Wicca: The Common Points


To practice a religion, you must have some sort of rhyme/reason to it, otherwise you're just going with a hodge-podge whose parts may or may not support each other, or blend harmoniously. For this purpose, therefore, I subscribe to the following as being an integral part of what Wicca is about.

This list is part of the Compact of Traditional Wicca. It was formulated based on a survey posted in a number of pagan/Wiccan forums across the Net and the resulting several hundred responses. These were the common points that both traditional and eclectic Wiccans agreed upon as defining what, together, constituted the religion of Wicca. I have added my own commentary in the parentheses. Separate, they can be found in many belief systems. As a cohesive whole, they define Wicca as I practice it.

NOTE: "Traditional" is defined here as common elements that are handed down and practiced consistently. It is not meant in relation to BTW.

If you have questions, you can Email me: seshen at yahoo dot com

______________________________________________________

1. Creation of a sacred space for ritual, by casting a circle.

2. Recognition of the Divine as both masculine and feminine.

(Which Deities are used by the coven/individual are not defined here.)

3. Belief in the natural law of cause and effect, which has been variously called 'the Law of Return' and 'the Threefold Law' among other appellations.

(This is NOT the same as the Eastern concept of Karma, or it's genericized Western version. I do not take the "threefold" part literally; it is a poetic phrasing.)

4. Use of four sacramental tools, which are (a) a knife, dagger or sword (b) a vessel (c) a wand, staff or cane (d) a disk, amulet, pantacle, shield or stone. Each of these are associated with an element and cardinal direction, in any combination.

5. Recognition of the 'Sacrament of Initiation' whether within the context of a coven or by a qualified initiator.

("Self-initiation" does not fall under this. You cannot initiate yourself. I'll create a separate page on that idea at some point. I personally do not believe that you have to be initiated to be Wiccan, but proper initiation is needed for progression through the Mystery Degrees.)

6. Performance of a ritualized consecration and ingestion of food and drink.

7. Use one of several versions of the Wiccan Rede.

(The Lycian Rede is, "An it harm none, do as you will. An it cause harm, do as you must.")

8. Recognition of a sacred calendar which is cyclical and has eight major holy days, although some may not be formally celebrated, on or near the following days: February First, the Spring Equinox, May First, the Summer Solstice, August First, the Autumnal Equinox, November First, the Winter Solstice.

(Various Traditions may use cultural names for these holy days.)

______________________________________________________

NOTES:

I don't follow the 161 Ardanes or the 13 Principles of Wicca. The first (written by Gerald Gardner) contains much obsolete material that doesn't fit into the 21st century, and the second one was put together by a short-lived organization that broke up not long after they were written. Therefore, I don't use them in my personal practices nor are they a part of the Lycian Tradition of Wicca.