Beliefs of a Witch

First and foremost, I do not believe that there should be a set of
rules for how a witch should live. Witchcraft is a highly personal
path and interpretation and mondification should be encouraged. That
said, there are a few basic guidelines that are fairly core to the
relgion. Read and think about each of the ten goals below and decide
if you could apply them to your life or if they would clash with
something else you hold, but do not cast them off simply because they
require change or difficulties.
Below them you will find the basic rules and ideas behind the craft.
Again think about each of them and consider how you might follow
them.

The Goals of a Witch
Live in harmony with nature, the world, and people.

Respect all paths whether or not you agree with them. Do not impose
your own beliefs upon others through acts of evangelism or conversion.

Respect your body, and keep it healthy and pure through practices
such as exercise, healthy eating, and meditation.

Celebrate life and living. Don’t just exist.

Attune with the cycles of the earth.
Respect all people, regardless of sex, age, race, culture, class and
religion.

Respect and revere the God and Goddes in their many forms.
Always focus on learning and understanding for personal growth
through reading, practising your craft, and accepting the advice and
wisdom of others.

Harness and develop your power and nuture a kind of union with the
gods and powers of nature.

Create balance in your own life by embracing all the above.

Self-generated power can be sent in non-physical way, having real
affects in the world.

Everything you do will be returned threefold, in some form. This is
called the rule of three:
“Ever mind the rule of three,
Three times what thou givest returns to thee,
This lesson well, thou must learn,
Thee only gets what thou dost earn”

This is heard in many forms, but this is the version I learnt. It
implies if you treat others well you will be treated well in return,
both by others and by higher powers. If you are cruel you will be
punished or treated badly. This is not to say the return will
necessarily occur in this lifetime, but may become evident in your
next life or afterlife.

The Earth is our home and our Goddess. It is not a tool to be
subjected to abuse. It must be respected and preserved, and there are
healing rituals that can be performed to aid this.

We accepts members from both sexes, from every race, of any age,
national origin and, usually, of every sexual preference (this does
not include preferences that take advantage of beings). I realize
that many groups, especially online ones, are reluctant to accept
younger members, believing them to be too immature to understand the
workings of the craft. I think this is a very unfair way to treat
people and I think these groups forget that they too had to start
somewhere. I do realize that there are young people who get caught up
in the “Teen Wicca” phenomenon without knowing anything more about
the religion than what they see in movies and tv shows. Groups should
understand that if the beliefs are purely superficial the young
practitioners will fall by the wayside. Instead of ignoring or
trivialising the pursuits of these people, they should be encouraged
to learn the truth and develop their skills.

We don’t charge for private lessons or for initiation. Physical
objects (pentacles, knives, wands, incenses, oils, books) and
services (such as public classes and counseling) can and should be
paid for, but not personal, private Craft instruction or initiation.
Realize that there are people who may try to take advantage of you.
Be very wary of things like private classes and private tutors. I’ve
heard too many horror stories about some of these people. Just be
careful and trust your instinct. It is the most powerful form of
magick you carry.

We DO NOT sacrifices animals or people in rituals.

We do not accept the existence of a devil or hell. While their may be
demons and spirits or evil or bad intent, they are not the
personification of evil or sin as in Christianity. They are merely
more beings in the universe we must learn to live in harmony with.

Witches do not cause harm to others. Unless in self defense, and this
should be done with extreme caution. “An ye harm none, do what ye
will” is the rede of witches. It is the primary beliefs and I
strongly recommend you listen to the advice. When couple with the
rule of three it is a very strong deterrent from doing wrong.
However, it is not like the Christian devil who acts like a demigod
bogeyman. It is not a system of punishment, just a guide to how you
should treat others. Every religion has one of these, such as the
Christian, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.
Unlike the Christian rede it is not an active guideline. It is not
telling you to go to the world and do good deeds. Merely stay out of
peoples’ ways, don’t tread on toes, and be kind when a situation
arises. Everytime you go to cast a spell, you should ask yourself
whether its effects might harm someone, either through physical or
mental asault, or by depriving them of something, such as taking away
their property or loved ones or simply taking away their control of
the situation. (This is one reason why love spells are a really,
really bad idea.)

Just calling oneself “Witch” and buying the accessories does not make
one a Witch, but neither does hereditary title or the collection of
initiations or degrees. It is a life-long process of growth and
understanding. This is a path you must actually live. Unlike many
more established and dogmatic religions, followers can choose to just
show up to church once a week and forget it the rest of the time.
Witchcraft is a self-motivating pursuit. You must set goals for
yourself and focus on always learning and incorporating the practices
in your life.

Posted By: Witch of the North.