by Scott Cunningham; with commentary by Raithaa
S. Cunningham in Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, 1988
1. Know yourself.
2. Know your Craft (Wicca).
3. Learn.
4. Apply knowledge with wisdom.
5. Achieve balance.
6. Keep your words in good order.
7. Keep your thoughts in good order.
8. Celebrate life.
9. Attune with the cycles of the Earth.
10. Breathe and eat correctly.
11. Exercise the body.
12. Meditate.
13. Honor the Goddess and God.
1. KNOW YOURSELF.
Ah, the classic dictum! Nosce te ipsum: Know thyself. Sure, sounds simple enough, right? Look deeply into yourself. What makes you tick? What elements make up your personality? It is vitally important to continually take inventory of both your vices and virtues, and work with what you have and improve upon what you must. There is a reason that this goal appears first on the list: knowing yourself -- REALLY knowing yourself -- is a giant step towards achieving self-mastery. You are yourself a Mystery unfolding.
2. KNOW YOUR CRAFT (WICCA).
Knowing your Craft does not just mean retaining the knowledge that you have attained from books or with your teacher -- this goal also refers to what you have learned through your own experience, for the true Mysteries are those that cannot be written. Celebrate the seasons, serve the Old Gods, and listen carefully to the whispers of nature, for these are the best teachers yet.
3. LEARN.
Yes, that's right, learn! Read, read, read. And then read some more. Check bibliographies. If possible, train with a qualified teacher. The old cliche is correct: one never stops learning. Do not just rely on your books and your teachers, though. Look to nature. Look within. Listen carefully.
4. APPLY KNOWLEDGE WITH WISDOM.
First: knowledge and wisdom are two things. If you have ever known someone who is "book smart" but totally lacks common sense, you understand what I mean. It is one thing to know a lot of things, and something else entirely to be capable of applying one's knowledge effectively. In Wicca, we place a great emphasis on personal responsibility; use your knowledge to make well thought-out decisions, and be ready to accept the consequences of ALL of your actions. When doing spellwork, make your intentions clear, and again, be ready to accept responsibility for ANY outcome. that may result.
5. ACHIEVE BALANCE.
It is the goal of the Witch to become a strong, dynamic, and balanced individual on all levels: physically, emotionally, spiritually. Learn to balance work with play. Balance your diet and be mindful of your health. Balance your checkbook. Learn ways to incorporate your spritual life into your "mundane" life (hint: they are not separate to begin with!). Wicca is a Earth-Based religion: strive to live in harmony with the Earth. Align yourself with the rhythms of nature by celebrating the Sabbats and paying attention to the phases of the moon. Exercise outdoors and among Nature whenever possible. Try gardening -- growing your own herbs can be very rewarding, and you tend to learn a lot more about them in the process! Recycle, and be mindful of your rubbish output. Finally, a word about psychological balance: emotional/psychological imblances should be addressed with the aid of professional counsel. IT IS NOT A WEAKNESS TO GET HELP. Witches are people, and may potentially experience all of the same problems that non-Witches may. I, personally, have never had to deal with severe anxiety or depression, but I know many Witches who have been BRAVE enough to confront their problems -- and have grown tremendously for having done so. Finally, even though we must accept responsibility for our own actions, we must also be forgiving of ourselves. You are human, after all.
6. KEEP YOUR WORDS IN GOOD ORDER.
Again, it's all about personal responsibility. A responsible Witch is in complete control of his/her own words. She has the ability to make an intelligent statement without putting her foot in her mouth. Also, it is of paramount importance NOT TO LIE -- to yourself or to another: dishonesty is spiritually corrosive. One simply cannot move forward while caught in a web of lies. Be careful with so-called "white" lies -- examine why you would want to bend the truth even just a "little bit." When it comes to answering those who say that Wiccans are nothing but low-down, perverted, Satan-worshipping baby killers, doomed to rot in Hell for all eternity, the key phrase is: cool your jets. Famed Salem Witch Laurie Cabot once appeared on a TV talk show along with a minister who had, shall we say, a very negative opinion of the Craft. He spewed forth the typical ignorant fundamentalist nonsense about the "evils of Wicca," but Ms. Cabot carefully maintained her composure. She made no personal attacks on the minister, even though he was less than courteous towards her. In the end, the fire-and-brimstone putz looked like a fool, and she, although dressed in her typical "every-day-is-Halloween!" regalia, managed to keep her cool and make a (draped-with-excessive-yardage-of-black-velvet) positive statement for Witches everywhere. Bottom line, who are you more likely to take seriously: the indivudual who is so absolutely incensed that they cannot even form an intelligent sentence, or the individual who remains calm, and provides thoughtful, eloquent answers?
7. KEEP YOUR THOUGHTS IN GOOD ORDER.
Thoughts are, in fact, things. They are composed of and propelled by energy. Sound familiar? That's because focused thought is one of the most basic cornerstones of spellwork. With that in mind, of COURSE you should monitor your thoughts. Ever heard of the "self-fulfilling prophesy?" Negative thought patterns can result in physical manifestation -- even unintentionally. In a similar vein, several medical studies have proven that prolonged negative emotions, such as anger or sadness, can affect the physical body and make your body more susceptible to illness. Hello, stomach ulcers! Witches are people. We laugh, we cry, we get angry. But we cannot let our thoughts and emotions get out of hand.
8. CELEBRATE LIFE!
At the very core of the Wiccan religion, we celebrate life. Celebrate the Earth, teeming with the vital essence of the Divine. Meditate in nature. Be THRILLED, if even for no other reason that you are ALIVE.
9. ATTUNE WITH THE CYCLES OF THE EARTH.
Attune yourself with the cycles of the Earth and recognize that you are a part of nature -- not "apart" from it. Meditate on the seasons. Celebrate the Sabbats. Notice the subtle changes within the Earth each day as we move around the Wheel of the Year. Note how your own self reacts to the changes in the seasons. Be an active participate in the great, ecstatic dance that is Life.
10. BREATHE AND EAT CORRECTLY; 11. EXERCISE THE BODY.
Your body is, literally, a temple for the Gods. It is the opinion of many Witches that the healthier you are, the easier it is to commune with the God and Goddess. So make it your goal to achieve your optimum health. Breathe deeply from the digaphragm. Regarding food: the old adage is true, you are what you eat! Try to reduce your intake of sweets and other unhealthy foods. In the United States, most of our food is overprocessed, which certainly contributes to many of the common health problems that Americans increasingly face, such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Try to eat more "whole" foods, that is, things that are minimally (if at all) processed; basically, the closer it looks to the way it looked coming out of the ground, the better it probably is for you. Drink plenty of water -- adequate hydration is so basic for proper bodily function, yet so few people manage to get enough water every day. Start that exercise program you've been meaning to begin. This isn't about vanity, it is about feeling your best, and making your body a place for the Divine to reside. Be certain to properly attend to any chronic illness you may have so that you may enjoy life as much as possible. Regarding acute illnesses, such as colds or the flu: it's inevitable, you're bound to get sick once in a while. However, it is the experience of many Witches that that sickness can really screw with magic. Therefore, it is probably advisable that you do not work magic until you feel well enough. Seriously, when you are so ill that you can't even adequately focus your attention on some mindless daytime talk show, do you think you can do magic?! Just let your body get some rest and use its energy to mend itself. Have someone else do healing magic for you! Be sure to see a medical doctor when necessary, healing modalities such as Reiki or accupuncture make fine supplements to conventional medicine. If you want to try herbal medicine, consult a qualified herbalist -- just because it's "natural" does not mean that it's not without risk. Tell your doctor about any herbs you are taking. Common sense stuff!
12. MEDITATE.
Meditation is totally good for the whole organism, mind, body, and soul. Bringing yourself to that point of stillness will help you discover your inner self and true power. There are many different methods of meditation; read up on the subject and experiment to find the right way for you.
13. HONOR THE GODDESS AND THE GOD.
...and rememeber that They are truly present in every molecule of Creation. During an interview for Lifetime's Witches: An Intimate Portrait, Witch Barbara Morrigan said, "It is all Sacred." She wasn't kidding. The God and Goddess aren't some faraway entities that exist only somewhere beyond the realms of our physical universe. They're here. They're now, in every place and moment. They're in the waves of the ocean, in the rays of the sun. They're in the chair that you're sitting in right now. They're in your very bones, your very blood, coursing through your veins. The very act of living life to its fullest is an act of honor to the Gods. Celebrate Them in ritual and song. Recognize the sanctity of everyone and everthing, including yourself. Develop relationships with the Gods. Serve them well, and perhaps most importantly: BY YOUR OWN LIFE BE an honor to them through example.
