An Explication of the Principles of Belief: Part 7

We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it – a worldview and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft – the Wiccan Way.

For serious practitioners of Wicca there is more to the term Witch than casting spells, more to being Wiccan than setting oneself apart by being part of an esoteric path, and more to Magick than wearing misunderstood symbols.  Our practice is our way of life, and it embodies our worldview.  Sure, the jewelry is fun and studying divination and healing is enriching, and Magick can be energizing, Sabbats remarkable; but to call one’s self a follower of the Wiccan way is more than dressing the part and saying the words.  It is a way of life, a manner of existing in the community and a course of journeying through the world while holding what is sacred in perspective every step of the way.

        

Serious practitioners are not out to toy with Magick or misuse divinatory practices in unethical or harmful ways; we simply do not have the time and energy to go out of our way to indulge in practices that do not advance our commitment to the Goddess/God and nature.  We practice our religion that acknowledges the power of Magick in the synthesis of energy all around us, but we also attune ourselves to needs of our immediate surrounding while we maintain the wisdom to “fairly take and fairly give.”  Our philosophy carries the importance of co-existing with nature.  We identify with our craft in daily decisions that honor the God, Goddess, and the Earth and provide spiritual fulfillment.  Even the rituals that are part of the Wiccan faith in honoring the changing seasons through Sabbats and the phases of the moon through Esbats are not the total of a Wiccan lifestyle.

Wiccans do not seek to neglect a lifelong connection to the God and Goddess in favor of emphasizing Magick or ritual, but use Magick and ritual to maintain connection to the God and Goddess.  One who is a Wiccan practitioner seeks to align the spirit and philosophies of magick, religious rites, honoring of Deities, and communing with the spirit world into a lifestyle that encompasses daily acts and decisions.  For Wiccans, wisdom, Magick, and religion are all connected in a lifestyle that attunes us to the God and Goddess.

Angela Kaufman is the coauthor of Wicca: What’s the Real Deal? Breaking Through the Misconceptions, along with Dayna Winters, and Patricia Gardner.  You can find out more about the book at: http://www.wwtrd.webs.com.