A
Catechism of The Spiritual Lighthouse Church
We therefore ask only that those who seek to identify with us
accept these few basic principles:
1.We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural
rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the
seasonal quarters and cross-quarters.
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 an evolutionary
concept.
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 "God," but we see it
as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.
4.We conceive of the God in the Universe as
manifesting through polarity - as masculine and feminine - and
that this same 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 sexuality as pleasure, as
the symbol and embodiement of Life and as one of the sources
of energies used in magical practice and religious worship.
5.We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological
worlds - sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the
Collective Unconscious, the Inner Planes, etc. - 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.
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 to themselves in leadership.
7.We see religion, spirituality, and wisdom-in-living as being united
in the way one views the world and lives within it - a world
view and philosophy of life, which we identify as Witchcraft
or the Wiccan Way.
8.Calling oneself "Pentecostal" does not make a pentecostal - but neither
does heredity itself, or the collecting of titles, degrees and
initiations. A Pentecostal seeks to control the forces within
him/herself that make life possible in order to live wisely
and well, without harm to others, and in harmony with Nature.
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.
10.Our only animosity toward institutional religions, or toward any other
religion or philosophy-of-life, is to the extent that its
institutions have claimed to be "the one true right and only
way" and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress
other ways of religious practices and belief.
11.As Pentecostals, we are not threatened by debates on
the history of spirituality, the origins of various terms, the
legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are
concerned with our present and our future.
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 Christian Tradition. We do not seek power through the
suffering of others, nor do we accept the concept that
personal benefits can only be derived by denial to another.
13.We work within Nature for that which is contributory to our
health and well-being.
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Our Celebrations of the Year
Samhain (pronounced sow-een) - October 31
Also known as the Witches' New Year, Samhain is the last of
three harvest holidays. It is the renewal of the Wheel of Life
and the Wheel of the Year. It is also the time when the veil
between the two worlds is the thinnest making divination
extremely popular at this time.
Deities: Crone goddesses,
Sacrificial, Aging/Dying, Death & Otherworld Gods
Colors: Black and orange
Symbols: Cauldron, jack o'lantern,
mask, besom, balefire
Yule or Winter Solstice - December 20 or 21
This is the shortest day and longest night of the year. It
symbolizes the rebirth of the God. Bayberry candles are often
burned until they go out to ensure wealth and happiness
Deities: Newborn Gods, Triple
Goddesses, Virgin Goddesses
Colors: Red and green
Symbols: Yule log, evergreen, holly,
wreaths, spinning wheel.
Candlemas - February 1 or 2
This is the first of the three spring fertility holidays. It
symbolizes the end of winter and embraces the change from old
to new. It also honors the Goddess as the waiting bride of the
God (Sun).
Deities: Virgin or Child Goddesses,
God as young men or boys
Colors: Lavender, white, pale
yellow, silver
Symbols: Candles, brides, grain
dollies, burrowing animals
Ostara or Spring Equinox - March 20
The second fertility holiday. It is a celebration of
balance of night and day (light and dark).
Deities: Youthful God/desses,
Warrior Gods, Deities awakening to sexuality
Colors: Pastels (green,
yellow, pink)
Symbols: Eggs, equilateral
crosses (ie: Brigid's cross), butterfly
Beltaine - May 1
Last of the fertility holidays. It honors love, union and new
life.
Deities: Flower Goddesses,
Divine Couples
Colors: Red and white
Symbols: Maypole, eggs,
baskets, flowers
Midsummer or Summer Solstice - June 20 or 21
Also called Lithia, this holiday celebrates the longest day of
the year with the Sun at its peak of power.
Deities: Gods at their peak of
power, Pregnant Goddesses
Colors: Green, red and
gold
Symbols: Fire, mistletoe, solar
discs, feathers, blades
Lammas - August 1 or 2
Also called Lughnasadh after the God Lugh. This is the first
of the harvesting holidays and celebrates the grain harvests.
Deities: Harvest and
Grain Deities, New Mother Goddesses
Colors: Gold, green,
yellow, gray
Symbols: All grains and breads, threshing
tools
Mabon or Autumn Equinox - September 21 or 22
The second of the harvest holidays. This celebrates the vine
harvests and wines.
Deities: Wine Gods, Harvest
Deities, Aging Deities
Colors: Orange, rust,
maroon, brown
Symbols: Apples, wine, vines, garlands,
gourds, cornucopias
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Charge of the Goddess
Listen to the words of the Great Mother, who of old was called
Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite,
Cerridwen, Diana, Arienrhod, Brigid, and by many other names:
Whenever you have need of anything, once in the month, and
better it be when the moon is full, you shall assemble
in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me who is Queen
of all Witches.
There shall you assemble, who have not yet won my deepest
secrets and are fain to learn all sorceries. To these
shall I teach that which is yet unknown.
You shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that you be free
you shall be naked in your rites.
Sing, feast, dance, make music and love, all in My presence,
for Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and Mine also is joy
on earth. For My law is love unto all beings.
Mine is the secret that opens upon the door of youth, and Mine
is the cup of wine of life that is the Cauldron of
Cerridwen that is the holy grail of immortality.
I am the Gracious Goddess who gives the gift of youth unto the
heart of mankind.
I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal and beyond death I
give peace and freedom and reunion with those that
have gone before.
Nor do I demand aught of sacrifice, for behold, I am the
mother of all things and My love is poured upon the earth.
Hear the words of the Star Goddess, the dust of whose feet are
the hosts of heaven, whose body encircles the
universe:
I who am the beauty of the green earth and the white moon
among the stars and the mysteries of the waters,
I call upon your soul to arise and come unto Me. For I am the
soul of nature that gives life to the universe. From Me
all things proceed and unto Me they must return.
Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold --
all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals. Let there be
beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility,
mirth and reverence within you.
And you who seek to know Me, know that your seeking and
yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery:
for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you
will never find it without.
For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am
that which is attained at the end of desire.
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Charge of the God
Listen to the Words of the Horned God,
Who was of old called among men:
Adonis, Tammuz, Dianus, Herne,
Bran, Beli, Lugh, Gwyn,Dionysus, Osiris, Cernunnos, Pan
And by many other Names.
O Secret of Secrets,
That art hidden in the being of all that lives,
Not Thee do we adore,
For That which adoreth is also Thou.
Thou art That, and That am I.
I am the Flame that burns in the heart of every being,
And in the core of every Star.
I am Life, and the Giver of Life
Yet therefore is the Knowledge of Me
The Knowledge of Death and Resurrection.
I am alone, the Lord within ourselves,
Whose Name is Mystery of Mysteries.
I am the Horned God.
I am the Lord of the Universe,
The Father of all living,
The All-Devourer and the All-Begetter.
I am He Whose Seed lies strewn<
As glittering Gems across velvet darkness
Within the Womb of the Mother.
I am the Lord of the Shadows
In the darkness of the Underworld,
For I am the Midnight Sun.
I am the Light of the Stars,
And the Spark of the Spirit Eternal,
For I am the God Within.
I am the Horned Leader of the Hosts of Air,
The Leader of the Wild Hunt,
The Judge of Gods and of Men.
I am the Hidden God,
Who ever yet remains,
For I dwell within the secret seed.
I am the seed of grain,
I am the seed of flesh,
I am the Seed of the Stars.
I am the Lord of the Heights,
I am the Lord of the Depths,
God of forest, of flock, and of field.
I am the Hunter and Hunted,
I am the wolf and the Shepherd,
I am the vine and the grain.
I am a Guiding Star above you,
I am a bright Flame before you,
I am a smooth Path beneath you.
I am the Light of Life.
I am the Flame of Love.
I am the Horned God!
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The Creed
Bide the Spiritual Laws we must
In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.
Live and let live,
Fairly take and fairly give.
Cast the Circle thrice about
To keep the evil spirits out.
To bind the spell every time
Let the spell be spake in rhyme.
Soft of eye and light of touch,
Speak but little, listen much.
Deosil go by waxing moon,
Chanting out the Ancient' Runes.
Widdershins go by waning moon,
Chanting out the baneful rune.
When the Lady's moon is new,
Kiss thy hand to Her, times two.
When the moon rides at her peak,
Then your heart's desire seek.
Heed the North wind's mighty gale,
Lock the door and drop the sail.
When the wind comes from the South,
Love will kiss thee on the mouth.
When the wind blows from the West,
Departed souls will have no rest.
When the wind blows from the East,
Expect the new and set the feast.
Nine woods in the cauldron go,
Burn them fast and burn them slow.
Elder be the Lady's tree,
Burn it not or cursed you'll be.
When the Wheel begins to turn,
Let the Beltane fires burn.
When the Wheel has turned to Yule,
Light the log, the Horned One rules.
Heed ye Flower, Bush and Tree,
By the Lady, Blessed Be.
Where the rippling waters go,
Cast a stone and truth you'll know.
When ye have a true need,
Hearken not to others' greed.
With a fool no season spend,
Lest ye be counted as his friend.
Merry Meet and Merry Part,
Bright the cheeks and warm the heart.
Mind the Threefold Law you should,
Three times bad and three times good.
When misfortune is enow,
Wear the blue star on thy brow.
True in Love ever be,
Lest thy lover's false to thee.
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill:
As Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will
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13 Goals of a Spiritual Being
1. Know Yourself:
Take time to learn about yourself. Keep daily journals as well
as sleep journals. Record your thoughts, experiences
during meditation, your goals and anything else you think that
is important. Use your dream journal to build a base line
so that you can interpret your dreams because dreams are the
way our shadow self talks to us. Endeavor to heal your
shadow self. Use your daily journals to understand your
thoughts and motivations. In other words, step back and
examine
yourself, your life, your goals and what you want and who you
really are.
2. Know Your Truth:
Study and practice the Truth. Through exploring the different
aspects and theories of the Truth you will become more
adept and begin to form your own theories and practices that
work best for you. Take classes offered in your area such
as tarot, meditation among other things that interest you.
Attend public rituals to gain insight into how others
practice.
Talk to other spiritual people and exchange ideas and
experiences.
3. Learn:
The learning never ends when you are a spiritual being. Read and study
everything that you can and never dismiss any
knowledge out of hand. You never know where a revelation may
be hiding.
4. Apply Knowledge With Wisdom:
Use the wisdom you have gained to temper your actions. Wisdom
is a gift given to the wise and the wise use their wisdom
to make the best decisions available. To apply knowledge
without wisdom is reckless and can be dangerous in certain
situations. The truly wise never claim to know everything or
claim the status as an authority or guru, because no one
knows everything. Do not abuse the knowledge you have
acquired.
5. Achieve Balance:
Our path is a religion of balance. We embrace the light and dark,
the God and Goddess; neither is more important than the
other. Both have a purpose. We are to achieve balance in our
lives. Such as balance in the self, home, personal
relationships, what we take from the earth and what we give
back and so on. A balanced life is a good life.
6. Keep Your Thoughts in Good Order:
This goal goes hand and hand with goal 7. As a spiritual being your
thoughts manifest reality in accordance with your will. Once
you have reached a level of magical development you can set
events in motion without even realizing it. A disciplined
mine reduces that occurrences and aids in magical works. Your
thoughts manifest before words are even formed.
7. Keep Your Words in Good Order:
As thoughts manifest reality in conformity to your will, so do
words. Words are the verbalization of your thoughts and
therefore carry power. To not mind your words is the same as
spreading chaos magically. Discipline in minding your
words adds meaning to what you speak and enhances their
effectiveness in magical workings as well as the mundane
world.
8. Celebrate Life:
This one is somewhat self explanatory. Life your life to the
fullest and make every day a celebration of life. Life is a
gift
from the God and Goddess and they wish us to have a good time
while here. Essentially, don’t be afraid to enjoy your
life.
9. Attune With the Cycles of the Earth:
This is one of the basic concepts of many spiritual people. Our holidays,
Sabbats, are based upon the Wheel of the Year, with the
Wheel of the Year being based on the cycles of the
Earth. We are to experience nature and understand that
we are part
of it and it is part of us and how it affects us. It is
another mystery of Wicca that one has to experience to truly
understand.
10. Breathe and Eat Correctly:
This one is self explanatory as well. We are to eat the proper
foods and practice our breathing. It doesn’t mean we can’t
enjoy the food we eat or occasionally indulge. What it means
is that we should eat a proper diet because it will help to
make our bodies healthy. A healthy body not only makes us feel
better and live longer, it aids us in our magical works
and makes the mundane tasks easier.
Learning to breath correctly aids in the raising of energy,
focus, stress relief and meditation.
11. Exercise the Body:
This is a difficult goal for many people but it is an
important one. Our bodies are wondrous things that the God and
Goddess have blessed us with. We should respect the bodies we
have been given and keep them in shape. A healthy
body feels better both physically and emotionally. We also
live longer and are less encumbered during mundane
activities and magical ones as well. To exercise the body is
to honor the God and Goddess.
12. Meditate:
Meditation is a key skill in the working of magic. It allows
us to focus our thoughts thereby focusing our will. It also
helps
us in our mundane life as well. It reduces stress and helps us
get through our mundane tasks by being able to focus and
think clearly.
13. Honor the Goddess and the God:
We should honor the God and Goddess in everything we do. They
are a part of us as we are a part of them. We are all
connected. By honoring them we honor ourselves and our fellow
humans. We also honor our gods through rituals and
celebrations. We do this because we love them and we desire to
not because we fear them.
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The Universal Pentecostal Church Creed
Hear now the words of the Pentecostals,
The secrets we hid in the night,
When dark was our destiny's pathway,
That now we bring into light.
Mysterious water and fire,
The earth and the wide-ranging air,
By hidden quintessence we know them
And will and keep silent and dare.
The birth and rebirth of all nature,
The passing of winter and spring.
We share with life universal,
Rejoice in the magical ring.
Four times in the year the Great Sabbat
Returns, and all people are seen
At Lammas and Candlemass dancing,
On May Eve and old Halloween.
When day-time and night-time are equal,
When sun is at greatest and least,
The four Lesser Sabbats are summoned,
And Witches gather in feast.
Thirteen silver moons in a year are,
Thirteen is the coven's array.
Thirteen times at Esbat make merry,
For each golden year and a day.
The power that was passed down the age,
Each time between woman and man,
Each century unto the other,
Ere time and the ages began.
When drawn is the magical circle,
Be sword or athame of power, I
ts compass between two worlds lies,
In land of the shades for that hour.
This world has no right then to know it,
And world of beyond will tell naught,
The oldest of Gods are invoked there,
The Great Work of Magic is wrought.
For the two are mystical pillars,
That stand at the gate of the shrine,
And two are the powers of nature,
The forms and the focus devine.
The dark and the light in succession,
The opposites each unto each,
Shown forth as a God and a Goddess:
Of this our ancestors teach.
By night he's the wild wind's rider,
The Horn'd One, the Lord of the Shades,
By day he's King of the Woodland,
The dweller in green forest glades.
She is youthful or old as she pleases,
She sails the torn clouds in her barque,
The bright silver lady of moonlight,
The Crone who weaves spells in the dark.
The Master and Mistress of magic,
That dwell in the deeps of the mind,
Immortal and ever renewing,
With powers to free or to bind.
So drink the good wine to the Old Gods,
And dance and make love in their praise,
Till Elphame's fair land shall receive us,
In peace at the end of our days.
And Do What You Will be the challenge,
So be it Love that harms none,
For this is the only commandment,
By magic of old, be it done!