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Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com


 
           
 
                             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 
 
 
                                                                              948
 


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