Can Men Be Wiccan? Learn the Truth

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Before Wicca was officially a religion, anyone observing Wiccan types of beliefs, practicing magic, or holding otherworldly ceremonies was labeled a witch. This was more often than not women, due to the historical associations of women with witchcraft (think of the witch trials).

Now that Wicca is steadily becoming accepted by the general public, a pertinent question is rising: Since Wicca is most often thought of as a female-centric religion, can men be Wiccan too? The answer is:

Men can absolutely be Wiccan. In fact, there are many famous male Wiccans who have played a role shaping Wicca into what it is today. Consider Gerald Gardner, Alex Sanders, Raymond Buckland, Ed Fitch, Paul Huson, Scott Cunningham, and others.

This article will talk about Wiccan men and why more females are known as Wiccans than males. We’ll also discuss modern-day Wicca, male Wiccan history, and some helpful resources for men interested in Wicca.

Why More Females Are Known As Wiccan

Since old times, women were the ones punished for practicing any form of magic. It didn’t matter if it was nature magic, kitchen magic, or any other tame and harmless form of magic. As long as it was some sort of thing that gave women power, it needed to be feared and punished.

Men usually got away with such things. They weren’t watched as closely or judged as harshly. Their words were often taken with trust and rarely doubted. This means that even if men did practice any form of magic back then, they would go unnoticed and unpunished.

This habit stuck throughout the years. Men weren’t as feared for practicing magic, so they were less often persecuted. In fact, there are very few records of men practicing magic that were ever written. You’ll see plenty of women recorded as witches and magic practitioners, especially women that were burned for it, but not many men.

We know that Wicca and witchcraft are two separate concepts. However in the general public, the two are often confused to be the same thing. Since women are widely known and recognized to have practiced such crafts in the past, they are still primarily associated with the religion of Wicca today.

The truth is that many men followed Wiccan practices and even influenced Wicca’s evolution. Today, there is a huge diversity in Wiccan followers, but women still get most of the attention.

It may be that due to women’s continuous persecution for being magic practitioners, they’re mostly the ones that proudly state their new-age religion in our modern world. Men usually don’t see the need to brandish their Wiccan practices since they’re content enough with following the Wiccan path by heart.

This is especially seen in the branch of Dianic Wicca, which has female-only covens and takes a hard stance in feminism and female healing.

Consequently, since the Wiccan religion is generally known to be female-centric by the public.

Unfortunately that can dissuade male practitioners from being out in the open, or even from pursuing the religion at all.

Modern-Day Wicca

Living in the modern-day often equates to living in empowerment. This means you don’t have to hide your religion anymore. It is especially true for things that were once seen as eccentric or wrong, like Wicca.

Most women enjoy the privileges that come with this, so they proudly identify as Wiccans and even share their practices with people interested in Wicca. However, it’s perfectly normal for men to be Wiccans as well.

In fact, since the old times, some men identified themselves as Wiccans and even proudly shared their learnings and practices. These people include Gerald Gardner, Alex Sanders, Raymond Buckland, Ed Fitch, Paul Huson, and Scott Cunningham. We will talk about them in more detail in the next section.

So, as you’ve probably understood by now, men can be Wiccan, and many more men than you may think are Wiccans. The first reason for this is that we’re living in modern-day society. And another reason is that Wicca doesn’t discriminate between genders.

Wiccan Men Throughout History

Contrary to popular belief, men played a crucial role in shaping Wicca into what it is now, even if you only ever see it populated by women. Alongside the great women who helped Wicca evolve were men who taught Wicca, compiled resources, and wrote about the subject.

Gerald Gardner

Gerald Gardner is Wicca’s known father. He compiled best witchcraft practices and teachings into this new religion that promotes certain values that like-minded people agreed with, believed in, and followed.

If you’d like to know more about Wiccan men and how they influenced the religion itself, check out Absolute History’s documentary about Gerald Gardner on YouTube:

Alex Sanders

Besides Gardner, another Wiccan man named Alex Sanders is famous for creating the Alexandrian tradition of Wicca. The Alexandrian branch of Wicca often relied on ceremonial magic heavily.

You can watch a rare and fascinating footage of Alex Sanders on YouTube here, uploaded by The Australian Witch:

Raymond Buckland

Most Wiccan men listed here are credited as proponents of a Wiccan branch, and Raymond Buckland isn’t an exception. He’s known as the man who brought Wicca to America. He is a writer who vigorously promoted Gardnerian Wicca, and he’s also sometimes called the grandfather of Wicca.

If you’d like to listen to an interview involving Buckland, check out A Pagan Perspective’s YouTube clip:

Others

Throughout history, the list of Wiccan men goes on, but among other notable males are Ed Fitch, Paul Huson, and Scott Cunningham. Ed Fitch is a writer who served as a Wiccan high priest and founded the Pagan Way, together with other people. Lastly, Paul Huson and Scott Cunningham are excellent and highly influential writers of the occult and Wiccan practices.

Resources For Wiccan Men

If you’re looking for resources to study Wicca in detail, start by checking out The Wiccan Rede if you haven’t yet. It guides Wiccans into a general way of living among other beings in peace.

And if you would like to read a book for Wiccan men, try A.J. Drew’s Wicca Spellcraft for Men. You’ll also benefit from reading through older Wiccan books, so search them up if you have time. They’re usually available for free on various websites like Gutenberg and Sacred Texts.

Conclusion

Wicca is a religion whose followers practice nature worship and witchcraft. Usually, you’ll only see women practicing witchcraft openly and accepting Wicca as their religion. However, it is very much possible for men to be Wiccan. The reason is that this religion does not discriminate between genders, and anyone who feels drawn to Wicca can practice it.

In fact, many male Wiccans influenced the development and evolution of Wicca back when it started. Men aren’t as well-known to be Wiccans because only women were persecuted for practicing magic in old times.

Sources

YouTube: Raymond Buckland Grandfather of American Wicca