Nine Principles of Wiccan Faith

Excerpt from the Correllian Outer Court manual.

What are the essential beliefs of Wicca?

Wicca is a very syncretic and eclectic faith,
and how it is practiced varies widely from
Tradition to Tradition and even from
individual to individual but what beliefs are
essential to being Wiccan? What beliefs
define Wicca, and are requisite to being
Wiccan? Our answer to these questions is
summed up in Nine Principles.
The Nine Principles outline the essential
theological beliefs of Wicca. Differing
Wiccan Traditions have many differing
peripheral beliefs, which are sometimes in
conflict, but these Nine Principles
outline the cosmological and philosophical
core of the religion.
The Nine Principles are:
I. Deity
We believe in Deity as the center of all
things. Deity which may also be termed
Spirit, God (neutral) or God/dess, etc. is
the creator and source of all life. All things
proceed from Deity and are never truly
separate from Deity, remaining always part
of Deity. Because of this all things reflect the
essential nature of Deity. This is
encapsulated in the ancient maxim As
Above, So Below. Everything which exists
is a part of Deity, and therefore may be used
as a key to understanding Deity. This is why
systems of Divination can work as they do
all things are connected and all reflect the
same Divine Whole. Deity is both masculine
and feminine, both Goddess and God,
containing within Itself the nature of all
things. The polarity of Goddess and God is
one of Yin and Yang, Involution and
Evolution, rather than good and evil all
aspects of Deity being ultimately good.
II. Incarnation
We believe that the world is Deity made
manifest. Everything which exists is a part of
Deity and has its origin and its destiny in
Deity. Thus the world and all things in it are
ultimately Divine and holy, deserving of
respect and veneration. The existence of

Deity precedes and extends beyond this

world, as well as being manifest in it. Deity
is both immanent and transcendent being
present in all we know but having existence
beyond our knowledge as well. The ultimate
purpose of all things is to express this inner
Divine nature as perfectly as possible, a
goal accomplished through successive
incarnations.
III. Reincarnation
We believe in Reincarnation, which is the
Souls rebirth in successive physical
lifetimes. Reincarnation is the method
through which Deity expresses itself in the
physical. The Soul lives many lifetimes
through which it gathers experiences and
learns from these, ultimately perfecting itself
as the vehicle of Deity. Between lives the
Soul dwells in the Spirit world, or
Summerland. The Summerland is a place of
rest and renewal, not of reward or
punishment.
IV. Karma
Karma is the system of spiritual attachments
through which the Soul learns. Every
experience and every thought potentially
causes an attachment. These attachments
draw the soul back into the same situation
so that it may see it from all sides and learn
the lessons it offers. This is not a matter of
punishment, but of learning. Through this
learning the Soul perfects itself.
V. Three Fold Law
The Threefold Law teaches that our actions
return to us, for good or ill according to their
kind. Everything we do, good or bad, is
brought back to us by Karma so that we
may experience the other side(s) and learn
the lessons of the situation. In the term
Threefold Law three is symbolic of
plurality. It is called the Threefold Law not
because our actions return exactly three
times, but rather to indicate that our actions
return as many times as is needed for the
Lesson to be learned.

VI. Virtue
Virtue is the system of self-governance
which we use to consciously help in the
perfection of our Soul, and which we use to
more successfully navigate the sea of
Karma. Virtue is the cultivation of good
character and right action. Virtue is the basis
of Wiccan morality. To the Wiccan morality
is about how you treat others and how you
conduct yourself in life. The highest
expression of Virtue is the Wiccan Rede:
And it harm none, do as you will, meaning
that the virtuous person does not treat
others badly or intentionally harm others.
The term Harm in the Wiccan Rede must
be understood in light of the ordinary
meaning of the word harm.
VII. Magic
We believe in magic, which is the conscious
use of the powers of the Soul, which owe
their ultimate origin to Deity. Magic is the
means through which Deity creates the
world, and we all take part in this process in
every moment of our existence at an
unconscious level. Learning to control this
process consciously is an important part in
the evolution of humankind. Magic is no
different than any other skill or ability and
once we have learned to use it consciously
it is incumbent upon us to use it with the
same attention to virtue that we would use
any other skill. Magic is neither greater nor
lesser than physical action, but rather is but
another tool in the human skill set.
VIII. Faces Of Deity
We believe that Deity uses many faces to
communicate with humankind. This is
because every person is different, and every
persons relationship to the Divine is
consequently individual. Because all things
are manifestations of Deity, anything may
serve as a face for Deity. All faces of Deity
are equally valid and equally unable to
capture the whole range of Divine Nature,
whose
totality
is
beyond
human
understanding. Ultimately communication
with Deity comes from within, and so Deity
uses those images and symbols which have
meaning to the person to facilitate this
communication.

IX. Nature of Religion

We believe that religion is not a static idea
but a living, growing thing. Religion is the
expression of a peoples understanding of
their relationship to Deity. Religion is built
out of a peoples experiences of Deity and
the Spiritworld, and their ideas about these
experiences. As a people gains more
experience of Deity and as they gain more
sophistication
in
their
ideas
and
understandings, it is only natural that their
religion should change to reflect this. The
continuing evolution of religious ideas
reflects an active and thoughtful relationship
with Deity. It is not possible to have an
active relationship with Deity and not
experience changes and deepening of ones
religious understandings.
In summary
A Wiccan is to move at one with Deity.
A Wiccan is to honor Nature and all that is in
Her. To acknowledge the life in all things,
and be in harmony with it. A Wiccan is to
work with the seen and the unseen. To learn
the Magical secrets of stones, of plants, and
animals - to speak to the faeries and the
spirits and to hear their replies.
A Wiccan is to use every tool available to
grow, to learn, to become the best that you
can be. To use Magic, meditation, and ritual
to overcome all limitations, all fears, all
imperfections, and to move always in
harmony with Deity, always to the good,
always in accordance with your higher self.