The Principles of Wiccan Belief: Philosophy & Practice

I Life & Reality

    1 Harmony = Harmony is one of the great Truths. And disharmony is distance from Truth. So harmony with the natural world and with the rhythms of life is at the Heart of Wicca

    2 Responsibility = We are aware that every choice we make plants seeds for the future we are creating

    3 Deep Reality = Reality is deeper and more mysterious than we can ever imagine. It is both simpler and more complex than we believe. And that is as true of our minds and ourselves as it is of the world

    4 Personal Power = It is possible to perceive access, and influence that subtle reality. Doing so causes change in the physical world

II The Nature of the Divine

    5 The One Divine = The Great Mystery itself is genderless, omnipresent, and incomprehensible to the 3-dimensional brain. It manifests in this universe as a polarity or balance of forces, which we call feminine (Goddess, yin) and masculine (God, yang). These polarities do not align rigidly with our concept of woman and man

    6 Sacred Polarity: Primary Faces of the Divine = The yin hold the Power of the Dark. The yang holds the Power of the Light. Both are sacred and beautiful. Both are honored. Since both yin and yang are Divine. Both are equal.

    7 Love is the source of Life = All life is created and maintained through the ecstatic dance of love between these two polarities.

    8 The Multitudes of The One Divine = The Divine is one, manifesting as the polarity of yin and yang. These two are perceived by humans in a variety of forms, and worshiped as numerous Gods and Goddess around the world. Each of these holds a piece of the Truth. Yet the whole of the Truth is the One, which unites all existence within Itself.

    9 The Limitations of Perceptions of Truth = Since the Divine One is beyond all conception, all truth can be perceived by the 3-dimensional brain must necessarily be incomplete. So Witches are accepting of ambiguity, paradox, and conflicting beliefs, knowing that…

        -All truths contain some piece of Divine Truth

        -All confusion arises from imperfect perception of Divine Truth

        -No mortal mind can directly perceive Divine Truth in its natural state

        -Any mind that directly perceives Divine Truth cannot communicate it to             other minds, which are still in their mortal state

        -All paradox is resolved in the One

III The Unity of All

    10 The Immanent Divine – Equality of All Beings = The Great Mystery manifests Itself as all that exists. This means that the Divine dwells within each of us, and everything else. The One is the Life Force.

    11 All is Sacred = Since the One is manifest in all matter; our bodies and the Earth are sacred. They are Temples in which the Divine dwells.

IV The Circle of Life

    12 The One Manifest in the World as the Circle of Life = the Circle or Wheel of Life is the manifestation of the Divine in a polarized universe. With each quality, a corresponding “opposite” quality exits.

    13 The Movement of the Circle is the Spiral = Since nothing can be lost, everything that drops from perception at one point must arise again at another. But as there is always forward movement in the universe, it will be changed when it re-appears.

    14 Nothing Lives Forever = All things must pass. The Circle must turn. So that new thing may arise, the old must fall away. This is a sacred Mystery, to be honored and celebrated.

    15 Nothing Dies Forever = Nothing is truly lost. The Circle of the One is complete; nothing can enter it or leave it since it is All. Everything lost is found again in a new form, when the time is right. Another level of the Spiral will reveal a new manifestation of all that was.

    16 The Ripples Return = Since nothing is lost, and the One is a “circle”, everything we do return to us. There is no way to avoid the consequences of our actions.

    17 Nothing is Hidden = Since nothing is lost and nothing can be hidden from All That Is, integrity and authenticity are vital components of a Witch’s practice.

    18 Life After Dead = Since nothing can be lost, and everything is “recycled” by Nature, life is not lost at death.

V In Service of Life

    19 Constructive Action = Only that which serves life is worthy of veneration. Anti-life forces are not recognized as having spiritual authority or wordly validity.

    20 Non-Harm = We are not truly separate from each other or anything else. To harm anyone is ultimately to harm ourselves. Everything we do comes back to us. And we seek to harm none, but to serve Life instead.

    21 Joy is a Sacrament = In Wiccan belief sexual pleasure- indeed all pleasure- is a sacrament. And sexual ecstasy is a bridge between the human and the Divine. Through the openness and union with another, we can reunite with the Divine Essence that creates us.

VI Interaction with Deep Reality

    22 Multiplicity of Worlds = We recognize the existence of both worlds: the energy/ spirit/ consciousness realm that unites us all, and the outer/ matter-formed/ “ordinary” world. We know there is actually no separation between them, and that what affects one affects the other.

    23 Non-Casual Reality and “Magick” = This non-casual relationship between the worlds is the basis for magick, psychic, and paranormal phenomena. These phenomena are not “supernatural” but of a deeper nature than the one our physical senses register

    24 Co-creators of Life = We each hold the power to access the Creative Force, and to exercise it to change wordly reality. Thus everyone has the innate ability to work magick. We are conceived and born as magickal beings. We are continually creating our reality, and only our conscious mind is aware of how much this is so. Our lives and our world are exactly what we make of them.

VII Authority and Power

    25 Inner Authority = We are all equal, there is no higher authority. Our highest authority is the Divine Herself, and our duty is to interpret the messages within our own hearts, and live them as we see fit.

    26 Following the Heart = The heart- as the voice of the Divine- is our highest authority. It is the truest guide we have in life. Following the heart creates a practice that is vibrant, responsive, spontaneous, and soulful.

    27 True Power is Shared = Power is a commodity to be shared and passed from hand to hand.

    28 False Power is Force, Not Power = Power may not be accumulated into one person’s hands without violating the philosophy of Wiccan belief.

VIII Living Spiritually

    29 Temples of the Divine = All existences is the Temple of the Divine

    30 The Worship of Life = The worship of the One Divine is the worship of life. Not just the surface of life but the    meaning beneath the surfaces.

    31 By Their Fruit they are Known = A Witch is created by her actions, by living the principles of Wiccan belief.

    32 Spiritual Self – Determination = Anyone who chooses to be a Witch can be a Witch.

    33 Ritual Creates Harmony with Reality = The purpose of Wiccan rites is to align ourselves more thoroughly    with the natural rhythms of life and the beauty of the Divine Within and Without.

    34 Magick Co-Creates with The Divine = The purpose of Wiccan Magick is to align our lives without Purpose for incarnating, and our world more perfectly with the beauty of the Divine.

IX The Purpose of Life

    35 Creation is Eternal = Creation is not a static event that happened long ago, but not an evolutionary process that in ongoing. We are all creators of the universe together. The Divine is the universe; the Divine can’t be static, but ever evolving.

    36 Home Coming = It is our path to seek reunion with the Divine. We do this by uncovering this Truth within us.

    37 Serving the Divine = The Divine needs us for Her growth and well-being. A Witch’s relationship with the Divine is balanced and reciprocal.

X Respect for All Beings

    38 Everyone is Integral to the Divine Plan = Everyone has an integral and unique part to play in the world. So every being is deserving of respect.

    39 All Paths Lead to The One = All religions and belief systems are valid to their practitioners. No one has the right to judge another’s path or to coerce them to a different one.

XI Personal Spiritual Path

    40 Validity is Created by Service of Life = A spiritual path is not legitimized by its history or the extent of its membership, nor diminished by internal debates. It is justified or not depending upon the actions of its adherents.

    41 Personal Responsibility = Every Witch is personally responsibility to the Divine for her choices, words, actions, and inactions –and even her thoughts, since she recognizes the power contained within them.

    42 Everyone can Communicate Directly with The Divine = The Divine interacts with all beings on a continuous basis.

    43 The Obligation and Right of Personal Choice = It is not only every person’s right but her responsibility to find her own way, determine her own values, and live by her own choices. No one may dictate another’s Path, or judge it by her own perspective.

XII Giving Back and Paying it Forward

    44 Honoring Teachers and Guides = There are many who help us understand our way. These leaders and guides are offered respect and gratitude.

    45 Balance in The Law of The Circle = A balance must be maintained. It is the way of all circles. To take, something must be given. If it is not given voluntarily, it will be lost nonetheless.

    46 Offering True Gifts = Only what is ours to give can be an offering.

XIII The Essence of Magickal Power

    47 Magick is Aligning with The One = Magick is not coercion. Magick is the process of aligning oneself with the Power of creation, and guiding its direction in a process of co-creation. True magick thus engenders feelings of gratitude and humility.

    48 All Power if Divine Power = To gather Power, all that is necessary is to clear the conduit to the Divine within you.

    49 You are The Conduit = No props are necessary to work magick. The Power is the Divine and your ability to connect and channel that creative energy.

    50 The Nature of Power = To abuse Power by harming another or succumbing to greed is to contaminate the conduit to the Divine.