General Traditional Wiccan Beliefs

The Goddess and God are revered.  This is central to wiccan thought.

Human souls enjoy a series of incarnations in human form.  Reincarnation is one of the most wide-spread of wiccan beliefs.  Precisely how and why we incarnate several times is open to mystical speculation.  Few wiccan traditions have specific teachings regarding this doctrine.  Some traditions say we never change sexes from one life to the next; still others state we choose our gender, to what is appropriate for our evolutionary lessons.  I believe that we do change sexes to whatever we choose and that we are given a choice to be a spirit guide or come back to earth to live another life as a human.

Power can be sent in non-physical forms to affect the world in positive ways.  Thus, we accept both the practice of magic and its effectiveness.

What is done will be returned to the doer.  It is a law of the universe, like gravity, that this energy be returned.

The earth is our home, our Goddess.  It s not a tool that we ruthlessly abuse.  Ecological concerns play an important role in wicca.  Many rituals are performed to give healing strength to the earth.
Wiccans aren't evangelical.  Whe have no need  to go out and spread the word.  Answering questions is far different thatn knocking on doors and asking strangers "have you heard the word of the Goddess today?"  Such practices are certainly understandable (though irritating) in religions whose members believe they've really found the only way, but are absurdly out of place in wicca.

Wiccans accept that every religion is correct to its adherents.  This does not mean we like every representative of every religion, but ecumenicism must be the way of life.  Not only must we all tolerate each other, wiccans will, in the future share more dialogue with representatives of other religions to increase their knowledge of our ways.  This is already occuring to a limited degree.

Wicca accepts members from both sexes, from every race, national origin, and of every sexual preference.  Racism and prejudice in any form is anti-wiccan.

Wicca is a religion, not a political organization.  Groups of wiccan can and sometimes do work toward a common cause, and individual wiccans may indeed become personally involved in the political system, but wicca as a whole isnt a religion that preaches issues or supports specific political candidates.  Some issues in which individual wiccans have become involved include :  womens rights; reproductive freedom; land conservation; animal rights; restrictive religious legislation; and other issues.  However wicca isnt a political religion.  Some covens, in fact, ban discussion of politics before, durning, and after curcle.

Wicca doesnt charge for private lessons or for initiation.  Physical objects created by wiccans (pentacles, knives, wands, incenses, oils, books) and services (such as public classes and wiccan based counceling) can and should be paid for, but not personal, private wiccan instructions or initiation.  In s ome groups, coven funds are kept to pay for ritual supplies; this is the only exception.