Gerald Gardner invented Wicca as a new religion. Although Wicca claims to be a persecuted pagan religion dating from before Christianity, it draws upon controversial historical sources, modern occult practices, including those of Alistair Crowley and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, 19th century translations of medieval grimoires, and the poetry of Gardner's priestess, Doreen Valiente. This extensively revised edition contains new research as well as detailed textual comparisons of Gerald Gardner's own manuscripts, magical books, and rituals that could not be included in the earlier...