Tenets Of Wiccan Belief
By Raven Grimassi From: Wiccan Mysteries
Reincarnation
Reincarnation is the beleif that a soul is reborn again into the physical world after death. This teaching is an important concept in Wicca, and other religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Janism, and Sikhism. Among the ancient Greeks it was called Palingenesis (to have origin again) and was a common teaching in Orphism.
In the ancient southern European mystery cults it was taught that the soul surive bodily death and is later reincarnated in a human or other mammalian body. evetually obtaining release from the Cycle of Rebirth. The ancient Romans recorded that a similar teaching was also held by the Druids in northen Europe.
The Druids believed that the soul passed into the realm of Gwynvyd if the deeds were positive. If his or her deeds were evil in nature, then the soul passed into the realm of Abred. In Gwynvyd the soul enters into a state of bliss, and through Abred the soul incarnated into an animal form that best suited its nature at the time of death. In either case, the druids believed that the soul could return again into a human body in a new lifetime.
The Summerland
Wi8ccans perceive of an "Afterlife" realm known as the Summerland, in which souls rest and are renewed before they are born again into the physical world. Among the Celts this realm was generally known as Tir nan og, The Land of Undying Youth.
This realm is much like others common in British/Celtic mythology. In the legends of King Arthur we encounter the realm of the Isle of the Apple Trees (known as Avalon) where dead kings and heros dwell. Among the Druids a similar realm existed called the Isle of Sein or The Isle of Seven Sleeps (Enez Sizun). These all bear resemblance to the Wiccan Summerland.
In southern European Witchcraft there exists a realm called Luna which is very much like the Wiccan Summerland. It is a Pagan paradise filled with mytholgical creatures who inhabit beautiful woods and meadows. Here the souls of Witches dwell for a time, encountering the Elders who have died before them, as well as the God and Goddess.
 as it passes through the physical dimension and yet still reflects the basic concept of the higher principle.
In the Egyptian Mysteries it was taught that )
. The lowest is the Physical Dimension. I essence, these are the highest and lowest frequencies at which energy vibrates or resonates in a metaphysical sense
The traditional order in which these dimensions are placed is as follows:<br><p>
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1. Ultimate
2. Divine
3. Spiritual
4. Mental
5. Astral
6. Elemental
7. Physical
In reality they do not occupy soace as we understand it, and their relationship to each other is not literally one above the other or below another. It can be said that they occupy the same space at the same time, but exist in different states of energy.
back o the originator of those energies. this is sometimes referred to as the )
Magick
In Wiccan belief, Magick is the ability to bring about changes in accordance to will or desire. I effect it is actually the understanding of how the inner mechanism of Nature works(the so-called supernatural) as well as the understanding of how a person can enlist the aid of a spirit or deity.
True magick is not superstition , folk magick,slight-of-hand,or illusions. It is the understanding of metaphysical princles and how to employ them in order to make manifset one's wishes and needs. Very often magick requires the use of prepared tools and established states of consciosness.
Ethics
Wiccans basically believe in a "live and let live", non-violent, philosophy,and tend to be tolerant of the beliefs and lifestyles of others. There is a basic gentleness of spirit within most Wiccans and a striving toward peacful coexistence with those around them. Yet there is also a focus on themselves and their personal needs, and Wiccan do not generally "turn the other cheek" when attacked.
Wiccans avoid certain acts not so much because they believe in some resulting punishment as they do out of a basic sense of right and wrong. Its is wrong to steal, it is wrong to needlessly take a life. it is wrong to intentionally hurt someone else. Sexual conduct is generally seen as a highly personal issue and i traditional Wicca there is no judgement on how one conducts their own affairs.
The popular text known as "The Wiccan Rede" says "An it harm none, do as ye will". Some Wiccan interpret this to mean that a person can do anything they wish as long as no one is harmed by it, and therefore a person is free of karmic debt. This is not exactly the interpretation of the Rede within the Mystery Teachings.
To do as one wills actually means to find ones purpose(one's True Will) and to fulfill it. This is intended to be for the benefit of the person but not to the detriment of another person. I a higher sense this wiccan tenet is related to Eastern mysticism. It is the work of the neophyte to the master his personal senses and to pass into non attachment. Once the student has risen above the desires and needs of the flesh, then he or she can view the world with detachment and so discover their true will or purpose.
At this stage there is no greed,envy, or jealousy, and there fore the person can act through knowledge of his or her own pure will, which the naturally causes no harm to another because it is not centered on any realtionship, personal prestige,or any other personal gain within society. It is true will of the divine nature within the person, acting in accord with its purpose in this lifetime.
Ritual
Ritual is both a means of worship and a method of communicating to deities or spirits. It is a language that can gain access on other dimensions or states of consciousness. Ritual also allows us to step out of our mundane personalities and become something greater then ourselves.
In Wicca, ritual have been created to connect us with the energies of the seasonal shifts of our planet. These periods of energy flows are marked by the Solstices and the Equinoxes. The other times of power exist at exactly the midpoints between these times of power and constitute the other four Sabbats.
Many Wiccan traditions have different names for the ritual Sabbats depending on their cultureal influence. The Sabbats are ommonly known as follows:
Imbolc or Candlemas(Feb.2)
Ostara or Lady's Day(Mar. 21)
Beltane or Roodmas(Apr 30)
Midsummer or Litha(Jun 21)
Lughnasadh or Lammas(Jul 31)
Mabon or Michaelmas(Sep. 21)
Samhain or Hollowmas(Oct. 31)
Yule or Saturnalia(Dec. 22)
Herbalism
The old teachings tell us that there dwells within all things a living consciousness called Mana or Numen. Just as humans are souls encased in a physical body, plants also bear a divine spark within them(as do stones, trees, and all inanimate objects). It is the power of a plant's numen or Mana that is employed i magick and spell castings. The ancients created a table of coorespondences for various plants ascribing certain natures to them.
The coolective energy of numen or Mana within a setting such as a forest or lake is responsible for the peaceful feeling we experience there. This is why many people enjoy hikink and camping. It is also what draws us to a particular area or influnce us to choose a favorite place to sit or park our car. In such cases we are responding to a harmonious emanation of numen or Mana.
In ancient times Nature spirits were associated with meadows and woods. The power of various herbs were believed to derive from contact with fairies and other supernatural creatures. Certain planetary bodies were believed to empower various herbs including the Sun and the Moon. The etheric metaphysical properties of the moon were said to pass power into herbal plants. Thus was one of the reasons it was taught that herbs could only be gathered beneath the full moon.
Familiars
It is an ancient teaching that a psychic rapport can be established between a human and an animal(or a spirit). Such a relationship is known as having a familiar spirit. This concept dates back to the early shamanistic days of animal totems associated with human clans. Each clan believed in a certain animal spirit that protected or aided the clan. This is not unlike some of the American Indian tribes who named themselves after varios creatures(such as the crow tribe)
The wearing of a feather or animal pelt was believed to empower the person with the qualities of the animal from with it came. The wearer of such an object would mimic the mannerisms of the animal in order to awaken the power dwelling within the feather or pelt etc. He or she was then becoming familiar with the spirit of the animal, and once this power could be easily invoked then the person was to possess a familiar spirit.
Evetually this concept was extended to include establishing a psychic link with a living creature. The living spirit form to aid him or her in some magickal work. During the Middle Ages this was the most common relationship with a familiar, and is the basis for the classic image of a Witch and her familiar depicted as a cat.
Divination
Divination is the ability to discern what the futre holds in store for us.Actually it allows us to forsee what is going to happen if all factors remain constant. The tools of divination allow us to view the patterns that are forming which in turn result in a particular manifestation of a specific situiation.Thus divination allows us to either prepare for what lies ahead or to take action to alter the pattern and thus avoid the situation.
Some people believe that the future is fixed in time and they subscribe to the theory of predestination. If this were so, then everything would be on auto-pilot and no one would have the freedom of personal choice. we would all be just along for the ride, so to speak. Others believe that the major events of one's lif such as marriage, children, injury, and death are predestined but that in day-to-day life a person has free choice. The Mystery Teachings tell us that the basic energy pattern of our life is pre-destined(as reflected in the art od astrology) but that we can alter it (as in the art of magick and the gift of free will) as needed.
In Elder Wiccan belief, the future is not already decided but the pattern is established in the astral fabric and will manifest if nothing alters it.Everything that manifests in the physical dimension is first formal in the astrl dimension. This is one of the keys to magick. Divination allows us to glimpse the asrtal pattern and see what has formed in the astral material. Astrology allows us an overview of what lies in store for us if nothing alters our course.
The most common tools employed in divinatatory arts are tarot cards, rune stones, psychometry, crystal visions, and the reading of signs and omens. Technique such as palmestry and phrenology fall into the catagory of psychometry.
. The seventh is located in the genital area and is associated with energy in a pure form, in otherwords it is raw energy.
The rate at which these centers vibrate, and the degree of harmony existing between them, creates an energy field around the human body known as an aura. the aura is the energy representation of who and what we are . When we meet someone and feel an instant like or dislike for them, it is the energy of their aura to which we are responding.<br><p>
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