Our inner coven has valid lineage in the English Gardnerian Tradition of the Craft (in the lineage of Eleanor Ray Bone).
Our coven also has links to Alexandrian Wicca, and Folk Pagan traditions via groups in Western Australia (mid 1960's to late 1970's) and from the UK (1940's-1960's). Some of our groups philosophies and ceremonies also derive from these sources, which creates our unique approach.
The system of Witchcraft and Magic that we practice draws from three mystery traditions:
GARDNERIAN WICA: The oldest of the Modern Witchcraft traditions originating when Gerald B. Gardner drew together elements of old witch lore he had received from the New Forest Coven, combined with Folklore and magical occult teachings and reformatted these within a structured system of ritual and esoteric initiation. Prior to the publication of Gardner's books it would have simply been referred to as Witchcraft, the Craft of the Wise, or Wica. A number of Gardner's High Priestesses were also initiates of Hereditary or Traditionalist witchcraft (e.g. Eleanor Ray Bone in Cumbrian Witchcraft, Lois Bourne in a Norfolk Hereditary coven etc). Others such as Doreen Valiente were connected to Magister based witchcraft groups such as Robert Cochrane's Royal Windsor Cuveen, and the Coven of Atho. Some of this latter material has been passed on in various initiatory lines as part of the Gardnerian corpus. Overall it has a deeper, more pagan, earthy and folk-witchcraft feel and pays less attention to Qabalistic, Hermetic, Enochian or Egyptian ceremonial magical systems or influences than Alexandrian Wicca
ALEXANDRIAN WICCA: The system of witchcraft developed by the English witch/magician Alex Sanders, with his then wife Maxine from the 1960's onwards. Originally based largely upon Gardnerian rituals and materials, with later additions from various magical and pagan sources and evolutions by Alex, Maxine and other elders, including Temple based rites. Upon their separation in 1973 Maxine continued to run a coven in London and train and initiate many further initiates while Alex moved to Sussex and taught a select number of personal students and undertook magical and trance workings with Derek Taylor. Although similar to Gardnerian Wica, this tradition has a more High Magic feel and a different emphasis and magical current (and inner plane contacts) than Gardnerian Craft.
FOLK WITCHCRAFT & PAGANISM: Our Folk Witchcraft and Pagan influence originates from the Covanentus Quercus (Covanent of the Oak), a Gwyddonic/Gwyddonniaid group (Welsh Folk Magic and Druidry) that is said to have existed in the U.K. from the 1940's- 1960's. Our other main source of Traditional Witchcraft and Celtic Magical material are from Ruth Wynn Owen's Welsh Tradition (Y Plant Bran), Robert Cochrane (Roy Bowers) including materials and teachings from his Clan of Tubal Cain (Royal Windsor Cuveen) and the Regency group which was formed after Cochrane's death in 1966. It took ideas from Cochrane, Wynn Owen (who was also a member) and Robert Graves as well as additions by members such as Ronald 'Chalky' White, to form a non hierarchical, open, and innovative group that celebrated the Seasonal Festivals.