Gardnerian Wicca

Oldest branch of Wicca in existence, aside from family traditions of dubious and variable authenticity. First publicized by Gerald Gardner in 1954, after the repeal of the Witchcraft Act of 1735, Gardnerianism is something like the "Catholicism" of Wicca, in the sense of having a history, a lineage, and a somewhat conservative, hierarchical structure. Gardnerian Wicca’s main features are:

• A three-grade system of “degrees”: a first-degree Witch has been initiated into the religion (and a specific coven), but is otherwise a neophyte; a second-degree can lead rituals and teach first degrees; while only third-degree Witches may initiate others or form their own covens.
• Reliance on a written Book of Shadows. This may be a repository of the tradition or coven’s rituals, transmitted from teacher to student (and possibly hand-copied, in accordance with tradition); or it may refer to a student’s own “magickal diary”.
• Primacy of the High Priestess over the High Priest, and frequent concomitant emphasis on the Goddess above (but not to the exclusion of) the God.
• Emphasis on heternormative structures, such as male-female alternation in seating in circle, and requirement that males be initiated by females and vice-versa.
• Propensity for secrecy. Some of this can be traced to Garnderianism’s being the first publicly acknowledged Neopagan faith of modern times, with a concomitant need not to let too much be known. Other parts, such as the declaring of various apparently trivial pieces of information as “third-degree secrets” (sometimes by inept coven leaders trying to disguise their own inadequacy to lead), has led to the well-known Pagan joke: “How many Gardnerians does it take to change a light bulb?” – “Shhh! Third-degree secret!”
• Emphasis on nudity in ritual (“going skyclad”)
• Ability to trace one’s “lineage” (“I was initiated by Alice, who was initiated by Bob, who was initiated by Carol...”). Theoretically, all Gardnerians should eventually be able to trace their lineage back to Gardner himself.

Not all Gardnerian covens or lines adhere to all of these concepts; many have discarded one or more of them, for various reasons. Indeed, some “Gardnerian” groups have dispensed with practically all of these things, and retain only the name and ability to trace lineage back to Gardner.

Gardnerian groups are more prevalent in the British Isles, where they and Alexandrian groups make up the vast majority of Witches; the two together are referred to as British Traditional Wicca, or BTW. Good introductions to the structure and details of Gardnerian belief and practice can be found in the works of Doreen Valiente and the Farrars.