”Magic is a muscle!” Teaching, learning and ritualization in Swedish Wicca

Guest lecture by Olivia Cejvan, PhD, Post Doc at the University of Malmö Sweden.

This presentation concerns the relatively uncharted territory of teaching and learning within contemporary esotericism, in an ethnographic study of the Wiccan Aine tradition (founded in Sweden in the 90’s). Like Wicca in general, the Aine tradition is a polytheistic, nature-oriented, esoteric religion organized in small groups called covens. The coven functions as a social learning environment, where members are educated through three initiatory degrees over a minimum of seven years. Compared to many of its international antecedents, the development of Wicca in Sweden exhibits a pronounced didactical trait, inspired by secular educational milieus. It also re-negotiates common Wiccan gender norms as a part of a novel didactical approach to polarity in magical practice.

This presentation explore intertwined aspects of teaching and learning through a case study of how coven members are trained in the art of creating, leading, and performing rituals. It sheds light on how ritual virtuosity and religious expertise are cultivated and validated, and how and why teaching and learning revitalizes, diversifies, and transforms ritual practices over time.