We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological worlds, sometimes known as the Spiritual World, or the Collective Unconscious, or the Inner Planes, etc — and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magical exercises.  We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment. 

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So far in the Principles, the concept of Balance has been mentioned several times.  Principle #1 discussed attuning with the cycles of the seasons, Principle #2 explained our goal to live in harmony and ecological balance, and Principle #4 discussed polarity, which is one of the primary areas Balance is seen in our everyday lives.  Here again, with Principle #5, the idea of Balance is enjoined again, only this time as it relates to the two worlds of the Witch:  the Seen and the Unseen.

It is common for Witches to state that they “walk between the worlds”, a statement of Balance that is repeated regularly in rituals or interchanges between practicing Witches.  We walk a liminal path of the Between places, neither light nor dark, too lofty or too base.  Even the Charge of the Goddess states the extremes between which Witches reside:  mirth and reverence, strength and beauty.  But even these concepts are far beyond the focus of Principle #5.

All Principle #5 deals with is The-World-You-See and The-World-You-Don’t-”See”.  And believe me, that’s enough of a difference to cause plenty of debate and argument. 

Reality itself is subjective, meaning that what know about the world is based on how we see it from our viewpoint.  If I were to see a six-sided dice for the first time and only saw one side of the cube, I could probably very vehemently argue that the side I saw (let’s say, six dots) was what it looked like.  But a person on the other side, in the same situation as me, might see only one dot and would be equally as strong in their convictions about it having only one dot.  Is it the same die?  Yes.  Are we both right?  Yes, to ourselves.  Are we both wrong?  Yes, to each other. 

Now, let’s say, we get smart and, to avoid arguing, decide to get up and check out the other sides on the cube before arguing about it.  New perspective shows us that there is indeed a side with six dots and a side with one dot, so we’re both somewhat correct.  However, there are also two dots, five dots, and three dots showing.  We might assume that if we flip it over, we’d find four dots, since there are six sides of the cube and every number except four has thusfar been represented.  At this point, if we agree, we move into objective reality.  Our reality of the situation has been removed from our personal perspective enough that we can allow for other information that contradicts or augments our understanding of what is “real”.

Where the discussion of reality gets really tricky is when you can’t even agree that there’s dice on the table.  Or that there’s a table.  There are some things that most people cannot see with the naked eye, that utilize other senses when they engage with us.  Sometimes that “other world” is as subtle as a smell or a strange feeling.  It’s one thing to be able to lay your hand on a die and turn it over and examine it and hand it to a friend to examine.  It’s another thing entirely to have to explain what that strange light is that you see in the stairwell as your friend looks at you like you might have hit your head on something.

For Witches, there is a world in which we live that is neither completely solid nor completely ephemeral.  There is both the world where we eat, sleep, and brush our teeth and a world where we can change our shapes and walk around outside our bodies and travel to other planes and interact with other beings.  There is a world that we can easily discuss with passerbys on the street and a world that we must be careful about discussing because it’s not popular these days to believe in things that can’t be disscussed with passerbys on the street. 

The most important statement in Principle #5 is that we know that both of these worlds are vital for our health and development.  Not only do we believe in these two different places or levels of existence, we make sure to make time to participate in both.  This is a fairly radical concept at its core.  We, as Witches, admit that the world is not a WYSIWYG kind of place (What You See Is What You Get doesn’t even apply to the mundane world much these days).  We know that there are things happening out of sight, below hearing range, beyond a veil separating our reality from another reality, and these things affect us and affect the “real” world. 

Principle #5 is what I call “the Crazy Principle”.  Ask someone who doesn’t believe in magick or the Craft about Principle #5 and you will inevitably get questions about how you could possibly go along with this make-believe stuff.  Principle #5 is like pulling out your imaginary friend at the Board Meeting and nodding politely through the presentation he presents that (probably) only you can hear.  If you don’t believe in there are other worlds, Principle #5 is where the ”merely curious get off the Wicca Train”.  Still, there isn’t a single Wiccan I know that doesn’t believe that there are things that occur where many people can’t see.  Some even have horror stories about those things.

I personally am glad that Principle #5 is in the line-up of “things we believe”.  It’s stated simply and matter-of-factly.  We’re not going to argue about whether or not there are two different sides to what is commonly called Reality.  We know it to be true, and more importantly, we live in way that demonstrates that we take this belief seriously.

Follow-up Questions For Readers:

1.  Do you agree with Principle #5?  Why or why not?

2.  Do you remember when you first experienced that the “real world” wasn’t the “only world”?  What happened?  How old were you?

3.  Have you ever had to explain your experience of that “other world” to someone who wasn’t Wiccan?  How did they respond?

4.  Can you recall an experience where something in your mundane life helped you significantly in work done on another level?  How about when something happened in a magickal world that directly impacted your mundane life?

5.  How comfortable are you walking between the worlds on a daily basis?  How do you engage the Inner Planes in your practice as a Witch (ex. divination, meditation, ritual, etc)?

6.  Principles in Action:  Come up with your best explanation for what it feels like to live in both worlds.  Could you explain your point of view to someone who is of another faith that says that “other world” doesn’t exist?  Incorporate daily skill builders into your practice, such as one-card Tarot draws, psychic practice of guessing who is call and what the mail holds today, or even just a mini-meditation where you speak with your deity or spirit guide.  Keep a  notebook of “coincidences” and other signs that the “other world” is speaking to you.  This makes a great little section in your Book of Shadows and reminds you of all the ways the world you don’t “see” still interacts with you. 

Photo by Eddi 07 (via Flickr).