Odyssean Wicca

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Odyssean Wicca is a Wiccan tradition created in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in the late 1970s. Its principle founders were Richard and Tamarra James. Most of its practitioners today live in Ontario, but it also has members in the United States^[1]. The tradition differs from other initiatory Wiccan traditions in its emphasis on preparation of its members for public priesthood.

The Odyssean tradition has often been conflated with the Wiccan Church of Canada, a public Wiccan church also founded by the James'^[2].

1 Origins and history
2 Practices
3 Ranks and degrees
4 Relationship with other traditions
5 External links
6 Notes and references

[edit] Origins and history

The Odyssean Tradition of Wicca was founded by Richard and Tamara James in 1979, along with other members of their coven. The name of the tradition was inspired by Homer's Odyssey, and is meant to emphasize a belief in life as a "spiritual journey"^[3].

The tradition grew out of the James' creation of the Wiccan Church of Canada, with which the tradition is still closely associated. While the Jameses and their coven members had backgrounds in Gardnerian Wicca, Alexandrian Wicca, and Continental Wicca, those traditions were not ideally suited for their goal of creating a place for public Neopagan worship, nor did any of these reflect the ritual style that the coven (and, by extension, the church) were adopting. The goal of public priesthood and the mix of traditional backgrounds formed the beginnings of the Odyssean tradition^[3].

The Odyssean tradition has been practiced by a number of covens, and as the tradition behind other Wiccan churches, as the tradition gained membership and its priesthood trained students and started new organizations.

In terms of membership, the Odyssean Tradition is smaller than comparable traditions, but has had a disproportionately large impact, due to its involvement with public rituals, classes, and prison ministry, especially in Toronto, Ontario, and Hamilton, Ontario. This involvement is often, but not exclusively, carried out through the Wiccan Church of Canada.

[edit] Practices

Beyond the emphasis on public ministry, the Odyssean tradition is characterized by having a less structured approach to ritual than many traditional Wiccans (while remaining more structured than Eclectic Wicca), and an emphasis on affiliating with a particular Pagan pantheon, encouraging devotion to a deity (or group of deities) instead of Neopagan duotheism or monotheism^[3].

The Odyssean training system is remarked upon as being notably rigorous^[3].

[edit] Ranks and degrees

Dedication is a ceremony performed by Odysseans for those individuals who wish to confirm themselves to a Neopagan (not necessarily Odyssean) path, and to worship of the Old Gods.

Neophyting is a "pre-degree" marking the candidate's commitment to a study of the tradition. Although not an Initiate of the tradition, a Neophyte student is oathbound. It is typically awarded after one to two years of study with a private teacher, which in turn takes place after completion of a year-long cycle of public classes.

First Degree Initiation is the rite of ordination within the Odyssean tradition. A first degree initiate is a priest or priestess and a member of the tradition. Among Odysseans, this is only awarded with the consent of a council composed of members of the tradition's active priesthood. It typically takes three to five years of study after Neophyting. It indicates competency in the demands of public priesthood, including "leading ritual, teaching, counselling [and] handling crises."^[3].

Second Degree Initiation represents an elevation to "High Priesthood". It is given to those who, in addition to work assigned, have been running a coven or student group successfully for at least a year and trained at least one student through to the first degree level. The time required for elevation to this degree is variable, and many first degree initiates do not actively pursue further training, but for those who do it generally takes five to ten years after initiation.

Third Degree Initiation is rarely awarded, as it is only given to those people who have made a major contribution to the Neopagan community^[3].

[edit] Relationship with other traditions

As mentioned above, Odyssean Wicca was inspired at least in part by the Gardnerian, Alexandrian, and Continental traditions.

Blue Star Wicca has a special relationship to the Odyssean tradition, as a "sister" or "cousin" tradition^[3]^[4]. Odysseans have an increased amount of exposure to other traditions through the multi-denominational Wiccan Church of Canada.