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You may be wondering just why I'm starting out the first Wicca 101 entry as the 13 Principles of Belief. Well, I believe it's always best to start out on a good solid foundation in any new venture you start out on, whether that be finding your dream school, home, job, religion, whatever. When you have a good solid foundation under you, things may change, some beliefs may be rearranged or completely opposed at some point in time but you will never be absolutely lost. So to start building your foundation blocks, I want to start out by explaining exactly what Wiccan's stand for. There are many misconceptions out there about what a Witch is and isn't and what we believe and so on so I hope that these Wicca 101 posts will help you to understand the religion. With that being said let's start with the Principles of Belief.
The Principles of Belief were put in place by The Council of American Witches in 1974. The Council disbanded in the same year but their Principles of Belief are still valid and still lived by. They are as follows:
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.
Meaning: Witches celebrate our Gods and Goddesses through rituals. Some of these rituals are celebrated during certain phases of the moon, while others match the seasons of the planet. We do this to become closer with our Gods and Goddesses and with Nature.
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.
Meaning: We realize that we have a responsibility to protect the earth and the best way for us to do that is by living in harmony with Nature. We are a very ecofriendly, green people (or at least strive to be)!
3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than is apparent to the average person. Because this power is far greater than ordinary, we sometimes call this force "supernatural," but we see this power as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.
Meaning: The power of the mind is truly incredible and these "supernatural" forces are actually productions of our own mind power. Everyone has the ability to access these powers and utilize them, it just takes practice. Forces that most people consider "supernatural" like empathy, telepathy, telekenesis, etc. are all considered natural to a Witch and Witches strive to strengthen these abilities.
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 throught the interactions 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 embodiment of life.
Meaning: Witches see "God" as masucline and feminine, sometimes called the Lady and the Lord or the God and Goddess and called by many different names. Because of this Witches respect both men and women not believing one is dominant over the other or better than the other but see each as necessary for survival which makes a lot of sense because of men weren't here all the women would die out and vice versa because we wouldn't be able to multiply. We don't look at sex as a bad thing like some religions would have you believe; however, we do see it as carrying a huge responsibility because sex to us is the creation of life, whether you actually get pregnant or not, you are still practicing a ritual of life creation. So for those of you that are quite young please don't run to your parents and tell them that Willow said it's ok to have sex. What Willow actually said is sex is an ok thing but carries a great responsibility and should be treated as such.
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 magickal exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.
Meaning: We value both the "real" world and the "imaginary" world seeing both as necessary for balance. Because of this we know that there are energies both seen and unseen and take advantage of both to better our lives. We realize that the techniques known as paranormal phenomena and magickal application begin in the mind and then manifest in the universe. We're very careful about controlling our thoughts and actions because we believe what we think and do creates things.
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.
Meaning: Unlike other religions that have central governments kinda like the Catholics have the Vatican, Wiccan groups do not have any government that tells them how to worship. We have teachers that teach Wicca in their own way and we respect them and hold them in high regard but in the end it is our choice in how we worship, study, and so on.
7. We see religion, magick, and wisdom-in-living as 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.
Meaning: Witches believe that magick, worship, faith, religion, and so on all work together, not as separate entities. We try to keep up to date on everything going on in the world and we try to always keep an open mind.
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 him/herself that make life possible to live wisely and well, without harm to others, and in harmony with Nature.
Meaning: How you live, deal with the world around you and the people around you, and how you incorporate the Wiccan laws into your life determines whether you are a Witch or not. You can collect all the titles you want and your family can go back to the beginning of time including Witches but if you don't live like a Witch you are not considered a Wtich.
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 that Universe.
Meaning: We respect all life, plants, animals, humans, etc. because 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 these 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.
Meaning: Witches do not hold anything against any positive religion except the fact that some religions teach that they are the only ones that you can worship in order to reach Divinity and peace. This simply isn't true and that is why Witches aren't too happy about it. However, we do not judge, we only offer an alternative religion for you to choose if you so wish.
11. As American Witches, we do not feel threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We concern ourselves with our present, and our future.
Meaning: There is no perfect way to practice the Craft. The religion is what you make of it. Although it is always good to know the history of certain aspects, you should not concern yourself too much with it because we worry more about what's going on in the Craft now and what will be going on in the Craft in the future than what was going on Goddess knows when.
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 beliefs can only be derived by denial of another.
Meaning: We do not worship the devil and we do not believe in the Christian Satan. We also do not believe that a person gains power by hurting, threatening, or killing someone - that would be evil.
13. We work within Nature for that which is contributory to our health and well-being. Not bound by traditions from other times and other cultures, we owe no allegiance to any person or power greater than the Divinity manifest through our own being. As American Witches, we welcome and respect all life-affirming teachings and traditions. We seek to learn from all and to share our learning. We do not wish to open ourselves to the destruction of Wicca by those on self-serving power trips, or to philosophies and practices contradictory to these principles. In seeking to exclude those whose ways are contradictory to ours, we do not want to deny participation with any person who carries a sincere interest in our knowledge and beliefs, regardless of race, color, sex, age, national or cultural origins, or sexual preference.
Meaning: Witches work with Nature, not against it. We believe that no group of people or person is more powerful than the God and Goddess. We respect all religions and respect each person's right to practice the religion of their own choosing. We do not run door to door telling people of the wonders of Witchcraft and saying that we are the only way to reach Divinity. We do not teach the Craft to fools, and we exclude those that we feel are either self-destructive or that have the potential or history of hurting others.
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