History of Wicca hypothesized secret religion. Many Wiccans, particularly those of the early decades, believed that their religion was a continuation of the witch-cult. It was only during the 1980s and 1990s that some Wiccans began to see the idea of the Witch-Cult as a creation myth rather than as historical fact. For instance, in 1998, Wiccan Jenny Gibbons stated that: Another hypothesis that would have major influence on Wicca during its development was the idea of primitive matriarchal religions, which derived from the work of the Swiss lawyer Johann Jakob Bachofen, was popular in Gardner's day, both among academics (e.g., Erich Neumann,
Magical tools in Wicca Magical tools in Wicca In the neopagan religion of Wicca, a range of magical tools are used in ritual practice. Each of these tools has different uses and associations, and serve primarily to direct magical energies. They are used at an altar, inside a magic circle. In traditional Gardnerian magic, there was as an established idea of covens. This included initiated members that used rituals involving magical tools and secret books (Book of Shadows). These tools were predominately kept within a specific coven because they were so sacred. These were owned, and used by individual Wiccans, but could also be