Eleven Things Every Witch Should Know
By Phyllis Curott

1. Magic is what happens when you open yourself to the Divine. All real magic is a manifestation of the Divine - it is how you co-create  reality with deity.

2. The Divine is within you and is everywhere present in the natural world. And everything is interconnected by this sacred energy.

3. Wicca is not about information -- it's about transformation, so  practice, practice, practice -- and do it as much as possible in Nature! Witchcraft enables you to commune with divinity and to manifest your destiny, your desires and your highest and sacred self.

4. The real ethics of how Witches live and practice magic are simple: Witches live in a sacred manner because we live in a sacred world. We therefore treat all of life with reverence and respect.

5. Because all magic flows from our connection to the Sacred, our lives and our magic, must be guided by the sacred nature of the energy with which we work.

6. The energy Witches work with is not neutral -- it is divine love.

7. Magic often works in unexpected way because it is not a mechanical process, and the Universe is not a machine. You are living and making magic within a divine, organic, living reality.

8. Witches don't command and control -- they commune and co-create.

9. The real secret of successful spellcasting, as with all of magic, is your connection to the Divine power that dwells within you, and surrounds you. And spells do work so be careful what you ask for!

10. Nature makes the Divine tangible. By working, living, and practicing your magic in harmony with Nature, you are in harmony with the Divine.

11. The ultimate teacher is the God/Goddess inside you and in the world of Nature all around you.

A good reminder.  Thank you, LE!

, thanks LE... have a blessed day

I can't say that I treat all life the same. I view mosquitos as a threat, therefore I always kill them. There are some good tenets there in that article, but I think that at one point or another we have all broken a few rules. In #3, she seems to use Wicca and witchcraft interchangably. What about those of us who see a difference between the two?

I agree with Tavthe. Great to keep in mind, but sometimes rules have to be broken. I honestly wouldn't mind if mosquitos needed blood, I wouldn't be so neurotic about hunting them down and squishing them, except that I knew someone who got badly sick from one of those pests. They need to live too, but they threaten my health and the health of those that I care about.

Reverence and respect are great in theory but, you need to watch out for your own health and use common sense too.

As for number 6, if that energy was divine love then curses and banishments and every other thing that can be seen as or used for negative situations wouldn't happen.. That's how I understand it. Even if you banish someone for stalking a family member or something, that can be seen as negative, 'cause maybe in the big swing of things, they were meant to be there. That's taking away someones will, not a very nice thing to do, if that energy is made up of love.. To me it makes more sense if that energy is neutral.

Sorry if I'm missing something or am not understanding anything fully. It's just the way that I grasp those ideas and what's worked for me.

Mara