Liber ab Gens (Book of Tribe)^233
set forth by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America.
They don’t want to ignore the word “establishment” in that sacred document, so a new
establishment of dogma and doctrine has risen to serve their needs, that being the
dogma of no dogma and the doctrine of no doctrine. Resembling more the spiritual
choice of the agnostic, such views are neither Wiccan nor “an establishment of reli-
gion.” If one chooses to dispute this, they may of course do so at their will. But they will
look rather silly as they are disputing not me, but just about every dictionary. That
religion which has neither dogma nor doctrine is not a religion.
This is not to say that someone making up his or her own religion is a bad thing. It
doesn’t mean that someone without any set custom, tradition, or teaching cannot live a
religious life. However, it does mean that folk who use the word Wicca to describe a
Path so alien from the laws of Nature and the observations of those laws as a fertility
religion are simply causing confusion. You see, the word Wicca has come to mean
something, so using it to mean something totally different will just cause confusion.
This is not a matter of totalitarianism; it is a matter of language. If you disagree, please
try using the word anchovies to mean pepperoni and then order a pizza.The Ethics and Dogma of Wicca
So then what are the ethics and dogma of the Wiccan religion? What can we all
agree upon in our effort to establish community and tribe? Despite the fact that getting
Wiccans to agree on anything is akin to herding cats, there have been some rather
widely accepted attempts to create a definition. In 1974, a newly founded organization
called the Council of American Witches decided to define what it means to practice
modern Witchcraft. In so doing, they created the 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief and
released it to the world to be freely shared.The 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief
- 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 en-
vironment. 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 is apparent to the average per-
son. 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 lives 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
v WB Chap 13.p65 233 7/11/2003, 5:58 PM