'Old Guard Paganism'.  The phrase started out as a joke, but then caught
on. This tells us something.  It tells us there is a NEED for such a
term.  It also implies its own antithesis, 'New Guard Paganism'.  And it
indicates that there is some difference between the two -- a 'difference
that makes a difference' -- and thus requires differentiating labels.
(It should perhaps be noted that the word 'Paganism' is used in the
present context -- however inaccurately -- to refer to modern Neo-Pagan
Witchcraft , or Wicca.  With grave misgivings, I have adopted this usage here.)

The first time I heard the phrase 'Old Guard Pagan' (used as a
pejorative, as I remember) was during the organizing of the first
Heartland Pagan Festival.  It seems that the festival was being
organized mainly by 'New Guard Pagans' who felt they were not getting
the anticipated support from the 'Old Guard'.  Yet, even after such
misunderstandings were cleared up, the phrase remained.  Why?  And what
is the line of demarcation? I remember a discussion I had at the time
with a long-time High Priestess and friend, in which we laughingly
concluded that an Old Guard Pagan was any 'pre-Starhawk' Pagan.
(Starhawk's important book, 'The Spiral Dance' was first published in
1979.)  Thus, an Old Guard Pagan is any pre- 1979 Pagan. And yet,
seniority alone couldn't BE the difference -- although it might ACCOUNT
for many differences. (It is interesting to note that Starhawk's book is
responsible for a massive influx of people into femin ist traditions of
Wicca, and this shift in focus may likewise account for key differences.)

I suppose it's time for a bit of a disclaimer on my part.  By the
preceding definition, I myself am an Old Guard Pagan, having become a
Witch in 1970. Thus, my views may be consequently biased toward the Old
Guard.  Still, I don't intend for this essay t o degenerate into shaking
my cane at novices and using words like 'whipper-snapper' and
'scalliwag'.  On the contrary, I enjoy working with novices and have
taught a beginner's Witchcraft course for the past 18 years.  No, my
real goal here is to examine what I believe to be real and profound
differences in attitudes concerning certain key issues between the two
groups.  Hopefully, this will lead to greater understanding and
tollerance on the part of both.

In the following passages, I've tried to distill the differences between
Old and New Guard Paganism, presenting them as strict dichotomies.
However, bear in mind the vagaries that must accompany all such
generalizations and the exceptions that will inevit ably be cited.

FEW VS. MANY: Even today, with a substantial Pagan community for
support, a newcomer often feels insecure, frightened, and alone when
rejecting the religious training of childhood in favor of Paganism.
Imagine then, how much more insecure, frightened and alone an Old Guard
Pagan would have felt, with literally no one to support such a
decission.  In fact, no one to talk to at all.  When I first became a
Witch, I knew of no other Witches anywhere.  For all I knew, I was the
first human being in centuries to make such a conscious choice.  And
this, I found, was typical of most Old Guard Pagans.

RESISTANCE VS. ACCEPTANCE:  Naturally, only those of extraordinary
courage and perception would make such a choice back then.  Not only
because they assumed they were choosing a solitary path, but also
because they were sure to encounter active resistance -- if not outright
hostility.  Today, of course, Witches have appeared on Phil Donahue,
Oprah Winfrey, Geraldo Rivera, and other national TV and radio shows,
and the general populace is becoming more educated and, if not totally
accepting, at least more tolerant.

SECRECY VS. OPENNESS:  But before such positive media PR, most Old Guard
Pagans learned quickly to 'keep themselves to themselves'.  Usually,
there was no one to talk with anyway, and when there was, it was someone
trying to dissuade you from your choice.  Thus, most Old Guard Pagans
are more inclined to secrecy concerning their involvement than New Guard
Pagans.

INACCESSABLE VS. ACCESSABLE INFORMATION:  For Old Guard Pagans,
information was hard won indeed.  There were no Starhawks or Margot
Adler's back then -- no one to neatly organize and systemitize the
beliefs of Pagans. There were instead books by Sybil Lee k, Paul Huson,
Leo Martello, and Lady Sheba (at best), and books by Hans Holzer and
Louise Huebner (at worst).  And there were the historical tomes of
Murray, Thorndike, Robbins, and others, as well as the disorganized
'linking' work of Gardner, Leland, a nd a few more.  And there was no
one to tell you which book was worthwhile and which wasn't -- so you
read them ALL!  Typically, an Old Guard Pagan has read (and owns!) a
small library of books on Paganism.  And, back then, if you HADN'T read
the classics (like Murray and Gardner) then you weren't taken very
seriously by other Pagans.  By contrast, many New Guard Pagans feel that
reading one or two books (usually Adler and Starhawk) is quite
sufficient.  One unfortunate result is that Adler's or Starhawk' s
version of Paganism is taken as the 'standard' by the New Guard, which
is far from the case.

RELIGIOUS VS. POLITICAL REASONS FOR JOINING: Similar to the passage
above, this again deals with one's primary motivation for becoming a
Pagan. For Old Guard Pagans, being political was something that grew out
of one's religious ideas. But, just as there is much variance in Old
Guard Paganism, so too there is much variance in Old Guard politics.
From my own friends, I can cite Old Guard Pagans who run the gamut from
Socialist to Libertarian. This same political diversity is noticably
absent in New Guard P aganism, with most New Guard Pagans sticking to
the same party line. Also, there is less tollerance of Pagans who
diverge from that party line. More stress is placed on being 'politically correct'.

RELIGIOUS VS. FEMINIST REASONS FOR JOINING: Finally, many Old Guard
Pagans have become feminists AS A RESULT OF their Pagan beliefs. By
contrast, many New Guard Pagans are Pagans AS A RESULT OF their feminist
beliefs. Once more, it's a question of which t akes precedent. And
although it may seem like the final result would be the same, such is
not the case. Pagans who come to Paganism via feminism are often
separatists, Goddess monotheists, anarchists, distrustful of both
structure and authority, insisting on such ideas as consensus political
forms, rotating High Priestesses (often without High Priests at all),
and other non-traditional Coven structures. ( Often, such groups disdain
to use the word 'Coven' and simply refer to their 'Circles'.) The
perenial problems that plague such groups (the lack of focus, the
inability to set goals, the endless personality clashes and power plays,
and the fact that nothing ever gets done) come as no surprise. Much of
this would be unthinkable to Old Guard Pagans, who wo uld no more rotate
the position of High Priestess in their Coven than they would rotate the
position of mother in their family. ( The New Guard attitude toward
authority arises, I believe, from a healthy mistrust of it as it is
typically used (abused) in patriarchal society. This perception is
particularly acute among feminists. What it fails to consider is how
authority may be used positively in a matriarchy.)

NON- VS. PROSELYTIZING: For an Old Guard Pagan, the idea of saying to
someone 'Would you like to join our Coven?' or 'Would you like to become
a Witch?' would have been unthinkable. Proselytizing was one of the most
detested aspects of the religious tradi tion (usually Christian) being
left behind. Those groups who actively recruit members were, to the Old
Guard, groups to be shunned at all costs. Witchcraft is not the one,
right, and only religion. In fact, it probably appeals only to a select
few. And th ose few exhibit their courage and sincerity when they seek
out a Coven or a tradition. When a Coven seeks THEM out instead (Won't
you please join our Circle tonight?), there is no guage of the novice's
devotion. Perhaps that is why the 'drop-out' rate is much higher for New
Guard than Old Guard. (Other mystery traditions, such as the Freemasons,
strictly forbid a member to ask an outsider if they would like to join.)

Lest one conclude that there are only differences between Old and New
Guard Pagans, let me mention a few things they seem to have in common.
First, there is magic -- both in its frequency of use, and what it is
used for. Second, the use of drugs by modern Witches has always been a
minority position, and seems to remain so. Third, the times of
celebration and festival, appointed by the seasons and the phases of the
moon, seem constant (although New Guard Pagans often employ
inappropriate names for the holi days). So, while there are differences,
there is common ground as well.

If the remarks you overhear made by Old Guard Pagans (and the remarks
made in this essay!) seem slighty petulent, tinged with sibling rivalry,
it is not to be wondered at. The Old Guard Pagan is in the position of
older brother or sister of the family. They often feel, quite
justifiably, that the things which they had to fight Mom and Dad so HARD
for, are now being handed to the younger brother or sister on a silver
platter. They feel that since their freedoms and privileges were so hard
won, they value t hem more. They often feel that the younger siblings do
not APPRECIATE all the things the older siblings have done to make such
freedoms possible. And, of course, they are right. Such will always be
the way of the world -- the march of generations. Still, the thing to
remember about sibling rivalry is that, underneath it all, we ARE
siblings; we ARE brothers and sisters, whatever forms may divide us; we
ARE all sons and daughters of the Great Mother.
 

June 24, 1987 Transcript
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