The Core Wiccan Structure, Intact

There is, unfortunately, a constant misunderstanding that all of Wicca is nothing but "appropriative nonsense" which snipes and decontextualizes other practices as it pleases. This idea is a lie that is greatly perpetuated within the mainstream by the rise of Eclectic NeoPaganism continuing to market itself as a form of legitimate Wicca.

Yes, it is true that Eclectic NeoPaganism is derived from later forms of NeoWicca via Silver RavenWolf and the later 00's era of Wiccan Craft. And Eclectic NeoPaganism does have a penchant for doing just that. However, it is ultimately because Eclectic NeoPaganism has greatly misunderstood exactly what it's NeoWiccan predecessors were doing in the first place in regards to the tradition of "Plug and Play", that these actions have developed (though ages old orientalism, racism, and other problems, certainly haven’t helped).

Of Course, Traditional, Transitional, and NeoWicca are not free of all of these issues, certainly. And they are greatly deserving of much criticism in many regards ... Yet significant headway has been made in correcting many of these problems across true Wiccan denominations over the decades.

However, this fact continues to be ignored by the bulk of Pagan, Witchcraft, and other Occult practitioners, in favor of a penchant towards actively locking Wicca into what is essentially a 1950's time warp; refusing to recognize it as the living set of religions it is ... Based wholly off a false image that is perpetuated by the lies of a mainstream which is not only only set up to make itself money- but which is ultimately completely divorced from the reality of those actually living within the faith themselves.

In reality, it should be made blatantly clear that true NeoWiccan traditions aren’t some wild eclectic mishmash of unclear things floating about without any foundation. Furthermore, creating your own NeoWiccan tradition can be incredibly challenging, stressful, and exhausting work.

Traditional Wiccans, and many Transitional Wiccans, have formal Coven structures and degree systems of conference, and access to formally vetted and trained teachers. Additionally they can attend additional learning circles within their traditions, and generally get to enjoy the shared experience of other initiated Wiccans in guiding and enriching their knowledge and experience of the mysteries.

In other words: They have access to a number of resources that NeoWiccans simply do not (and will often rarely have decent access to); NeoWiccans are instead forced to teach themselves through active book study, critical thought, intensive prayer, and active experimentation. And while these tools are the most effective ones through which NeoWiccans can increase their knowledge and understanding, and build a stable practice for themselves ... In general, NeoWicca is also a path which is open to numerous pitfalls which cannot be ignored.

On their own, without a stable group of experienced "others" and properly vetter teachers to guide them? NeoWiccans are much more susceptible overall to a variety of issues- such as Negative Feedback Loops, the Snowball Effect, Frequency Illusion, misinterpreting their experiences of the mysteries, falling prey to Confirmation Bias more easily, general self delusion, missing out on integral spiritual lessons altogether, and more. And these pitfalls are things which NeoWiccan practitioners must not only educate themselves well on, but also be critically aware of the potential for at all times as they navigate themselves through their journeys (far more so than the Traditional or Transitional practitioner with a proper support group behind them).

Above all, though: In contrast to repeated mainstream assertions, as stated earlier on, the development of a NeoWiccan tradition isn’t a spiritual free-for-all, or open grab-bag; you cannot, in fact, take and take- or simply add whatever you please wherever it pleases you to add it ... It must be remembered at all times that NeoWicca must always possess specifics- the same specifics, to an extent, as Traditional Wicca does.

Structure is still integral to every religion’s survival, and tradition remains one of Wicca’s strongest survival mechanisms- whether we’re talking about Traditional Wicca, Transitional Wicca, or NeoWicca. And while the concepts of praxis (practice) and doxy (belief) are not all-binding chains, and it is difficult to say that any specific thing is "A wiccan Belief" with clear certainty without some level of pushback ... As Scott Cunningham makes clear in 'Living Wicca: A Further Guide For the Solitary Practitioner':

And so while there’s plenty of room for personal touches within NeoWicca, some things simply can’t be discarded. Otherwise what you are doing is no longer NeoWiccan- let alone belonging to the Wiccan family; in order to create a true new NeoWiccan tradition, it must still be based upon those core Wiccan conventions- at least insomuch as they can ever actually be understood by non-initiates.

Mainstream Eclectic NeoPaganism cannot continue to be confused for true forms of Traditional and Transitional Wicca, nor NeoWicca. And this overall trend of refusing to recognize Wicca in general as a living and constantly evolving religion likewise cannot continue. It is both unfair and disingenuous.