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-Sacred Space-
We defined the word "Sacred" as meaning "those things which, by bringing us closer to ourselves, bring us closer to divinity." In our culture of over- population and possessiveness, the idea of space as sacred is pretty hard to grasp. In Wicca, we believe that everything is sacred, especially the land, and our belief is that you can buy land, but you can't own it. The idea of an area as sacred and therefore "special" is hard to grasp in a standard context, and we find ourselves once more with the spiritual blue pencil, editing the dictionary in our heads. In Wicca, sacred space comes in two distinct types. The first, a new trend, involves the buying, salvaging and naturalizing of land, or the act of buying and "setting aside" land in trusts and private parks. There is a land rush going on, and one need only look at the side of any highway to see buildings where fields were a year, even a month ago. The purpose of "entrusting" land is to assure that our children have land and that we have oxygen. One group of people buying land has stated that if we each buy one square mile of land and allow it to produce oxygen with indigenous plants and organic gardens, we can grind the outward growth of cities to a halt, making communities turn inward to restoration of dying neighborhoods and reuse of damaged land. Their theory works like this: When you drive along an interstate and see a few acres for sale here, and a few acres for sale there, don't look at it and say "I'd buy it, but I don't want to live next to a highway," say, "I better buy it before some fool stops that oxygen from undoing some of the damage of this highway." Don't look at unused land as needing to be put to good work, see it doing its job. By buying it, and not building on it, we are putting it to the best work there is. The second, and vastly different form of sacred space that Wiccans use is "worship space," our temples or churches. Wicca needs no buildings for its practice, because the "circle" or temple of Wicca can be built, used and taken down in mere moments...It is a building made of energy, belief and Will, and can be outside, inside, underground or wherever else the practitioners wish it. Many Fam-Trads state that the reason for the moveable church is a matter of persecution or politics, the need to hide when the preachers come and act like good Christians. This may well be true, but if it were the whole truth, Wicca would now operate out of churches as surely as any other minority religion. Other people simply say it's a matter of money, and that Wiccans, as a population, just don't have the funds. This, too, may be true, but the most definite reason for this transportable church is probably the Wiccan belief that, since all the world is sacred, all the world can be used as a church. If you asked fifty Wiccans "what" a circle is, you'd probably get a hundred answers, half of which would seem to conflict. The Wiccan Circle defies total explanation. In its simplest form, it's an area marked out, declared in a ceremony, and used during a ritual as a "place." In metaphysical terms, the circle is a place where the physical world is left outside and the Spiritual world is as touched upon as much as it can be by physical beings. The Circle contains the power or energy "raised" until it is released, and keeps negative energies out. It is marked out through varying methods. The average Circle is open to all, and all those who stand within are charged "Let none be here but of their own free will." and "Let none leave but with good reason till the temple be cleared."2 The Circle is a receptacle for energy, and "leaving" in the middle of a ritual without good reason is not only a faux-pas of the Wiccan culture, but is said to "disrupt" those energies gathered within. Only when "let go" by those within the circle do the energies have direction, and only by being gathered within the Circle do the energies achieve the "critical mass" needed to be pushed toward that direction. In a religion that believes energy inherent in all life, the idea of a circle to "contain it " may seem absurd, but did you ever try to drink a rainstorm? Only by using a cup can we gather enough water to quench our thirst. The Circle is the cup we contain those energies in. Starhawk, in Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess, refers to the casting of the Circle as "an enacted meditation," which "resonates through layers of meaning to awaken an aspect of ourselves."3 Indeed, the Circle is the home of the Spiritual Side that we need to integrate to become "whole" entities, and the practice of Ritual is to that aspect of the Total Self what food is to our physical body. The Circle is the gateway to the Elemental States detailed earlier, a mental and subconscious trigger that tells our inner selves to "pay attention, this is important." Casting the circle is like tapping into our soul and letting our inner thoughts and feelings rule us instead of society's rules, at least for a time. When you find something that "works" for you when casting a circle, try to integrate that aspect into the casting of every Circle. I'm not saying that a perfect set of words or gestures will work every time, but a few things used most of the time can enhance the experience for you, and help you achieve that inner "holy" state the circle calls for, these can include: -Wearing a special garment, like a robe, or going Skyclad, -Wearing your hair differently or Ritual face/body painting. -Special Jewelry only worn in circle, or almost always worn, but only visible in circle -Special anointing oils or perfumes, such as clary sage oil, or washing first with a certain kind of soap. -Special incense or smudge used every time, but never used "outside" of the circle. -A special place where your circle is cast, or certain tools you use often. Avoid using the same words every time you cast the Circle, and if you do have a special relic, don't feel that you can't do a circle without it in a pinch. Substitution and adaptation are a big part of Wicca, and are nothing to be ashamed of. Remember, as long as you are following the basic tenets of Wicca, you are as Wiccan as anyone else, and NOTHING makes you any more or less "right." If it works for you, it's right for you. 
-The Five Questions Usually Asked by Someone about to Cast Their 1st Circle In my years as a student, and later as a priestess, I've heard these questions asked more than any others by people who want to cast a circle but are afraid that they'll get it "wrong:" #1: How do I know I have "the stuff" to cast a circle, don't I need to be initiated to have the power to do it? When does the Priest/Priestess "give" me the power for this? If you are alive, you have the power to cast a circle. In an initiation, you are not "given" power. In some circles, the initiation may include some directions for raising and using this power, but Universal Eclectic Wicca has no mandatory "initiations." We believe birth to this planet is initiation enough. A dedication rite (see part three of this book) is more than suitable. Initiations are only provided at special request, usually in instances where the student has had a traumatic life experience and feels a need to be "reborn." When an initiation is done, it should be an initiation into a new life, not into Wicca or a tradition of Wicca. An initiate should always be able to take him/herself out of the religion without denying the new life they've made. #2: How do I know if I'm getting it right? OR #3: How do I know if I'm doing it wrong? Like breathing, casting a circle for ritual use is a natural body/mind function that can't truly be done WRONG. With practice, further visualization, repetition, research and the inevitable change, your circle will grow to metaphysical perfection, but until then, you still can't get it "wrong." If you intend to pursue Ceremonial Magick, you may have very intricate Circle rituals, designed to protect you from "the forces" you are working with. That's that set of beliefs, not Wicca. A Wiccan circle can be as complex or as simple as you want. It's YOUR call. #4: What if I have to leave during the Circle? It happens. About 1/4 of UEW's current standing Clergy are doctors, so it probably happens more to us than to most. In a personal circle, it's best to end it, go do what you need to do, then recast when you're done. In a group circle, it's best to be "let out" by the person who cast, but larger circles are uncomfortable to disrupt. It's best to plan for these contingencies with the person casting the circle, and get permission to leave if something comes up. Most of the time, the circle is left through a "door" cut in the side of the circle with the Athamé, and repaired from outside by being "undrawn" and sealed with a pentacle drawn in the air above the cut. In the event that the person who created the circle has to leave, a second should take over leading the circle, someone chosen ahead of time to prevent the moments of inevitable chaos that "taking over" involves. With the caster's permission, trace a door in a rough oval or rectangle in the air of the circle with the Athamé or right hand, if you're left handed, or ambidextrous, you may wish to use both hands, or use the left...in some circles, they believe that left handed people work energies backwards, and your priest(ess) or teacher may ask you to cast your circles counterclockwise and other such reversals. Since our circles incorporate the land, I don't think handedness is that important. Although some Wiccans in the southern hemisphere may work differently, I think that Clockwise is the way to go for most of us. After you've stepped through, close the door by retracing the shape with the Athamé or hand and visualize the undoing of the cut. Depending on your group, you may then trace a pentacle or a Celtic cross to strengthen the weakened space. #5: What degree do I need to achieve to cast a Circle for a coven? You can cast a circle at any degree, but casting a circle for a coven in Universal Eclectic Wicca is done by whoever the coven feels comfortable with, usually a second or third circle member or a Priest(ess.) It's generally a question of experience, if you know how, do it for a group, if you don't, practice at home. As with anything in Wicca, if casting for a group makes you uncomfortable DON'T DO IT.
-The Circle ...Guidelines Almost every Wiccan circle follows a set of guidelines, sometimes sarcastically called a "recipe." Think of it as a list of ingredients and an order of operations. No matter what tradition you belong to, chances are you cast your circle along these lines: -Physical Demarcation of Boundary: Chalk lines, string, colored tape and other ways of physically "drawing" a circle on the ground. This also includes placing of the altar in the center or east of the circle and using candles to mark out the boundaries. -Announcement: the priest(ess) or caster announces the intention of the Circle and sets rules, often reciting the Wiccan Rede or a Charge specific to their tradition. -Creation of Elemental Boundaries: Lighting of the candles to represent the elements and especially Fire, lighting incense to purify and invoke Air, use of Salt (earth) and Water. Usually this also involves walking around the circle, another way of physically marking the circle. -Visualization/creation of Metaphysical Boundaries: Usually this is done by tracing the circle in the air above the physical boundaries, while visualizing white or blue light surrounding the circle. -Welcoming of Coveners:(omit in solitary circles) Most Eclectic trads cast the circle with the coveners already inside the area, to avoid weakening the circle by cutting a door in it. At this point, the Coveners in these trads are generally greeted by the leader/priest(ess) with a handshake, hug, kiss, whatever, (again, this is by tradition.) In the other trads, this is when the circle is opened and the coveners are let in. -Welcoming of Gods: This is when the Gods are invited into the circle to be a part of and bear witness to the rites. Never DEMAND of the Gods, it's just not the way we do things. In a Universal Eclectic Wicca Circle, the "General Gods," the LORD and LADY are welcomed here. When the term "Lord and Lady" are used, the individual is encouraged to insert their Patron/Matron Gods, keeping in mind that all gods are facets on that gem of truth we mentioned earlier and it is impossible to welcome in a part without welcoming in the whole. -Announcement of Completion: The caster announces the circle is complete, and warns people to not leave without reason until it is dissolved. Usually the caster then says "so mote it be," which means essentially "so it shall be," or "make it this way," all of which are definitions of the non- Wiccan term "amen." In groups who are comfortable with it, "Amen" is a reasonable replacement for "So mote it be," but So Mote It Be is a term which earlier Wiccans and Magickians used and it somehow seems to reach deep inside of us. I, personally use, "May My Will and Thy Will be one," and maybe I'll explain it in depth sometime, but not now. I don't feel I can stress enough the importance of doing what works. If Amen carries power for you, then use it.
-Casting a Circle- The following is a solitary circle. Casting the Circle: Caster places white or appropriately colored candles at the compass points, the altar is at the center of the circle. A small white or beeswax candle, two larger candles, the censer with unlit incense, the Athamé, a dish of salt, a goblet of water, small cakes or cookies for "cakes and ale," a goblet of wine, an offering dish and any items for work to be done within the cast circle. The caster takes a short moment, eyes closed, to become "At peace" before standing before the altar. The small candle is lit, and the caster walks toward the east. (S)He lights the yellow or white candle from the small candle, saying " Here I call forth the powers of air from the east, that I may be like the air, unfettered and pure." (S)He takes a moment to remember the air visualization, and to contemplate the meaning of the east, air and freedom before continuing onward. (S)He lights the red or white candle to the south with the small candle saying. "Here I call forth the powers of fire from the south, that I may be like fire, enduring all hardships to become strengthened." Here the caster recalls his/her own "trials by fire" and contemplates the possibility of more, the meaning of the words spoken is thought on, and the caster continues. (S)He lights the blue or white candle to the west, saying, "Here I call forth the powers of water, that I may be like water, supporting and protecting all that I encounter," Here the caster contemplates the water visualization and the meaning of the west in his/her life. (S)He moves on to the North, lighting the green or white candle. "Here I call forth the power of Earth, that I may be like earth, grounded at all times." Here, the caster grounds and thinks before moving to the east to say. "Welcome Air, Fire, Water, Earth, shine your light and lend your strength to this my circle to night/day." Still moving clockwise, caster returns to altar, and lights incense saying. "Negative forces begone, you are not welcome here." (S)He breathes deeply of the incense and banishes away negative forces within before circling clockwise thrice with the censer, visualizing hate, jealousy and the like fleeing from the smoke. (S)He returns to the altar, picks up the Athamé and picks up a measure of salt with its tip. Inserting the tip of the blade into the water (s)he says. "As man to woman so blade to chalice, I purify this water with love, light and power. " The caster then walks around the circle, sprinkling the salted water about the circle thrice. Returning to the altar, (s)he raises the Athamé to the sky and visualizes a beam of blue light filling it, (s)he then walks once around the circle, using the Athamé and its light to "cut" a space between the worlds. This done, (s)he moves to the altar and lights the two candles. "Lord and Lady, I invite you to this my worship, that you may look upon my devotions and celebrations and be heartened and strengthened by them." The caster turns toward the west and announces. "Now is my circle cast, unbreakable and without harm. Thus is sacred space decreed, and no act goes unnoticed. So mote it be. Rituals such as healing, minor Magick and celebratory rites then take place, followed by "cakes and ale" in which the Lord and Lady are invoked into food and drink and ingested, much as with the Catholic sacrament or the similar rites of numerous indigenous people in which certain foods or drinks are prepared to invoke gods within the body or within the food. A typical blessing of the cakes and ale may be as simple as "Now I partake of your bounty, that I better appreciate my own," to elaborate acts with chalices, Athamés or songs. I always "share" the food and drink with the gods by leaving the libation dish outside overnight. The food always disappears...Whether it is absorbed into nothingness, or pecked by birds and our local stray cats, I don't know, I also don't care, who the gods wish to share with is up to them. During Cakes and Ale, thank the gods for their attention...don't tell them "you can leave now." If you order the gods around like some petty astral spirits, expect to be ignored. Always invoke your Will as it harmonizes with the Will of the gods, never exert Will over the gods. Give as you wish to get, in ritual as well as life.
Closing the circle: Thank the Gods for their attentions, snuff their candles. Dismiss individually each element and thank it for lending its strength, Walk around the circle, drawing the blue light back into the Athamé, breathe deep, and take some of the power back. A closing statement usually follows, ending in, "The Circle is open, but never unbroken...So mote it be" I can't stress enough the beauty of personal rites. Many good books and teachers are out there with great rituals, but you know you best. Personal sacred space is just that, personal, and I can't presume to tell you what'll work for you. I've given you the tools, use them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Casting the Circle It is most convenient to mark the circle with chalk, paint or otherwise, to show where it is; but marks on the carpet may be utilized. Furniture may be placed to indicate the bounds. The only circle that matters is the one drawn before every ceremony with either a duly consecrated Magic Sword or an Athame. The circle is usually nine feet in diameter, unless made for some very special purpose. There are two outer circles, each six inches apart, so the third circle has a diameter of eleven feet. [1] Having chosen a place proper, take the sickle or scimitar of Art or a Witch's Athame, if thou mayest obtain it, and stick it into the center, then take a cord, and 'twere well to use the Cable Tow for this, and loop it over the Instrument, four and one half feet, and so trace out the circumference of the circle, which must be traced either with the Sword, or the knife with the black hilt, or it be of little avail, but ever leave open a door towards the North. Make in all 3 circles, one within the other , and write names of power between these. [2] First draw circle with Magic Sword or Athame. [3] Consecrate Salt and Water: Touch water with Athame, saying, "I exorcise thee, O creature of Water, that thou cast out from Thee all the impurities and uncleannesses of the Spirits of the World of Phantasm, so they may harm me not, in the names of Aradia and Cernunnos." [4] Touching Salt with Athame, say, "The Blessings of Aradia and Cernunnos be upon this creature of Salt, and let all malignity and hindrance be cast forth hencefrom, and let all good enter herein, for without Thee man cannot live, wherefore I bless thee and invoke thee, that thou mayest aid me." [5] Then put the Salt into the water. [6] Sprinkle with exorcised water. [7] Light candles; say, "I exorcise thee, O Creature of Fire, that every kind of Phantasm may retire from thee, and be unable to harm or deceive in any way, in the names of Aradia and Cernunnos." [8] Caution initiate (if any); warn companions; enter circle and close doors with 3 pentagrams. [9] Proclaim object of working [10] Circumambulate 3 times or more before commencing work. [11] Summon: "I summon, stir, and Call thee up, thou Mighty Ones of the East, South, West, and North." Salute and draw pentacle with Magic Sword or Athame, the first stroke being from the top down to the left.
Cakes and Wine Magus kneels, fills Cup, offers to Witch [she is seated on the altar, holding her athame; Priest kneels before her, holding up the cup]. Witch, holding Athame between palms, places point in cup. Magus: "As the Athame is the Male, so the Cup is the female; so, conjoined, they bring blessedness." Witch lays aside Athame, takes Cup in both hands, drinks and gives drink. Magus Holds Paten to Witch, who blesses with Athame, then eats and gives to Eat. It is said that in olden days ale or mead was often used instead of wine. It is said that spirits or anything can be used so long as it has life.
Ethics and Etiquette © Morgaine 2001 When we speak of ethics and etiquette in relation to Paganism what are we referring to? Are we speaking of outdated rules and actions that no longer have meaning and we only give lip service to? I don’t believe so. Ethics and etiquette are living, breathing codes of life, shaping our actions in relation to each other, and ourselves. They are a guiding force in the way we live our lives. Let us first look at ethics. Ethics are defined as –a set of principles; moral philosophy; rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession; human duty; a particular system of principles and rules concerning duty, whether true or false; rules of practice in respect to a single class of human actions; motivation based on ideas of right and wrong; the philosophical study of moral values and rules. When we begin to speak of ethics, we need to realize that this can be a very touchy subject. We are human after all, and we want to think our ethics are the correct ones. While there are generally accepted community ethics, it is personal ethics that make up who we are. And these are not the same for each person. Before we begin to discuss in depth community and person ethics let us first look at the Rede, the most common code of conduct among Wiccans. Bide the Wiccan law ye must, in perfect love and perfect trust; Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill; ‘An ye harm none, do as ye will’; Lest in self-defense it be, ever mind the rule of three; Follow this with mind and heart; And merry ye meet and merry ye part. Every Wiccan knows the Rede. Our passwords into the sacred circle are in here. Our major rule of ethic is here. And the reason for breaking this ethic, as well as the consequences of breaking it foolishly. When we extract the line most popular –An ye harm none, do as ye will’ and begin to dissect it, we have to wonder "Is this an ethic we can every achieve?" "I believe the Rede is a standard of living, like all ethics, and one that is an impossibility to achieve. The goal is to live as closely to the Rede as possible. In the attempt to do this, we begin to analyze our actions. We follow the path of LEAST harm. Thus, we begin to live conscious of our actions, and how they effect the world around us. And here comes the REAL lesson of the Rede. It forces us to have personal responsibility. Once you have acknowledged that the Rede is a goal to work for and not a given situation, and have taken of the blinders that let you go around smug and happy that your religion is so sweet it makes your teeth itch, you can get down to the work of making your life an ethical one. What this involves is considering each decision in the light of the Rede before you decide upon a course of action. You do this by looking at all the possible consequences of that action and whether that will cause harm to any, choosing the path that causes the least harm and, (THIS IS THE KEY) accepting the responsibility for the consequences of your actions whether intentional or unintentional." -Lark, HPS of Tangled Moon Coven. Wicca, as well as most Paganism, is a religion and spiritual path of personal responsibility. We strive to live in an aware state. When we do this, we recognize our free will, and the free will of others. If we ignore the lesson of personal responsibility, we fail to realize our true spiritual potential and our true spiritual will. As we begin our path, we must develop a set of personal ethics, while maintaining a respect for the ethics of the community we are becoming a part of. Some community ethics are very well defined. -Don’t practice black magick, or follow the left-hand path. -Don’t attempt to harm another or interfere with their free will. -Always act in a way that will reflect well upon your path. Never do anything that will bring harm to the Craft. Since Wicca, and pagansim, are very open paths and for the most part do not seek to make anyone follow ‘ONE RIGHT WAY’, most of the ethics defined by community are concerning harm to others, and harm to the Craft. But to begin a spiritual path, and to follow it every day of your life, you must develop your own set of personal ethics that define the way you live. No one can tell you what your personal ethics should be. Your teachers, mentors, HPS, HP can all recommend both in word and deed, ethics that work for them. You may be given a ‘Book of the Law’ that governs your group or tradition. If you are a solitary, you may read on the net, or in a book, acceptable codes of conduct, or ideals. But you cannot take someone else’s ethics and make them your own. You must do some soul searching, and decide how you feel about things. Now I am NOT suggesting that you ignore your HPS or HP, or your teachers and mentors. I am suggesting that you should always temper wisdom with personal experience. You must come to a point that you are willing to question what you are taught, to grow in your own self. Through this, your own sense of ethics and morals will come. Now, here comes the biggie. What do you do when your personal ethics are in direct conflict with accepted community ethics? For example-it has become a phenomenon in the pagan community to love everything white and full of light, and shun everything dark and full of shadow. It has become unacceptable to speak of negative emotions like anger and envy. It has become unacceptable to feel hate towards another person, wish that a murderer would get the death penalty, which that rapist would get castrated by a bunch of angry women. Some of us fondly refer to this a fluffy, bunny Wicca, no offense to anything fluffy, or bunnies. We are taught to love unconditionally because we are all brothers and sisters, connected to each other and every living thing. We are taught that if we experience these emotions, maybe we aren’t all that spiritual, and especially not as much as Miss crystal love and light. We are often looked down upon if we say something like ‘I am so damn mad at my ex husband I could smack him’. The response I myself have heard to such comment is ‘my my, now THAT wasn’t very positive’. Well, guess what. It WASN’T. Now I am not saying that you should indulge in these emotions. They can be deterrents to developing a sound spiritual identity because they are ‘negative’ in the sense that they are base emotions that do not vibrate on the spiritual plane. But they also teach us lessons that can lead to spiritual epiphanies. Life is a balance between light and dark. Nature is both beautifully creative and frighteningly destructive. Inside of a single human there is light and shadow, and to be totally balanced we must learn to face both, experience both and therefore learn from both. So back to the original question. Let’s say you don’t feel that you are evil if you feel anger at another person or what have you. What do you do when community ethics conflict with your personal ethics? In my opinion, as long as what you are doing does not come into direct conflict with the good of the general community, or does not manipulate or purposefully harm another person, then your personal ethics should come first. You should not do something maliciously to another person. When you do this, you are not only harming yourself, but you are harming that person, AND the whole of the community. It is very important that our community not be sullied, and the reasons are obvious. But beyond this, your personal ethics should prevail. Do ethics change over time? Do you think that the ethics of our ancestors of 100, 200 or even 1000 or more years ago are the same as what they are now? I believe that ethics are a revolving and ever changing system. Some become outdated, and some we should always keep. For instance, it has only been in the recent resurgence of Pagansim in the last 50-60 years or so that the belief of ‘An ye harm none, do as ye will came about’. In times past, a witch who could not curse, could not heal. Societies have not always believed that you should not harm another person, or that interfering with someone life was a bad thing. The old wise woman of a village was sought out for every reason from fertility, to love, to revenge. It has been in our time only, with the resurgence of beliefs and the discrimination that we face, that we have adopted some of the common ethics we now have. I am NOT saying this is wrong, or that we should go back to the ‘Old Ways’. In a society that we now living in, and the information is available for spiritual purposes, there is no longer a need to seek out the crone of the village and ask her to grant you revenge on your enemy. But this is the perfect example of how ethics change with time. At one time it was ethical for old men to mate with young girls. In our culture, it is no longer ethical. So ethics change, and so they should. Change is the only constant in the universe, and without it, we grow stagnate and our lives become filled with rot and decay. Change blows in new life to help recreate our lives, our beliefs and yes, even out ethics. The other common code of conduct that we hear of in the Pagan community is ‘Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the Law, love under will.’ This comes from Aleister Crowley, from his book entitled ‘The Book of the Law’. Now knowing some of the things that we do about Crowley, it’s almost humorous to think of him in a discussion of ethics, except to point to what not to do maybe! But, this is a very powerful outlook on developing your own set of personal ethics. In my understanding ‘Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the law, love under will’ does not mean you may do as you wish and that is it. It is speaking of your TRUE will, your TRUE purpose in life. And if you are following your true or higher will and purpose you will not come into conflict with another’s will so therefore you do not have to worry about stepping on anyone else’s toes. So you don’t have to worry about harming another, because you are in touch with the divine and you are following your own spiritual path and will, which will not cause harm or conflict with another. Of course, we still have conflicts with people. One way to look at this is as a spiritual lesson for either you or the other person. But if you are seeking to control another or harm another, this is not your true will. This is based upon the belief that every person is an individual, and as an individual you should be true to your own nature or consciousness. You must find your true will and make all of your actions subservient to the one great purpose. This again leads to conscious living. If ethics are codes of personal and community conduct, then etiquette is a code of social conduct. Etiquette is defined as –the practices and forms prescribed by social convention or by authority; forms of conduct prescribed by polite society; code of correct conduct; also decorum denotes conformity with established standards of manners or behavior; the forms required by good breeding, or prescribed by authority, to be observed in social or official life; observance of the proprieties of rank and occasion; conventional decorum; ceremonial code of polite society; rules governing acceptable behavior. Just like Emily Post and polite society, we in the Pagan community have behavior that is expected from us in how we interact with that community. In my opinion, etiquette is something sorely lacking in many Pagans. They are not taught certain things about how we interact with each other. This could be because maybe you didn’t have a teacher, or your teacher didn’t know them either. Or it could be because you or those who taught you just didn’t care, it wasn’t important to them. But I feel that etiquette is VERY important. It keeps us civilized, it aids us in how we interact and it shows the outside world that we know how to act. Beyond the mundane world and it’s social etiquette, lets take a look at some things that are common among Pagan paths, especially the Wiccan path. 1. You should never touch someone else’s magickal tools and items without their express permission. If you see something you like and want to touch, then ASK. Don’t just hold out your hand for it, or just pick it up. A person leaves an imprint of their energy on what they touch, and they may not want someone else’s energy on their magickal items. This includes athames all the way to stones and jewelery. And do not take offense if you ask and are told no. 2. The way you live reflects on our whole community. You should always respect others, no matter their path. Inside your own religion thee is a certain higher respect given each other, as Children of the Goddess. This comes from a basic understanding of the hardships of the path, and the process we all go through in some way to evolve. It can be equated to any secret society and it’s initiation process and path of self-discovery. This path is not for everyone, and if you take it seriously, will change your life in ways you could never imagine. Any path that causes growth can be difficult. And we link with others that are going through the same thing we are and take strength from and learn from them. 3. We endeavor to hold ourselves to a high standard of living our spiritual lives that the mundane world does not. Therefor we support each other, lending a hand when the pitfalls of the world come about. 4. When someone gives of themselves to teach or guide, we recognize that person’s giving, and respect it. Not all of us are called to teach, and those who are offer a valuable service that should not be taken for granted. 5. When you are called to teach or guide, you have been given a very serious part to play in your community. You should never abuse it in any way. It also does not mean that you may use it as a way to gain power over, or look down upon any other person. We are all where we should be onour path, and it does not mean a thing that you have 10 or 20 years of service and someone else has 1. We are all equal in the eyes of the Gods. And if you are a teacher, you are held to an even higher state of conduct. You must never involve yourself in anything that could cause harm to your students or to the Craft. You should never do anything that would bring a bad light on us. For instance, you should never become romantically involved with one of your students. You should not condone the use of illegal drugs, or alcohol if the person is not of age. You should not use your position to control your students, or make them dependent on you. The goal is to aid a person on this path. You supply the seed as a teacher. You cannot take them by the hand and learn from them, or be easy on them when you should be honest. 6. In that same light, those who would be considered an elder in our faith are given a large amount of respect. The wisdom that is gained from following this path for 10, 20 or 30 years is an asset to our community, and we should respect the Elders of the community for what they have learned and what they teach us. 7. Due to the advent of the internet, there is a phenomenon growing among new seekers that is very disturbing. It involves not understanding the hard work it takes to learn the Old Ways, or the dedication and self sacrifice those who follow, and especially those who teach and guide give to the path. From this lack of understanding, new seekers think they can go to any page on the net, learn what they can and be done with it. It also leads them to think that they can ask for what they want, and someone will just hand it over. For example, I have been asked to send someone a copy of my BOS. This shows me that the person requesting this has no idea of what a BOS is, what it stands for and the process that is gone through to acquire it. This is flat out rude to begin with. This person is wanting their religion hand fed to them. They want to skip the hard work, the dedication, the pitfalls and the trials, and get right to the reward. This is simply not how it’s done. This person wants the secrets and mysteries handed to them on a silver platter, without having to leave the comfort of the computer chair and work for them. This isn’t possible. And I am here to say STOP. Be mindful of what you are asking. You can’t go to the net, read a page or two, then go ask someone for their BOS, or even ask them to teach you. There must be effort on your part. You are not an adept after reading a page, or a book, or even ten books. The mysteries cannot be handed to you on a silver platter and you are a master of the universe. This is what I call lazy Wicca, and through lazy Wicca you will never come to experience the mysteries, because they come through dedication, hard work and a personal dedication to the Gods. 8. Those who are out of the closet must NEVER give away the secrets of their brothers and sisters. You should never give any personal information. You should never tell the secrets of a coven, who it’s leaders are, who the members are or any other information. We must honor our vows and protect those who for whatever reason have chosen to remain hidden from the eyes of the world. 9. For those who are out of the closet, your life and your actions must be above reproach in the eyes of the world. As an open pagan, you may be the only one that a non pagan every sees. They will see every Pagan in you. So in all things you must be truthful. You must live with dignity and honor. In our discussion of ethics and etiquette the point I was trying to impress upon you is this. We have become a society who thinks that we may do as we please, act as we please and there are no consequences. We fight with the Christians. We complain about how they fight amongst themselves. We sneer at them when they point to another of them and say how that person is wrong and they way they practice is wrong. And yet, WE DO THE SAME THING. When I meet a fellow priestess, I treat her with respect as a person, and doubly so as a priestess, since I know how hard that path can be, to have dedicated your life and your service to the Gods and the Old Ways. If I meet someone who has been walking the path for 20 or 30 years, I respect that person because of the knowledge they have obtained in that time. That is not to say my 10 years is less, or they are ‘more spiritual’ than me. It is saying that this path is not an easy one all the time, and to have lived it every day for that amount of time is deserving of respect. I was taught as a child to respect my elders, and I believe that is still a valid lesson. The elders of this path can teach us things that we have never even thought of. At the same time, as an elder, you should always remember what it was like to take your first stumbling steps on this path, and how you may have longed for some guidance. It is just as wrong to be an elder, and act as if you know everything, or someone who is only 20 or whatever age could never be a spiritual person. We all must remember our ethics and etiquette, and encourage each other every day. We have forgotten to practice our personal ethics, and have thrown etiquette out the window. We have forgotten Emily Post and Miss Manners, and have went on about our merry little way to fight like cats and dogs, without even offering basic human respect for those with diverging views, and this troubles me. It is a plague that is infecting our community. The Witch Wars continue. We struggle to make our way the right way, even if we don’t realize we are doing this. We forget the very basic teaching that we are all connected, and that all paths are valid, as long as they fulfill our spiritual needs. Let us remember our ethics. Let us live our lives with honor, treating all of life with respect. Follow your own path, without interference into another’s. Work hard, study hard and receive the blessings of a life well lived. |
