These Are NOT Universal Beliefs
I see a number of new practitioners tout certain sayings, beliefs and practices that they assume are universal to all witches, when in fact that is far from the truth. Some of these are – Blessed Be, the Three-Fold Law and the Wheel of the Year.
One of the most important things to understand about witchcraft is that it is a very personal path and practice. This means that, although there may be similarities and commonalities amongst different people, that doesn’t automatically mean EVERYONE practices or believes those things. To me, that’s reminiscent of 1) blind stereotyping and 2) left-over behavior from involvement with organized religion where everyone believes and does the same things.
I’d like to go over a bit of information regarding the three things mentioned above. If, after reading this AND doing your own in-depth research, you still choose to use or practice these, that is your prerogative. My intent is not to discourage anyone from doing so. I do, however, ask for you to not assume that everyone else does and to please not impose those beliefs or sayings on others.
Blessed Be
“Blessed Be” seems to be a saying that I see a lot of new practitioners use in everyday greetings. Unfortunately, many who use this greeting or saying often do not realize its origin or that it’s not reflective of everyone’s religious practice – and yes, I am using the word “religious” because this phrase is a religious phrase. In fact, for some who use it, it’s not even part of their own religion or they may not even be associated with any religion. Let me explain.
The phrase “Blessed Be” is actually Wiccan. This phrase was found in a ritual in one of Gerald Gardner’s Book of Shadows that contains some of his earliest known rituals and other information. This ritual is often included in some Gardnerian Wiccan initiation ceremonies where the High Priestess or Priest performs the Five-Fold Kiss requiring kissing of certain body parts. It’s essentially a re-enacting of the Goddess being greeted by Death when travelling to “the Nether Lands”.
And Death said, ‘Blessed be’ and gave her the Fivefold Kiss, saying, ‘Thus only may ye attain to joy and knowledge’.
– The Meaning of Witchcraft, by Gerald B. Gardner
Below is a copy of the page that contains the ritual – From Ye Bok of Ye Art Magical, a scanned copy of his notebook.
So not only is it based on a particular ceremony that’s rather important to Wiccans, it’s also not meant to be a general greeting to throw around. It’s also important to remember that Wicca itself is a newer religion, so the phrase “Blessed be” didn’t even originate from Wicca. In fact, the King James Bible includes the verse, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Point being this phrase has its roots in RELIGIOUS practices. Witchcraft is not a religion. Using the phrase “Blessed Be” as a blanket greeting to all assumes quite a lot of someone you are speaking with and it possibly falsely communicates your beliefs to those receiving that greeting. Greeting someone with that phrase gives the impression you are assuming that person is Wiccan, or at the very least, religious in some fashion. Sorry to say, that is not always the case.
In turn, one can only assume you are Wiccan since you are using a Wiccan phrase. Again, I am NOT saying the phrase is inherently offensive or unwelcomed, although by some it certainly may be. What I am saying is please don’t use it blindly. If you are not Wiccan, understand its importance to the Wiccan faith and use it within the context it’s meant to be used, out of respect for another person’s religion. If you do not know if the person you are speaking with is Wiccan or not, please don’t assume that phrase is acceptable to that person. As mentioned earlier, some find it rather offensive at most, or irritating at best.
Three-Fold Law
The Three-Fold Law, known as the Wiccan Rede, does not originate from Gerald Gardner, but instead from Doreen Valiente in her book, Witchcraft for Tomorrow, published in 1978. Valiente had long mentioned in her writings that she believed witchcraft to have originated from some of the most ancient religions, but admittedly there’s no direct connection that can be found. So, for all intents and purposes, Wicca is a new religion, but some still insist on its origins from ancient times. It’s in these writings where she also introduced what she termed to be Witch Ethics and introduced her witch ethical statement known as the Wiccan Rede with the following phrase – “An it harm none, do what ye will.” The Rede is a rhymed couplet to summarize Gerald Gardner’s claim that witches are disposed to follow the ethics of Good King Pausole. In his book, the Meaning of Witchcraft, he writes that the King had stated,
‘Do what you like so long as you harm no one’. – from The Meaning of Witchcraft, by Gerald B. Gardner
So, when looking at this, there are two important factors to consider:
- The formation of the phrase clearly originates from the Thelema religion (founded by Aleister Crowley) – “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt.” It is well known that Gardner borrowed much from Crowley when designing rituals of Gardnerian Wicca.
- King Pausole is actually a fictional character from erotic novels of Pierre Louÿs in which he goes by the code:
Ne nuis pas à ton voisin. (Thou shalt not harm thy neighbor.)
Ceci bien comprix, fais ce qu’il te plaît. (This being understood, do as you please.)
In other words, the Rede’s origins are based on writings of fiction and of a mantra of a fictional character. Additionally, the Rede is in the rhetoric of another religion whose message had different intentions. Does this make the message any less valid for those that choose to follow it? That’s for no one to judge other than for those that do follow it. But I point this out because this is NOT a universal belief of every witch. This is a very particular belief of a newer religion with, what many of us consider to be, a faulty basis. So please do not try to persuade others that this is a requirement of all witches and that it is based on history – because it clearly is not.
The Wheel of the Year
The Wheel of the Year is part of Wiccan teachings which claims historical existence of a system of holidays observed by witches from ancient times. As stated before, there is no historical documentation of ancient practices linked to today’s witchcraft practices. There are, however, known Pagan celebrations of similar holidays. Despite the lack of historical evidence, many new witches today assume the Wheel of the Year to be a staple set of holidays celebrated by all witches. This could not be any further from the truth.
The Wheel of the Year is part of the Wiccan faith and consists of eight holidays: Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lughnasadh, Mabon, Samhain, and Yule. Traditional witchcraft practitioners may celebrate or recognize some of these celebrations. Many of these carry different names in those traditions. Some have additional or completely different celebrations.
For the many other Pagan faiths other than Wicca, some holidays may bear some similarities while others bear no relation whatsoever. For many witches who have no religious affiliation, Pagan or otherwise, none of these celebrations bear any kind of meaning nor desire for celebration while others may simply pay homage to solstices and equinoxes – again, the point being that the Wheel of the Year is NOT universal to all witches.
Final Thoughts
To reiterate, there is nothing wrong with these beliefs. My goal here is not to convince anyone to stop using, believing, or observing these things, but rather to allow you to be more fully informed.
If you are new to the practice, please take the time to do some research into these things and don’t blindly follow others because you assume these things to be universal. At the end of the day, if you choose to continue these practices after you’ve done the research, you can do so with confidence having a full understanding of their purposes, their origins and their associated practices.
Equally, do not assume that all witches hold these same beliefs. This IS the beauty of the witch’s path. We are not all the same. We do not all thoughtlessly march to the same beat. Please acknowledge and respect that.
References:
- The Meaning of Witchcraft, by Gerald B. Gardner
- History of Wicca in England: 1939 to the Present Day, by Julia Phillips
- Witchcraft Today: An Encyclopedia of Wiccan and Neopagan Traditions, by James R. Lewis