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.
I must confess, I'm not really the best at keeping track of moon phases. I generally do my rituals as I see fit, and following pretty heavily Catholic themes, such as Novenas and Archangel Circles.
As for the seasonal quarters, I basically follow more of the Catholic holidays and holiday customs personally, although many of these fall on or about the same time as major Wiccan holidays. I celebrate Yule/Christmas, Samhain/All Saints & All Souls, Oestara/Easter, Beltane/May Crowning, and other feast days.
2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward 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.
Basically, I believe we all have gifts such as intuition, foresight and gifts of healing. Some of us just pay more attention to gut instincts, and work on developing them.
4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the Universe as
manifesting through polarity -- as masculine and feminine -- and
that this same Creative Power lives in all people, and functions
through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value
neither above the other, knowing each to be supporting 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 magical
practices and religious worship.
I see the male/female aspects of the Divine as God the Trinity, and Mary, Queen of Heaven. Both male and female energies are equally important, and while they are opposites, they are not *opposed* to each other. As far as the sex issue, I believe it's very special, and not to be shared with 'just anyone'. While some may practice sex magic, I personally am not comfortable with that.
5. We recognize both outer and inner or psychological, worlds, -- sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, 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, or the collecting of titles,
degrees and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces
within herself/him that make life possible in order to live
wisely and well, without harm to others, and in harmony with
Nature.
This I completely agree with, with an emphasis on working towards helping/healing myself and others, and harming none.
9. We acknowledge that it is the affirmation and fulfillment of life, in a continuation of evolution and development and consciousness, that gives meaning to the Universe we know, and to our personal role within it.
10. Our only animosity toward Christianity, or toward any
other religion or philosophy of life, is the extent that its
institutions have claimed to be "the only way," and
have sought to deny freedom to others and to surpress other ways
of religious practice and belief.
My own personal belief is in showing respect for all spiritual paths, whether I agree with them or not. I am not, however, tolerant of those who try to enforce/impose their beliefs on others.
11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins 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 and entity known as "Satan" or
"The Devil" as defined by the Christian tradition. We
do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor do we
accept the concept that personal benefit can only be derived by
denial to another.
I, however, *do* believe that there is evil in this world, as evidenced by cases of child abuse and other such acts that I cannot comprehend as anything *other* than evil.
13. We acknowledge that we seek within Nature for that which is contributory to our health and well-being.
I am a Pagan and I dedicate myself to channeling the Spiritual energy of my inner self to help and to heal others and myself.
I know that I am part of the Whole of nature, May I grow in understanding of the Unity of all Nature. May I always walk in balance.
May I always be mindful of the diversity of Nature as well as its Unity and may I always be tolerant of those whose race, appearance, culture and ways differ from my own.
May I use my psychic powers wisely and never use it for aggression or for malevolent purposes.
May I never use it to curtail the free will of others.
May I always remember that I create my own reality and that I have the power within me to create positivity in my life.
May I always take responsibility for my actions be they conscious or unconscious.
May I always act in honorable ways, being honest with myself and others,keeping my word whenever I have given it, fulfilling all responsibilities and committments I have undertaken to the best of my abilities.
May I always remember that whatever is sent out returns magnified to the sender. The forces of Karma will move swiftly to remind me of my spiritual committments when I have begun to falter from them. May I use this Karmic feedback to remain strong and committed to my Spiritual ideals in the face of adversity or negativity. May the force of my inner Spirit eliminate all malevolence directed my way and transform it into positive light. May my inner light shine so strongly that malevolence can not even enter my realm of existance.
May I continually grow in wisdom and understanding. May I see every problem that I face, as an opportunity to learn and grow and to develop spiritually.
May I act out of love for other beings on this planet -- to other human, plants, animals, mineral, elementals, spirits or other entities.
May I ever be mindful that the Goddess and God in all their forms dwell within me and that this divinity is reflected through my own Inner Self, my Pagan Spirit.
May I always channel love and light through my being. May my inner Spirit, rather than my Ego self, guide all my thoughts, feelings and actions.
So Mote It Be
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