'Lo all,
"Maybe they are afraid they will find more of us than they expected? " -- New River
My curiousity about this very thing was triggered this week when I recieved the FREE "New Worlds" catalog/magazine Llewellyn will send if you request it.
(First of all, how do you pronounce "Wicca." When I first encountered the word, I thought "Wick-Ah." Now, that can't be right. Must be "witch-uh," huh? I can still make my ears burn when I recall how, long ago, when I was a boy, I tried to impress a girl by referring to the "Fay-Cod" of a building. Well known architectural term.)
Anyway, the lead editorial in New Worlds, by Carl Llewellyn Weschke titled "Wicca & Witchcraft -- Self-Help and Magick," talks about moving into the mainstream of the British and American religious movement.
(Don't know about Wicca, but, I think they put that "K" in magic to make it sound more impressive.)
Let me quote a bit:
"Wicca IS a religion; some claim it to be the fastest growing religious movement in America today. They cannot offer statistical proof for the statement, however, for the fundamental reason that Wicca is a non-institutional religion. We don't have an 'official' registration for Wiccan clergy or covens or believers. And that's the rub as far as most people are concerned. How can we have a religion that is 'outside the box' by which other religions are measured?"
I found the entire editorial provocative.
So, with New River's question -- How many? -- on my mind, I turned to Goooooooogle (gotta' love that thing.)
I'm gonna post this, 'cause my computer keeps crashing, and then continue. Sorry . . .
Talisman