Sacred Writing
This is a small collection of writings that are important to the Pagan community. They give meaning, purpose, and mystery to our beliefs. I will add more as I come upon them.
The Wiccan Rede
Bide the Wiccan Laws ye must
In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.
Live an' let live-
Fairly take an' fairly give.
Cast the Circle thrice about
To keep all evil spirits out.
To bind the spell every time-
Let the spell be spake in rhyme.
Soft of eye an' light of touch-
Speak little, listen much
Deosil go by the waxing Moon-
Sing and dance the Wiccan rune.
Widdershins go when the Moon doth wane,
An' the Werewolf howls by the dread Wolfsbane.
When the Lady's Moon is new,
Kiss thy hand to Her times two.
When the Moon rides at Her peak
Then your heart's desire seek.
Head the Northwind's mighty gale-
Lock the door and drop the sail.
When the wind comes from the South,
Love will kiss thee on the mouth.
When the wind blows from the East,
Expect the new and set the feast.
When the East wind blows o'er thee,
Departed spirits restless be.
Nine woods in the Cauldron go-
Burn them quick an' 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 an' 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
Or be counted as his friend.
Merry meet an' merry part-
Bright the cheeks an' warm the heart.
Mind the Threefold Law ye should-
Three times bad an' three times good.
When misfortune is enow,
Wear the Blue Star on they brow.
True in love ever be,
Unless thy lover's false to thee.
Eight words ye Wiccan Rede fulfill-
An' it harm none, do what ye will.
The Wiccan Creed
Hear now the words of the witches,
The secrets we hid in the night,
When dark was our destiny's pathway,
That now we bring forth into light.
Mysterious water and fire,
The earth and the wide-ranging air.
By hidden quintessence we know them
And will keep silent and dear.
The birth and rebirth of all nature,
The passing of winter and spring,
We share with the life universal,
Rejoice in the magickal ring.
Four times in the year the Great Sabbat Returns,
And the witches are seen,
At Lammas and Candlemas dancing,
On May Eve and old Hallowe'en.
When day-time and night-time are equal,
When sun is at greates and least,
The four Lesser Sabbats are summoned,
Again witches gather in feast.
Thirteen silver moons in a year are,
Thirteen is the coven's array,
Thirteen times at esbat make merry,
For each golden year and day.
The power was passed down the ages,
Each time between woman and man,
Each century unto the other,
Ere time and the ages began.
When drawn is the magickal circle,
By sword or athame of power,
It's compass between the two worlds lies,
In Land of the Shades for that hour.
This world has no right then to know it,
And world of beyond will tell naught,
The oldest of Gods are invoked there,
The Great Work of magick 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.
The dark and the light in succession,
The opposites each unto each,
Shown forth as a God and a Goddess:
Of this did our ancestors teach.
By night he's the wild wind's rider,
The Horn'd One, the Lord of the Shades.
By day he's the King of the Woodland,
The dweller in green forest glades.
She is youthful and old as she pleases,
She sails the torn clouds in her barque,
The bright silver Lady of midnight,
The crone who weaves spells in the dark.
The master and mistress of magick,
They dwell in the deeps of the mind
Immortal and ever-renewing,
With power to free or to bind.
So drink the good wine of the old Gods,
And dance and make love in their praise,
Till Elphames' fair land shall receive us,
In peace at the end of our days.
And Do What You Will be the challenge,
So be it in love that harms none,
For this is the only commandment.
By magick of old be it done!
Charge of the Goddess
By: Doreen Valiente
Listen to the words of the Great Mother;
She who of old was also called among men
Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine,
Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Cybele, Arianrhod,
Isis, Diana, Bride
And by many other names:
Whenever ye have need of anything, once in the month,
And better it be when the moon is full,
Then shall ye assemble in some secret place
And adore the spirit of me,
Who am Queen of all the witches.
There shall ye assemble,
Ye who are fain to learn all sorcery,
Yet have not won its deepest secrets;
To these will I teach things that are yet unknown.
And ye shall be free from slavery;
And as a sign that ye be really free,
Ye shall be naked in your rites;
And ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love,
All in my praise.
For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit,
And mine also is joy on earth;
For my law is love unto all beings.
Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it;
Let naught stop you or turn you aside.
For mine is the secret door which opens upon the Land of Youth,
And mine is the cup of the wind of life,
And the Cauldron of Cerridwen,
Which is the Holy Grail of immortality.
I am the Gracious Goddess,
Who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man.
Upon earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal;
And beyond death, I give peace and freedom
And reunion with those who have gone before.
Nor do I demand aught in sacrifice;
For behold,
I am the Mother of all living,
And my love is poured out upon the earth.
Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess;
She in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven,
And whose body encircles the Universe.
I who am the beauty of the green earth,
And the white Moon among the stars,
And the mystery of the waters,
And the desire of the heart of man,
Call unto thy soul.
Arise, and come unto me.
For I am the soul of nature, who gives life to the universe.
From me all things proceed,
And unto me all things must return;
And before thy face, beloved of Gods and of men,
Let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite.
Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth;
For behold,
All acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.
And therefore let there be beauty and strength,
Power and compassion, honor and humility,
Mirth and reverence within you.
And thou who thinkest to seek for me,
Know thy seeking and yearning shall avial thee not
Unless thou knowest the mystery;
That if that which thou seekest thee findest not within thee,
Though wilt never find it without thee.
For behold,
I have been with thee from the beginning;
And I am that which is attained
At the end of desire.
Charge of the God
By: Janet and Stewart Farrar
Listen to 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
And 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.
Principles of Belief
The Council of American Witches wrote this set of Principles in April 1974.
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 toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within our evolutionary concept.
3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent 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 manifestations 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 to the other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies in religious worship.
5. We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological, worlds sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, Inner Planes, etc.--and we see in the interaction these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.
6. We do not recognize any authorized hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given 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 Wick 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 giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal role within it.
10. Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards 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 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 any entity known as "Satan" or "the Devil", as defined by Christian tradition. We do not seek power through suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be only deprived by denial to another.
13. We belive that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well being.
The Charge
Whenever ye have need of anything, once in the month, when the moon is full, gather then in secret and give me worship to She who is the Queen of all Witches. Gather into the sacred circle, and secrets that are as yet unknown shall be revealed to you. And you shall be free in mind, body, and spirit. And as a sign that you are truly free, you shall be naked in your rites. Then shall you sing, dance, feast, and make music and love. For such pleasures are the rituals of the Goddess. Be true to your beliefs, and keep to the Old Ways beyond all obstacles. For our Ways are the keys to the Mysteries, and the Essence of the Cycles of Return. In life does the Queen of all witches reveal the knowledge of the Spirit. And from Death does She deliver you unto Peace, and renew you once again. In memory of me, you eat cakes of grain, wine, salt, and honey. These shall you shape like the Moon. Then shall you bless them in my name, and partake of them within your sacred gatherings. For I am the Spirit of all Witches. Unto all who observe the appointed times, will the Queen of Heaven give power. And you shall know success in love, and have power to bless and consecrate. And you shall know the tongue of the spirits, obtain knowledge of things which are hidden, and call forth spirits from the Mist. You shall know the Voice of the Wind, and the knowledge of changing forms. To you shall secret signs be revealed, and you shall possess power to heal. Wild beasts shall know you, and cause you no harm. As it was in the Time of our beginning, so is it now, so shall it be.