Witchcraft Beliefs
Just what do Witches believe? Well there are so many different paths of Witchcraft, and not to mention that each person makes their own unique path as they grow in the Craft. Each path as their own set of rules, or guidelines. As a whole religion we have our basic beliefs. And I will try to be as basic as I can. I will list some of what I think are basic, but some won’t, and that’s ok. What I’m doing is teaching the Craft for what is as a basic whole. I’m a teacher for the religion, and Magick side of the Craft. As for Witches who don’t follow a Deity, just bare with me, because I am a religious Witch. Heavy religious. I rely on my Deities to help guide through a ritual, or Magick working. I don’t need them, but I like them there, as protectors, and as friends. I’ll talk more on Deity relationships later on.
Ok, one basic, and core belief, is harm none. "An' ye harm none, do what ye will." Yes it is a "Wiccan" term, but guess what?? Wicca is a path of Witchcraft. So it’s ok to believe it. And really, as you look at how Witches through the years before Wicca, they held a "law" similar to that. Maybe unwritten, but spoken thru word of mouth, from teacher to student. Because remember we didn’t always have the net, and books to learn from. Now for this rule, it has some loopholes. Well, some people would call it loopholes. I call it common sense!!
Yes, well, you can't harm yourself now can you? And you can't let others harm you, can you? And of you see a person harming another, will you just stand there and not do anything? If you said yes to any of these things: Yes I will harm myself, yes I will let others harm me, and yes when I see others getting harmed, I will take no action! Then you are in fact breaking the Harm none rule. It is not harming someone of they are beating you to death. It is not harming someone if they are beating a helpless person. We in fact are even here to protect the weak, and the helpless. that is why we are told about curses, and hexes. Because sometimes they are needed.
"To bless or curse with power friends or enemies (to do good or evil)".Do I think doing evil to evil is really evil? No. Not if what you are doing is protecting someone. Or yourself. Now if you do curse someone out of spite, or just because you don't like them, is evil. And to do so, you will get back what you send out three fold. Well, I also heard, seven, and ten fold to. Even when doing good, Karma works both ways. Whatever energy you send out, comes back to you, three fold, or seven, or ten. I have heard all three, and have yet to really find out which one it truly is. Maybe all three. But this is my take on hexes, and curses, and the Harm none rule.
Now, I hope that explains the harm none rule. Now I have already told you about the 13 princables of beliefs. But I will go over them again here for this lesson. I will go thru them one by one, to better explain each one.
This is the opening of the document
In the Spring Witch meet of 1974, held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Council of American Witches created and adopted a statement entitled "Principles of Wiccan Belief" in an effort to inform and educate both the general public and Witches in general. The text of the "Principles of Belief" follows:
The Council of American Witches finds it necessary to define modern Witchcraft in terms of the American experience and needs.
We are not bound by traditions from other times and other cultures, and 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-affirming teachings and traditions, and seek to learn from all and to share our learning within our Council.
It is in this spirit of welcome and cooperation that we adopt these few principles of Wiccan belief. In seeking to be inclusive, we do not wish to open ourselves to the destruction of our group 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 us to any who are sincerely interested in our knowledge and beliefs, regardless of race, color, sex, age, national or cultural origins, or sexual preference.
We therefore ask only that those who seek to identify with us accept these few basic principles:
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.
I think is one speaks for itself. We use Magick, and its ways to align ourselves with the world around us, and our symbol the moon.
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 with in an evolutionary concept.
We’re smarter then the rest of the world, and they need to bow down to us!!! No, really. We know that we can, with the use of Magick, and what we know of the ways of nature, we have the responsibility to take care of it. And we also know we must strive to live in peace with the world around us.
3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than is 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.
We know, and see Magick as a well working tool, and know that it is out there for everybody to use. And that Magick is greater then any other tool there is.
4. We conceive of the Creative Power of the Universe as manifesting through polarity--as masculine and feminine--and that this same creative Power lives in all people, and functions through the interaction 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, and as one of the sources of energies used in magickal practice and religious worship.
We see the makers of the whole universe as both male, and female. We also see, and know that the great equality lies within all people, male, and female. We also see that man, nor woman is better then the other. We are equal. Sex is a symbol as well as a meaning of new life. And also can be seen as Magickal, and religious work.
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.
We notice both the seen, and the unseen world. And we interact with both worlds as a necessary, for our fulfillment. And we also give thought, and notice other unseen creations. The Spirit world for one is another unseen plane.
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.
We don’t have a "leader" In fact that would never fly with Witches. We would never allow one person to tell us what to do. Now for the next part, I think that was thrown out shortly after it was written. I say this because some of the greatest teachers, don’t get the respect they deserve. Authors like Silver RavenWolf, and Lady Sheba, and Amber K, and even Cunningham. They don’t get the respect they deserve. A lot of the people who have dedicated their lives to teaching what they know, don’t get the respect they should get. But this one should get done. We should abide by this. Our teachers should get respect. If I treated my with the respect people show Silver, or Cunningham, I’d get beat with something hard. In my book, this should go up there with the harm none rule.
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 or the Wiccan Way.
Witchcraft, or Wicca, is a way of life. It is how one sees the world. And it is how one lives their life.
8. Calling oneself "Witch" does not make a Witch--but neither does heredity itself, or the collecting of titles, degrees, and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within him/herself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well, without harm to others, and in harmony with Nature.
The name, the title, Witch, does not make you a Witch. It is something you do, live, and be. Now, I believe differently about heredity. Blood makes you who you are. I’m a heredity Witch. I have it traced down my family. Was I taut by a family member? No. But I believe my bloodline makes me a Witch? No. But when I took that leap, then I became a Witch. When I accepted my bloodline, then I became a Heredity Witch. Now for the rest of this guideline, to be a Witch, you must live like a Witch, learn like a Witch, and live in harmony, and be who you want to be.
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 it.
Ok, we know that we will continue to live, and to grow and be apart of the Universe, and we will know our own role in 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 one true right and only way" and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practices and belief.
Our only beef with christians, or any other religion is if they have this we’re the only way, the right way, and if you don’t follow are way, your gonna burn in hell attitude, and don’t give a damn who they oppress in the prepossess.
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.
I like this one. As Americans, we don’t give a damn! We’re here, for the here and now. Don’t give us all the crap about why, just let us move onto other important things.
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 benefits can only be derived by denial to another.
Basically we laugh at satan, and the concept of one being controlling ALL the evil in the world. And we can’t seek power, or make packs with something we don’t think is real.
13. We work within Nature or that which is contributory to our health and well-being.
We work within nature, and use it to take care of ourselves, and others.
This is the end of lesson three. Lesson four will be more about Witches beliefs. I just don’t want to make this lesson any longer then it already is.
Blessed be, Elder RavenFire
©All rights reserved-2007- The words expressed here are the sole property of Elder RavenFire, and may not be copied, reused or reposted without the consent of Elder RavenFire.
