The following Principles of Belief were written in April, 1974, by Carl L. Weschcke, one of the founders and chairpersons of the Council of American Witches. Soon after this was released, the Council disbanded, but these Principles remain as a strong contribution to Wicca as we know it today.

1. We practice the right 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 enviornment. 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 that 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.

4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity - as masculine and feminine - and that this same Creative Power lies in all people, and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive to the other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magickal practice and religious worship.

5. We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological, worlds sometimes known as the spiritual world, the collective unconscious, inner planes, etc. - and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis of paranormal phenomena and magickal 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 of themselves in leadership.

7. We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it - a worldview and philosphy of life which we indentify as Witchcraft - the Wiccan Way.

8. Calling oneself "Witch" does not make a Witch but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees, and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well without harm to others and in harmony with Nature.

9. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the universe we know and our personal role within it.

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.

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 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 the Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.

13. We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to health and well-being.

EXERCISE:
At this time, I would recommend copying these beliefs into your Book of Shadows, leaving enough space in between each for remarks. Read each one thoroughly, several times if necessary, until you feel you have a clear understanding of them. Once you feel confident that you understand the meanings of each, use the extra space you allowed, to write down your interpretations of them individually. When you have finished, return here to continue the lesson.

Part Two

As you have learned by now, in Wicca we do not have a pre-written Master Book or Bible to which we extract our beliefs from. We do however learn from eachother and from Nature, as is our way.

While these "Principles of Belief" are not set in stone, as say, The Ten Commandments are said to be in the Christian religion, they can be likened to them, in that they provide a basis of understanding for what Wicca is all about. These Principles are strong statements of belief, and provide a solid foundation from which to build upon. In her book, "To Ride A Silver Broomstick", Silver Ravenwolf recommends that "Each year you should reaffirm these beliefs in some way...", and I couldn't agree with her more.

Let's examine these statements individually to get a clear picture of their meanings.

(Please Note: The following are my personal interpretations of the 13 Principles of Belief, and may not necessarily reflect the interpretations of others. If you decided to skip the process of your own interpretations, may I recommend returning to do so now so that you are not hindered in your own thought pattern by what I believe.)

1. We practice the right to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters.

   Wicca is all about the natural cycle of life. We are born, we die, and we are reborn. Spring turns into Summer, followed by Fall and Winter, only to return to Spring once more. The Moon waxes and wanes, moving from Full to New, only to become Full again, renewing it's cycle. The flower grows, blooms, and releases its seed, which settles back into the Earth, to start the process all over again. Everywhere in Nature we can see this same cycle of life's precious gifts taking place.

   As Wiccan's and Witches, the Moon's cycle is an important calendar event. We've all heard how "strange things" occur during a Full Moon. Her force is a powerful one. She affects the Oceans tides, and the moods of Wo/Man alike. We honor her when she is Full, and we time our spells by Her phases.

   In days of Old, before the Roman Calendar was invented, it was by the Moons phases that things were planned or accounted for. Examples of this would be a woman's pregnancy, "It has been eight Moons, the baby will be coming soon." Or, "Two Moons from now it will be time for Harvest". The Moon was the calendar, and today Wiccans return to her for that same guidence, acknowledging Her wonderous, powerful force.

2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our enviornment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.

   Wo/Man is gifted with awareness and intelligence. We have the ability to know the difference between right and wrong, and because our enviornment is such an essential aspect of our survival, we need to be aware of how we treat it. We know what will help the enviornment, as well as what is bad for it, and we each have the power to make a difference. It is a "unique responsibility" to say the least.

   As Wo/Man evolves, S/He sometimes tends to overlook those things that are important to the enviornment. Wiccans strive to be aware of those things that can make a difference, to help achieve that "harmony" and "balance" that will bring "fulfillment", not only to the individual, but to our very survival. Recycling, planting a tree, cleaning up litter, composting, supporting Wildlife causes...these are just a very few of the actions we can take to help our enviornment. We must take responsibility before it is too late. The intelligence to do so is within all of us.

3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that 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.

   Power is such a strong word, and often misunderstood. For this reason, I prefer to use "force" or "energy" in this particular case. We acknowledge a depth of [energy] far greater than that apparent to the average person." Average referring to those who are unaware, or do not recognize anything other than the physical.

   There is a natural energy that surrounds us, available to those who are able and/or willing to tune in to it. This is the very energy we use to work magick. Everyone has the ability to utilize this energy, because this is also a natural source of energy inherent within all of us.

4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity - as masculine and feminine - and that this same Creative Power lies in all people, and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive to the other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magickal practice and religious worship.

   Put into more simple form, the masculine and feminine are found throughout Nature, and are necessary to the existence of all things. Without a male and a female, each carrying within themselves the essential elements of creation, there would be no life. Both are necessary, equally revered and respected.

   "We value sex as pleasure..." For the younger crowd, and as the Mother of a 14 year old, I must start out by saying, this does not mean "if it feels good do it". Sex of any kind must be handled with maturity and responsibility, and has consequences, both mentally and physically, that must be taken into consideration before being acted upon.

   Having said that, it is no secret to anyone who has spent quality time in a private nature with their partner, that there is a great deal of energy both exumed and consumed during this time. It can be a very spiritual, magickal and pleasurable time, as it should be, when we share the very core of who we are with someone we care about. However, in Wicca, it's not always just about showing your partner how you feel. This Principle also refers to the Great Rite, where energy is raised for magickal purposes, with religious intent at the forefront.

5. We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological, worlds sometimes known as the spiritual world, the collective unconscious, inner planes, etc. - and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis of paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.

   In otherwords, both the physical and spiritual planes exist at the same time, and we are aware of both at all times. We realize that both interact with eachother, and both are necessary in our lifes journey. While, in this Principle, they are broken down into two groups, "outer"/"physical" and "inner"/"spiritual", it is also recognized that there are many different levels within these planes that we can work, live, and learn in.

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.

   An example of "authoritarian hierarchy" would be that of the Catholic Tradition, where there are many levels of acknowledged authority. There is the Priest who answers to a Monsignor, who answers to Bishop, who answers to the ArchBishop, who answers to the Cardinal, all of whom answers to the Pope, who is the absolute authority on religious matters in the Catholic Church. Wiccan beliefs are simplified a great deal, as we have only ourselves to answer to, with karmic fate being our judge and jury.

   While Wiccans don't recognize others on the physical plane as being "higher powers" than ourselves, we do respect those who have been in the Craft longer than us, knowing that they hold a greater knowledge and wisdom, and from them there is much that we can learn through their guidence.

7. We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it - a worldview and philosphy of life which we indentify as Witchcraft - the Wiccan Way.

   "religion, magick and wisdom" are joined as a whole to form a complete system of belief and way of life. That belief is called Witchcraft and/or Wicca, and is universally accepted amongst its practitioners as the recipe of our daily existence.

8. Calling oneself "Witch" does not make a Witch but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees, and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well without harm to others and in harmony with Nature.

   You can call yourself anything you want, but a title is useless if you aren't living the part. You can say you've been initiated 100 times, or that you were born into a family of Witches, but knowledge, actions, and "how" you live are what make the difference. Self-control, honoring Nature and Spirit, and having respect and appreciation for all life are essential elements of a true Witch.

9. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the universe we know and our personal role within it.

   Life, and the creation of life is to be celebrated. It is our responsibility to ensure that all things in Nature, Man & Woman, Plant & Animal, Earth, Air, Fire, Water, & Spirit, have a place in the Universe. All of these have a life force of their own, and all are important elements in the evolutionary process.

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.

    In Wicca, we believe that there is truth in ALL religions, with no one way being the right or only way. There are many different paths to Spirit, and as free thinking individuals, no one has the right to deny us the spiritual path we choose. We do not look down on others for their religious choices, nor do we claim that other choices are wrong. We only desire to have the freedom to make our own religious choices without obstacles being placed in our path at every turn.

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 future.

    Because we, as Witches, are open to the many different paths that are available to us, our goal being spiritual growth, it does not matter about what has happened in the past, where a particular label comes from, or what tradition is better than another. Our only concern is that we keep evolving on a spiritual level. We will use what ever positive choices necessary to continue moving forward in our spiritual growth.

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 accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.

    Wiccans do not believe in a supernatural being known as "the Devil", therefore we can not worship such a being. While we do believe that both good and bad exist, these qualities are not accepted in absolute form, neither having their extreme counterparts. The Christian belief is that those who worship "the Devil", use "evil" to gain their powers, and in it's suggested form means causing others pain, or manipulating their free will. Wiccans do not wish to bring about harm in any form. This would greatly go against our strong belief in the Wiccan Rede, as would denying one the right to make his or her own choices.

13. We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.

    Nature provides us with everything we need to live full, happy and healthy lives. From the air we breath, the gifts which spring from the Earth, and the life that thrives upon Her, to the warmth of the Sun, the power of the Moon, and the very energy that allows us to perform magick; It is these blessings that we believe in turning to for continued health, happiness, and fulfillment in our lives.

BACKSTUDY~BUDDY HOMENEXT

IntroductionStudy OutlineMagical Dictionary

Lesson ILesson II