Is modern Wicca as valid a path as it was in the distant past or is it a recent reconstruction based on little more than the ideas of Gardiner in the 1950

The Gardinarian tradition of wicca is indeed very old, very rigid, and one of the most respected paths of wicca. Several branches were happening around the same time, but Gardiner is the path that very disciplined witches prefer. The spells and ceremonies are quite structured, and it is a wonderful choice for “formal” training. Reverence for the earth in any form is always a valid path, but I know what you’re getting at. I have trouble with the new age practitioners, who are not wiccan. Too much touchy feely crystal dolphin wacko for me, but live and let live. In fact, these are the two ends of the spectrum, in my opinion. The truth is probably somewhere in between