WITCHCRAFT LAWS
The main tenet of Witchcraft is our Wiccan Rede....
"An' it harm none, do what thou wilt."
Do what you will....but don't do anything that will harm another, not even yourself!
In April, 1974, the Council of American Witches adopted a set of Principles of Wiccan Belief, please read carefully.
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 the 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 inner-action 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.
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 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 aminosity 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 legitamcy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned wihth 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 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 our health and well-being.
THE LAW
We are of the Old Ways, among those who walk with the Goddess and God and receive Their love.
Keep the Sabbats and Esbats to the best of your abilities, for to do otherwise is to lessen your connections with the Goddess and God.
Harm none. This, the oldest law, is not open to interpretation or change.
Shed not blood in ritual; the Goddess and God need not blood to be duly worshipped.
Those of our way are kind to all creatures, for hurtful thoughts are quite draining and aren't worth the loss of energy. Misery is self-created; so, too, is joy, so create joy and disdain misery and unhappiness....and this is within your power....so harm not!
Teach only what you know, to the best of your ability, to those students whom you choose, but teach not to those who would use your instructions for destruction or control. Also, teach not to boost pride, for ever remember: she/he who teaches for vain-glory shall take little pride in her/his handiwork; she/he who teaches out of love shall be enfolded in the arms of the Goddess and God.
Ever remember that if you would be of our way, keep the Law close to your heart, for it is the nature of the Wiccan to keep the Law.
If ever the need arises, any law may be changed or discarded, and new laws written to replace them, so long as the new laws don't break the oldest law of all...Harm None.
Blessings of the Goddess and the God on us all.
The Nature of Our Way
1. As often as possible, hold the rites in forests, by the seashore, of deserted mountain tops or near tranquil lakes. If this is impossible, a garden or some chamber shall suffice, if it is readied with fumes and flowers.
2. Seek out wisdom in books, rare manuscripts or cryptic poems if you will, but seek it out also in simple stones and fragile herbs and in the cries of wild birds. Listen to the whisperings of the wind and the roar of the water if you would discover magick, for it is here that the old secrets are preserved.
3. Books contain words; trees contain energies and wisdom books never dreamed of.
4. Ever remember that the Old Ways are constantly revealing themselves. Therefore be as the river willow that bends and sways with the wind. that which remains changeless shall outlive its spirit, but that which evolves and grows will shine for centuries.
5. Mock not the rituals or spells of another, for who can say yours are greater in power or wisdom?
6. Ensure that your actions are honorable, for all that you do shall return to you three-fold, good or bane.
7. Be wary of the one who would dominate you, who would control and manipulate your workings and reverences. True reverence for the Goddess and God occurs within. Look with suspicion on any who would twist worship from you for their own gain and glory.
8. Honor all living things, for we are of the bird, the fish, the bee. Destroy not life, save it to preserve you own.
9. And this is the Nature of Our Way.
Scott Cunningham
A Pagan Credo
We worship the Great Goddess of Nature in all Her resplendent diversity. She is the Birthgiver: the origin of all life on this planet. Threefold are Her ways: Maiden, Mother, and Crone, for She is all Goddesses and all women. We honor Her everywhere: for She is everything; and in everyone: for She is all of us.
We worship the Horned One, Lord of Field and Forest. He is the wild and natural man in each of us: innocent, unfettered, and untamed. He is Lord both of Light and of Darkness: all Gods and all men. Our Lord is both Seed and Sower, Hunter and Prey; the eternal cycle of Sunlight and Shadow. We honor Him everywhere: for He is everything; and in everyone: for He is all of us.
Our Temple is a Sacred Space between the Worlds of Gods and Mortals. We worship in the Circle and in Nature: in our bodies, hearts, and minds. Our Gods are everywhere; but most of all they are within us. Therefore it is both our right and our sacred duty to discover and develop the Being within: for we may claim no greater Power than that of our own Higher Nature.
Our Goddess says: "If what you seek you do not find within yourself, you shall never find it! For behold: I have been with you from the beginning of Time and I am that which you shall embrace at the end of all your desire."
We are a free people who dare to be Ourselves. To each of us is given the right to choose Good or Evil, Truth or Falsehood, Wisdom or Folly as our own understanding shall determine them. To each of us is given the responsibility for our choices: our thoughts, our words, and our actions.
"An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will," is and shall ever be, the greatest of all our Laws.
This page was updated 2008
MAGICK
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