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13 Principles of Wiccan Belief

 (as per The Thirteen Principles of Wiccan Belief drafted by Gnosticus)

(my words)

(as per Teen Witch by Silver RavenWolf)

 

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1.       We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the Phases of the Moon and Seasonal Quarters and Cross-Quarters. (Notice that there are cycles to all things in the Universe—life, time, space—and that it is in the understanding of these cycles we can understand how best to govern ourselves and our environment.)(Teen Speak: Witches celebrate God through religious services, commonly called rituals.  A rite is a segment within a ritual. Most of our church services correspond to set days throughout the year.  Some celebrations follow the phases of the moon, where other services match the seasons of the planet.  Rather than wasting space and building a place to hold church services that will remain vacant for most of the week, Witches often meet in their homes and have their church services there.)

2.      We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment.  We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within and evolutionary concept.(Selected to be gifted with a higher intelligence and mind for abstract thinking, it is up to us to maintain homeostasis. The human mind is capable of invention, and this inventive ability puts us in a position to use it to benefit our environment rather than create new ways to destroy it.) (Teen Speak: God has given us the ability to know right from wrong. Since we stand at the top of the food chain (well, at least most of us) we have the responsibility to make sure that the planet doesn’t get gummed up because we are so damned “smart.” The best way to protect the planet and all the creatures on it is by living in harmony with all our bird, bee, and animal buddies.  In essence, we need to be ecologically conscious of our actions at all times.)

3.      We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than is apparent to the average person.  Because it is far greater than ordinary, it is sometimes called “supernatural,” but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.(Just because not everyone has  uncovered deeper levels of the Power, this does not mean they are incapable of finding the power within themselves.  Most people just accept the average power to be all there is and look no further, but there is more power available that one could fathom.)(Teen Speak: Over the centuries, humans have managed to suppress many of their innate talents.  The power of the mind truly is an incredible thing.  Did you know that we don’t bother to use a huge portion of our mind power?  We’ve become lazy, and access only what we think we need.  It is from this unused mind that wondrous abilities unfold, such as clairvoyance, telekinesis, clairaudience, ESP, remote viewing—call it what you will.  Everyone has these abilities, but most don’t use them, and some people fear these powers.  Witches and other enlightened souls strive to strengthen these natural gifts. In the eyes of the Witch, everyone and everything stands equal.)

4.      We conceive of the Creative Power in the Universe as manifesting through polarity—as masculine and feminine—and that this Creative Power lives in all people and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine.  We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive of the other.  We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magical practice and religious worship.(For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction; for every right, a left; for every up a down.  In a whole, there are both polarities and things are not possible without one meeting the other, because at some point a right must turn to left; a North must turn to South;  it is in the union of these polarities that the Whole is formed.)(Teen Speak: Just like any other religion, Witches believe in God.  We see God as having two sides—masculine and feminine.  Together, these two sides mix to create the whole of God.  Witches respect both men and women, and male and female properties of everything.  We agree that men aren’t better than women, and that women aren’t better than men.  Witches believe that having sex with another person is not a “bad thing,” though we do feel that sexual acts and interests carry a heavy responsibility.)

5.      We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological worlds—sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, the Inner Planes, and so on—and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magical exercises.  We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.(This one speaks for itself.  The physical world is not the boundary of the Universe, the Ethereal realm is always present and always influencing us.  Don’t ignore it!)(Teen Speak: We know that energies exist in the world, seen and unseen.  We value the world of the mind as much as we value the world around us. The Collective Unconscious means the psychic connections between people, plants, animals, insects, and Spirit.  We call the powers of the mind the Inner Planes.  Witches realize that the techniques known as paranormal phenomena and magickal application begin in the mind and manifest in the Universe.  We pay attention to what we think and what we do. We believe that to think a thing is to create a thing.)

6.       We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.(Respect, honor and acknowledgement are to be earned in the eyes of your peers, not to be taken for yourself.)(Teen Speak: Unlike other churches that feel the need to have a central government that dictates the rules and activities of its followers, the Wiccan religion does not have a central government.  We do have teachers and leaders that we honor for their wisdom and the time they have donated to the Wiccan way.  Each Wiccan organization, church, coven, group, or open circle governs itself.)

7.      We see religion, magic, and wisdom-in-living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it—a worldview and philosophy-of-life that we identify as Witchcraft, the Wiccan Way.(A combination of different aspects forms Witchcraft, for it is not a religion alone.)(Teen Speak: Wiccans believe that religion, the power of the mind, magickal applications, wisdom, and faith in Spirit do not function separately, but together.  We try not to wear blinders to what goes on in the world, and to keep an open mind as much as possible.)

8.      Calling oneself  “Witch” does not make a Witch—but neither does heredity itself, or the collecting of titles, degrees, and initiations.  Witches seek to control the forces within themselves that make life possible in order to live wisely and well, without harm to others, and in harmony with Nature.(You cannot truly be born into something you don’t believe.  You can’t be something simply because of a title or a rank.  It is the way you feel, believe and govern yourself and your life that defines you.)(Teen Speak: Putting down this book [Teen Witch], going to school, and proclaiming to one and all does not make you a Witch.  Wearing black clothing and lots of gaudy jewelry and threatening people with the silly nonsense of cursing them puts you far away from the path of the real Wiccan.  Joining a coven and taking an initiation and collecting status within that group also doesn’t make you a Witch.  How you live, how you deal with others, how you incorporate Wiccan laws into your life—these all determine whether you are or are not a Witch.)

9.      We acknowledge that it is the affirmation and fulfillment of life, in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness, that gives meaning to the Universe we know, and to our personal role within it.(Even if you don’t believe in any other point, this one is important.  Naturally, people do not remember a life before birth and have no natural, solid concept of a life after physical death.  And perhaps this place is the one chance to enjoy life on a physical plane, so enjoy it.  You are here now.  Be here.  Try things.  Experience as much as you can.)(Teen Speak: Witches respect all life, whether that life belings to a bug, a weed, a beautiful tree, a tiger, or a rude man who lives down the street from you.  All must survive to evolve.)

10.  Our only animosity toward Christianity, or toward any other religion or philosophy-of-life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be “the only way” and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.(Human life seeks to find a reason, and a source of all things, because we were given the concept of something more than ourselves.  There have been numerous ways of understanding that source, and behold the ones to survive ages and gain acceptance are the ones that center on karmic laws, and the idea of kindness and being a good person (doing things that will not interfere with others’ ability to live happily). These ideas have remained and must mean something, so it should not matter what form of worship a person chooses.  They have chosen to acknowledge the Spirit, and that’s that.)(Teen Speak: Witches are sick and tired of people in other religions passing judgment and spreading lies about our belief system just because they are either insecure in their own faith or don’t recognize that many paths to God exist in our Universe.  These unenlightened people think that hurting us is better than admitting that people should be free to believe as they want to believe.  Witches do not hate Christians, or Jew, or followers of Islam; however when people from these structured groups try to hurt us with lies, gossip, or physical force, they can expect the Witches to be upset and to fight back.)

11.  As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions.  We are concerned with our present, and our future.(Grudges are heavy and will wear you down.  You can’t climb over a mountain if you gather up every rock on the way.  Lighten the load and focus on the road you’re on.)(Teen Speak: There is no one right way to practice the Craft. The religion is what you make of it.)

12.  We do not accept the concept of “absolute evil,” nor do we worship any entity known as “Satan” or “the devil,” as defined by the Christian Tradition.  We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor do we accept the concept that personal benefit can be only derived by denial to another.(While we realize that the world is not a place free from evil-doing, we see that evil is a costly means and that doing good is much more effective.  The idea that we worship “the devil” was a Christian idea with ulterior motives.  There are some who choose deities that control war, death, and things that would be associated with the Christian devil, but it is not advised to follow those paths.)(Teen Speak: We do not worship the Devil nor do we believe in the Christian Satan.  We believe that to give evil a name is to give evil power.  Witches do not find an interest in working with, in, or through evil.  We do not believe that a person gains power by hurting, threatening, or killing someone—that would be evil.)

13.  We acknowledge that we seek within Nature for that which is contributory to our health and well-being.(Everything a person needs to live well was placed on this earth.  Find it, use it, renew it for generations to come, and it will always be here for you.)(Teen Speak: Witches work with nature rather than against nature.  We believe that God is the supreme power and that no human or group of people is more powerful than God.  Witches respect all religions in the face of the planet, and respect an individual’s right to practice a positive faith.  We do not teach our mysteries to fools, and we will exclude those people whom we feel are either self-destructive or whom we feel have the potential, or the history, of hurting others.  Most Wiccan organizations screen prospective members.)

 

 

Source: RavenWolf, Silver. Teen Witch. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Worldwide, 1999. 5-9.