Church and School of Wicca
Encyclopedia
The Church and School of Wicca was founded by Gavin Frost
and Yvonne Frost
in 1968. It was the first federally recognized Church of the religion known as Wicca
in the United States
. It is well known for its correspondence courses on the Frosts' unique interpretation of Wicca
. The Church and School are located in Hinton, West Virginia
.
" course, which lasts "a year and a day". Other topics include: Advanced Celt
ic Witchcraft and Shamanism
, Astral Travel
, Astrology
, Graphology
, Mystical Awareness, a Natural Wicca Survey Course, Practical Sorcery
, Prediction
, Psychic
and Herbal
Healing
, and Tantric Yoga. Much of the course of study is available to the student on video.
several other churches and groups. In the early years of the Church, ordination to individuals and sometimes even charters to churches had at times been offered solely on the basis of the Church's correspondence courses. However, due to a few incidents of fraudulent use of Church credentials, misconduct by these individuals, and/or the use of course material to defame the Church and the religion of Wicca, along with public controversy about these instances, this practice was abandoned as of 1976. In some cases, charters have been revoked.
In Dettmer v. Landon
, 799 F.2d 929 (4th Cir. 1986), a prisoner named Herbert Daniel Dettmer who was following the correspondence course of the Church and School of Wicca, was denied access to knives which he said were necessary to his religious practice as a Wiccan. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
decided in Dettmer's favor, finding that Wicca was a religion, rejecting the argument put forward by the Department of Correction that it was merely a "conglomeration" of occult practices. This decision was appealed to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and was argued before the appellate court in April of 1986, which ruled that although Wicca was a religion, it was not a violation of the First Amendment
to deny a prisoner access to potential weapons.
Gavin Frost
Gavin Frost , B.Sc., PhD, D.D., born in Aldridge, Staffordshire, England, is an occult author, a Wiccan Priest, a doctor of Physics and Mathematics, and a prominent member of the American Wiccan community...
and Yvonne Frost
Yvonne Frost
Yvonne Frost is a Wiccan author, lecturer, and practitioner from Los Angeles. Together with her husband Gavin Frost, she founded the Church and School of Wicca in 1968. She has co-written many books with him, and appeared on the Phil Donahue Show, PM Magazine, and Tom Snyder's Tomorrow Show...
in 1968. It was the first federally recognized Church of the religion known as Wicca
Wicca
Wicca , is a modern Pagan religious movement. Developing in England in the first half of the 20th century, Wicca was popularised in the 1950s and early 1960s by a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald Gardner, who at the time called it the "witch cult" and "witchcraft," and its adherents "the Wica."...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is well known for its correspondence courses on the Frosts' unique interpretation of Wicca
Wicca
Wicca , is a modern Pagan religious movement. Developing in England in the first half of the 20th century, Wicca was popularised in the 1950s and early 1960s by a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald Gardner, who at the time called it the "witch cult" and "witchcraft," and its adherents "the Wica."...
. The Church and School are located in Hinton, West Virginia
Hinton, West Virginia
Hinton is a city in Summers County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,880 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Summers County. Hinton was established in 1873 and chartered in 1897. Hinton was named for John "Jack" Hinton, a prominent lawyer of Summers County and husband of...
.
Curriculum
The School's curriculum includes classes on a variety of subjects associated both with Wicca as a religion and with occult and metaphysical studies and practices in general. These classes begin with an "Essential WitchcraftWitchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
" course, which lasts "a year and a day". Other topics include: Advanced Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic Witchcraft and Shamanism
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
, Astral Travel
Astral projection
Astral projection is an interpretation of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it...
, Astrology
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
, Graphology
Graphology
Graphology is the pseudoscientific study and analysis of handwriting, especially in relation to human psychology. In the medical field, it can be used to refer to the study of handwriting as an aid in diagnosis and tracking of diseases of the brain and nervous system...
, Mystical Awareness, a Natural Wicca Survey Course, Practical Sorcery
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
, Prediction
Prediction
A prediction or forecast is a statement about the way things will happen in the future, often but not always based on experience or knowledge...
, Psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
and Herbal
Herbalism
Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, herblore, and phytotherapy...
Healing
Healing
Physiological healing is the restoration of damaged living tissue, organs and biological system to normal function. It is the process by which the cells in the body regenerate and repair to reduce the size of a damaged or necrotic area....
, and Tantric Yoga. Much of the course of study is available to the student on video.
Charters
The Church and School charteredChartered
Charter or Chartered might refer to different things:* Charter, a legal document conferring rights or privileges* Chartered , a professional credential* Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing, a manufacturing company...
several other churches and groups. In the early years of the Church, ordination to individuals and sometimes even charters to churches had at times been offered solely on the basis of the Church's correspondence courses. However, due to a few incidents of fraudulent use of Church credentials, misconduct by these individuals, and/or the use of course material to defame the Church and the religion of Wicca, along with public controversy about these instances, this practice was abandoned as of 1976. In some cases, charters have been revoked.
Legal issues
The Church and School's founders played a heavy role in gaining federal recognition of Witchcraft as a religion in 1972, making it the first federally recognized Church of Wicca in the United States. They won an appeals court case in 1985 stating that Wicca, as a religion equal to any other, could have churches that did not have to share their revenue with the IRS. Both these cases brought The Church and School of Wicca into the national spotlight.In Dettmer v. Landon
Dettmer v. Landon
Dettmer v. Landon, 799 F.2d 929 , is a court case in which the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit held that although Wicca was a religion, it was not a violation of the First Amendment to deny a prisoner access to ritual objects.-Facts:The plaintiff, Herbert Daniel Dettmer, was a...
, 799 F.2d 929 (4th Cir. 1986), a prisoner named Herbert Daniel Dettmer who was following the correspondence course of the Church and School of Wicca, was denied access to knives which he said were necessary to his religious practice as a Wiccan. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia is one of two United States district courts serving the Commonwealth of Virginia...
decided in Dettmer's favor, finding that Wicca was a religion, rejecting the argument put forward by the Department of Correction that it was merely a "conglomeration" of occult practices. This decision was appealed to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and was argued before the appellate court in April of 1986, which ruled that although Wicca was a religion, it was not a violation of the First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
to deny a prisoner access to potential weapons.