The 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief

[Scotia]

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 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 the 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 energy 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 Unconsciousness, 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 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 world view and philosophy of life which we identify 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 seek to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and 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 towards Christianity, or towards 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 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 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 our health and well-being.

(The thirteen principles of Wicca was adopted by the Council of American Witches, in April, 1974)

[shadowx]

Im no fan of wicca, i wont and cant deny that. This irks me however...

Witchcraft – the Wiccan Way.

Are they trying to suggest that witchcraft is the wiccan way? Or something else that i dont get? I know you didnt write this yourself but i wonder if you know.

[Traumwandlerin]

Thanks for sharing

And *g* would I be pissed off when I had to accept all those principles ^^ Blessings of me for not being Wiccan

And also shadowx, one could interpret it also like "meat, the french way". Meat is meat, but this time, there is some fancy spice n it, which makes it french. Same with "witchcraft - the wiccan way", it's still witchcraft but with principles on top which makes it wiccan.

Don't know which one they meant, but I thought it like this, when I read it.

[Scotia]

Yeah that part I'm still trying to understand myself. But I'm sure there is more to Wicca than just magick.

Many find the philosophies of how Wicca and Witchcraft view nature are the same as the one's they currently hold. They just didn't know there was a specific belief system that shared the same views.

Silver RavenWolf accurately stated in her book To Ride A Silver Broomstick. "The Charge comes to each of us in a different manner. It is that moment in our lives when we feel the Magick of the Universe for the very first time coursing through us... and we know beyond all real and imagined shadows that this calling to the mysteries is indeed there. That it is truly there, and not a whimsical flight from reality."



Blessed Be and may your path be Bright!

[shadowx]

Bleh... Ravenwolf... *Yuck*

The thing is, magick is an action and not a religion as such. Just like prayer is something that *some* christians do (most, almost all. But not all of them) magick is something that *some* wiccans do (again, 99.99%) or something that pagans, such as myself, can do without being wiccan in the same way muslims can pray as well.

It annoys me that "wicca" has become "Witchcraft" to the masses and that some wiccan sites and authors are happy to spread that idea that wicca is the only pagan religion and that anyone that believes in magick is wiccan etc....

[Scotia]

7. We see religion, magick 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 – the Wiccan Way.

if you read

7. We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it

Then You'll read! What other people think which is

a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft – the Wiccan Way.

See the difference there.
Our View of Wicca
and
and The World's/Philosophy

[WitchyLady506]

7. We see religion, magick 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 – the Wiccan Way.

if you read

7. We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it

Then You'll read! What other people think which is

a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft – the Wiccan Way.

See the difference there.
Our View of Wicca
and
and The World's/Philosophy

The problem is it's still putting witchcraft and religion in the same boat, which I think is what Shadowx is trying to get across. Witchcraft has nothing to do with religion. Witchcraft can be a apart of someone's beliefs or personal philosophies, can be something practiced apart from it, or can be practiced by someone who is completely without religion. The problem is with

7. We see religion, magick 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 – the Wiccan Way.

is that that they are very summing up what the believe to be witchcraft, in which it may very well be, to them, but their witchcraft is not my witchcraft, and is even other Wiccan's witchcraft is not another's. This is once again saying that witchcraft and one's religion do not have to mix. Witchcraft is something very personal and is a very much to each their own. I understand that they are saying that Wicca incorporates witchcraft, but they also try to make it sound that the are one in the same.

[shadowx]

Aye, to clarify my main gripe is firstly that Wicca is advertised as THE pagan religion. Newbies to paganism see only wicca and not the wealth of experience and knowledge of other paths.

My second gripe is that Wicca is advertised as witchcraft. You need a spell done? Ask a wiccan. you need a tarot reading? ask Mary the wiccan high priestess.

you want to learn about witchcraft? Ask a wiccan.

Wicca is NOT witchcraft but it almost advertises itself as such and a lot of newbies here believe it.

---------
this got really long... skip to TLDR for the bottom line...
---------

I try to explain that there is more to paganism than wicca and in fact one of the reasons i joined this site is that it isnt fluffy and full of wiccans (sorry guys but i really dont do wicca....) and it isnt advertised as a site for wiccans. It is a site for PAGANS, including wiccans of course. And IMHO too many wiccans, and indeed wiccan sites, will happily spread the falsity in order to make themselves look better or to get new members.

Like i said, im really not a fan of wicca, im really, really not but it's not the religion's fault, it is the wiccans who spread rubbish to young, impressionable people. I am only 21, and only just 21 at that and i started this path one night when explaining how much i hated someone. I was given a way to curse that person using knots in a string, which i did. I do not believe it worked but it is up for debate, after that i saw that witchcraft existed in the world and was not a story tale and joined an online forum aimed at wiccans. At the time i believed the things that were being said but looking back it is all either delusions, lies or at best false memories. But newbies like i was back then do not question, or reason and it seems that many wiccans are all too happy to indulge that sense of wonder and amazement with fairy tales and tell the newbie that it is all real and that they have to believe it etc...

I do walk a different path to everyone except... well one person on this forum. Plenty know who i mean but i dont want to drag others into a rant but my path is very, very scientific. You tell me you saw a fairy and i will tell you 10 reasons why you didnt and couldnt see a fairy. No proof = it didnt happen. Tell me there is a god and i will tell you why there isnt and cannot be. No proof = the god isnt real. But.... i do try in every thread i post to say that these are MY beliefs and that i understand if others disagree. I cant tell you what is true and what is not. However i can tell you what is true in my world and at the end of the day we all live in our own universe but too many wiccan conversations go thus:

Wiccan1: oh my godz, i saw teh fairies in mah gardens! Then i had teh dreamz that teh goddess said she loves me and that i am her child and that in a past life she helped me and now she has sent me here to help others
--
Wiccan2: WOWZER! That is so cool, the goddess lsdksldf came to me in a dream and told me i was her daughter too!!! I haz never seen fairies tho, what do they look like?
--
Wiccan1: well i didnt see much, it was like a little tiny face in the bark of the tree but when i got closer the fairy vanished into the bark and i couldnt see it anymore
--
Wiccan2: wow thats soooooo cool!!!!



....

i have seen threads here where members, i believe possibly wiccans at that, claimed they could transform into various animals at will. The second i said "GTFO, that is not possible, you are lying or delusional. Seek professional help or stop lying" i got flamed! (might i add by another member who believed she hunted dracula or something similar)

Wicca is too full of liars and those with mental problems for it to be a true religion. It is weak, it is afraid to question, to disagree. What, you saw a goblin throw a stone at a fairy? Bad goblin! WHAT?!?!?! *sigh* this is a rant now, and a long one at that.

I respect your decision to practise wicca, i really do. I dont like wicca however you as an individual seem competent and sensible but i really, REALLY hope you are sensible enough to say "hang on a minute, that isnt possible. Explain in detail what happened" rather than just go along for fear of offending.

------
TLDR
------

Anyhoo... to round it off, since this veered off a little... hehe... wicca advertises itself as witchcraft, not a new, undeveloped religion developed by questionable characters which includes magick as a minor part of it. Celebrating the 8 points on the wheel is not magick (unless you chose to perform witchcraft) Admiring the moonlight is not magick. Watching wildlife and feeding the ducks is not magick. I would guess that wiccans, at least solitary ones not using their skills as a money source, perform magick less than once a month and yet wicca pretends that being wiccan is being a witch. This is not true!

[Scotia]

I'm not a newbie...
Yeah I joined the website just yesterday?
But dosent mean I just started believing.
I was raised a Wiccan.
And I do get what your saying now.
I finished a talk with my parents about it
They clarified the holes that hadnt been filled in before.
Therefore that was written years ago. Things have changed.
I get it.

though I do understand about the whole newbies thinking it was all about the craft then the power behind it all. I'm not saying Wicca is witchcraft. i'm trying to say there is more to it. I'm just at the point here where I'm learning extacly that. I'm here to get the knowledge to really understand what I am really learning. because like i said I was raised a wiccan and I want to see what others could help me with. I'm not only interested in wicca... I'm interested in Pagan too. Thus the reason I came here.

[WitchyLady506]

We understand that you are saying that, but the original post is what we are arguing. It's part of what confuses those new to Wicca and those who aren't knew to Wicca, but never took the time to think for themselves or truly look at both paganism and witchcraft, as they are separate things. I'm happy that you are looking outside what you were brought up with, though just because you were bought up with a religion doesn't mean you know or understand it. Understanding comes from questioning and looking at it from all sides and deciding for yourself after taking in resources from all sides what a specific religion is.

There is so much to both paganism and witchcraft and I wish you the best of luck in learning about both.

[shadowx]

Ditto on the above. My post wasnt referring to you but to wicca in general.

Bleh, it's too early to type much more than that -.-

[SMushroom]

shadowx why do you hate wiccans? like i guess im to stupid to understand why from your other posts. im not trying to be rude i just want to understand.

[shadowx]

No harm in asking

I hate wiccans as a group, not always as individuals, there are wiccans on these boards and when i see some of their posts i groan and roll my eyes (really, i do!) no-one in this thread though But then there are others who i respect. The OP for example, has said she (im assuming it's a she!) is a wiccan and i dont think badly of her, nor do i dislike her.

But as a group wiccans are, im sorry to say, idiots.

They cant agree on anything they believe, despite it being a religion (where rules and structure exist) they all jump on the "that's so cool!" bandwagon, the religion itself is less than 100 years old and yet claims to be ancient and people claim that their great, great, great grandmother was a powerful wiccan witch despite the fact wicca probably didnt even exist then and they are petrified of conflict. It's probably the weakness that irritates me most, that inability to step back and say "hang on, i dont believe that, explain it more" because they are scared that the other person will start crying their eyes out and cut their wrists or something.

Wiccans just agree with everyone else, like a heard of blind, mindless, deaf sheep following a rope they walk blindly through the fields of life.

They will believe anything "ooo i just heard a knock but no-one is home" yup, it's called heat differences causing expansion/contraction. "I keep seeing crows on lamposts, are they an omen? Im scared " Damn, STFU! They are birds, they have no knowledge of the future, nor of what things are bad or good, so even if they were omens they wouldnt realise they were omens since they cant see the future and even if they could they dont care if your cat dies in a horrific road accident! Gah!

Weak minded individuals, afraid to look either side of them and see what is out there, afraid to contradict, or even ask for clarification, gullible twilight fans who want to be special.

But like i say... i dont think all wiccans are like this, just most of them and there are plenty of wiccans on this board who set a great example and if wicca was full of people like them then i would take it seriously but for now it's just not a real religion....It needs to mature, age a little, get some real wisdom and ideas behind it. It is too diverse and diluted to be anything more than the acceptable face of teenage rebellion, which is a shame as it could be a worthy path for many but without that structure it just cant be.

Of course, these are my own opinions and as you know i dont hold back with what i am thinking so take from that what you will!

[SMushroom]

Ah i understand! Thanks.

[OracleofIsis]

My main problem with Wicca is that it seems like there are no set rules. They advertise themselves as a religion, but when it comes down to it, it's really not. If you ever read a book about Wicca, it always says things like "Well the God and Goddess did this, but if you don't believe that, that's alright, you can still be a Wiccan." How can you not believe in the main part of Wicca and still call yourself a Wiccan?! Gah...*sigh* This is why I'm not a Wiccan anymore, plus all the things that shadow said about the twihards and fairies. Maybe if it didn't try to suck everyone in by saying anything and everything is part of Wicca, then I would have more respect for it.