BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE CRAFT part 3 (New Pagans)

by Ash, Thursday, November 05, 2009, 18:20 (265 days ago) @ Ash

9. A Witch refuses to allow her/himself to be corrupted by the great guilt
neuroses which have been foisted on humanity in the name of the Divine,
thus freeing the self of the slavery of the mind. The Witch expresses
responsibility for her/his actions, and accepts the consequences of them;
guilt is rejected as inhibiting to one's self-actualization, and replaced
by the efforts of the Witch to obey the teachings of harmlessness,
responsibility for the consequences of one's actions, and the goal of
actualizing the full powers of the individual.
a) We refuse to believe that a human being is born innately sinful, and
recognize the the concepts of sin and guilt are tremendously inhibiting
to the human potential; the consequences of the Law of Cause and
Effect, called karma by some, are not punishment, but the recurrences
of situations and their effects because the individual as not gained
the Wisdom needed to handle or avoid such situations.
b) There is no heaven except that which we ourselves make of our life on
Earth, and likewise there is no hell except the effects of our unwise
actions. Death is not followed by punishment or reward, but by life
and the continuing evolution of the human potential.
c) One cannot damn the divine in oneself; one can, however, cut oneself
off from it through the rejection of wisdom and a refusal to strive for
self-realization. This cutting off does not lead to personal suffering
in "hell", for there is no Self to suffer if the tie to one's own
divinity has been severed; what remains is merely an empty shell, a
"personality" or thought-form devoid of it's ensouling Spark of the
Divine Fire.

10. We know of the existence of the life-force which ensouls all living
things, that is, all that exists. We know that a spark of this Divine
Fire is within each and every thing that exists, and that it does not
die; only the form of it's existence changes. We know that this spark of
the life-force returns to manifestation again and again in order to fully
realize and actualize it's potential, evolving finally to the peak and
essence of existence which is pure be-ing. In this process of
reincarnation each form returns in the same type of form, though it's
ever-increasing actualization may lead to higher levels of existence of
that form. Man returns as man, cat as feline, mineral as mineral, each
class of form evolving as the individual forms of that class evolve.

11. This process of evolution through successive incarnations in manifest form
works through the utilizations of wisdom gained, the essence of the
life-experience. This essence of experience, or Wisdom, is an attribute
of the spark of life itself, one and inseparable (see 9a).

12. We must care for the body, for it is the vehicle of the spark of life, the
form by which we attain. Thus we must heal the body of it's ills and keep
it a tuned and perfected tool; so must we heal others (both physicaly and
psychologically) as far as it is within our power to do so. However, we
cannot interfere with the life of another, even to heal, except at their
request or with their express permission; unless such non-interference
would be inhibiting to our own, ethical existence and development -- and
even then the responsibilities and consequences must be understood and
accepted. This, then, is one of the important reasons for the communal
life the Witches under the guidance of the Priesthood: That the group may
be guided by wisdom and experience, with the aid and support of one's
peers; and that one's actions may be guided by the influence of the
ethical life of the group as a whole.

13. Harmony with, and utilization of, the great natural forces of the universe
is called magick. By magick we speak, not of the supernatural, but of the
superbly natural, but whose laws and applications are not as yet
recognized by the scientific establishment. The Witch must strive to
recognize these forces, learn their laws, attune her/himself to them, and
make use of them. The Witch must also be aware that power corrupts when
used _only_ for the gains of the self, and therefore must strive to serve
humanity: Either through the service in the Priesthood, or by example and
effects of his/her life on others. The choice must be made in accord with
the true nature of the Witch.