BOS4

A Witches power comes from three main sources. Personal, Earth, and Divine.
PERSONAL Power is the life force that sustains our earthly existence. EARTH Power is that which resides within our planet and its natural resources. DIVINE Power is the energy that exists within the Goddess and God. We draw power from all of these sources. Lets break down the word Witch. Lets take the time to look and learn about why we are called a witch. The term Witch comes from many places. When you take in the whole account of the meanings of the words from which Wicca is derived we find many things. Lets start at the beginning. Pagan means country dweller. Someone who was basically considered a hick, unintelligible, and of underclass status. The word pagan went through many stages, soon it began to mean someone who was an outcast or unchristian, the pagans formed their own society and religion, however unstructured it may have been. The word Wicca, which is derived form the word Witch and/or Witchcraft, can be traced back 8’000 years to the proto- Indo-European root word weik (pronounced way-ik), which means Pertaining to magick and religion. This eventually became the word Wicca. Wicca translates to male sorcerer while the word wicce was the Old English word for a female sorcerer. Most wiccians use the term to refer to both female and male followers. Wych, in Saxon and wicce, in Old English, mean to turn, bend, and shape. The word Witch has also been traced back to the old Germanic root word wit, meaning to know. Majik comes from the word magus and magos, meaning wise. The English word Magi, meaning wise men, come from them. So you see we were the knowers, the keepers of knowledge, and we bent energies to promote healing and growth, shaped our environment, and are turners of the wheel of the year. To be a witch meant to have power of knowledge. Everyone can call themselves a Witch, but only those who are dedicated to knowledge will become one.
What I want you to do is start your own Book of Shadows. Often referred to as the BOS. This is your personal journal of your journey. You might want to keep this in a three ring binder so you can add to it. Start with a Title page. This should probably have a guidance blessing or book blessing on it. These are your thoughts, your spells, you want them to be protected. On the next page, you should write a paragraph or two about what you want to learn from Wicca. Then another couple of paragraphs about exactly what you think a witch is. Then you’ll want to start a page about your vow to study for a year and a day. This should be a sincere promise between you and the Goddess that you will use the next year and a day to study and grow in the Craft. This period will be a time for you to decide if this path is right for you. You should ask the Goddess for guidance to help you learn. Always date your writings. It is a good idea to reaffirm your vow to study every year. Knowledge is ongoing. If you stop learning, you stop growing. This period is a time to learn, not to work. Next you should start thinking about your majikal name. This is a fun thing. Make a list of all of your characteristics. Be Honest. It is no use to you if you are not honest. Next you should make a list. This list should be about things you want to learn and things you want to accomplish in this year and a day. Be objective, but don’t set your goals too high. Remember, you are just starting, no one expects you to move mountains.
Write down how you came to this point in your life? What do you feel you will gain by studying the Craft? What do you fear you may lose if you continue on this path? Be honest, if your not don’t waste the ink. If you can’t be honest you are not ready to enter the study of Witchcraft.

A Witches Power

Title of your next page should be Know Thyself: Next write a dedication:
I vow that I will conduct a fearless and objective self-inventory of my characteristics. I Commit myself to use this knowledge for personal growth leading to self-mastery.
Write down a list of your characteristics. Whether you feel they are helpful or hindering. This will help you understand you. The things that you think hinder you may be the characteristics that help you in certain circumstances.
These pages have become your personal section. This is about who you are and what you want. Add poetry, pictures, and drawings. Make it your own. Make a promise to yourself, in this section, that you will follow your heart, seek out the truth, and fulfill your vow to study. This is about you. Even if you decide this path isn’t right for you, you’ll still have this to see how far you’ve grown in a year. You’ll be amazed at what you’ve accomplished in you and in your life. The next section that you will add to your BOS will be about the difference in magic and majik. This should be more of an essay about what you think the difference is. Take time to research this, read about it. Make this as long or short, as you would like. But this is an insight to the spelling of the words and why there is a difference. Next you might want to make a page or two for quotes and other sayings that touch you. This is a special book and you should have it mean something to you. The next section is a research section. Start researching Deities. Make lists, who they are, where they come from, what they do, etc. Before you can grasp the concepts of the Gods you have to know who they are.
The Next Section is about our rules and guidelines. We have Thirteen Principles of Belief.
1: We Practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the moon and the seasonal quarters and cross quarters.
2: We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.
3: We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than is apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary, it is sometimes called “supernatural’, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.
4: We conceive of the creative power in the universe as manifesting through polarity-as masculine and feminine and that this same creative power lives in all people and functions through the interaction of the masculine and femine. We value neither above the other knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sexuality as pleasure as the symbol and embodiment of life as one of the sources of energy used in majikal practice and religious worship.
5: We recognize both outer worlds and inner or psychological worlds. Sometimes known as the spirit world. The collective unconscious, the inner plains, etc. And we see the interactions of these two dimensions, the basis for paranormal phenomena and majikal exercise. We neglect neither dimension for the other seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.
6: We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.
7: We see religion, majik, and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it. A worldview and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft or the Wiccan Way.
8: Calling oneself a Witch does not make a Witch. But neither does heredity itself or the collection of titles, degrees, and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within her that make life possible to live wisely and well, without harm to others and in harmony with nature.
9: We acknowledge that it is the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness that gives meaning to the universe we know and to our personal role within it.
10: Our only animosity towards Christianity, or toward any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that it’s institutions have claimed to be the one true right and only way and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.
11: As American Witches we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions, we are concerned with our present and our future.
12: We do not accept the concept of absolute evil. Nor do we worship any entity known as Satan or the devil, as defined by Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of other people, nor accept the concept that personal benefits can only be derived by denial to others.
13: We work within nature for that which is contributory to our health and well being.
Get out your BOS and write down those Principles and which ones you do or do not agree with and why. Also write down those which you do not understand.
NOTE:
Being Wiccan does not necessarily mean becoming a Witch. One can be Wiccan without being a Witch. A Wiccan, is one who wishes to live in harmony and serenity with the Earth and all her inhabitants, and abides by the Wiccan Rede.
Other Information on the Pagan Religion
No conversation or recruitment is necessary, Wiccans, and Witches have no insecure compulsion to convert everyone to their way of thinking. People come to Paganism when they are ready. Furthermore you are not required to accept or do anything you are not comfortable with.
We have No artificial code of morality
Out of all of the creatures on this Earth, only humans are forced to live under UN natural moral codes.
Pagans believe simply “And it harm None, Do as you Will’’
Most Pagans believe in progressive reincarnation, we believe that we are here to learn and progress. Not to suffer eternal damnation if we “slip up’’ in someone else’s eye’s.
We do not discriminate All are Welcome who come in peace.
There are no middle men or women, once you know the basics you are your own priest. We do not believe that you have to have someone tell you what to believe or what is right. You go straight to the Source, so to Speak. And you control what you learn and how you progress. The will always be someone you can choose to go to for guidance, but there will never be anyone who will try to dictate your path. Or how you choose to live.
Be yourself, by sharing a common interest with others in your choosen path, you do not lose your identity as a individual, but having common interests with other pagans allows you the chance to grow with others of like mind.
There is No repression here. We are not forbidden from Learning, Reading, Eating, Drinking, or saying anything. You can actually even disagree with someone without being ex-communicated! You can learn what you want when you want and do it how you want, What a concept! Do you Realize this means that you can even be a Christian at the same time you are Pagan! Although Christianity doesn’t believe in Paganism, If you are primarily Pagan you can choose to believe this way and know you aren’t going to Hell for it! And you can look into any religion(s) and practice as many as you want and it’s okay, not only is it okay, it is encouraged! We want you to learn. That is the only way you will ever find what is right for you.
Contribution: No not Money, Knowledge. The craft has always and will always be an experimental religion. If it works, then we use it. Then share it so that all in the craft may benefit. You don’t have to spend money or tithe to be Pagan, no 10% on Sundays. Even tools and things you use as supplies are optional. The only thing needed to work majik is yourself. And in the same hand, there aren’t any secret mysteries, all is open for learning. So forget anyone who has used the so-called mysteries, as an excuse to make you feel inferior, they are just as much of an idiot as you may have been for believing them.
There is no rigid Dogma, we do not believe that our path is the only path. The only true path is the one that is right for you; and all paths are valid if they harm none.
Self Empowerment
I personally view paganism as the ultimate self helping tool. You can achieve the things that you want and get rid of the things in your life you need to. It is that simple and you have this power. What you need and want, Paganism and Witchcraft allow you the avenue’s to do it.

Keep reading there is so much more to read and learn as you travel through the land of Shadows!