Pagan Ethics and Etiquette
Wicca, as well as most Pagansim, is a religion and spiritual path of personal responsibility. We strive to live in an aware state. When we do this, we recognize our free will and the free will of others. If we ignore the lesson of personal responsibility, we fail to realize our true spiritual potential and our true spiritual will.
As we begin our path, we must develop a set of personal ethics, while maintaining a respect for the ethics of the community we are becoming a part of. Some community ethics are very well defined. -Don't practice black magick, or follow the left-hand path. -Don't attempt to harm another or interfere with their free will. -Always act in a way that will reflect well upon your path. Never do anything that will bring harm to the Craft.
Since Wicca and pagansim are very open paths and for the most part do not seek to make anyone follow "ONE RIGHT WAY," most of the ethics defined by community are concerning harm to others and harm to the Craft.
To begin a spiritual path and to follow it every day of your life, you must develop your own set of personal ethics that define the way you live. No one can tell you what your personal ethics should be. Your teachers, mentors, HPS, HP can all recommend both in word and deed, ethics that work for them. You may be given a 'Book of the Law' that governs your group or tradition. If you are a solitary, you may read on the net or in a book, acceptable codes of conduct or ideals. You cannot take someone else's ethics and make them your own. You must do some soul searching, and decide how you feel about things. Now I am NOT suggesting that you ignore your HPS or HP or your teachers and mentors. I am suggesting that you should always temper wisdom with personal experience. You must come to a point that you are willing to question what you are taught, to grow in your own self. Through this, your own sense of ethics and morals will come.
Now, here comes the biggie. What do you do when your personal ethics are in direct conflict with accepted community ethics? For example - it has become a phenomenon in the pagan community to love everything white and full of light, and shun everything dark and full of shadow. It has
Latest Articles