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Author Topic: Witch's 10 Commandments  (Read 12848 times)

ZombyFrogg

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Witch's 10 Commandments
« on: July 24, 2011, 02:23:02 pm »
I came across this the other day "The Witch's 10 Commandments" by Marian Singer. They are:
 
1. Thou art God/dess
 2. As above, so below; as within, so without
 3. Spirit abides in all things; words & names have meaning
 4. Maintain an attitude of gratitude (walk the talk)
 5. Honor the ancestors, teachers, elders, and leaders
 6. All life is scared
 7. All acts of love & pleasure are sacred
 8. Whatever you send out returns threefold
 9. Love is the law, love under will
 10. For the greatest good an'it harm none

 If I remember right she wrote a book comparing these to the Christian 10 Commandments.Has anyone read it?
I was wondering what people think of them.
 
Also I am a little confused by the "love under will" part.

Nyktelios

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Re: Witch's 10 Commandments
« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2011, 02:36:35 pm »
Quote from: ZombyFrogg;7745
Also I am a little confused by the "love under will" part.


It's from a Thelema saying by Aleister Crowley. I'm not quite sure what it means, either, but there are probably people around here who can explain it.

Personally, I don't like the idea of "commandments" within a pagan tradition, especially not for something like Witchcraft, which doesn't have specific organized doctrine. These are good enough guidelines and general statements of belief, but not things that people must obey or else be punished by God.

Tana

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Re: Witch's 10 Commandments
« Reply #2 on: July 24, 2011, 03:27:25 pm »
Quote from: ZombyFrogg;7745
Has anyone read it?

 
No, nor I think I ever will be reading it.

Quote from: ZombyFrogg;7745

I was wondering what people think of them.

 
I think, I can write up some stuff too. ;)
Honestly, I don't give a heck about it.
I don't need somebody to write me a list of commandments.
 
Quote from: ZombyFrogg;7745
Also I am a little confused by the "love under will" part.


Like it has been said.
Crowley. Love shall be the whole of the law - love under will. IIRC.
\'You had to repay, good or bad. There was more than one type of obligation.
That’s what people never really understood.….Things had to balance.
You couldn’t set out to be a good witch or a bad witch. It never worked out for long.
All you could try to be was a witch, as hard as you could.\'
Terry Pratchett \'Lords and Ladies\'

Confuzzled and proud. :p

Vale

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Re: Witch's 10 Commandments
« Reply #3 on: July 24, 2011, 04:39:19 pm »
Quote from: ZombyFrogg;7745
I came across this the other day "The Witch's 10 Commandments" by Marian Singer. They are:
 
.


Um Tana said it all!

Definitely not applicable to this particular witch.

DomesticWitch

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Re: Witch's 10 Commandments
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2011, 04:42:33 pm »
Quote from: Vale;7782
Um Tana said it all!

Definitely not applicable to this particular witch.

 
Or this one!

Generally speaking I avoid anything modern day that uses words like "thou" anyway.

Aisling

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Re: Witch's 10 Commandments
« Reply #5 on: July 24, 2011, 05:07:02 pm »
Quote from: Vale;7782
Um Tana said it all!

Definitely not applicable to this particular witch.

 
Same here.  

To be honest, the list lost me at the first point.  I am not a goddess.  Nor am I foolish enough or disrespectful enough to my deities to make such a declaration.  Those deities who didn't find it highly amusing would be busy inventing ways to kick my ass that would make the Marquis de Sade run away in horror.

"The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you." -
Neil deGrasse Tyson

ZombyFrogg

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Re: Witch's 10 Commandments
« Reply #6 on: July 24, 2011, 11:33:38 pm »
Quote from: Aisling;7786
Same here.  

To be honest, the list lost me at the first point.  I am not a goddess.  Nor am I foolish enough or disrespectful enough to my deities to make such a declaration.  Those deities who didn't find it highly amusing would be busy inventing ways to kick my ass that would make the Marquis de Sade run away in horror.

 
I posted it because I wanted opinons, so I am glad people are responding. From what I can see they aren't really commandments anyway, they are things we are taught (maybe not everyone depending on their path of course) anyway and she just put them in a list and made them into commandments. I'll admit that I printed it up on a nice backround to look at, but I am not going to follow them as Christians are expected to follow theirs.  I am curious about the book because I want to know how she can compare the two lists.

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Re: Witch's 10 Commandments
« Reply #7 on: July 24, 2011, 11:38:00 pm »
My basic issue with them is that they're drawing soundbites from several different esoteric philosophies, not all of which are compatible with each other, especially if you go a bit deeper. More to the point, they're more a collection of pieces of advice, rather than a practical guide, at least without a fair bit of context and commentary to support them.

As opposed to the Biblical ten, which draw from a single culture and period of time at their writing, and which provide some really clear specific practical guidance. (Do this stuff. Don't do that stuff.)

Quote from: ZombyFrogg;7745
1. Thou art God/dess

This basically comes from the idea that the spark of divinity lives within each of us. It became popular through its use in the Church of All Worlds, but I know it has older origins. (Sunflower? Do you remember? All my relevant books are packed.) I want to say it comes out of something in theosophist-influenced stuff, but I might be misremembering.

 
Quote
2. As above, so below; as within, so without

Really long-standing esoteric theory, going back to the Emerald Tablet text. But not very helpful without some explication.

Quote
3. Spirit abides in all things; words & names have meaning

More a "This is how I think the world works" thing than a practical guide.

 
Quote
4. Maintain an attitude of gratitude (walk the talk)

Again, this leaves me going "How?"

Quote
5. Honor the ancestors, teachers, elders, and leaders

This is obviously parallel to the Biblical "Honor thy mother and thy father", but with more complications. Which ancestors? How do we identify elders? Honor all leaders, even the unethical and destructive ones?

(While 'honor your parents' is a complicated thing for people whose parents were abusive, at least there it's still at least theoretically possible to honor their role in the individual coming into being. Leaders or elders in a community, that's not true in the same way.)

Badly made parallel, really.

Quote
6. All life is sacred
 7. All acts of love & pleasure are sacred

Again, what is one supposed to do with this? Good theory to expound on, lousy practical advice for making choices, without more details.

The latter, of course, comes from the Charge of the Goddess, but there it's in a different (and I think more practical form): all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals, which means it's useful practical guidance in an act of worship. Lots of stuff is sacred (especially when you've just said life is sacred the line before!)

 
Quote
8. Whatever you send out returns threefold

Meh. This is actually something I believe, but in a more complicated form that's about the effect we have in the world, rather than a mechanical tripling process. Again, without shared context, I think it's problematic.

Quote
9. Love is the law, love under will

This comes out of Thelema, and is basically about the idea that we should do what our Will guides us to, and that love (connection with others) should be our guiding principle, once we have engaged our Will (focused purpose), regardless of society's feelings about that.

(Bearing in mind that the original text was written at a time when, for example, gay and lesbian relationships were highly closeted, and other forms of sexual identity, relationship models, etc. were even more repressed.)

Quote
10. For the greatest good an'it harm none

Again, something out of a *very* different model of interacting with the world (and in some ways, pretty much opposing the origins of the line above it), at least without some really clear definitions and context.

Applying for a job means other people lose out, yet the employer is seeking the best person for that job, and the applicants are seeking a job. Someone in this equation is going to lose out. Sometimes that may be for their long-term greatest good (if they find the awesome position somewhere else, the job environment is abusive, whatever).

But I think a lot of the time, our world is not that extreme: any one of five people might be a great fit, only one gets hired, everyone else moves on.

(And that doesn't even touch much more complex things.)

My own philosophy is a lot more like "Be aware of the impact of what you do on those around you, and do not mess things up for them just because you're careless, thoughtless, or hurting."

I haven't read the book, but have skimmed it: my recollection is that the commentary doesn't go as far in providing context or deeper understanding as I'd want (I find Robin Wood's _When, Why... If_ far better.)

What I'd actually find really interesting is someone taking a look at the Biblical Ten Commandments in one of their (somewhat varied) forms, maybe along with other short guides and behavioral codes, and looking at what common ethics within the various Pagan communities say about that.
« Last Edit: July 25, 2011, 04:13:45 pm by SunflowerP »
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Dark Midnight

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Re: Witch's 10 Commandments
« Reply #8 on: July 25, 2011, 04:10:22 am »
Quote from: ZombyFrogg;7745

 6. All life is scared


Can I just ask, did you mean sacred? Personally I do prefer scared but I don't think that it fits in with the rest of it, somehow! :eek:

Also, I don't follow any of this. I am a Witch, not a Wiccan, which is what these sound like to me. These rules don't apply to me, but then I have my own rules to follow.
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Melamphoros

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Re: Witch's 10 Commandments
« Reply #9 on: July 25, 2011, 06:33:34 am »
Quote from: ZombyFrogg;7745

 6. All life is scared

 
And that's just the way I like it:dwink:


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CozyWitch

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Re: Witch's 10 Commandments
« Reply #10 on: July 25, 2011, 10:34:02 am »
Quote from: ZombyFrogg;7745
I came across this the other day "The Witch's 10 Commandments" by Marian Singer.

This witch has actually read the book and applies it to his practice. *DUCKS*
 
Growing up Pentecostal we placed BIG emphasis on the 10 Commandments. The book actually was one of those that helped me cope with leaving the Christian faith and becoming a witch.
 
She makes really good points though, they are all teachings that can help guide those who practice the Craft (if they so choose to look at her version as plausible and worth using) to understand more of the tidbits of info that has been passed around.
 
Here's my take on her version . . .
 
Quote
1. Thou art God/Goddess

This is to remember that we are a part of Divinity. We're not some mere creations that have no worth. Remembering our divinity assists in understanding our Gods and Goddesses and in doing so we take upon ourselves their attributes (not their Divine Nature or necessarily their powers).
 
Quote
2. As above, so below. As within, so without.

Yes, this is a phrase that has been borrowed, but it still applies. It shows the intertwined nature of all things. The crooked path, the road less traveled, and all of the descriptions of the walk of life. Everything is connected and the manifestations of your Craft (spells, prayers, etc.) also connects with everything as well. It's one big web.
 
Quote
3. Spirit abides in all things. Words and names have meaning.

Basically, a witch should honor his/her words/actions. As for Spirit abides in all things, we are all human. We all contain life within our bodies. Animals, plants, humans . . . we all have essence. Respect is universal.
 
Quote
4. Maintain an attitude of gratitude. (Walk the talk.)

Don't become prideful and disrespect others. Be thankful in all things. Do your Craft and live and let live. Be honest and grateful to yourself, your ancestors, and your Deities.
 
Quote
5. Honor the Ancestors, teachers, elders, and leaders.

The honor code of a witch is one of the most powerful things. If we respect our Deities, then we earn their trust and love. In doing so, we create a vortex within ourselves which allows our powers and Craft to increase. Those who have taught us, those who are our deceased kin, those whom we look up to . . . in honoring them, we are honoring the Divine.
 
Quote
6. All life is s[ac]red.

Again, be respectful. This one can be taken as a "fluffy" teaching. It can cause those who want all love and light to be afraid of the dark and reject it. However, understanding the light and the dark is essential to understanding the sacredness of life. Sometimes realizing that life is sacred but that those who choose to do things that are wrong is a part of human nature and free will. There must be a balance in all things.
 
Quote
7. All acts of love and pleasure are sacred.

I honestly thought this one was a bit redundant since the previous "commandment" was inclusive of this one. However, knowing that life is sacred, all things it entails is sacred . . . Love and pleasure are not evil, and when done between consenting parties, can be a beautiful thing.
 
Quote
8. Whatever you send out returns threefold.

Now, I've always had trouble believing that if you do something it literally returns to you threefold. But this one I believe emphasizes that there are always consequences to your actions and for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Be mindful of that which you do and be willing to accept whatever consequences may come your way.
 
Quote
9. Love is the law. Love under will.

This one is one of my favorites. A witch's love determines his/her will. If you love your family, you will protect them . . . no matter what you must do. If you love to heal others, then you will do so. I see the "will" as one of the Witches' Pyramid. "To know, to will, to dare, to keep silent." After the knowledge, the "will" or act/power of the witch comes next. That includes it's control and it's release and the knowledge therein. Matter of fact, if a curse/hex must be done for the sake of protection after all other means are exhausted, then the knowledge must match the power of the witch. Again, that's just an example.
 
Quote
10. For the greatest good, "An' it harm none."

I put emphasis on "for the greatest good" in my Craft and for the most part (99.99%) of the time it always falls on "an' it harm none". However, no matter what you do in life, you will always have some harm to cause. If you take it to extremes, you will realize there is always harm caused and you are breaking that statement. Nothing in life is perfect, nothing in life is 100% good/light. But the greatest harm that can be done is when you harm yourself and those you love. There are times when I've felt the need to bind is greater than the need to send love. There are even fewer times when I've felt the need to curse were greater than the need to bind. There are more times, however, that simply sending good energies and positive workings (even if it's towards myself or those around me) can make all the difference. But the times in which I do curses and hexes, I do after everything else has been exhausted and those times are very rare.
 
Now to make a statement, I am not stating that cursing and hexing are the best things to do and that if you simply feel that it is necessary to go and do it, do it. If that is part of your practice, then fine, as long as you know and are willing to accept the consequences. When I'm using these things as examples, I'm demonstrating that there are opposites and there will always be a balance between light and dark.
 
As for the book/"10 commandments" of a witch . . . to each his/her own. If this can be a part of your life, fine. If not, fine. Things that work are because you make them work.
 
Some of Ms. Singer's thoughts are worth reading, but that all depends on your Craft and beliefs. I know this book has helped me understand things, so I cannot fully dismiss it. I don't agree 100% with it either.

Tana

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Re: Witch's 10 Commandments
« Reply #11 on: July 25, 2011, 11:17:03 am »
Quote from: Melamphoros;7931
And that's just the way I like it:dwink:


Can't say I'm surprised. ;)
Btw totally over-read this - me likes too.
All life is scared to some extent.
\'You had to repay, good or bad. There was more than one type of obligation.
That’s what people never really understood.….Things had to balance.
You couldn’t set out to be a good witch or a bad witch. It never worked out for long.
All you could try to be was a witch, as hard as you could.\'
Terry Pratchett \'Lords and Ladies\'

Confuzzled and proud. :p

CozyWitch

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Re: Witch's 10 Commandments
« Reply #12 on: July 25, 2011, 12:41:40 pm »
Quote from: Tana;8002
Can't say I'm surprised. ;)
Btw totally over-read this - me likes too.
All life is scared to some extent.

You two are crazy. That's a good thing, right?
 
Now, does that mean I should be scared? That would involve screeching like a girly banshee and running the other way and hiding in my closet.

Tana

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Re: Witch's 10 Commandments
« Reply #13 on: July 25, 2011, 12:49:26 pm »
Quote from: CozyWitch;8023
You two are crazy. That's a good thing, right?


Well, yes. ;)
 
Quote from: CozyWitch;8023

Now, does that mean I should be scared? That would involve screeching like a girly banshee and running the other way and hiding in my closet.


You know the old advice?
When in Danger
When in Doubt
Run in Circles
Scream and Shout :D:
\'You had to repay, good or bad. There was more than one type of obligation.
That’s what people never really understood.….Things had to balance.
You couldn’t set out to be a good witch or a bad witch. It never worked out for long.
All you could try to be was a witch, as hard as you could.\'
Terry Pratchett \'Lords and Ladies\'

Confuzzled and proud. :p

CozyWitch

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Re: Witch's 10 Commandments
« Reply #14 on: July 25, 2011, 12:53:33 pm »
Quote from: Tana;8026
You know the old advice?
When in Danger
When in Doubt
Run in Circles
Scream and Shout :D:

Totally awesome!
 
I can do that, just let me know when to start.

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