F.A.Q.'S

Part Two

20. Do Witches beleive in God?

We sure do--but, here we have to defien God. In the universe and all that is within it was created using ENERGYand Man and Woman evolved and they were ENERGY. And all of the matter that went to make up all of the Flora and Fauna, all of the Men and Women and all that exists in our world are made up of ENERGY. And we call that ENERGY God and Goddess. To help us to comprehend the nature of the ENERGY we really have to give it form and substance, so we name it. Depending on our pathway, culture, race, and sometimes country, the ENERGY has many names, both male and female. It is Astarte, Isis, Mary, Kwan Yin, it is Jesus, Osiris, Thor, it is Diana, Hera, Zeus...and many others. What we must remember is that there is only one ENERGY force, and we all share it. Every object, animate or in animate, is a part of the whole. To harm anything with malice is to harm a part of yourself. Each thing has a spark of the divine.

21. How do I become a Witch?

Methods of becoming a Witch vary from tradition to tradition, but most of the time it involves being initiated into the Craft by another Witch (if you plan to be a Coven Witch) or by the Gods and yourself (if you plan to be a Solitary Witch). Most of the time there is a waiting period of study before a student of Wicca can become an initiated Witch, this period is usually a year and a day, although this may be longer in certain covens. There are two basic ways. You can be born one or you can become one. Many pathways have different rules of membership, some bizzare and others quite lovely. Generally, one must study until one meets the regulations of the coven she/he would like to join. Know that a few classes will not make you a Witch, and there is no easy way to become one. A responsible Witch must know a great deal, and you will spend your lifetime learning and studing. To know when to do spells, you must have a working knowledge of Astrology. You must learn color correspondences to know what color candles to burn. You must know which ENERGIES are compatible with which herbs, oils, and incenses. You must understand history and mythology. You need a basic knowledge of palmistry, psychology, reflexology, phrenology, divination, tarot, numerology, pendulum reading, channeling, hypnosis, and any other -ology you can think of. Study the ancient peoples and their beliefs. Read the myths of creation. Study ancient Gods and Goddesses, prophecies, astral travel, near death experiences. Read the Christian Bible, Mormon Bible, the Jewish Kabbalah, read about Zoroaster, Muhammed, Kali, Lao Tse, Confucius, Buddha. Study the cultures which resonate with your particular path (Norse, Celtic, Egyptian, Family Tradition...whatever). In other words study, study, study! Wisdom is hard-won and takes many years to gain. Those of us in the Craft have enormous respect for the CRONES amongst us. A woman becomes a CRONE after age fifty or menopause (provided that she ahs done her homework and has studied and practiced long enough to become a truly wise person). True wisdom takes self-control as well as learning, and it takes a good knowledge of psychology and ethics to apply what you have learned with harm to none.

22. What do Witches Believe?

There is almost nothing that all Witches believe, except the Witches Rede which says: And it harm none, do what ye will. The trick is- what causes harm? You really most think this out, because you are responsible for your actions, even is some of the ramifications are accidental! Most Witches (but by no means all) believe in reincarnation. This is the rebirth of a soul in another body. Most do not hold with transmigration which is the return of a soul into the body of an animal. This is a process of learning, not of punishment. As with any other religion, the Wiccan system of beliefs is a complex web of thoughts and ideals for how a Wiccan life should be lived. Many books have been written on this topic alone, and to write down every aspect of this would simply take up to much space.

The principle belief of Wicca lies in the Wiccan Rede. This is the one thing that absolutely everyone must abide by. It is an oath- do not abuse your powers or knowledge by harming anyone or anything (yourself included). Therefor anyone who claims to be a Witch and then threatens to put a curse on you if you cross her/him, is just an rebellious, agressive person seeking an identity.

Here are the Wiccan principles of belief, according to the American Council of Witches:

1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rythm 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 toward 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 is apparent to the average person. Because it is greater than ordinary, it is sometimes called "supernatural", but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.

4. We concive 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 masculine and feminine. We value sexual pleasure as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources use in magickal practice and worship.

5. We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological worlds- sometimes known as the Spiritual world, the Collective Unconcious, The Inner Planets, ect.- and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomona and magickal excerises. 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 unitied in the way one views the world and lives within it- a world view and philosopy of life, which we identify as Witchcraft or the Wiccan Way.

8. Calling oneself "Witch" does not make one a Witch- but neither does hereity itself, or the collecting of titles, degrees, and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces that live within him/herself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well, without harm to others, and in harmony with nature.

9. We acknowledge that it is the affirmation and fulfillment of life, in continuation of evolution and development of conciousness, 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 to the extant that its institutions have claimed to be "the one true right and only way" and have sought to deny freedom to others and to surpress other ways of religious practices and belief.

11. As American Witches, we are not threatend 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.

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 Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor do we accept the concept that personal benifits can only be derived by denial to another.

13. We work within nature for that which is contributory to our health and well-being. We are not bound by traditions from other times or other cultures, and we owe no allegiance to ant person or power greater than the divinity manifest through our own being. As American Witches, we welcome and respect all life-affirming teachings and traditions, and seek to learn from all and to share our learning. We do not wish to open ourselves to the destruction of Wicca by those on self-serving power trips, or to philsophies and practices contrary to those principles. In seeking to exclude those whose ways are contradictory to ours, we do not want to deny practicipation with us to any who are sincerly interested in our knowledge and beliefs, regardless of race, color, sex, age, national or cultural origins, or sexual preference.

23. How do you trhink the Wiccan religion affects the role or the power of the female society?

Wicca empowers women. It is the great Reclaiming of our ancient roles and perogatives. It allows us to bloom, to raise our eyes and our voices, to discover our true selves, our complete selves, in the Goddess. Wicca makes us whole. There are also many male Witches, our brothers in the Craft. Wicca liberates and empowers them, as well.