US American Council of Witches Press Release

Press Release:


Newly Formed Group Defends Witchcraft Rights And Beliefs

The United States is a nation whose very foundation, the Bill of Rights, guarantees its citizens freedom of religious beliefs. Yet those citizens with beliefs that fall well outside of Christianity are often misunderstood and persecuted. There seems to be a rising voice in American politics that non-Christian beliefs are somehow less valid than Christian beliefs. One arena where we have seen this is the attack on our President by those claiming he is Muslim, which they appear to believe invalidates his ability to lead our nation. Another arena is such outspoken organizations as David Barton's Wallbuilders, who advocate a Federal acceptance that the Unites States is a Christian nation.

In light of these attacks upon our basic religious freedoms, members of the community of Pagans, Wiccans, Witches, and other polytheists have united to re-form the American Council of Witches. First formed in 1973, the Council was a group of over seventy Witches and Pagans who drafted a set of principles outlining the common practices of Neopagan religions in North America. This statement was adopted by the Unites States Army for inclusion in their Religious Requirements and Practices of Certain Selected Groups: A Handbook for Chaplains in 1978.

Though the Council was disbanded in 1974, individuals who each follow a Pagan, Neopagan or Witchcraft Tradition feel it is time to reform the organization in order to achieve certain goals that were not addressed by the original council in the early Seventies. Among these goals are: to revise the original council's Thirteen Principles of Belief Common Among NeoPagans; to re-submit revisions to the United States Army Handbook for Chaplains; to provide government and law enforcement on Federal, State and County levels with information on NeoPagan beliefs and practices to be used in creating and upholding laws, allowing NeoPagans their Constitutional rights, and ministering to the beliefs of Pagan inmates.

The revised American Council Of Witches will be composed of Pagans,Wiccans, Witches and other NeoPagan practitioners from each of the fifty United States. We will engage in an interfaith dialogue to identify and address the legal and social needs of members of our religions, and we will create policy and documents as deemed necessary. And we hope to dialogue with members of other faiths to foster a basic understanding of our beliefs.

For information, interviews and membership, please contact: usamericancouncilofwitches@yahoo.com

American Council of Witches Reconvens

I am so thrilled at this news! To know that an entity that took such a momentous, though too brief, step in Pagan history will be reconvening has me speechless!

The original council convened at a "Witchmeet" in Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 11-14, 1974. Some of the noteable members of the original Council of American Witches included: Carl Llewellyn Weschcke (acting Chairman, owner and president of Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. ), Gavin Frost, Herman Slater, Isaac Bonewits, Oberon Zell-Ravenheart and Otter G'Zell along with over 70 representatives from the most prevelant Paths and Traditions of Neopagans at that time.

They assembled to gather information and draft a set of principles to "clarify...unify and define the many differing beliefs across the many paths and traditions prevalent in Neopaganism at that time, and to couteract misinformation, cultural stigma, stereotypes, and government lack of recognition." --Wikipedia
 
The principles that were assembled, became officially titled "Principles of Belief" and published in 1974, have since become known as the "The Thirteen Principles of Belief" and "The Thirteen Principles of Wiccan Belief". These beliefs are still used by many solitaries, covens and groups to this day.
 
In 1978 the Principles were included in the US Army's Handbook for Chaplains in the section on Wiccan Religion, under the direction of Rev. Dr. J. Gordon Melton (Director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion and editor of the Encyclopedia of American Religion.) This section has since been updated from it's original in the 80's and again in the 90's with the help of the COG (Covenant of the Goddess) and the Lady Liberty League.
 
Unfortunately, the American Council of Witches disbanded in 1974, due to inner termoil and irreconsilable differences among its members and their traditions.
 
According to the article that I read by Jason Pitzl-Waters in The Wild Hunt, an interview with Kenny Klien (Wiccan author and musician), the "new" US American Coucil of Witches will be contacting those individuals seen as "leaders" of the Pagan community. They are hoping to have thirteen major board members and possibly representatives from each of the US states. This would hopefully allow for representation of the major Paths, Traditions, Groups and various other "Non-Witch" Pagan Practices of our time.
 
The Three Primary Objectives of the Council will be:

• The revising of the original statement  in the US Army Handbook for Chaplains.
• The redrafting and updating of the original set of principles drafted by the first coucil in 1974.
• The revising the original Principles of Belief.

The newly forming Council will include insight from some of the original members from the first coucil such as Oberon Zell and Phaedra Bonewits, widow of Isaac Bonewits, will also have input.

The resurrected US Council Of Witches is being led by Mz Kaye Berry. She is a "Spiritual Teacher, Seer, Occultist, Worker of Magick, Author, Philosopher" who lives in Illinoise. She has quite a history in the areas of the paranormal and spiritual. See her bio for more information.

The US American Council Of Witches has issued a press release on their FaceBook page.

You can contact the US American Council Of Witches at usamericancouncilofwitches@yahoo.com.


I wish the US American Council Of Witches much luck as they attack this massive, historical leap of Faith.
 
Blessings and Love to All! ~Faye

13 Principles of Wiccan Belief

Posting in honor of the reconvening of the "American Council of Witches"! For more information read The Wild Hunt Article!

The 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief:

1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters.

2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with nature in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.

3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called ‘supernatural’, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.

4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity – as masculine and feminine – and that this same Creative Power lies in all people and functions through the interaction of the masculine and the feminine. We value neither above the other knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energy used in magical practice and religious worship.

5. We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological worlds sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconsciousness, 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.

6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.

7. We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it – a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft – the Wiccan Way.

8. Calling oneself ‘Witch’ does not make a Witch – but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seek to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and without harm to others and in harmony with nature.

9. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal role within it.

10.Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be ‘the only way’ and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.

11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.

12.We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as ‘Satan’ or ‘the Devil’ as defined by Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.

13.We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.

("Council of American Witches" Chairman Carl Llewellyn Weschcke

Over 70 members from many of the paths and traditions prevalent in 1973 convened in Minneapolis that autumn forming the "Council of American Witches" and nominating Weschcke as chairman. By April of 1974 the council had come up with loosely accepted list of general principles that Weschcke used as a basis for writing "The 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief".

The council disbanded shortly after.

Due to Weschcke's efforts, these principles were incorporated into the "Chaplains Handbook" for use in the U.S. Army.)

It Rained Last Night.

The puddle below my back steps.

Sweetly pattering across the roof. Pleasantly plunking into puddles outside the backdoor, left open to catch the smell of Mother's rain cleansing the Earth.

The gently, forceful, relaxing sound of a storm seemed to over shadow the usual sounds of my queendom at night. My hubby snoring gently on the sofa besides me, the t.v. usual incessant blabbering, the shushing of the washing machine, the dryer plinking along (found a nickle in it later!)...all were as nothing to Mother's gentle tears.

As usual I had remained awake while the barely controlled chaos in the house had quieted to snores, whimpers, and whispers of dreams. I love the night, especially when it rains.

My mind is at it's keenest as the quietness of the Witching Hour approaches and it drives my hubby crazy!

My thoughts bouncing from one idea, concept, plan to another, like the raindrops that were plunking onto the barbecuer.

I thought of the book that's been dancing along the peripheries of my mind and realised that it had a friend. I thought of the season and what it corresponded to and how fitting it was that we should have rainfall now. I thought of my life and came to the conclusion that I had to put Autumn's correspondences into play.

I vaguely remember a lesson from an English class back in high school (many, many, many, many moons ago), where we were taught that rain in stories is a cleansing, a rebirth, a coming clean of the action and/or character...very befitting for me last night...a cleansing, a rebirth, a coming clean...

I knew I loved the rain for a reason!

So I awoke bright and refreshed, so like the world outside my front door is. So full of sunshine and potential...

I'll grab my pointed hat and broom and ride this magickal currant full of wondrous ideas...don't worry I'll bring you along if you'd like!

Blessings and Love to All!

~Faye~