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| | The Alexandrian Tradition -
From the Covenant of the Goddess Website
The Alexandrian tradition of Wicca was established in the 1960s by
Alex Sanders, and his
wife Maxine. Originally Alex claimed to have been initiated by his grandmother
when he was seven years old (reference, The King of the Witches by
June Johns), but later admitted that this was untrue. In fact, he was initiated
into a regular Gardnerian coven, by one of Patricia and Arnold Crowther's
initiates, a lady by the name of Pat Kopanski.
When Alex began to publicise Wicca, he encountered strong opposition from
more traditional members of the Craft. Some saw it as nothing more than a bid by
Alex for personal notoriety; others that he was profaning a mystery. Whatever
his motivation, the publicity certainly made people aware of his existence; he
and Maxine initiated a great many people in the 1960s and 1970s, including
Stewart Farrar and Janet Owen.
Janet and Stewart married, and over the past twenty odd years have published
several books about Wicca. What Witches Do, published in 1971
(written during Stewart's first year as a witch), focuses completely upon the
Alexandrian tradition, and remains the best guide to the way in which a typical
Alexandrian coven operates. Rare, but perhaps still available in second hand
shops, is a record of Janet's initiation, narrated by Stewart, called A
Witch is Born, which also sheds some light on the traditional Alexandrian
coven.
It is, of course, hard to quantify just what makes the essential "Alexandrian
Tradition", as covens vary considerably, even within the same culture. I have
yet to encounter two covens who work precisely the same way, even from the same
line. Generally though, Alexandrian covens focus strongly upon training, which
includes areas more generally associated with ceremonial magic, such as Qabalah,
Angelic Magic, and Enochian. The typical Alexandrian coven has a hierarchical
structure, and generally meets weekly, or at least on Full Moons, New Moons and
Festivals.
Most Alexandrian covens will allow non-initiates to attend circles, usually
as a "neophyte", who undergoes basic training in circle craft, and completes a
number of projects, prior to being accepted by the coven for initiation to 1st
degree. Some, though not all, Alexandrian covens will also welcome non-initiated
"guests" at certain meetings. My own first experience of Wicca was as a guest of
an Alexandrian coven.
Alexandrian Wicca uses essentially the same tools and rituals as Gardnerian
Wicca, though in some cases, the tools are used differently, and the rituals
have been adapted. Another frequent change is to be found in the names of
deities and guardians of the quarters. In some ways these differences are merely
cosmetic, but in others, there are fundamental differences in philosophy.
That said, over the last thirty years, the two traditions have moved slowly
towards each other, and the differences which marked lines of demarcation are
slowly fading away. Individual covens certainly continue to maintain different
styles and working practices, but it is possible to speak today of "Wicca"
encompassing both traditions.
Some Dates
- Alex and Maxine married and moved to London in 1967 (they were
handfasted in 1965)
- "King of the Witches" by June Johns was published in 1969.
- Stewart Farrar met Alex and Maxine in 1969, when Stewart's publisher
sent him to interview them for a magazine article. Stewart was initiated
into their coven in London on 21 February 1970.
- "What Witches Do" by Stewart Farrar was published in 1971.
- Alex died in Sussex on 30 April 1988.
More Information
Books which include information about Alex Sanders and the Alexandrian
tradition:
- King of the Witches (June Johns)
- Maxine the Witch Queen (Maxine Sanders)
- What Witches Do (Stewart Farrar)
- The Rebirth of Witchcraft (Doreen Valiente)
A memorial to
Alex Sanders has been written by Vivianne Crowley, and includes a recounting
of the events surrounding his death in 1988.
The link to the COG website:
http://www.cog.org/wicca/trads/alex.htm
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