[++ The Witches Creed ++]
(Hear now the words of the witches,
The secrets we hid in the night,
When dark was our destiny's pathway,
That now we bring forth into light.
Mysterious water and fire,
The earth and the wide-ranging air,
By hidden quintessence we know them,
And will and keep silent and dare.
The birth and rebirth of all nature,
The passing of winter and spring,
We share with the life universal,
Rejoice in the magical ring.
Four time in the year the Great Sabbat
Returns, and the witches are seen
At Lammas and Candlemas dancing,
On May Eve and old Hallowe'en.
When day-time and night-time are equal,
When sun is at greatest and least,
The four Lesser Sabbats are summoned,
And Witches gather in feast.
Thirteen silver moons in a year are,
Thirteen is the coven's array.
Thirteen times at Esbat make Merry,
For each golden year and a day.
The power that was passed down the age,
Each time between woman and man,
Each century unto the other,
Ere time and the ages began.
When drawn is the magical circle,
By sword or athame of power,
Its compass between two worlds lies,
In land of the shades for that hour.
This world has no right then to know it.
And world of beyond will tell naught.
The oldest of Gods are invoked there,
The Great Work of magic is wrought.
For the two are mystical pillars,
That stand at the gate of the shrine,
And two are the powers of nature,
The forms and the forces divine.
The dark and the light in succession,
The opposites each unto each,
Shown forth as a God and a Goddess:
Of this our ancestors teach.
By night he's the wild winds rider,
The Horn'd One, the Lord of the Shades.
By day he's the King of the Woodland,
The dweller in green forest glades.
She is youthful or old as she pleases,
She sails the torn clouds in her barque,
The bright silver lady of midnight,
The crone who weaves spells in the dark.
The master and mistress of magic,
That dwell in the deeps of the mind,
Immortal and ever-renewing,
With power to free or to bind.
So drink the good wine to the Old Gods,
And Dance and make love in their praise,
Till Elphane's fair land shall receive us
In peace at the end of our days.
And Do What You Will be the challenge,
So be it Love that harms none,
For this is the only commandment.
By Magic of old, be it done!
Hear now the words of the witches,
The secrets we hid in the night,
When dark was our destiny's pathway,
That now we bring forth into light.
Mysterious water and fire,
The earth and the wide-ranging air,
By hidden quintessence we know them,
And will and keep silent and dare.
The birth and rebirth of all nature,
The passing of winter and spring,
We share with the life universal,
Rejoice in the magical ring.
Four time in the year the Great Sabbat
Returns, and the witches are seen,   At Lammas and Candlemas dancing,
On May Eve and old Hallowe'en.
When day-time and night-time are equal,
When sun is at greatest and least,
The four Lesser Sabbats are summoned,  And Witches gather in feast.
Thirteen silver moons in a year are,
Thirteen is the coven's array.
Thirteen times at Esbat make Merry,
For each golden year and a day.
The power that was passed down the age,
Each time between woman and man,
Each century unto the other,
Ere time and the ages began.
When drawn is the magical circle,
By sword or athame of power,
Its compass between two worlds lies,
In land of the shades for that hour.
This world has no right then to know it.
And world of beyond will tell naught.
The oldest of Gods are invoked there,
The Great Work of magic is wrought.
For the two are mystical pillars,
That stand at the gate of the shrine,
And two are the powers of nature,
The forms and the forces divine.
The dark and the light in succession,
The opposites each unto each,
Shown forth as a God and a Goddess:
Of this our ancestors teach.
By night he's the wild winds rider,
The Horn'd One, the Lord of the Shades.
By day he's the King of the Woodland,
The dweller in green forest glades.  She is youthful or old as she pleases,
She sails the torn clouds in her barque,
The bright silver lady of midnight,
The crone who weaves spells in the dark.
The master and mistress of magic,
That dwell in the deeps of the mind,
Immortal and ever-renewing,
With power to free or to bind.
So drink the good wine to the Old Gods,
And Dance and make love in their praise,
Till Elphane's fair land shall receive us
In peace at the end of our days.
And Do What You Will be the challenge,
So be it Love that harms none,
For this is the only commandment.
By Magic of old, be it done!)



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[++ The Wiccan Rede ++]
(Bide the Wiccan Laws we must, in perfect love and perfect trust
Live and let live, fairly take and fairly give
Cast the circle thrice about, to keep the evil spirits out
To bind the spell every time, let the spell be spake in rhyme
Soft of eye and light of touch, speak but little, listen much
Deosoil by the waxing moon, chanting out the witches' rune
Widdershins go by the waning moon, chanting out the baleful rune
When the Lady's moon is new, kiss thy hand to her times two
When the moon rides at her peak, then your heart's desire seek
Heed the North wind's mighty gale, lock the door and drop the sail
When the wind comes from the South, love will kiss thee on the mouth
When the wind blows from the West, departed souls will have no rest
When the wind comes from the East, expect the new and set the feast
Nine woods in the cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow
Elder be the Lady's tree, burn it not or cursed you'll be
When the wheel begins to turn, let the Beltane fires burn
When the wheel has turned to Yule, light the log, the Horned One rules
Heed ye flower, bush and tree, by the Lady, Blessed Be
Where the rippling waters go, cast a stone a truth you'll know
When ye have a true need, harken not to others' greed
With a fool no season spend, lest ye be counted as his friend
Merry Meet and Merry Part, bright the cheeks and warm the heart
Mind the Threefold Law you should, three times bad and three times good
When misfortune is enow, wear the blue star on thy brow
True in love ever be, lest thy lover's false to thee
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill:

"An ye harm none, do what thou will")

---

from a good friend [Wiccan Woman]

The Wiccan Rede
(Full Version)

Bide within the Law you must, in perfect Love and perfect Trust.
Live you must and let to live, fairly take and fairly give.

For tread the Circle thrice about to keep unwelcome spirits out.
To bind the spell well every time, let the spell be said in rhyme.

Light of eye and soft of touch, speak you little, listen much.
Honor the Old Ones in deed and name,
let love and light be our guides again.

Deosil go by the waxing moon, chanting out the joyful tune.
Widdershins go when the moon doth wane,
and the werewolf howls by the dread wolfsbane.

When the Lady's moon is new, kiss the hand to Her times two.
When the moon rides at Her peak then your heart's desire seek.

Heed the North winds mighty gale, lock the door and trim the sail.
When the Wind blows from the East, expect the new and set the feast.

When the wind comes from the South, love will kiss you on the mouth.
When the wind whispers from the West, all hearts will find peace and rest.

Nine woods in the Cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow.
Birch in the fire goes to represent what the Lady knows.

Oak in the forest towers with might, in the fire it brings the God's
insight. Rowan is a tree of power causing life and magick to flower.

Willows at the waterside stand ready to help us to the Summerland.
Hawthorn is burned to purify and to draw faerie to your eye.

Hazel-the tree of wisdom and learning adds its strength to the bright fire burning.
White are the flowers of Apple tree that brings us fruits of fertility.

Grapes grow upon the vine giving us both joy and wine.
Fir does mark the evergreen to represent immortality seen.

Elder is the Lady's tree burn it not or cursed you'll be.
Four times the Major Sabbats mark in the light and in the dark.

As the old year starts to wane the new begins, it's now Samhain.
When the time for Imbolc shows watch for flowers through the snows.

When the wheel begins to turn soon the Beltane fires will burn.
As the wheel turns to Lamas night power is brought to magick rite.

Four times the Minor Sabbats fall use the Sun to mark them all.
When the wheel has turned to Yule light the log the Horned One rules.

In the spring, when night equals day time for Ostara to come our way.
When the Sun has reached it's height time for Oak and Holly to fight.

Harvesting comes to one and all when the Autumn Equinox does fall.
Heed the flower, bush, and tree by the Lady blessed you'll be.

Where the rippling waters go cast a stone, the truth you'll know.
When you have and hold a need, harken not to others greed.

With a fool no season spend or be counted as his friend.
Merry Meet and Merry Part bright the cheeks and warm the heart.

Mind the Three-fold Laws you should three times bad and three times good.
When misfortune is enow wear the star upon your brow.

Be true in love this you must do unless your love is false to you.

These Eight words the Rede fulfill:

"An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will"

---

The Charge of the Goddess
Whenever you have need of anything,
once in the month and better when the moon is full,
then shall you assemble in some secret place
and adore the spirit of me,
who am Queen of all witches.
There shall ye assemble,
ye who are fain to to learn all sorcery,
yet have not won its deepest secrets;
to these will I teach all things that are as yet unknown.
And ye shall be free from slavery;
and as a sign that ye be truly free,
you shall be naked in your rites;
and ye shall dance, sing, feast,make music and love,
all in my praise.
For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit,
and mine also is joy on earth;
for my law is love unto all beings.
Keep pure your highest ideals;
strive ever towards them,
let nothing stop you or turn you aside.
For mine is the secret door which
opens upon the Land of Youth,
and mine is the cup of the wine of life,
and the Cauldron of Cerridwen,
which is the Holy Vessel of Immortality.
I am the gracious Goddess,
who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man.
Upon earth,
I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal;
and beyond death,
I give peace, and freedom,
and reunion with those who have gone before.
Nor do I demand sacrifice;
for behold, I am the Mother of all living,
and my love is poured out upon the earth.

I am the beauty of the green earth,
and the white moon among the stars,
and the mystery of the waters,
and the desire of the heart of man.
Call unto thy soul, arise, and come unto me.
For I am the soul of Nature,
who gives life to the Universe.
From me all things proceed,
and unto me all things must return;
and before my face, beloved of Gods and of men,
let thine innermost divine self be enfolded
in the rapture of the infinite.
Let my worship be within the heart that rejoicest;
for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.
Therefore, let there be beauty and strength,
power and compassion, honor and humility,
mirth and reverance within you.
And thou who thinketh to seek for me,
know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not
unless thou knoweth the mystery;
that if that which thy seekest thou findest not within thee,
thou wilt never find it without thee.
For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning;
and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.


A Charge of the Dark Goddess


Wisdom and empowerment are the gifts of the Dark Goddess
of Transformation.
She is known to us as Kali, Hecate, Cerridwen, Lilith,
Persephone, Fata, Morgana, Ereshkigal, Arianhrod, Durga,
Inanna, Tiamat, and by a million, million other names:
Hear me child, and know Me for who I am. I have been with you
since you were born, and I will stay with you until you return to Me
at the final dusk.
I am the passionate and seductive lover who inspires the poet to dream.
I am the One who calls to you at the end of your journey. After the day
is done, My children find their blessed rest in my embrace.
I am the womb from which all things are born.
I am the shadowy, still tomb; all things must come to Me and bare their
breasts to die and be reborn to the Whole.
I am the Sorceress that will not be ruled, the Weaver of Time, the
Teacher of Mysteries. I snip the threads that bring my children home
to me. I slit the throats of the cruel and drink the blood of the
heartless. Swallow your fear and come to me, and you will discover
true beauty, strength, and courage.
I am the fury which rips the flesh from injustice.
I am the glowing forge that transforms your inner demons into tools of
power. Open yourself to my embrace and overcome.
I am the glinting sword that protects you from harm.
I am the crucible in which all the aspects of yourself merge together
in a rainbow of union.
I am the velvet depths of the night sky, the swirling mists of midnight,
shrouded in mystery.
I am the chrysalis in which you will face that which terrifies you and
from which you will blossom forth, vibrant and renewed. Seek me at
the rossroads, and you shall be transformed, for once you look upon my
face, there is no return.
I am the fire that kisses the shackles away.
I am the cauldron in which all opposites grow to know each other in
Truth. I am the web which connects all things.
I am the Healer of all wounds, the Warrior who rights all wrongs in
their Time. I make the weak strong. I make the arrogant humble. I raise
up the oppressed and empower the disenfranchised. I am Justice
tempered with Mercy.
Most importantly, child, I am you. I am part of you, and I am within
you. Seek me within and without, and you will be strong. Know me.
Venture into the dark so that you may awaken to Balance,
Illumination, and Wholeness.
Take my Love with you everywhere and find the Power within to
be who you wish.

---

This page is Wiccan Principles and Beliefs
~In 1974 one group of American Witches meeting in Minneapolis adopted the following group of principles. These principles are not required of anyone, but they do reflect the thinking of many modern Pagan Witches whether in the United States or elsewhere.

~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.

~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.

~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.

~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 to 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 practice and religious worship.

~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 interactive 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.

~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.

~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.

~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.

~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.

~Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards 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.

~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.

~We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as Satan or the Devil, as defined by the Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the sufferings of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.

~We believe that we should seek within nature that which is contributory to our health and well being

Pagans and Wiccans