Jan 3, 2009
This episode might get me in trouble with some folks. But
that might not be so bad, because a number at least equal to them
will be glad that I measured my tent and they see that it is large
enough to include them with no big issues.
In 1974, the American Council of Witches adopted a set of 13 points
which they declared to be the Principles Of Wiccan Belief. I
was barely aware of Wicca's existence in 1974, and the American
Council of Witches has since disbanded. But their Principles
Of Wiccan Belief are an important legacy which has been passed down
to us.
When the Internal Revenue Service or other government body looks at
a religious group and tries to decide if it constitutes a "church",
one of the documents which they look for is a basic set of
distinguishable beliefs. This is ours. We do indeed
have a debt of gratitude to those who wrote it.
And going through it, I find answers to some of the questions which
seem to plague so many of us - and really bother me. What, or
who, is or is not Wiccan? "Wiccan" encompasses a broad range
of spiritual paths. And by virtue of these 13 principles, it
can be said that it encompasses more than many people are willing
to admit. Some Wiccans will be reluctant to recognize that
certain other people are in fact Wiccan. Then again, some
other people will be reluctant to admit that they are Wiccan.
There are basically three kinds of people, as I see it, who are
not Wiccan regardless of
their claims: