Wicca has had a formal presence in the United States since at least 1962, when two British witches, Raymond and Rosemary Buckland, began teaching the religion here. Their teachings were based on the work of early 20th-century writer Gerald B. Gardner, who taught publicly in England after anti-witchcraft laws were repealed in 1951.
From there, Wicca expanded, with covens, or groups of witches, meeting across the country. In 1975, a group of covens whose beliefs ranged from Wiccan to other forms of pagan worship incorporated in California to form the Covenant of the Goddess (CoG), a non-denominational pagan church that is recognized by the IRS.
It is near impossible to pinpoint the number of pagans in the United States. The Army chaplains handbook says there are 50,000 Wiccans. Others estimate as many as four million adherents of Wicca and other pagan religions in the U.S. Public pagan religious celebrations, as well as Internet mobilization, are on the rise. Pagans in 34 cities observed "Pagan Pride Day" in mid-September with worship, rituals, and advocacy and consciousness-raising activities by groups that focus on social and political issues that affect the pagan community, such as environmentalism, feminism, and especially, religious freedom.
The Wicca movement is, some say, the fastest-growing religion in America. The heavily trafficked, 1,763-page Witches' Voice web site has 25,988 "connections" to individuals, covens, teens, and other member groups all around the world. More than 200 representatives from pagan groups participated in the 1993 Parliament of World's Religions in Chicago, and recent years have witnessed an influx of pagans into the 250,000-member Unitarian Universalist Association, which claims "earth/nature centered" as the second most popular theological perspective among members.
Increasing numbers of pagan organizations are becoming incorporated as churches, both for the purpose of tax-exempt status from the IRS and, explains Patricia Telesco, author of 30 books on pagan practices and traditions, "for protection" from discriminatory acts including violence, vandalism, and harassment.
The heightened presence of paganism has reached the political world, where some leaders feel that its proliferation in mainstream society threatens traditional American values. Last June, Rep. Bob Barr (R-Ga.) lashed out against Wiccans in the military with a failed legislative attempt to ban the practice on military posts. In response to Barr's proposed legislation, 13 political groups, including the Christian Coalition and the Free Congress Foundation, called for a boycott on the Army by Christians until Wicca is banned from the posts.
