Everything Under the Moon

I've hunted the EUTM board for this old piece &'didnt find it, so add it here merely as reference in 2018 & neither support or debate it's merits. This is for information purposes.

According to the 1974 American Council of Witches, theIr 13 principles of Wicca were these:

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.  Usually in the form of Sabbat and Esbat celebrations.

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 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 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 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.

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 worldview 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 animosity towards Christianity, or toward 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.

I remember this coming up on an older board. I don't trust it and it's very America. Wicca originated from Britain, and didn't have such things as "moral obligation" to environmental concerns. I see the council hates absolutism but then makes a list with some absolutes in it.

As a Wiccan I don't follow all of these.

hmm interesting list

Originally this list had been drafted as a statement of common practices for American groups to define Wiccan practices from the umbrella Pagan term. The list was not intended to dictate & I don't know anyone who conforms to such definitions completely. Just wondering how much attitudes have changed in 40 years with even more cultural differences developing.

I was reminded when i read this that there was no reference to the popular Reed or principle of harm none.

There's alsomthis 1993 Ameber K version from the Internet Book of Shadows on the Sacred Text website:

BELIEFS AND CUSTOMS OF WICCA
Not every Wiccan will subscribe to all of these points, but
generally they are representative.

1. The divine Spirit is present in all creatures and things:
people, animals, plants, stones...

2. The ultimate creative force manifests in both feminine and
masculine modes; therefore it is often symbolized as the Goddess
and The God.

3. In some covens, both are celebrated equally. In others, The
Goddess is given precedence or even celebrated without reference
to the God.

4. All Goddesses and Gods are aspects of The Goddess and The God.
The aspects most popular in Wicca are the Triple Goddess of the
Moon (Maiden, Mother and Crone) and the Horned God of death and
rebirth.

5. Reincarnation and karma are valid concepts. Upon death one
goes to a state of rest and reflection, and eventually chooses
where and when s/he will be reborn.

6. Magick is practiced for positive (helping) purposes:
spiritual development, healing, guidance, safety, etc.

7. Rituals are generally performed outdoors when possible, at the
New and Full Moons, and at eight Sabbat festivals which mark the
progression of the seasons.

8. Magick and celebration are performed in small groups, usually
3 to 13, called covens. These are basically autonomous -- there
is no central church authority or hierarchy.

9. There is no holy book, or prophet, no equivalent of the Bible
or Jesus or Mohammed. Individuals have access to the divine, and
do not require an intermediary. Every initiate is regarded as a
priest/ess.

10. The central ethic is "And ye harm none, do as ye will."
Whatever energy you send out returns threefold, so it is wise to
be kind to others.

11. We should live in harmony with the Earth and Nature, and not
exploit them.

12. Though Wicca is a valid spiritual path, it is not the only
one. There is no recruiting, and people should be free to choose
the path that best fits their needs.

13. The concepts of original sin, sacrifice, redemption,
confession, the divinity of Jesus, sinfulness of sex, Judgment,
Heaven and Hell, denigration of women, bodily resurrection, and
the Bible as divine revelation are not part of Wicca. Neither are
Satanism, the Black Mass, desecration of cemeteries, the sacrifice
of animals, etc.

Copyright (c) 1983 Amber K., Our Lady of the Woods. Used by
Permission

That's really cool. I love it!

That's really cool. I love it!

I don't see them as laws but as suggestions to aspire to as a Wiccan. I also like these lines from Doreen Valiente's Charge of the Goddess as things to aspire to - “Therefore, let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you”

@RG - there's a YouTube wican channel called "mirth and reverence". I bet you'd like it.

Thanks for the recommendation, I will check it out.