Witch's Creed

Creed betyder ung. trosbekännelse.

Hear now the word of the Witch,
the secrets once hid in the night,
When darkness was for protection,
We now bring forth in the light.

Mysteries of the Water and Fire,
The Earth and the wide-ranging Air,
By hidden Quintessence we know them,
and we bring honor in silence and fair.

The birth and rebirth of all Nature,
the passing of Winter and Spring,
We share with the life Universal,
rejoicing in the never-ending Ring

Four times in the year we give homage,
come forth the Witches are seen,
At Lammas and Candelmas we're dancing,
so too on May Eve and old Halloween

When daytime and nighttime are equal,
when sun is at it's greatest and least,
The four lesser Sabbats are summoned,
again the Witches gather in feast.

Thirteen silver moons in a year,
thirteen to be the magickal array,
Thirteen times at Esbat we make merry,
for the work of the night and the day.

The knowledge has passed down the ages,
each time between woman and man
Each century unto the other,
old times since the ages began.

When drawn in the Magikal circle,
by sword or athame of light,
Its compass between two worlds opens,
in honor and love for this night.

Our world has no right to know it,
and the world beyond will tell naught,
The oldest of Gods are invoked there,
the great work of light's Magik is wrought.

For two are the mystical pillars,
that stand at the gate of the shrine,
And two are the powers of Nature,
the forms and the forces divine.

Do what thou wilt be the challenge,
so be it in love that harms none,
For this is the only commandment,
By wisdom of faith so let it be done.

In these words the Witches Creed fulfills:
An' harm it none, Do what Thou Will!

The Witches Rune

Darksome night and shining moon
Harken to the Witches Rune
East then South, West then North
Here come I to call thee forth.

By all the powers of land and sea
Be obedient unto me.
Wand and pentacle, cup and sword
Harken ye unto my word

Cords and censor, scourge and knife
Waken all ye into life
Powers of the witches blade
Come ye as the charge is made.

Queen of heaven, field and hell
Send your aid unto this spell.
Horned hunter of the night
Work my will by magick rite.

By all the might of moon and sun
As I do will, it shall be done
By all the powers of land and sea
As I say, so mote it be.

(Kan läsas när man skapar en cirkel)

Charge of the God

Listen the the words of the Great Father, who of old was called Osiris, Adonis, Zeus, Thor, Pan, Cernunnos, Herne, Lugh and by many other names:

My Law is Harmony with all things.
Mine is the secret that opens the gates of life,
mine is the dish of salt of the earth that is the body of Cernunnos, that is the eternal circle of rebirth.
I give the knowledge of life everlasting, and beyond death I give the promise of regeneration and renewal.
I am the sacrifice, the father of all things, and my protection blankets the earth.

Hear the words of the dancing God, the music of whose laughter stirs the winds, whose voice calls the seasons:

I who am the Lord of the Hunt and the Power of the Light, sun among the clouds and the secret of the flame
I call upon your bodies to arise and come unto me.
For I am the flesh of the earth and all its beings.
Through me all things must die and with me are reborn.
Let my worship be in the body that sings, for behold all acts of willing sacrifice are my rituals.
Let there be desire and fear, anger and weakness, joy and peace, awe and longing within you.
For these too are part of the mysteries found within yourself, within me, all beginnings have endings, and all endings have beginnings.

Charge of the Goddess

Listen to the words of the Great Mother,
Who of old was called Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Diana, Arionrhod, Brigid, and by many other names:

Whenever you have need of anything, once a month, and better it be when the moon is full, you shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me Who is Queen of all the Wise.
You shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that you be free you shall be naked in your rites.
Sing, feast, dance, make music and love, all in My Presence, for Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and Mine also is joy on earth.
For My law is love is unto all beings.
Mine is the secret that opens the door of youth, and Mine is the cup of wine of life that is the cauldron of Cerridwen, that is the holy grail of immortality.
I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal, and beyond death I give peace and freedom and reunion with those that have gone before.
Nor do I demand aught of sacrifice, for behold, I am the Mother of all things and My love is poured out upon the earth.

Hear the words of the Star Goddess, the dust of Whose feet are the hosts of Heaven, whose body encircles the universe:

I Who am the beauty of the green earth and the white moon among the stars and the mysteries of the waters,
I call upon your soul to arise and come unto me.
For I am the soul of nature that gives life to the universe.
From Me all things proceed and unto Me they must return.
Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals.
Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.
And you who seek to know Me, know that the seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery: for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without.
For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am That which is attained at the end of desire.

The 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief

Detta dokument skrevs 1974, vid en tid när man kände ett behov av att enas om principer som kännetecknar det wiccanska trossystemet. Det kan med fördel läsas som en introduktion till wiccansk tro, tycker jag. Dokumentet skrevs på engelska och jag har valt att inte översätta det, utan presenterar det i sin helhet.

The Thirteen Principles of Wiccan Belief

Seventy three Witches founded the Council of American Witches in 1974. In April of that year, at the Spring Witchmeet in Minneapolis, MN, (1974-APR-11 to 14), they adopted the following document. At the time, Wicca and other Neopagan religions were greatly misunderstood in North America. This document helped to set the record straight. The thirteen statements are necessarily vague. They do not precisely and completely match any one Witchcraft tradition. But they do provide an introduction to the full range of belief systems found within "Wicca.

Introduction: "In seeking to be inclusive, we do not wish to open ourselves to the destruction of our group by those on self-serving power trips, or to philosophies and practices contradictory to those principles. In seeking to exclude those whose ways are contradictory to ours, we do not want to deny participation with us to any who are sincerely interested in our knowledge and beliefs, regardless of race, color, sex, age, national or cultural origins, or sexual preference."

Principles of the Wiccan Belief:

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.

2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility towards 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 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 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, 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, that gives 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 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 any entity known as "Satan" or "the Devil", as defined by Christian tradition. 4 We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor do we 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.

The Wiccan Rede

Bide ye Wiccan laws ye must,
In perfect love and perfect trust.

Live and let live---
Fairly take and fairly give

Cast the circle thrice about,
To keep all negativity out.

To bind ye spell every time,
Let ye spell be spake in rhyme.

Soft of eye, light of touch,
Speak ye little, listen much.

Deosil go by the waxing moon,
Sing an’ dance the Witches Rune.

Widdershins go when the Moon doth wane,
An’ the werewolf howls at the dread wolf's bane.

When the Lady’s Moon is new,
Kiss your hand to her times two.

When the Moon rides at Her peak,
Then your hearts desire seek.

Heed the North wind’s mighty gale,
Lock the door and drop the sail.

When the wind comes from the South,
Love with kiss thee on thy mouth.

When the wind blows from the east,
Expect the new and set the feast.

When the west wind blows o’er thee,
Departed spirits restless be.

Nine woods in the cauldron go,
Burn them fast and burn them slow.

Elder be ye Lady’s tree,
Burn it not or cursed ye’ll be.

When the wheel begins to turn,
Let the Beltane fires burn.

When the wheel has turned a Yule,
Light the log an’ let Pan rule.

Heed ye flower, bush, and tree---
By the Lady Blessed Be.

Where the rippling waters go
Cast a stone an’ truth ye’ll know

When ye have need,
Hearken not to others greed.

With the fool no season spend,
Lest ye be counted as his friend.

Merry ye Meet and Merry ye Part,
Bright the cheeks an’ warm the heart.

Mind the Threefold Law ye should,
Three times bad and three times good.

Ever mind the Law of Three,
Lest in self defense it be.

When misfortune is enow,
Wear the blue star upon thy brow.

True in love ever be,
Unless thy lover is false to thee.

Eight words the Wiccan Rede doth fulfill,
“An’ harm it none, do what thou will.”