About WICA

Here you will find out what we do, how long we have been doing it and the steps we have taken to ensure your online safety and security. You can also click here to read what people are saying about us.

The History of WICA

Foundation of WICA

The Witchcraft Information Centre & Archive was founded in London, UK, on the 9th of September, 1999, by L.P. Ruickbie as an unbiased source of information about Witchcraft and as a learning centre for those interested in the subject. The Centre also aims to serve the community by offering full consultative services on all aspects of Witchcraft and the Occult.

The WICA Story

Dr Leo Ruickbie tells the story: "I've always been fascinated by witchcraft and magic, so I found it natural to pursue that fascination into university. Once I'd battled through a BA(Hons) and MA, getting the essentials of academic training, I was able to direct my research to my first love in my PhD. But I found that I was talking to the wrong people. I was talking to bored professors and students with their own projects, not to people who were interested in witchcraft. That's when I decided to leave the 'ivory tower' and communicate what I had learnt to people who were eager to hear it. Out of that decision came the Witchcraft Information Centre & Archive website and my book Witchcraft Out of the Shadows. It's been a lot harder to make it on my own outside of the university, but it's also been, and still is, a lot more rewarding."

Key Dates

1999

L.P. Ruickbie founds WICA on the 9th of September, 1999 (9/9/99).

2000

Wica.org.uk goes live on the internet on Saturday the 10th of June, 2000.

2001

After extensive development our Diploma in Witchcraft Studies course is launched on the 31st of October, 2001.

2002

To achieve greater Internet visibility the website is re-launched on the 10th of June, 2002, as WitchcraftInfo.info.

2003

New European office is opened. Much of 2003 is spent renovating this 17th century property.

2004

Publication of Leo Ruickbie's Witchcraft Out of the Shadows. Most of 2004 is spent liaising with the publisher and working on the proofs.

2005

At the beginning of 2005 the decision is taken to review the website. After consultation with our subscriber base we decide to re-brand the website as Witchology.com. The new website is launched on Tuesday the 7th of June, 2005.

2006

More content is added during 2006, in particular the events pages are uploaded and dynamically organised to provide a timely guide to what's on around the world. The Witchology Team is also created to enable volunteers to get involved with Witchology.com's work.

WICA's Activities

Research

As a research centre specialising in all forms of Witchcraft and the Occult, WICA is unique. Drawing on our Director's experience and academic training at some of the UK's foremost institutions, WICA can offer unparalleled expertise on the subject of Witchcraft, Wicca, Paganism, the Occult and related areas.

Education

As an educational centre specialising in Witchcraft, WICA is distinguished by the academic excellence of its courses and the rigorous research underpinning them. WICA is the only educational institution offering the Diploma in Witchcraft Studies. Our Diploma programme was officially launched on the 31st of October, 2001.

Reportage

WICA is committed to making information about Witchcraft more widely available and as part of this aim offers international news reporting as a free service to users of the website.

Consultation

To assist people experiencing problems associated with Witchcraft and the modern Witchcraft religion of Wicca, including curses, religious discrimination and practical issues, WICA leverages its expert knowledge base to offer full consultative services in private and the strictest confidence.

WICA Policy

The Legal Status of WICA

WICA is not a corporate giant. We are a small organisation operating as a registered business under United Kingdom legislation. Our original domain name—www.wica.org.uk—indicates that we are a UK organisation.

Privacy and Protection

WICA is in full compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998. All communications with WICA are treated in the strictest confidence. Read more about our privacy policy here. Find out more about PayPal's credit card protection here. Or contact us to find out more.

E-Commerce Security

WICA uses PayPal, the industry leader in online payment processing, to protect your transactions. By using PayPal we have added the highest level of credit card protection making buying from WICA safer than using your credit card in the high street. At no point are you required to divulge your credit card details to WICA. In addition, we meet all PayPal charges making this a free service to our customers.