Alexandrian Wicca was started in England by a witch named Alex Sanders
(1926 - 1988) and his wife Maxine (who was a Roman Catholic) in the
1960s. He was referred to as "The King of the Witches." He had
claimed to be initiated into Wicca at the age of seven by his
grandmother but later admitted that this was not true. There was
controversy within Wiccan circles as to the motivation of Mr. Sanders in
developing his tradition. Some thought he was involved for the
fame and influence. But this only helped to increase his
popularity.
Alex Sanders experimented with homosexuality,
magick,
claimed he could heal people, and is said to have even worshipped the
devil for a while. He had been initiated into the Gardnerian
tradition and his Alexandrian Wicca reflects some of those aspects.
However, Alexandrian
Wicca does not require ritual nudity as Gardnerian Wicca does.
At first, the Alexandrian tradition grew but later
declined when it was discovered that Alex Sanders had been dishonest
about his claim to be a hereditary witch. The Alexandrian tradition
focuses on ceremonial magic and has elements of the Kabbalah.
______________ References
Cantrell, Gary.,
Wiccan Beliefs and Practices. St. Paul, Minn: Llewellyn
Publications, 2004 P. 34.