Faery Wicca

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Faery Wicca (or "Fairy Wicca") is an umbrella term that refers to any tradition of modern Wicca that focuses on the Fae (gnomes, elves, faeries, sprites, etc.), their lore, and their relation to the natural world. It may also refer to a specific tradition of modern Wicca, founded by author Kisma Stepanich.

Faery Wiccan traditions are strongly tied to nature, particularly seasonal changes and the solar and lunar calendar.^{[citation needed]} Adherents of Stepanich's Faery Wicca claim that it recovers the traditions of an ancient fairy race called the Tuatha De Danaan, the mythological precursors to the Celtic people;^[1] however, this is disputed by those familiar with ancient Celtic polytheism and mythology.^[2][3] Stepanich's Faery Wicca draws liberally on some degree of Irish mythology, from the author's interpretation of Celtic history, legend, pseudohistory, imagination, and a variety of non-Celtic sources.^[1][2]

Faery Wicca is not related to the late Victor Anderson's Feri Tradition of witchcraft, which is sometimes (confusingly) spelled Faery or Fairy, nor is it directly related to the gay men's group, the Radical Faeries. Though Faery Wicca may draw inspiration from some of the customs practiced among the ancient and modern Celts, it shares more with other modern Wiccan traditions than with the "Fairy Faith" as it is known in traditional Gaelic culture.^[3]