Message #1137 - WICCA 
   Date: 09-01-96 11:52
   From: Durwydd Mac Tara
     To: Robert Klaus
Subject: [1/3] Looking For Info.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@MSGID: 1:104/270.0 322aa7ac
@REPLY: 1:141/455.0 321d96ec
@PID: BWSBBS 3.11 [Eval]
 >>> Part 1 of 3...


                               MY WICCA 
                          By Durwydd MacTara

     My RELIGION is Wicca, my LIFE-STYLE is Witchcraft!  I believe in
a supreme being that is both Immanent and Transcendent, that is
expressing  itself within AND without.  However, I also believe that
trying to define/describe such an infinite Divine Being in finite terms to
be a waste of time and energy.  I CAN describe my perceptions of the Ultimate
in terms of the energies that I work with and find significant in my daily
living.  My style and methods of relating to what I can perceive of these
Divine Energies are what I describe as my RELIGION. How I apply these
insights gained via my religious practices, I term my CRAFT.

     The name for my religion is derived from the Saxon root "wicce"
(pronounced "witchy") and is loosely translated as "Wise".  The word
"Wicca" was first used in modern times in England by Gerald B. Gardner
to describe/define an attempt at restoring "the old wisdom" of pre-
Christian beliefs and practice into a modern context in the 1940's. 
Ergo, I could call my religion "wisdom" and my style of application of
this wisdom "wise-craft" or more simply, "The Craft of the Wise".

     For the sake of convenience and easy understanding, I divide the
expressions of the Divine Energies into two groups; that of the active
positive (symbolically "male") energies represented to me by the stag
horned Lord of the Forest, and those of a more passive, nurturing, or
"negative" polarity represented to me by the Threefold Goddess. 
Approaching my perceptions of the universe and its energies in this way
allows me to break them down into "bite sized chunks", applicable to my daily
life in a mundane world, and what good is ANY belief system if it is not of
immediate and practical use here and now?

     So what are some of the beliefs and practices of this religion
called Wicca, and how do I apply them to my daily life?  What does it
all mean?  The following explanation is based on a press statement
released by the American Council of Witches released in the early
1970's, with some editing on my part to reflect my own beliefs and
practices.

                   ================================= 

                  BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE CRAFT 
 
1. The first principle is that of love, and it is expressed in the
ethic, 
          "AN IT HARM NONE, DO AS THOU WILL"  

     a) love is not emotional in it's essence, but is an 
     attribute of the individual as expressed in relation 
     to other beings; 
     b) harming others can be by thought, word, or deed.
     Thought is included here, because for the Witch,
     "thoughts are things" and every action, even thoughts,
     can become magical actions, whether consciously intended
     or not;
     c> it is to be understood the "none" includes oneself,
     though it is permissable to harm self in helping others,
     should one so choose;
     d) the harm which is to be regarded as unethical is 
     gratuitous harm; war, in general, is gratuitous harm, 
     although it is ethical to defend oneself and one's 
     liberty when threatened by real and present danger, 
     such as personal defense or defense of another WHEN REQUESTED. 

2.   The Witch must recognize and harmonize with the forces of the 
universe, in accord with the Law of Polarity: everything is dual;
everything has two poles; everything has it's opposite; for every action
there is a reaction; all can be categorized as either active or reactive in
relation to other things. 
   a) The Infinite and Ultimate Godhead is one unique and
   transcendent wholeness, beyond any limitations or expressions;
   thus, it is beyond our human capacity to understand and identify
   with this principle of Cosmic Oneness, except as It is 
   revealed to us in terms of It's attributes and operation. 

   b) One of the most basic and meaningful attribute of the One
   that we, as humans, can relate to and understand, is 
   that of polarity, of action and reaction; therefore 
   Witches recognize the Oneness of the Divinity, but 
   worship and relate to the Divine as the archetypal 
   polarity of God and Goddess, the All-Father and the 
   Great Mother of the universe.  The Beings are as near as 
   we can approach to the One within our human limitations 
   of understanding and expression, though it is possible to 
   experience the divine Oneness through the practices of the 
   Mysteries. 

   c) Harmony does not consist of the pretty and the nice, 
   but the balanced, dynamic, poised co-operation and 
   co-relationship. 

 3.   The Witch must recognize, and operate within the framework of the Law
of Cause and Effect; every action has it's reaction, and  every effect has
it's cause.  All things occur according to this law; nothing in the universe
can occur outside this law, though we may not always appreciate the relation

 >>> Continued to next message...

--- GEcho 1.00
 * Origin: The Sylver Moone BBS, Denver, CO 303/964-8559 (1:104/270)
@PATH: 9083/0 9000/0 9004/0