Dianic Wicca, also known as Dianic Witchcraft,[ and, to some also as "Dianism," "Dianic Feminist Witchcraft," or simply "Feminist Witchcraft"'] is a modern pagan goddess movement focused on female experience and empowerment. Leadership is by women, who may be ordained as priestesses, or in less formal groups that function as collectives. (2025). 014019536X, Penguin/Arcana. 014019536X
| at Archive.org[Budapest, Zsuzsanna. Holy Book of Women's Mysteries, The. 1980 (2003 electronic). .] While some adherents identify as , it differs from most traditions of Wicca in that only goddesses are honored (whereas most Wiccan traditions honor both female and male deities).[
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While there is more than one tradition known as Dianic,
The Dianic Wiccan belief and ritual structure is an eclectic combination of elements from British Traditional Wicca, Italian folk-magic as recorded by Charles Leland in Aradia, New Age beliefs, and folk magic and healing practices from a variety of different cultures.
Beliefs and practices
Dianic Wiccans of the Budapest lineage worship the Goddess, who they see as containing all goddesses, from all cultures; she is seen as the source of all living things and containing all that is within her.
Dianic covens practice magic in the form of meditation and visualization in addition to spell work. They focus especially on healing themselves from the wounds of the patriarchy while affirming their own womanhood.
Rituals can include reenacting religious and spiritual lore from a female-centered standpoint, celebrating the female body, and mourning society's abuses of women.[Smith, Brandy and Sharon Horne. "Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered (GLBT) Experiences with Earth-Spirited Faith." The Journal of Homosexuality, 52.3/4 (2007): 235-248.] However it is important to note that rituals are often improvised to suit individual or group needs and vary from coven to coven.[Warwick, Lynda L. "Feminist Wicca: Paths to Empowerment." Women & Therapy 16.2-3 (1995): 121.] Some Dianic Wiccans eschew manipulative spellwork and Curse because it goes against the Wiccan Rede. However, many other Dianic witches (notably Budapest) do not consider hexing or binding of those who attack women to be wrong, and actively encourage the binding of rape.
Differences from mainstream Wicca
Like other Wiccans, Dianics may form , attend , celebrate the eight major Wiccan holidays, and gather on .
When asked why "men and gods" are excluded from her rituals, Budapest stated:
Sociological studies have shown that there is therapeutic value inherent in Dianic ritual. Healing rituals to overcome personal trauma and raise awareness about violence against women have earned comparisons to the female-centered consciousness-raising groups of the 1960s and 1970s.[Foltz, Tanic G. and Wendy Griffin. "Ethnographic Journeys of Self Discovery", Composing Ethnography: Alternative Forms of Qualitative Writing. (1996): 301–330.][Lozano, Wendy G. and Tanic G. Foltz. "An Ethnographic Study of Witchcraft and Death", Qualitative Sociology, Vol. 13, No. 13. (1990): 211–234.] Some Dianic groups develop rituals specifically to confront gendered personal trauma, such as battery, rape, incest, and partner abuse. In one ethnographic study of such a ritual, women shifted their understanding of power from the hands of their abusers to themselves. It was found that this ritual had improved self-perception in participants in the short-term, and that the results could be sustained with ongoing practice.[Jacobs, Janet L. "The Effects of Ritual Healing on Female Victims of Abuse: A Study of Empowerment and Transformation". Sociological Analysis, 50.3 (1989): 265–279.][Jacobs, Janet L. "Women, Ritual, and Power". Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 11.2–3 (1990): 39–44.]
Dianic Wicca developed from the Women's Liberation Movement and some covens traditionally compare themselves with radical feminism. Dianics pride themselves on the inclusion of lesbian and bisexual members in their groups and leadership. It is a goal within many covens to explore female sexuality and sensuality outside of male control, and many rituals function to affirm lesbian sexuality,
History
Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches claims that ancient Diana, Aphrodite, Aradia, and Herodias cults linked to the Sacred Mysteries are the origin of the all-female coven and many witch myths as we know them.
Z Budapest's branch of Dianic Wicca began on the Winter Solstice of 1971, when Budapest led a ceremony in Hollywood, California.
Denominations and related traditions
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Traditions derived from Zsuzsanna Budapest – Female-only covens run by priestesses trained and initiated by Budapest.
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Independent Dianic witches – who may have been inspired by Budapest, her published work (such as The Holy Book of Women's Mysteries) or other woman's spirituality movements, and who emphasize independent study and self-initiation.
McFarland Dianic
McFarland Dianic is a Neopagan tradition of goddess worship founded by Morgan McFarland and Mark Roberts which, despite the shared name, has a different theology and structure than the women-only groups. In most cases, the McFarland Dianics accept male participants.
Criticism for transphobia
Dianic Wicca has been criticised by elements in the Modern Paganism community for being transphobic. In February 2011, Zsuzsanna Budapest conducted a ritual with the Circle of Cerridwen at PantheaCon for "genetic women only" from which she barred males. This caused a backlash that led many to criticize Dianic Wicca as an inherently transphobic lesbian-separatist movement. The Los Angeles Times wrote that:
See also
Works cited
Further reading
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Barrett, Ruth. Women's Rites, Women's Mysteries: Intuitive Ritual Creation. Llewellyn Publications; 2007, . Earlier publishing: Women's Rites, Women's Mysteries: Creating Ritual in the Dianic Wiccan Tradition. Authorhouse; 2004, .
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Riane Eisler, The Chalice and the Blade.
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Mountainwater, Shekhinah, Ariadne's Thread.
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Ochshorn, Judith and Ellen Cole. Women's Spirituality, Women's Lives. Haworth Press 1995. . pp 122 & 133 referring to Z Budapest and Shekinah Mountainwater, among others, in a discussion of Dianic Witchcraft.
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Pond, Gina, et al. Gender and Transgender in Modern Paganism. Circle of Cerridwen Press, 2012.
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On Starhawk, the Reclaiming Tradition and feminism, M. Macha NightMare .
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Interview with Starhawk in Modern Pagans: An Investigation of Contemporary Pagan Practices, ed. V. Vale and John Sulak, Re/Search, San Francisco, 2001, .
External links
