| In 1954, a retired British government worker named | | | | Gardner had actually been initiated into an early |
| Gerald Gardner claimed that he had been initiated into | | | | 20th-century revival of the Old Religion he sought, |
| an ancient nature religion based on pre-Christian | | | | rather than a pure survival of an ancient European |
| European paganism. The practitioners of this religion | | | | tradition. |
| were operating under the name New Forest Coven. | | | | Although he published the religion's premises in order to |
| Gardner set about to revive and repopularize this | | | | preserve the Craft for future generations, Gardner |
| witchcraft religion by writing and publishing a book | | | | saw "witchcraft" as a mystery religion that required |
| called "Witchcraft Today," in which he reconstructed | | | | initiation in order to be properly understood and |
| and rewrote the fragments of remaining ritual and lore | | | | practiced. A British expatriate named Raymond |
| from the New Forest Coven. | | | | Buckland gained initiation into the new Wiccan rites |
| He referred to the religion as "witchcraft," and to its | | | | from Gardner's own coven, called the Isle of Man, and |
| adherents as "the Wica." Gardner claimed that this | | | | brought the teachings of this coven back to the United |
| latter term was introduced to him by existing members | | | | States. Wicca gained popularity rapidly in the United |
| of the New Forest Coven, and that its use was what | | | | States, where a cultural and spiritual revolution was in |
| keyed him in on the possibility that "the Old Religion still | | | | progress. |
| existed." He believed, as do many modern scholars, | | | | Since the early 1960s, a variety of new incarnations of |
| that this term derived from the Old English term | | | | Wiccan-derived paganism have spread widely. Many |
| "wicca," which is the etymological predecessor to the | | | | of these have owed their origin to Gardnerian initiates |
| modern term "witch." | | | | who started their own covens and performed their |
| There is some debate as to the veracity of Gardner's | | | | own initiations. Other popular forms of Wiccan practice |
| claims to having revived an original European | | | | have derived from self-initiated practitioners and |
| matriarchal pagan religion. A few authors have argued | | | | mystics who have created their own forms of nature |
| that Gardner invented the rites and rituals of the | | | | religion based on the original published materials from |
| Wiccan religion from whole cloth, appropriating | | | | Gardner and others. Today several such lineages and |
| elements of known ancient religions and occultism as | | | | derivations of Garderian Wicca are in widespread |
| needed. However, most scholars agree that Gardner | | | | practice around the world. |
| made his claims in good faith. It seems most likely that | | | | |