AmericanCouncil of Witches and The 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief

Posted on November 28, 2014 by ladyoftheabyss

AmericanCouncil of Witches and The 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief

One issue that is often a bone of contention in the Pagancommunity is that we don’t have a universal set of guidelines – some of us maynot even identify as Pagans, but as witches or something else. There have beenrepeated attempts to unify the various branches of the Pagan community, but ingeneral, these are unsuccessful because we’re so diverse and varied in ourbeliefs and practices.

Back in 1973, a group of witches decided to give this ashot. Seventy or so individuals from a variety of magical backgrounds andtraditions got together and formed a group called the American Council ofWitches, although depending on who you ask, they are sometimes called theCouncil of American Witches. At any rate, this group decided to try to assemblea list of common principles and guidelines that the entire magical communitycould follow.

Spearheaded by Carl Llewellyn Weschcke, the president ofLlewellyn Worldwide, the Council attempted to define what the standards ofmodern witches and Neopagans could be. They also hoped to find a way to combatstereotypes of what witches were and did, and to fight the failure of theUnited States government to recognize any Pagan paths as valid religions. Whatthey came up with was a document that outlined thirteen principles of belief,published in 1974. In some versions, they are referred to as the “ThirteenPrinciples of Wiccan Belief,” although this is a misnomer, because not allWiccans adhere to these guidelines. However, many groups – both Wiccan andotherwise – today use this set of principles as a foundation for their mandatesand bylaws.

The principles are, according to the American Council ofWitches, as follows:

·           1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the naturalrhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonalQuarters and Cross Quarters.

·           2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a uniqueresponsibility towards our environment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature,in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within anevolutionary concept.

·           3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than thatis apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary itis sometimes called “supernatural”, but we see it as lying within that which isnaturally potential to all.

·           4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe asmanifesting through polarity – as masculine and feminine – and that this sameCreative Power lies in all people, and functions through the interaction of themasculine and feminine. We value neither above the other, knowing each to besupportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as oneof 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 thebasis for paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises. We neglect neitherdimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.

·           6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, butdo honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge andwisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves inleadership.

·           7. We see religion, magick and wisdom-in-living as beingunited in the way one views the world and lives within it – a world-view andphilosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft, the Wiccan Way.

·           8. Calling oneself “Witch” does not make one a Witch –but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees andinitiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within her/himself that makelife possible in order to live wisely and well without harm to others and inharmony with Nature.

·           9. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of lifein a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness, that givesmeaning to the Universe we know, and our personal role within it.

·           10. Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towardany other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that itsinstitutions have claimed to be “the only way,” and have sought to deny freedomto others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.

·           11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debateson the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, or the origins ofvarious aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present andour future.

·           12. We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor dowe worship any entity known as “Satan” or “the Devil”, as defined by Christiantradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor do weaccept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.

·           13. We believe that we should seek within Nature thatwhich is contributory to our health and well-being.

Equally as important as the thirteen principles was theintroduction to the document, which said that anyone was welcome to beincluded, “regardless of race, color, sex, age, national or cultural origins,or sexual preference.” This was pretty radical for 1974, particularly the part aboutsexual preferences. After the “Thirteen Principles” were agreed upon andpublished, the American Council of Witches disbanded after only a year or so ofexistence.

By Patti Wigington

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