The earliest use of Wicca

We want to run a competition: just for fun, but with a serious purpose. The winner will receive a copy of Margaret Murray's God of the Witches. It's very simple: Document a single case of the word Wicca being used to name a spiritual path--meaning a religion or a spiritual way of thinking. Whoever finds the earliest use, apart from use by Frost, wins. Note that Gerald Gardner used "wi(c)ca"* only once, and he did not use it in the meaning we delineate here. The earliest use by ourselves was in our booklet "Witchcraft the Way to Serenity", the first copy was sold on 4 November 1968. In the back of the booklet there was an advertisement for the School of Wicca's course in Wicca. Therefore we were using Wicca at least a month prior to the sale we can justly claim a documented** date for first use of 1 October 1968. The Articles of Association for the Church of Wicca are notarized 13 December 1971. Okay, troops. Have at it. The winner's name will be announced in six (6) months. * We have been told that in early copies of Gardner's book it is spelt with one C and in later editions with two Cs. **Documented does not mean a quote from Wikipedia.

The Problem with the Internet No recourse to Gossip

Anyone with access to the internet can diss anyone almost without fear of reprisal. Recently we have stopped blogging because people amused themselves by misquoting and disparaging our work. These two-digit IQ's, obviously jealous, with little or no accomplishments to their own credit, have taken it upon themselves to degrade and belittle almost sixty years' work that culminated in getting Wicca to be a Federally recognized religion. We ask those of you with negative things to get off your chest: What have you done that is positive in the Community? Currently those of you who are perpetuating myths are supporting gossip: gossip that has no basis in fact and is of a deliberately, deleterious, titillating, and personal nature: a shining example of an attack ad hominem. The ancient saying ordains: To know, to will, to dare, to keep silent. People spreading gossip do not know. They only have negative will. They do not dare. They talk but have no record of accomplishing anything on their own. And obviously they do not keep silent. We suggest that such behavior should not be welcomed. Further we suggest: Know the real Community and the facts. Have will to be positive. Dare to support your Community. Keep silent. To keep silent means to listen well; to absorb what you hear. It does not mean to keep damaging secrets or to hide truth. We are not advocating a culture of complicity. Blessed be those who recall the Wiccan Rede and live by it.