Although there are precursors to the movement, Wicca’s origins can be traced to the retired British civil servant Gerald Brosseau Gardner. Gardner claimed to have discovered a group of witches near England’s New Forest in 1939 and later alleged that their teachings provided the basis of Wicca, although historians disagree on whether the group ever existed. After Britain repealed its witchcraft laws in 1951, Gardner published Witchcraft Today, founded a coven, and developed what became known as Gardnerian Wicca with Doreen Valiente.
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