THE PRINCIPLES OF THE WICCAN BELIEF
There is a very basic set of principles that Wiccans believe in. Of course, it is widely accepted and understood that every Wiccan will have his or her own set of beliefs and principles. In 1974, 73 Witches came together and formed the Council of American Witches, and in April of that year at the Spring Witchmeet in Minneapolis, MN, the Council adopted The Principles of the Wiccan Belief, which is a document that outlines the beliefs and practices of the religion, which are as follows:
1) Wiccans practice rituals to attune with the natural rhythm of nature
2) Wiccans recognize they have an obligation to the environment
3) Wiccand acknowledge a depth of power that is often called "supernatural"
4) Wiccans recognize that the Creative Power of the universe lies in everybody
5) Wiccan recognize both outer and inner worlds, and neglect neither for the other
6) Wiccans do not recognize any authority, bot honor those who teach and share their knowledge
7) Wiccans see religion, magick, and wisdom-in-living as being united-a world view, which they identify as "Witchcraft" or "the Wiccan Way"
8) Wiccans do not believe that calling oneself a Witch makes one a Witch
9) Wiccans believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution
10) Wiccans only animosity towards Christianity is that they claim to be the "only way"
11) Wiccans are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft
12) Wiccans do not accept the concept of absolute evil nor do they worship any entity known as "the Devil" 13) Wiccans believe that they should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.
THE WICCAN THREE-FOLD LAW
The Three-Fold Law is one of the basics of Wiccan belief, but this law is not actually a Wiccan law, but a "universal spiritual principle." This law is "pagan Karma." Karma is simply an acknowledgment that every choice you make will have a consequence-good or bad. Karma is not a punishment, but rather the natural affect of your decisions. A variation of the Law of Karma is that any actions you make will come back to you three times the magnitude of what you did. And yet another variation states that the negative actions that you commit will come back to you ten times the magnitude. The Three-Fold law is there to remind us to choose our thoughts, words and actions carefully, for we know that all we do will come back to us. We are in control of our future, and it starts with the actions and decisions that we make today.
WICCAN ETIQUETTE
There are some basic ideas about Wiccan etiquette. Although most Wiccans do not feel the need to hide their religious choices and pracetices, there are many who still do, so for them we follow a basic rule. It is expected that you will never identify anyone as a Wiccan without their permission. It could possibly harm a person who wishes to keep their choices secret.
Another basic principle of Wiccan etiquette is to not proselytize, or attempt to convert anybody from their religion to Wicca. No religion ever truly benefits from having a religion "shoved down their throats." If a person asks, you can feel free to discuss it, but don't overdo it.
A Wiccan's sacred space is just that-sacred. You should never touch a Witch's sacred area or tools that are used in rituals. If they give you permission to do so, then it is alright. But, bare in mind that just because they say yes today, you do not necessarily have permission for tomorrow or any other time in the future. Also, do not allow anyone to touch your personal tools or sacred area, unless you believe that they have only positive energy.
Spell casting is a vital part of the Wiccan religion, so it stands to reason that there would also be etiquette guidelines that pertain to that. First of all, never perform magick that seeks to control anyone else, even if you think that it would be for their own good. You never want to take away a person's free will or you will have to face the Karmic repercussion for it. The exception to this rule is if a person asks you to perform a spell on them; or if you have spiritual authority over a child under 12 or an animal under your care.
The principle that I find most important is this: "'An it harm none, do as ye will." The phrase "harm none" has a few different meanings. Not only are you to refrain from physically harming another person, you are also to refrain from harming yourself, taking somebody's free will, mentally or spiritually harming another person, etc.
If you follow these basic rules of etiquette, you will turn out to be a Witch that many people would be happy to have in their presence. Just remember to use common sense and courtesy. Be the kind of Witch that you yourself would like to be around.
Blessed Be!
Lady Ariel
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