Universal Eclectic Wicca (UEW) is one of a number of distinctly American

Wicca Wicca () is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religion categorise it as both a new religious movement and as part of the occultist stream of Western esotericism. It was developed in England during the first half of the 20th century and was ...

n traditions which developed following the introduction of Gardnerian and

Alexandrian Wicca Alexandrian Wicca or Alexandrian Witchcraft is a tradition of the Neopagan religion of Wicca, founded by Alex Sanders (also known as "King of the Witches") who, with his wife Maxine Sanders, established the tradition in the United Kingdom in th ...

to the United States in the early 1960s. Its corporate body is the

Church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

of Universal Eclectic Wicca (CUEW) which is incorporated and based in

Great Falls, Virginia Great Falls is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2010 census was 15,427, an increase of 80.5% from the 2000 census. History Colonial farm settlements began to form in the area a ...

. It is particularly noted for its early

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

teaching

coven A coven () is a group or gathering of witches. The word "coven" (from Anglo-Norman ''covent, cuvent'', from Old French ''covent'', from Latin ''conventum'' = convention) remained largely unused in English until 1921 when Margaret Murray promote ...

– the Coven of the Far Flung Net (CFFN), and for its inclusive approach to

solitary Solitary is the state of being alone or in solitude. The term may refer to: * shortened form of solitary confinement * Solitary animal, an animal that does not live with others in its species * Solitary but social, a type of social organization in ...

as well as coven based practitioners.

History

Silver Chalice Wicca

What was to become UEW began, in 1969, as the core coven associated with the Silver Chalice Land Trust; an

intentional community An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork from the start. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, religious, ...

based in

Westchester, New York Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population o ...

. Silver Chalice had a diverse membership drawing from both

Dianic Dianic Wicca, also known as Dianic Witchcraft, and, to some also as "Dianism," "Dianic Feminist Witchcraft," or simply "Feminist Witchcraft"' is a modern pagan, goddess tradition, focused on female experience and empowerment. Leadership is by wo ...

and British Traditional Wiccan backgrounds. It was partly as a response to this diversity, as well as a perceived need for reform in Wicca, that their High Priestess, Jayne Tomas, began to create a body of liturgy for Silver Chalice Wicca as a distinct tradition. A defining text is the ''Ordains of Silver Chalice'', which may be seen as an attempt to refer to, and move away from, the ''Old Laws'' of

Gardnerian Wicca Gardnerian Wicca, or Gardnerian witchcraft, is a tradition in the neopagan religion of Wicca, whose members can trace initiatory descent from Gerald Gardner. The tradition is itself named after Gardner (1884–1964), a British civil servant ...

. Together with the ''Fifteen Creeds of Silver Chalice Wicca'' (1969) they emphasized modernism; democratic principles; historical, intellectual and personal integrity; race and gender equality; self-determination; and engagement with society.

Change of name

By 1986 the land held by the Silver Chalice Land Trust was sold, and all the covens that originated with Silver Chalice were referred to as Universal Eclectic Wicca. 'Universal' because "Wicca is universal because it can be used by all, and anything can be used in Wicca"; and 'Eclectic' because "UEW is based not on one or two sources, but an infinite number of sources".

On-line teaching covens

In 1997 UEW chartered the Coven of the Far Flung Net (CFFN), which began operating in January of the following year; and which it maintains was the first on-line teaching coven. UEW has two other on-line teaching groups, the Coven of Non-Fluffy Wicca (2006), which is aimed at more advanced students with some prior knowledge of Wicca, and Vircle, for Third Circle Studies.

Schisms

In 2004, following a reorganization of CFFN which abolished its then clan structure, one of the dissolved clans, Athames's Edge, re-established itself to form an independent Progressive Eclectic Wicca tradition. Later, in 2008, the first Australian UEW coven, Oak and Mistletoe, split away to establish the Inclusive Wicca tradition.

Core beliefs

UEW allows for diverse interpretations of Wiccan practice and belief; provided that a core set of ethical values are observed. These are commonly referred to as the ''Five Points of Wiccan Belief'' and the ''Affirmation of Acknowledgement''.

Five Points

The Five Points of Wiccan belief are the

Wiccan Rede The Wiccan Rede is a statement that provides the key moral system in the neopagan religion of Wicca and certain other related witchcraft-based faiths. A common form of the Rede is ''An ye harm none, do what ye will'' which was taken from a longe ...

, the

Law of Return The Law of Return ( he, חֹוק הַשְׁבוּת, ''ḥok ha-shvūt'') is an Israeli law, passed on 5 July 1950, which gives Jews, people with one or more Jewish grandparent, and their spouses the right to relocate to Israel and acquire Isra ...

, the Ethic of Self-Responsibility, the Ethic of Constant Improvement and the Ethic of Attunement.

Affirmation of Acknowledgement

In addition to the 'Five Points', UEW requires its members to assent to the ''Affirmation of Acknowledgement'', which is intended to inform behavior towards, and interaction with, those of other faiths. It states that:

Organization

Types of membership

There are five types of membership recognized in UEW:

Triad

The executive body of CUEW is the three-person Triad. The Triad is solely responsible for extending or withholding membership of CUEW to both individuals and groups. Each member of the Triad is responsible for the selection and training of their successor.

Council of Elders

The Triad is advised and assisted by a Council of Elders. Any Third Circle member may nominate themselves for membership of the Council of Elders. The Council of Elders annually elects one of their number as Chief Elder.

Association of Universal Eclectic Wicca Clergy

The Association of Universal Eclectic Wicca Clergy (AUEWC), is responsible for the ratification of Ordained Clergy. CUEW covens with eight or more.

References

{{WiccaandWitchcraft Wiccan traditions Religious organizations established in 1969 Wicca in the United States Wiccan organisations Modern pagan organizations established in the 1960s