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Reflections on
Scott Cunningham by Boudica
It was March 28th, 1993, when Scott Cunningham passed over into
Summerland. Yet it seems it hasn't put a dent in the work he
had taken upon himself. If you mention Solitary Wicca to any
pagan/witch/wiccan, the name Scott Cunningham comes up immediately.
Seems everyone who walks the path of Wicca has something to say about
Scott. Though many praise him for pointing out that Wicca isn't
just for those who are coven bound or traditionally initiated, there
are many who point out just as quickly that Scott turned the Wiccan
Community on its ear. From Scott's discussion of initiation to
the spells and rituals that he published, Scott's books have been
discussed, analyzed and lovingly dog-eared.
What is it, though, that made Scott one of the most read, best loved
and so widely followed writers within the Wiccan Community? Why
do most of the Neo-Wiccan community love Scott Cunningham while many
of the Old Time Wicca practitioners rip him apart at every opportunity?
Scott Cunningham died way before his time. But there is the
saying that those who burn twice as bright burn half as long.
Scott truly burned brightly.
I would like to take a look at this luminescence called Scott
Cunningham, the person and his achievements. I will leave the
discussion of dogma and philosophy to those who feel it
necessary. Because if there was one thing Scott Cunningham
focused on, it was that the Way of Wicca was not dogma and philosophy
as much as it was simplicity and a spiritual way of life.
Scott Cunningham was born June 27th, 1956. That would have made
him a few years younger than myself. I didn't learn about Scott
till after he had passed over. My teachers were witches and
Wicca was the "new" thing on the block. I knew of
Wicca but it was Gerald Gardner who was always associated with the term.
I have read most of Scott's books and have come to embrace the
simplicity of his spiritual vision. He had it all worked out,
from his thoughts on "Who initiated the first Wiccan"
to specific rituals to help you fulfill any need to be embraced by
the Goddess/God. Scott was as practical as he was
thorough. He did not give elaborate answers when he wrote about
his beliefs on magic. "Call upon the Goddess and God to
protect you and teach you the secrets of magic. Ask stones and
plants to reveal their powers - and listen. Read as much as you
can, discarding negative or disturbing information. Learn by doing,
and the Goddess and God will bless you with all that you truly
need." (pg. 24 "Wicca A Guide For The Solitary Practitioner")
"Wicca understands that what we perceive to be the difference
between the physical and the non-physical is due to our limitations
as materially-based beings." (pg. 37 "Wicca A Guide
For The Solitary Practitioner")
"In Wicca, rituals are ceremonies which celebrate and strengthen
our relationships with the Goddess, the God and the Earth." (pg.
47 "Wicca A Guide For The Solitary Practitioner")
It is not difficult to understand what Scott was teaching here, and
it is just as easy to see why he is so well read within the
community. Simple, easily understood and practical. He
spoke in everyday language and always seemed to get his idea across.
Scott also never seemed to accept or acknowledge his popularity.
In the biography "Whispers of the Moon The Life and Work
of Scott Cunningham" by David Harrington and deTraci
Regula, there is a paragraph written by Scott from his
autobiographical material, which seems to sum up how he felt about
fame. "One of the first things my readers ask me when we
meet is "What is it like being famous?" I usually make a
joke, but sometimes I tell them that I'm not famous and never will
be, for I'll never have that star presence that separates we mortals
from the Immortals."
Scott covered a good deal of ground in the years he published.
Besides his books on Solitary Wicca, he wrote books on Folk
Magic. "Earth Power, Techniques of Natural Magic"
and "Earth, Air, Fire and Water, More Techniques of
Natural Magic" were his contribution to working magic
for the common man. Scott had a special, personal relationship
with nature and the elements that made up nature. His books on
this magic again had that simple approach. Every magician has a
formula for making magic. Crowley had his "Magick in
Theory and Practice". Scott Cunningham had a very
simple statement. "To perform effective magic three
necessities must be present: the need, the emotion and the
knowledge." Though he felt the need to further simplify
his equation, it was simple enough to understand as it was.
This was the secret of Scott Cunningham, and if we look deeper, the
secret to Wicca that has eluded many practitioners. Wicca is a
very simple belief system. There are no secrets.
"Wicca has been, up until the past decade or so, a closed
religion, but no more. The inner components of Wicca are
available to anyone who can read and has the proper wit to understand
the material. Wicca's only secrets are its individual ritual
forms, spells, names of deities and so on.
This needn't bother you. For every secret Wiccan ritual or
Goddess name there are dozens (if not hundreds) of others that have
been published and readily available."
There are many who have elaborated on Wicca. It's origins were
shrouded in mysteries and cloaked in shadows and smoke filled
rituals. It was kept secret, made to seem complex and
necessitated years of teaching and learning.
But Scott cut all the smoke and draperies away and presented us with
a very beautiful spiritual path that could be followed by all.
One of the most moving and impressive of his rituals, to me at least,
was his "Ritual of Gestures" in his "Wicca, A
Guide for the Solitary Practitioner". No tools, no
robes, no word to break the silence. A very wonderful ritual
that I think we should all experience at least once.
Scott examined all the tools of the trade, explaining their use, and
their symbology. Scott collected and compiled information on
aromatherapy, crystals, herbs, incense and oils. He even gave
us a book on how to make your home a place of security and a haven
for our inner selves. "The Magical Household"
written with David Harrington, is probably one of his often
overlooked books, but reflected an interest we all have. Today,
we find ourselves seeking this same harmony with Feng Shui.
Scott dabbled in video creating a tape on Herbs. But it is his
written word most of us are familiar with.
I never had the opportunity to meet Scott Cunningham. Over the
years, I have gotten to know him only through his books. I am
not Wiccan, I am a witch. But some aspects of Wicca, its simple
spirituality, has touched me. As a witch, I am not prone to be
overly spiritual, but I have known some very special Wiccans in my
time and admire them for their spirituality, just as I admire Mr.
Cunningham for his spirituality in his writings.
I also protest when I hear someone say you can not be Wiccan unless
you are part of a Trad and initiated into it. Scott had a whole
chapter dedicated to this subject. I may not agree with his
terminology, but he hit the nail on the head "Who initiated the
first Wiccan?". I have known many Solitary Wiccans who are
not trad initiated, and whom I feel are genuinely touched by the
Goddess. Who are we to tell those touched by the Goddess and/or
God "no, sorry, you can't dedicate your life to the principals
and ideas of Wicca."?
I think Scott summed it up early, at the end of his introduction to "Wicca
A Guide For The Solitary Practitioner":
"Wicca is a joyous religion springing from our kinship with
nature. It is a merging with the Goddesses and Gods, the
universal energies which create all in existence. It is a
personal, positive celebration of life.
And now it is available to all."
Scott Cunningham is truly missed. But he left us his legacy in
his books. He will come around again and again to remind us
when we need to find the path we may lose over time. May he
always remind us of how simple life, religion and spirituality really are.
Many Blessings,
Boudica |
