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The Wiccan Rede
Bide ye Wiccan laws ye must,
In perfect love and perfect trust.
Live and let live---
Fairly
take and fairly give
Cast the circle thrice about,
To keep all negativity out.
To bind ye spell every time,
Let
ye spell be spake in rhyme.
Soft of eye, light of touch,
Speak ye little, listen much.
Deosil go by the waxing
moon,
Sing an’ dance the Witches Rune.
Widdershins go when the Moon doth wane,
An’ the werewolf howls
at the dread wolfs bane.
When the Lady’s Moon is new,
Kiss your hand to her times two.
When the Moon
rides at Her peak,
Then your hearts desire seek.
Heed the North wind’s mighty gale,
Lock the door and drop
the sail.
When the wind comes from the South,
Love with kiss thee on thy mouth.
When the wind blows from
the east,
Expect the new and set the feast.
When the west wind blows o’er thee,
Departed spirits restless
be.
Nine woods in the cauldron go,
Burn them fast and burn them slow.
Elder be ye Lady’s tree,
Burn
it not or cursed ye’ll be.
When the wheel begins to turn,
Let the Beltane fires burn.
When the wheel
has turned a Yule,
Light the log an’ let Pan rule.
Heed ye flower, bush, and tree---
By the Lady Blessed
Be.
Where the rippling waters go
Cast a stone an’ truth ye’ll know
When ye have need,
Hearken
not to others greed.
With the fool no season spend,
Lest ye be counted as his friend.
Merry ye Meet and Merry
ye Part,
Bright the cheeks an’ warm the heart.
Mind the Threefold Law ye should,
Three times bad and three
times good.
Ever mind the Law of Three,
Lest in self defense it be.
When misfortune is enow,
Wear the
blue star upon thy brow.
True in love ever be,
Unless thy lover is false to thee.
Eight words the Wiccan
Rede doth fulfill,
“An’ harm it none, do what thou will.”
13 Goals of a Witch
I. Know yourself
II. Know your Craft
III. Learn
IV. Apply knowledge
with wisdom
V. Achieve balance
VI. Keep your words in good order
VII. Keep your thoughts in good
order
VIII. Celebrate life
IX. Attune with the cycles of the Earth
X. Breathe correctly
XI. Exercise the body
XII. Meditate
XIII. Honor the God and Goddess
The Witches Rune
Darksome night and shining moon
Harken to the Witches Rune
East then South, West then
North
Here come I to call thee forth.
By all the powers of land and sea
Be obedient unto me.
Wand and pentacle,
cup and sword
Harken ye unto my word
Cords and censor, scourge and knife
Waken all ye into life
Powers of
the witches blade
Come ye as the charge is made.
Queen of heaven, field and hell
Send your aid unto this spell.
Horned hunter of the night
Work my will by magick rite.
By all the might of moon and sun
As I do will, it
shall be done
By all the powers of land and sea
As I say, so mote it be.
The Witches Creed
Hear
now the word of the Witch,
the secrets once hid in the night,
When darkness was for protection,
We now bring forth
in the light.
Mysteries of the Water and Fire,
The Earth and the wide-ranging Air,
By hidden Quintessence we
know them,
and we bring honor in silence and fair.
The birth and rebirth of all Nature,
the passing of Winter
and Spring,
We share with the life Universal,
rejoicing in the never-ending Ring
Four times in the year we give
homage,
come forth the Witches are seen,
At Lammas and Candelmas we're dancing,
so too on May Eve and old Halloween
When
daytime and nighttime are equal,
when sun is at it's greatest and least,
The four lesser Sabbats are summoned,
again
the Witches gather in feast.
Thirteen silver moons in a year,
thirteen to be the magickal array,
Thirteen times
at Esbat we make merry,
for the work of the night and the day.
The knowledge has passed down the ages,
each
time between woman and man
Each century unto the other,
old times since the ages began.
When drawn in the Magikal
circle,
by sword or athame of light,
Its compass between two worlds opens,
in honor and love for this night.
Our
world has no right to know it,
and the world beyond will tell naught,
The oldest of Gods are invoked there,
the
great work of light's Magik is wrought.
For two are the mystical pillars,
that stand at the gate of the shrine,
And
two are the powers of Nature,
the forms and the forces divine.
Do what thou wilt be the challenge,
so be it
in love that harms none,
For this is the only commandment,
By wisdom of faith so let it be done.
In these words
the Witches Creed fulfills:
An' harm it none, Do what Thou Will!
The Charge of The Goddess
Listen to the words of the
Great Mother,
who of old was called Artemis, Astarte, Aphrodite,
Cerridwen, Diana, Isis, Brigid and by many other
names.
Whenever you have need of anything,
once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full,
you shall
assemble in some secret place
and adore the spirit of me, who is Queen of all Witches.
There shall you assemble, who
have not yet won
my deepest secrets and are fain to learn all sorceries.
To these shall I teach that which is yet
unknown.
You shall be free from slavery,
and as a sign that you are free,
you shall be naked in your rites.
Sing,
feast, dance, make music and love,
all in my presence, for mine is the ecstasy of the spirit
and mine is also joy
on Earth, for my law is love unto all beings.
Mine is the secret that opens upon the door of youth,
and mine is the
cup of wine of life
that is the Cauldron of Cerridwen that is the holy grail of immortality.
I am the Great Goddess
who gives the gift of youth
unto the heart of mankind.
I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal
and beyond death
I give peace and freedom
and reunion with those that have gone before.
Nor do I demand aught of sacrifice,
for
behold I am the Mother of all things
and my love is poured on the Earth.
Hear the words of the Star Goddess,
the
dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven,
whose body encircles the Universe.
"I who am the beauty of the green earth
and the white Moon among the stars
and the mysteries of the waters.
I call upon your soul to arise and come unto
me,
for I am the soul of nature that gives life to the Universe.
From me all things proceed and to me they must return.
Let
my worship be in the heart that rejoices for behold -
all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.
Let there be beauty
and strength,
power and compassion,
honour and humility,
mirth and reverence within you.
And you who seek to
know me,
know that your seeking and yearning will avail you not,
unless you know the mystery,
for if that which
you seek you find not within yourself,
you will never find it without.
For behold, I have been with you from the beginning,
and I am that which is attained at the end of desire."
The Charge of the God
Listen to the words of the Horned
God,
The Guardian of all things wild and free,
and Keeper of the Gates of Death,
whose Call all must answer:
I
am the fire within your heart...
The yearning of your Soul.
I am the Hunter of Knowledge
and the Seeker of the
Holy Quest;
I who stand in the darkness of light;
I am He whom you have called Death.
I am the Consort and Mate
of Her we adore,
call forth to me.
Heed my call beloved ones,
come unto me and learn
the secrets of death
and peace.
I am the corn at harvest
and the fruit on the trees.
I am He who leads you home.
Scourge and Flame,
Blade and Blood
these are mine
and gifts to thee.
Call unto me in the forest wild
and on hilltop bare
and seek me in the Darkness Bright.
I who have been called; Pan, Herne, Osiris ,and Hades,
speak to thee in thy
search.
Come dance and sing;
come live and smile,
for behold: this is my worship.
You are my children
and
I am thy Father.
On swift night wings
it is I who lay you at the Mother's feet
to be reborn and to return again.
Thou who thinks to seek me,
know that I am the untamed wind,
the fury of storm and passion in your Soul.
Seek
me with pride and humility,
but seek me best with love and strength.
For this is my path,
and I love not the weak
and fearful.
Hear my call on long Winter nights
and we shall stand together
guarding Her Earth as She sleeps.
The 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief:
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 Law of Power
1. The power shall not be used to bring harm, to injure or control any other being
or creature. But, if the need arises, the Power shall be used to protect your life or the lives of others.
2.
The Power is used only as the need dictates.
3. The Power can be used for your own gain, as long as by doing so
you harm none.
4. It is unwise to accept money for the use of the Power, for it quickly controls its taker. Be
not as those of other religions.
5. Use not the Power for prideful gain, for such cheapens the mysteries of Wicca
and magick.
6. Ever remember that the Power is a sacred gift of the Goddess and God, and should Never be misused
or abused in any way.
7. And this is the Law of the Power.
The Laws of Magick
The Law of Knowledge
This is probably the most widely used law, and probably
encompasses all the others in some way. The basis of this law is that understanding brings control. The more that is known
about a subject, the easier it is to excercise control over it. Knowledge is power.
The Law of Self-Knowledge
An obvious derivative of the Law of Knowledge, this law carries additional connotations, as a mage who does not have knowledge
of himself does not have knowledge (and therefore control) of his own magic. This law is one of the reason's "evil" mages
are very rare - a dedication to "evil for evil's sake" is usually do to a lack of introspection and awareness of oneself.
It is difficult to do harm to others when you understand fully what that kind of harm would do to you. Know thyself.
The
Law of Cause and Effect
A simple scientific understanding - if exactly the same actions are done
under exactly the same conditions, they will be associated with exactly the same results. Magicians have at least as much
belief in cause and effect as modern physicists do, they just realize that a good ritual, like a good theatrical performance
or a good bread recipe, isn't always predictable. In truth, a spell involves so many variables, that controlling or even understanding
them all is impossible. The key to magical success is learning which variables are the most important, and how to keep them
constant. Control over the variables is icing on the cake.
The Law of Synchronicity
Two
or more events happening at the same time are likely to have more in common than the merely temporal. Very few events ever
happen in isolation from other events. There is no such thing as a mere coincidence.
The Law of Association
If
any two pattern have elements in common, the patterns interact "through" those common elements, and control of one pattern
facilitates control of the other(s) depending (among other factors) upon the number of ccommon elements involved. This is
a very important law, up there with the Law of Knowledge.
The Law of Similarity
Having
an accurate physical or mental representation of something facilitates control over it. This one is fairly obvious in it's
usage - having a model, picture, or other representation of your target (like a voodoo doll) gives you power to effect the
target. Look alikes are alike.
The Law Of Contagion
Objects or beings in physical contact
with each other continue to interact after separation. Everyone you have ever touched has a magical link with you, though
it is probably pretty weak unless the contact was intense and/or prolonged or repeated frequently. Magical power is contagious.
Naturally,
having a part of someone's body (nails, hair, saliva & other bodily secretions etc.) gives the best contagion
link.
The Law of Names
Knowing the complete and true name of an object, being, or process
gives one complete control over it. This works because a name is a definition as well as a contagion link, and an association
(if you call something by the same name over and over, that name eventually becomes associated with the thing). This also
works, because knowing the complete and true name of something or someone means that you have achieved a complete understanding
of it's or their nature. This is why, in most pre-industrial cultures, people are given "secret names", as well as "public
names", and why the sharing of a secret name is such an act of trust - because the secret name is considered to be very close
to, if not identical with, the person's true name.
The Law of Words of Power
There exist
certain words that are able to alter the internal and external realities of those uttering them, and the power may rest in
the very sounds of the words as much as their meanings. Many of such words are names, though the meanings may have been lost
or forgotten. Very many magical tools require words to be inscribed upon them and/or said over them during their construction
and/or use.
The Law of Personification
Any phenomenon may be considered to be alive and
to have a personality - that is, to "be" an entity or being. Anything can be a person. Most weather mages personify the winds
and the clouds, for example, and thus find focussing their magic on the atmosphere much easier to do.
The Law of
Invocation
It is possible to establish internal communication with entities from either inside or
outside oneself, said entities seeming to be inside of oneself during the communication process.
The Law of Evocation
It is possible to establish external communication with entities from either inside or outside oneself,
said entities seeming to be outside oneself during the communication process.
The Law of Identification
It is possible through maximum association between elements of oneself and those of another being to actually become that
being, to the point of sharing it's knowledge and wielding it's power. This is the law that controls most lengthy or permanent
possession phenomena.
The Law of Personal Universes
Every sentient being lives in and quite
possibly creates a unique universe which can never be 100% identical to that lived in by another. So called "reality" is in
fact a matter of consensus opinions. This law is nowhere near as obvious as the other laws in it's applications, but if you
can figure some out, you can use it.
The Law of Infinite Universes
The total number of
universes into which all possible combinations of existing phenomena could be organized is infinite. Anything is possible,
though some things are more probable than others. You might consider this to refer to the "alternate probability worlds" of
science fiction, but it also has a much wider application.
The Law Of Pragmatism
If a pattern
of belief or behavior enables a being to survive and to accomplish chosen goals, then that belief or behavior is "true" or
"real" or "sensible". If it works, it's true. Another rather obscure law, but it does have some very useful applications.
The
Law of True Falsehoods
It is possible for a concept or act to violate the truth patterns of a given
personal universe and still be "true", provided that it "works" in a specific situation. If it's a paradox, it's still probably
true. This law is basically useless, except to justify use of the above three laws without screwing things up in your version
of the real world.
The Law of Synthesis
The synthesis of two or more "opposing" patterns
of data will produce a new pattern that will be truer than either of the first two were. That is, it will be applicable to
more levels of reality, and this new pattern may not be a compromise, but may be something rather new indeed.
The
Law of Polarity
Any pattern of data can be split into (at least) two "opposing" characteristics,
and each will contain the essence of the other within itself.
The Law of Opposites
A sub-law
of polarity. The "opposite" of a pattern contains information about that pattern, by providing information on what the pattern
is not. Thus, control over a pattern's opposite (or close to it's opposite) facilitates control over the pattern itself. (Note
that this one I alone take the blame for, as it is my own extension of polarity and similarity)
The Law of Dynamic
Balance
To survive, let alone to become powerful, one must keep every aspect of one's universe in
a state of dynamic balance with every other aspect. Extremism is dangerous, as the extreme being becomes so associated with
the extreme aspect, that they lose the ability to avoid that aspect at all. This is another reason "evil" mages are rare,
as continuous association with pain or death will cause a mage pain or death, ending the mage's ability to continue actively
with "evil". This is also why "good" mages, especially healers, tend to live a long time.
The Law of Perversity
Sometimes
known as Murphy's Law. If anything can go wrong, it will, and in the most annoying manner possible. Magical associations sometimes
operate in the reverse of what was desired, and meaningful coincidences are just as likely to be unpleasant as pleasant. Even
if nothing can go wrong, some element of the universe may change so that things will go wrong anyway. Whether we like it or
not, the gods (or fates, or what have you) do have a sense of humor. Emotionally healthy mages have less problems with this
law than others do, as the mages own subconscious mind is probably a major perpetrator of this law.
The Law of
Unity
Every phenomena in existance is linked directly or indirectly to every other one, past, present, or future. Perceived
seperations between phenomena are based on incomplete sensing and/or understanding.
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