Wicca and Mysticism

I am currently taking a class, Practical Mysticism, at New Vision Center for Spiritual Living. We have explored many definitions of mysticism, finally settling on that core of Universal truth at the center of every wisdom tradition and that union with the Divine that one feels while in deep meditation, contemplation, prayer or a particularly gorgeous hike. As a religious explorer, I especially appreciate approaches that honor all faith traditions, and that recognize that there are many routes to the Divine. As A Course in Miracles says, “No religion has a monopoly on the truth.”
Practical Mysticism is an accredited class through the United Centers for Spiritual Living. As such, there have been lots of assignments. (The kids LOVE that I have homework!) Our lovely teacher, Diane DeNee, asked us to write about our experiences with one wisdom tradition and how it helped to develop our consciousness. Here is what I wrote:

Bide the Wiccan Rede we must, in perfect love and perfect trust.
Eight words the rede fulfill, “An it harm none, do what you will.”
What you send out comes back to thee, so ever mind the Law of Three.
Follow this with mind and heart. Merry we meet and merry we part.


Four lines of poetry very tidily sum up the essence of Wicca (or neo-paganism), the faith I have studied and practiced for over twenty years. Of course, an awful lot is packed into those two lines. Neo-paganism really only has one rule: If it doesn’t harm anybody, you can do whatever you want. There are no expectations, no guilt, no sin. There are no gods or goddesses making naughty lists. All forms of life, and every activity that can be explored within them, are completely acceptable as long as no one is harmed. Sounds pretty hedonistic, right? Here’s the catch: harm is a big word. A Wiccan (or witch, as most prefer to be called) is not permitted to harm anyone physically, psychologically, socially, spiritually or violate anyone’s free will. The witch herself counts as a “somebody,” so harming oneself is also not permitted. Violation of the “Harm None” rule is considered a very bad idea because of the Law of Three.

The Law of Three states that every bit of energy (action, thought, words, etc) that you send out into the world comes back to you amplified threefold. This is due to a completely impartial, neutral action of the Universe, which I equate with the Law. There’s no need for a punishing God in a philosophy that acknowledges the Law of Attraction. The kind of energy you are sending out will find it’s way back to you, so you’d better keep a close eye on your thoughts, words and actions.

An ever-present awareness of one’s own thoughts, feelings and words really encourages the “observer” experience. Placing my attention consciously on the things that interested me, while turning my attention away from things that I feared or found distasteful caused a number of interesting changes in my life. First, I found myself gradually spending more of my time doing things I really loved and less on things that I felt expected to do. Secondly, I became calmer and more pleasant to be around. When you are working very hard at eradicating negative thought, speech, actions and judgments, you become quite personable! Finally, I was activating the Law of Attraction to bring to me only things I found lovely. Unhealthy relationships and situations fell away, new exciting relationships formed and I found my groove. I didn’t have to be right anymore, I didn’t need to win, and I was able to let go of my desire for retaliation when I had been wronged.

As I studied and practiced advanced Wicca, I found the faith getting simpler and simpler. It’s often said, “The best witch in the world would never do a spell. She would just know, and it would just be.” I truly believe that all religions, at their most mystic level, have the same, very simple message. When I found Science of Mind, I felt that this philosophy allowed me to take what I have already learned and established, and take it to a deeper, more fundamental level.

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