Dianic Wicca

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A pentacle.
A pentacle.

Dianic Wicca, Dianism, Dianic Witchcraft, Dianic Feminist Witchcraft,[1] is a tradition of the Neopagan religion of Wicca. It was founded by Zsuzsanna Budapest in the United States in the 1970s. It is notable for its worship of a single Goddess and focus on non-egalitarian, matriarchal feminism. Dianism is named after the Roman goddess Diana, but Dianics worship the Goddess under a plethora of names. Dianism combines elements of British Traditional Wicca, Italian folk-magic as recorded by Charles Leland in Aradia, feminist values, folk magic, and healing practices Budapest learned from her mother.

It is most often practiced in female-only covens.[1]

Beliefs and practices

Dianic Wiccans of the Z Budapest lineage worship the Goddess. The Goddess is the source of all living things and contains all within Her. The Goddess is complete unto herself and through her all is birthed.

Dianic Wiccans as "positive path" practitioners do neither manipulative spellwork nor hexing because it goes against the Wiccan Rede. However, other Dianic witches (notably Z Budapest) do not consider hexing or binding of those who attack women to be wrong.

Differences from mainstream Wicca

Like other Wiccans, Dianics may form covens, attend festivals, celebrate the eight major Wiccan holidays, and gather on Esbats. They use many of the same altar tools, rituals, and vocabulary as other Wiccans. Dianics may also gather in less formal Circles.[2] The most noticeable difference between the two are that Dianic covens of Z Budapest lineage are composed of women. Some other Wiccan covens are composed of women and men, and worship the God and Goddess, while Dianics generally worship the Goddess as Whole Unto Herself.

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[2]

History

Dianic Wicca began on the Winter Solstice of 1971, when which Zsuzsanna Budapest led a ceremony in Hollywood, California. A hereditary witch, Budapest is frequently considered the mother of modern the Dianic Wiccan tradition. Dianic Wicca itself is named after the Roman goddess of the same name.[3]

Family tree

Traditions derived from Zsuzsanna Budapest:

  • Dianic Tradition/Dianic Wicca, a Feminist Goddess women's tradition of Wicca started by Zsuzsanna Budapest and her book, "The Holy Book of Women's Mysteries."
  • Dianic Witches, who may have been inspired by Z Budapest, or woman's spirituality movements, who emphasize self-initiation.

Other related traditions:

  • McFarland Dianic, a Neopagan Faerie Faith lineage tradition started by Morgan McFarland which accepts male members.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 River, Falcon (7 May 2004). "The Dianic Wiccan Tradition". The Witches Voice. Retrieved 23 May 2007. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Velkoborska, Kamila, Wicca in the USA: How a British-born Religion Became Americanized, Tomas Bata University, retrieved 25 October 2011 
  3. ↑ Oswald, Ramona Faith (2003). Lesbian rites: symbolic acts and the power of community. Bringhampton, New York: Harrington Park Press. pp. 15, 16, 17. ISBN 1-56023-315-X. 

Further reading

  • Interview with Starhawk in Modern Pagans: An Investigation of Contemporary Pagan Practices, ed. V. Vale and John Sulak, Re/Search, San Francisco, 2001, ISBN 1-889307-10-6.
  • Adler, Margot. Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today. Boston: Beacon press, 1979; 1986. ISBN 0-8070-3237-9. Especially "Ch 8: Women, Feminism , and the Craft".
  • Budapest, Zsuzsanna. Holy Book of Women's Mysteries, The. 1980 (2003 electronic). ISBN 0-914728-67-9.
  • On Starhawk, the Reclaiming Tradition and feminism, M. Macha NightMare.
  • Ochshorn, Judith and Cole, Ellen. Women's Spirituality, Women's Lives. Haworth Press 1995. ISBN 1-56024-722-3. pp 122 & 133 referring to Z Budapest, Diane Stein, and Shekinah Mountainwater among others in a discussion of Dianic Witchcraft.
  • Barrett, Ruth. Women's Rites, Women's Mysteries: Intuitive Ritual Creation. Llewellyn Publications; 2007, ISBN 0-7387-0924-7. Earlier publishing: Women's Rites, Women's Mysteries: Creating Ritual in the Dianic Wiccan Tradition. Authorhouse; 2004, ISBN 1-4184-8295-1.

External links

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