle...watching the activity to make sure any onlooker doesnt get out of hand.
The Gardnerian tradition is one of the most well know in the Craft community today with members uncountable due to hive-offs from Gardners original coven. There is no way to know how many Gardnerian witches there are in the world...but to be sure it is one of the largest traditions at present. We have Gardner to thank for the open ease of which so many of us now speak and live the Craft. If it had not been for his pioneering we may not have come as far as we have. May Aradia and Cernunnos bless his soul wherever it may be!