Alexandrian Wicca

Alexandrian Wicca (also Alexandrina, Alexandrina, or Alexandrian) is a British branch of the Wiccan religion founded in England in the sixties by Alex Sanders and his wife Maxine Sanders. The current Alexandrian has many points of connection with the Gardnerian Wicca (the original tradition of Gerald Gardner), although it differs in many small ways. Together with the branch of Gardnerian, Alexandrian and one of the most common forms of Wicca. Alexandrian Wicca is practiced today to a greater extent in North America, particularly in the United States and Canada.

The Encyclopedia Mystica reports that the limited distribution in Great Britain, where the contrary Gardnerian Wicca was a great success, was due to negative publicity made by the same Sanders. In 1980 almost none of the Alexandrian coven U.S. had direct contact with Alex Sanders. A different situation in Canada, where the groups could immediately Alexandrian organizations established before the spread of negativity about the founder.

History 
Alexandrian Wicca is fundamentally based on Gardnerian, to which Alex Sanders (Sanders and Alexander, the extended version of the full name) was initiated as a member of First Instance. Originally Alexandrian Wicca did not differ much from the Gardnerian.

Sanders, in his work of spreading of Wicca, in a short time was able to convert hundreds of people, including his future wife, Maxine, a former Catholic. Alexandrian tradition gradually took a less mysterious and closed with respect to the Gardnerian tradition, as well as more open to doctrinal innovations, which led to a subsequent assimilation of elements from other traditions. In particular, in Alexandrian Wicca can find influences of traditional Kabbalah, Hermetic Qabalah the of Enochian magic and ceremonial magic, as well as teaching the same course, Alex Sanders.

The name Alexandrian Tradition is generally seen as both a derivation of the name of the founder - a mutilation is thus due to the name of the contract of Alex Sanders is the extended version of Alexander Sanders - that the historic Library of Alexandria, one of the greatest cultural centers of the ancient world. The name was chosen in reference to the library because this is usually seen as a broadcaster and standardization of culture. The name was chosen by Stewart Farrar, one of the first initiates of Sanders, and used for the first time in his book What Witches Do.

Doctrine
The Alexandrian tradition, with similarities in other Wiccan traditions and in accordance with the direct descent from the Gardnerian greatly emphasizes a worldview marked by theological and cosmological dualism of the divine forces. How Gardnerian tradition, Alexandrian also gives strong emphasis to the distinction between the Goddess, Mother Nature single and a triple order of the universe and all things, and God, the consort of the goddess.

The two Wiccan deities represent the opposition which it is based on the principles of the cosmos, life and the existence of all beings, animate or not. As in the tradition Garderiana the two bodies are similar to the eternal opposition of divine forces which flow from the cycles of nature that underlie the formation and destruction, and the amalgamation dismembrarsi, the clash of diversity which follows the evolution or involution (the continuing anyway) of things that exist. When compared to Gardnerian Wicca, Alexandrian current is defined as more eclectic and open to the assimilation of foreign elements. As already stated the Alexandrian doctrine today is based on strong influences cabalistic, hermetic Kabbalistic, and a prominent center of ceremonial magic and in particular that of Enochian tradition.

 Part Alexandrian which refer to the current reformed Stewart Farrar honor the god entity as a dual, separate itself into a polarity of forces represented by the Holly King and Oak King and iconography through the symbol of the green. The Alexandrian Reformed believe that these two manifestations of God are a patron of the two parties respectively, that comprise the sacred year. The doctrinal system is ultimately based on the Rede, as is true of the whole movement Wiccan, this distinction is highlighted by the proper version of the Alexandrian Book of Shadows. Another feature that distinguishes the tradition of the Alexandrian and Gardnerian Wiccan traditions other is the already mentioned strong element in the Cabalistic and Hermetic doctrine. In the rite of evocation of the guardians of the five elements and the cardinal points - the cosmic forces considered able to catalyze the energy of the cosmos - the Alexandrian identify these entities hidden with the ten sephiroth of the Kabbalah, the Goddess of cosmic emanations. Organization Alexandrian tradition shares with the other current Wiccan initiation requires a system that theoretically open to all who ask.

This is somewhat of a push to the spread of the tradition, which, under an apparent blanket of closure and a hidden mystery religion universalism. As in the Gardnerian tradition, Alexandrian in the initiation, there are three levels or degrees of initiation, commonly reported as the first, second and third degree. Only members of the second and third grade are allowed to practice the training of new members to worship and form new covens. Initiates from the second grade are considered the most formats, and are therefore designated with the title of senior priests. Some Alexandrian covens have also established a level of protoingresso in the group, that of the neophyte or devoting. In these covens newcomers are not immediately admitted to the ceremonies, rituals, and are not considered in effect part of the coven, until after it has been awarded the first degree of initiation.

The academic reports and historian Ronald Hutton notes that in Britain the distinction between the Alexandrian and Gardnerian has become more blurred in recent decades, and how many initiates of both traditions have recognized the initiation to one tradition, as a guarantee access to the other. The Wiccan author Vivianne Crowley, began the third degree of both traditions, organizes seminars for teaching parallel traditional Gardnerian and Alexandrian, Alexandrian priestess in the U.S. Mary Nesnick founded a new movement, the Algardi, which proposes the unification of the Gardnerian and Alexandrian teachings. In addition, Janet Owen, wife of Stewart Farrar, who called himself a reformed alexandria, no longer defined at all Alexandrian. Same time have appeared two new branches of Wicca Alexandrian inspiration, namely the Blue Star Wicca and Odisseanesimo.