In this series, I will be discussing the 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief set forth by the Council of American Witches (CAW, in these articles, for short).  These statements of faith and practice were compiled by an alliance of modern witches, gathered together by Carl Llewellyn Weschcke in 1973.  Believing the neo-Pagan movement needed a generalized outline of the workings of the Wiccan religion (and so to distinguish it from Satanism, which is ever a constant struggle among the uninformed), this group of magickal individuals met and corresponded for approximately nine months to discuss what precisely Wiccans are, do, and believe.

It’s said that approximately 75 people were involved in what — I’m sure — were some of the most interesting talks ever to have been had about the nature of the Craft.  Think about how hard it is to herd Wiccans to begin with.  Then assume that these are all fairly well-respected and educated Wiccans, which means they came fully equipped with backbones, opinions, and footnotes ad nauseum for their arguments.  To say it was a minor miracle, a communications coup, would not be to say too much.  Whittling down 75 people’s ideas into thirteen statements is the stuff that business consultants get paid major bucks to do.  Why?  Because it’s a bitch, that’s why.  It’s the proverbial squeezing of the watermelon through the knothole.  It’s giving birth with 75 people in labor and all of them pushing out the same child and all of them trying to agree on one name to put on the birth certificate.  It’s impressive.

Ultimately, the thirteen principles became part of the Army Chaplain’s Handbook for use in the U.S. Army.  Because of the efforts of the CAW, Wicca had a more readily identifiable face, unique unto itself, and that face didn’t resemble the mask of some wicked creature or green-skinned marketing campaign. 

It probably won’t surprise you that the Council of American Witches disbanded soon after these Principles coalesced.  There is something fiercely independent about this path and even more independent about those that follow it — we don’t march to someone else’s beat very well, unless the syncopation is just right and the lyrics jive.  But perhaps, that is how it was meant to be.  Nature itself comes together for a time to accomplish a thing, only to let go when the time is right because the work is done.  It seems only natural that those who walk intimately with Nature would, too, know their time.  Like a coven that meets in the middle of the wood for the Esbat and then disperses hither and yon, the Council of American Witches came together to do a working and then parted ways.  But the work was still accomplished.

For the next thirteen Sun days, I will be discussing each of the thirteen principles from a modern viewpoint and perspective:  where we began, where we are now, and how the principle holds or does not hold.  When a statement of beliefs is set forth by a group, that group has basically also set forth for public consumption the source of its power.  Being born during the year that the Principles were formulated, the Principles and I share a common astrological transit:  Pluto Square Pluto.  It is a good time to look at the powerful root of the practices of American Wiccans and determine, if we can, if the root is still strong and how it has branched… if the well still feeds our Tradition tree… what fruit grows from our branches and is it sweet?

I hope you’ll join me each week as we celebrate this effort made by the Council of American Witches.  The final installation of this series will post on Sunday, April 11th, which will be the 36th anniversary of the Minneapolis Witchmeet where these Principles were adopted. 

The Raven’s call is still clear.  Can you hear?

Photo by Eddi 07 (via Flickr).