Page of Pentacles

W.
Congregationalist Wiccan Association of BC
C. A. 5-10282 132nd Street
B. C. Surrey, British Columbia
V3T 3T7
www.cwabc.org #44 June 2010 c.e.

The Charge of the Goddess - A Wiccan Ethic

By Diane Morrison (Sable Aradia)
reprinted from “Witches and Pagans” magazine

It has been my experience that many people get involved in Wicca because they
like the lack of rules. We don’t have a lot of “Thou shalt nots.” All we have is the
Witch’s1 Rede, they say. But there are many unspoken rules of ethics that we think
of as being essentially “Wiccan.” Why? Where do they come from?
The answer should be self-evident but often isn’t. What is the one piece of
liturgy that Wiccans really have? The answer is the Charge of the Goddess.
Most modern Wiccans treat this prose as a lovely way to invoke the Goddess. It
does work well that way. But consider the original meaning of the word “charge”.
It is a command, a responsibility laid upon someone, an exhortation, a duty, an
injunction, or being entrusted with someone’s care. It is a series of rules!
In order to illustrate this, and illustrate how this piece of liturgy defines our
Wiccan ethics, the remainder of this article will be concerned with breaking down
the Charge into its component elements and paraphrasing them in a less poetic
fashion. I will present both Doreen Valiente’s version and Starhawk’s version, since both are utilized among
different Wiccan traditions. Though there are other versions, these are the most commonly known. There are
also some slight differences (some elements present in one version may not be present in the other,) and so
these differences need to be addressed as well.
I. The Names of the Goddess

Valiente:

Listen to the words of the Great Mother;

she who of old was also called among men
Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine,
Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Cybele, Arianrhod,
Isis, Dana, Bride and by many other names:

Starhawk:

Listen to the words of the Great Mother, Who of old was called Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite,
Cerridwen, Diana, Arionrhod, Brigid, and by many other names:
The Goddess says, first and foremost, “Listen!” I don’t believe that this is merely a poetic way of beginning
the charge; I believe She’s telling us to listen!
Many of the same Goddesses appear in both versions of the Charge. The goddesses common to both
versions are: Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Arianrhod (different spellings,) and
Bride/Brighid. Just among these goddesses there is diversity: maidens, mothers, and crones. (The additions to
this list probably reflects the taste of the authors.)
1
 This list of goddesses included in both versions,
have messages that the Lady (or at least, those
inspired by Her to write this prose) wants us to pay
attention to. We can also gather that we should
accept a balance of forces – life and death; Maiden,
Mother and Crone; intellect and passion; love and
war.
In both cases, the Goddess is named “Great
Mother ... and by many other names” and therein
comes the Wiccan belief in the One Goddess being
present in all goddesses. But it also acknowledges
that these individual Goddesses are separate beings
with their own individual areas of concern, otherwise
why mention them separately at all?
By listing Them together, the authors are also
asserting that all these goddesses are equally worthy
of our respect. I would think that it would be
important, then; if we follow a goddess Who is not
mentioned in this passage of the Charge, we should
make sure to include Her when we recite it.
II. Gathering Together
Valiente:
Whenever ye have need of anything,
once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full,
then shall ye assemble in some secret place
and adore the spirit of me,
who am Queen of all Witcheries.
Starhawk:
Whenever you have need of anything, once a month,
and better it be when the moon is full, you shall assemble
in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me Who is
Queen of all the Wise.
Our Goddess is less demanding than some gods
we know (who demands a gathering at least once a
week!) but She still requires that we gather together.
She continues, “Better it be when the moon is full.”
Why?
Most Witches know that magick brought to fruition
on the full moon has the power of the waxing moon
behind it. Maybe it’s just because the Full Moon has
always captured the imagination of humankind, and
everything looks more magickal under Her light.
The Goddess also says, “You should gather in a
secret place.” Once a month, She wants us to gather
away from the public eye. I believe this is because
much of a Witch’s work is mystical in nature and
should be a personal, private thing, shared only to
those who are willing to understand. I also believe
2
that the Inner Work (the mysticism) is necessary
before you can presume to do the Outer Work.
The Lady also says, “You shall adore Me, who is
the Queen!” That means that we need to worship and
respect Her, not demand things of Her like a servant.
She’s bigger than us, and we need to keep that in
mind. If She directs us to do something that we don’t
understand, we just have to remember that She is the
one who commands us. Note that She says “adore,”
not “fear” — we don’t need to fear the Goddess. I
believe that means that She also loves us, because
love has to work in two directions in order to be real
love. This is a very important distinction.
III. Sorcery & Magical Training
Valiente:
There shall ye assemble,
ye who are fain to learn all sorcery,
yet have not won its deepest secrets;
to these will I teach things that are yet unknown.
Starhawk:
Starhawk has no equivalent section.
Which Charge do you follow? This is the first
really significant difference between these two
charges: in Valiente’s version, you are commanded to
learn magick. If you choose to follow Starhawk’s
Charge, there is no requirement to learn (or do)
magick. So if you are someone who follows the
Wiccan faith but you don’t practice magick, you
shouldn’t follow Valiente’s Charge, because it is quite
clear here that magickal training is expected. It also
states that unless you have “won its deepest secrets”
(and anyone who thinks they have is, in my opinion,
suffering from High Priestess Disease,) you need to
always keep learning.
IV. Freedom from oppression — and clothes
(or maybe just bling).
Valiente:
And ye shall be free from slavery;
and as a sign that ye be really free,
ye shall be naked in your rites;
and ye shall dance, sing, feast,
make music and love,
all in my praise.
For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit,
and mine also is joy on earth;
for my law is love unto all beings.
Starhawk:
You shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that you be
free you shall be naked in your rites.
Sing, feast, dance, make music and love, all in My
Presence, for Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and Mine
also is joy on earth.
For My law is love is unto all beings.
Ah, some of my favorite verses!
The Goddess says, “You shall be free from
slavery.” This is a good reason to believe that Wicca
is a countercultural movement. In order to be free,
we have to think for ourselves, and we should also
abhor slavery and try to fight it.
She also commands that we shall “be naked in our
rites.” At one time, all Wiccans took this to mean
skyclad (clothes-free) practice, but most of us have
since adopted ritual robes instead. I suppose the
question is, what did She mean by “naked?” The
obvious answer is, of course, “without clothing” but it
can also mean unadorned. So what does that suggest
about our custom of wearing cool Witch bling and
fancy amber and jet necklaces? I think the idea is to
remember that we are all equals before the Goddess.
Next, we are exhorted to “sing, feast, dance, make
music and love, all in Her presence/praise.”
So, She wants us to make a joyous noise, to
sample freely of the fruits of life, to offer up
celebratory and joyful movement, to create art, and to
love. No sitting on hard pews being quiet for us! She
wants us to be noisy! She wants us to shout with joy!
She wants us to love freely and without guilt!
This was a very important realization for me,
because I tend to be a serious person by nature. To
emphasize this message, She goes on to remind us
that Hers is the “ecstasy of the spirit,” and “joy on
earth;” meaning that She is the one who grants these
things, and that is Her realm.
Last, the Lady announces that “Her law is love
unto all beings.” That includes the jerk who cut you
off in traffic, the miserable boss who is riding you for
no good reason, the irritating cousin you would rather
not admit that you know, that dog next door that
won’t shut up at 3 a.m., mosquitoes and wasps and
spiders and snakes and beetles too. All beings.
Period.
V. Striving
3
Valiente:
Keep pure your highest ideal;
strive ever towards it;
let naught stop you or turn you aside.
Starhawk:
Starhawk writes no equivalent passage.
I think this passage doesn’t require much
interpretation. The Goddess wants us to hold to our
highest ideal (note that She said, “your highest ideal,”
not “My highest ideal,”) to always work to achieve it,
and not to allow anyone to dissuade us from it or
distract us from it. Those who are familiar with the
work of Aleister Crowley’s work will recognize this
as a clear command to focus on, and work
consistently to achieve, our True Wills!
VI. Youth and Immortality
Valiente:
For mine is the secret door
which opens upon the Land of Youth,
and mine is the cup of the wine of life,
and the Cauldron of Cerridwen,
which is the Holy Grail of immortality.
Starhawk:
Mine is the secret that opens the door of youth, and
Mine is the cup of wine of life that is the cauldron of
Cerridwen, that is the holy grail of immortality.
There is a fine distinction here, again, that needs
mentioning between the two Charges. Valiente refers
to the “secret door which opens upon the Land of
Youth,” and Starhawk refers to the “secret that opens
the door of youth.” This distinction represents a
difference between Gardnerian Wicca and
Reclaiming Wicca. For the Gardnerians (Valiente’s
tradition,) the Land of Youth is the Summerlands,
where we go when we die and our beauty and youth
is restored; the process of earning entry into the
Summerlands is an occult mystery. For the
Reclaiming Witches, the “fountain of youth” is a state
that can be reached by anyone of any age through the
Secrets of the Goddess. For Doreen Valiente, the
Goddess asks us to seek the Summerlands through
occult practice, while for Starhawk, the Goddess
wants us to seek inner youth and bring that freshness
to our everyday lives, regardless of our age.
Either interpretation fits into the rest of the
passage, in which the Lady claims the mysteries of
Life, Death, and Rebirth as Her own. “The cup of the
wine of life” can be seen both as the joy of Life
celebrated and as the Mother’s womb. The Cauldron
of Cerridwen is the cauldron of transformation, in
which we all are slain and reborn in a new form; the
tomb that is also a womb. By claiming these
mysteries, the Goddess tells us not to fear death, but
to accept it as part of the process of life. She tells us
to remember that all things come in cycles. She
reminds us that no matter how difficult things are,
this, too, shall pass.
VII: Life After Death
Valiente:
I am the Gracious Goddess,
who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man.
Upon earth, I give the knowledge of the
spirit eternal;
and beyond death, I give peace and freedom
and reunion with those who have gone before.
Starhawk:
I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal, and beyond
death I give peace and freedom and reunion with those
that have gone before.
The Lady says, “If you’re in touch with My
mysteries, then you should know that the spirit is
eternal. When you die, I will give you peace, and
freedom, and I will see that you are reunited with
those you love whom you have lost.”
What form this reunion takes is up for debate in
the Wiccan community. Some non-theist Wiccans
believe that there is no life after death; others believe
that we are all reunited in a collective race
consciousness; while still others (myself among them)
believe that our spirit continues and we get to hang
out with the cool people we love and miss in a world
very similar to this one. (Except that since it’s the
Land of Youth, we all get to be at our physical prime
again!)
VIII: The Mother of All Living
Valiente:
Nor do I demand aught in sacrifice;
for behold,
I am the Mother of all living,
and my love is poured out upon the earth.
4
Starhawk:
Nor do I demand aught of sacrifice, for behold, I am
the Mother of all things and My love is poured out upon
the earth.
So, our Goddess does not ask for us to sacrifice
anything. I believe this also means that She doesn’t
want any martyr complexes.
I think there is a difference, however, in that if we
freely offer Her a sacrifice, She will be pleased to
accept it. At every Esbat I offer Her the first portion
of the wine and the feast; at every harvest, I offer
Her the first portion of my carrots, grapes, pumpkins
and so forth. I offer it freely in gratitude for what I
have received. I feel She’s happy to have it and
appreciates the offer. But, She doesn’t demand it!
She goes on to remind us that She is the Mother of
all living things and She loves all of them. Note, too,
that She makes sure to clarify by telling us that Her
“love is poured out upon the earth,” that this includes
plants and spirit-beings as well. I think this may be the
seed of Pagan environmentalism, which accepts all
living things as the Great Mother’s creation.
IX: The Star Goddess
Valiente:
Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess;
she in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven,
and whose body encircles the Universe.
Starhawk:
Hear the words of the Star Goddess, the dust of
Whose feet are the hosts of Heaven, whose body encircles
the universe:
Who is the Star Goddess? Well, this is the Great
Cosmic Goddess, of Whom all Goddesses are but a
part. Either the dust of Her feet are the hosts of
heaven (a.k.a. the gods,) or those hosts of heaven are
in the dust of Her feet. I take that to mean that they
are merely a part of Her greater whole. And since
Her “body encircles the universe,” She encompasses
all of us and we are contained within Her. I can’t help
but make that “eat my dust!” connection as well. She
is far beyond the hosts of heaven (the gods;) She
leaves them in Her dust. So this is the Goddess of the
gods that we are listening to now! I don’t know if I
can effectively communicate in this short space how
truly profound this statement is if you consider it. So,
the Great Creatrix wants to tell us something. Maybe
we should listen!
X. The Soul of Nature
Valiente:
I who am the beauty of the green earth,
and the white Moon among the stars,
and the mystery of the waters,
and the desire of the heart of man,
call unto thy soul.
Arise, and come unto me.
For I am the soul of nature, who gives life
to the universe.
From me all things proceed,
and unto me all things must return;
Starhawk:
I Who am the beauty of the green earth and the white
moon among the stars and the mysteries of the waters, I
call upon your soul to arise and come unto me. For I am the
soul of nature that gives life to the universe. From Me all
things proceed and unto Me they must return.
The Creatrix identifies Herself with the earth, the
moon, and the mysterious waters. The earth, moon
and waters all change; cycling through seasons,
phases and tides. They have been here long before us
and they will be here long after we are gone. They
are cradles of life, but they also have phases of death
and darkness, ebb and flow.
The first lesson here is to accept change and
transformation, to appreciate the beauty in the world
around us, and to spend time observing that world.
The second lesson is that She wants us to look to the
natural world for the sacred. She tells us that She is
“the beauty of the green earth.” Again, Pagan
environmentalism is reinforced. If the earth is sacred,
and our Goddess is there, we must, must care for it
and treat it with reverence and respect!
XI. The Rapture of the Infinite
Valiente:
and before my face, beloved of Gods and of men,
let thine innermost divine self be enfolded
in the rapture of the infinite.
Starhawk:
Starhawk again writes no equivalent.
Valiente’s Goddess tells us that in Her presence,
we are loved by the Gods and by humanity. She
5
reminds us that our innermost self is divine and she
asks us to “be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite.”
In this simple phrase She reminds us to appreciate
that profound divine eternal mystery hinted at in the
earth, moon and sky, and ocean, but She also
encourages us to seek that mystical state of
enlightenment that is impossible to describe if you
have not experienced it; that state of religious ecstasy
that some call nirvana, some call satori, and the
Witches call “Drawing Down the Moon.”
XII. All Acts of Love & Pleasure
Valiente:
Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth;
for behold,
all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.
Starhawk:
Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices,
for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are
My rituals.
The Goddess commands us to worship Her with
joy, and explicitly endorses that one of the most
sacred acts of ritual and worship that we can offer to
the Lady is to celebrate love and pleasure. Sexuality
becomes sacred! This is the foundation for why many
Wiccans and Pagans do not constrain their
relationships to heterosexual monogamy. What this
section means, exactly, is much discussed in our
community. Some more traditional Wiccans believe
that the balance of male and female is preferred, but
many others accept many alternate forms of
sexuality. When you take this proclaimation together
with the self-acceptance and appreciation of
nakedness earlier in the Charge, it makes for a very
liberating sexuality in which shame and
embarrassment should never play a part. But take
note: because sexuality is sacred anything that
cheapens that experience insults an act which should
remain sacred, and hence, is blasphemy.
XIII: Wiccan Virtues
Valiente:
And therefore let there be beauty and strength,
power and compassion, honour and humility,
mirth and reverence within you.
 Starhawk:
Let there be beauty and strength, power and
compassion, honor and humility, mirth and
reverence within you.
This passage describes a set of Wiccan Virtues,
and it is the most ethically explicit part of the Charge.
Note it is a list of virtues, not of sins — we are
exhorted to embody these virtues, not to avoid
disobedience of a set of rules. Note the balance
emphasized here; the Goddess wants beauty and
strength, not beauty or strength; power and
compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence.
When Wiccans speak of finding balance, I think it is
these qualities we are especially trying to balance
within our own characters.
XIV: Finding the Goddess Within
Valiente:
And thou who thinkest to seek for me,
know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not
unless thou knowest the mystery;
that if that which thou seekest
thee findest not within thee,
thou wilt never find it without thee.
Starhawk:
And you who seek to know Me, know that the
seeking and yearning will avail you not,
unless you know the Mystery: for if that
which you seek, you find not within yourself,
you will never find it without.
To me, this is the most profound passage in the
Charge: the Goddess tells us not to waste time looking
to others for our validation and for the mysteries that
are Hers, but to look within. So for anyone looking for
a great Wiccan guru to teach you how to find the
Goddess; well, cut that out! A good Wiccan teacher
will try to show you how to find those answers for
yourself. The Goddess also reminds us that changing
what is within changes what is without. If you want
to change your world, change your perspective, and
be the change you would see in the world. “As above,
so below.”
XV: The Beginning and the End
Valiente:
For behold,
6
I have been with thee from the beginning;
and I am that which is attained
at the end of desire.
Starhawk:
For behold, I have been with you from the beginning,
and I am That which is attained at
the end of desire.
In Her last statement, the Lady reminds us that
She will be with us at the beginning and the end, and
She has always been with us, and She is what we
ultimately seek. For me, that’s a pretty comforting
thought.
The Charge of the Goddess is a very profound
ethical code as well as a statement of theology and
cosmology. If you include it with the Witch’s Rede
and the Threefold Law, Wicca is full of ethical
direction! I hope this has helped to clarify some of it,
and even if you don’t agree with my interpretations
then I hope I have inspired you to give some extra
thought to yours!
References:
www.dictionary.com
Starhawk, “The Charge of the Goddess,” from
The Spiral Dance, 1975, 2010.
Valiente, Doreen, “The Charge of the Goddess,”
from The Gardnerian Book of Shadows, reprinted
at www.sacred-texts.com, 1957, 2007.
Diane Morrison has been a practicing Witch,
Pagan, and Ceremonial Magician for 20 years. She is
an initiated High Priestess in the Star Sapphire and
Pagans for Peace traditions and a licensed Wiccan
minister with the Congregationalist Wiccan
Association of BC. She organizes the CWA Temple
of Mirth and Reverence and a small local coven with
her husband and Priest, Erin McRoy, in the Okanagan
Valley of British Columbia, Canada. Sable owns a
small metaphysical store called The Threads That
Bind Us www.thethreadsthatbindus.net.
1. Author’s Note: By habit and because it is
traditional in our practice, I may use “Witch” and
“Wiccan” interchangeably. However, it is my
belief that the two are not necessarily
synonymous. “Wicca” is the religion and “Witch”
is the practice. I believe you can be a “Witch,”
who practices the art of magick, and not be a
“Wiccan” in your beliefs, and I know a few
“Wiccans” who believe in the faith and ethics that
do not practice magick and are therefore not
“Witches.” This article concerns Wiccan belief,
not the beliefs of all Witches, and I have tried to
make that differentiation clear. For the record, I
am a Witch who happens to embrace the Wiccan
faith.
http://witchesandpagans.com/
index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=57:the-
charge-of-the-goddess-a-wiccan-ethic&catid=7:web-
exclusive&Itemid=16
CWA Board policy on Poly
marriages
As a result of the polygamy court case that
CWABC was asked to participate in, our Board met
and adopted the following policy on May 18th:
The CWABC, as a Wiccan religious organization,
supports as an article of faith, as stated in the Charge
of the Goddess, that “all acts of love and pleasure”
are the Goddess’ rituals.
To us this means that any form of love or sexuality
that is non-abusive, and non-coercive, between
consenting adults, is acceptable and even desirable.
This includes, but is not limited to, relationships that
are heterosexual or homosexual, relationships that are
monogamous or polyamorous, and relationships that
are alternative or conventional.
Our clergy can, and will, perform any kind of
Pagan-oriented or Pagan-multifaith marriage
ceremony within the bounds of the law. However,
the law currently forbids legally recognized clergy
from presiding over any ceremony that bears any sort
of resemblance to a wedding between more than two
partners. For this reason, and only this reason, our
religious representatives, as recognized by the
Province of British Columbia, cannot perform
polyamorous handfastings, or even handfastings
between two people when one of the parties involved
is still legally married to someone else.
If we are approached to perform such a
ceremony, we will refer the interested parties to
clergy within our Church, or to qualified individuals
within the Pagan community, who do not have legal
marrying credentials from the Province of British
Columbia.
The remainder of the Board Minutes are posted
on our webpage, www.cwabc.org
7
CWA Religious Retreat -Starfall
Paganfest
2nd to 4th of July
At this special time and place, deep in the woods
of British Columbia, celebrants call the gods to join
them in their festivities here on earth . . .and the gods
answer!
The CWABC invites you to join us for our first
Pagan festival, Starfall PaganFest! This event will
happen on the Canada Day weekend in the beautiful
Okanagan Valley in Cherryville, the perfect place to
bring together Northern and Southern BC, the Interior
and the Coast, the Kootenays and even Alberta. Our
site is 45 minutes from Vernon along Highway 6, in
the woods along a winding road; there is no cell
phone service and not even any internet access;
imagine that! The scenic terrain lends itself to lovely
hikes, beautiful camping, and clear mountain views.
We can accommodate about 30-40 people in
indoor spaces, and the rest will be tenting space;
priority on indoor spaces given to those with
disabilities and families with small children. Please
select according to your needs in the registration
sheet. Our overall capacity is 60.
Last minute registration starts June 1 at $200 and
will be on a first postmarked, first served basis.
Children 6 and under free; children 7 - 15 and elders
over 65 will be offered a discounted rate ($90 up until
June 1, then $125.) ALL PRICES *DO* INCLUDE
MEALS!!!!
Registration forms are up and available at our
website!
In the model of the Gathering for Life on Earth,
each person will be expected to volunteer for one 2
hour duty over the course of the weekend, setup and/
or takedown. You will be offered first, second and
third choices for jobs and will be assigned
accordingly.
If there are enough children registered, we will
also assign formal childcare by having each parent
take a shift, but for the moment, assume that children
are the adult’s responsibility. We will provide some
children’s activities, however.
We assume that most of our workshops will be
offered by CWA members but we invite anyone who
wants to organize something to do so! A space to
detail what you’d like to offer will be provided in the
registration package.
 Site is discreetly wet; it is also used as a treatment
centre.
Our hosts, The Lodge Inn in Cherryville, BC, are
open to some of our more controversial Pagan
practices, including plans for an Aphrodite’s Temple
and clothing optional.
For more information, and for our registration
package, please check out our website, http://
starfallpaganfest.webs.com. Please make cheques
out to the “Congregationalist Wiccan Association of
BC.”
CWA Temple Reports
Vancouver-Burnaby Temple Report
June 2010
Dear sisters and brothers,
The high point of the month has to be the baby
blessing that Cameron and Sam performed for the
lovely Teagan at the beginning of June. A lovely little
baby surrounding by an adoring and supportive family
and friends, in the lush and fertile backyard garden on
a sunny afternoon – what could be nicer that to join
together and celebrate her life, and to ask the Gods
and spirits of nature to support her and her family
through her childhood? Well, what was nicer for Sam
was that he had performed the parents’ wedding four
years before and so there was a deep sense of
rightness, of the whole cycle of life here – with the
great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, the lovely
child. We were pleased to drink a toast in wine made
from the plums growing on the tree next to the space
where we blessed Teagan, as well.
A low point, just a few days before, was discovering
that the divorce of one of the two parties in a
wedding that had been in the works for a year had
not been finalized. So, a bit more than a month before
the date, Sam had to withdraw as the officiant. He is
forbidden, as a legally licensed Priest, from
performing what looks like a wedding (even a
symbolic non-legally binding handfasting) under
penalty of a criminal conviction (section 294 of the
Criminal Code of Canada). The couple have found
another person to perform the handfasting but this
was very disappointing and embarrassing.
After the Board of the CWABC approved a policy
8
(elsewhere in this issue of the Page) around
polygamous and polyandrous marriages, Sam swore
an affidavit that will be introduced as supporting
evidence in the court case challenging the law against
polygamy (section 293 of the Criminal Code). This
important court case will test whether this law is a
reasonable limit on the religious freedoms guaranteed
in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It was
originally prompted by the situation of the polygamous
Mormon church, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus
Christ of the Latter Day Saints, and the aborted
prosecution of two leaders of factions of that church
on polygamy charges, but it also concerns Muslims,
whose religion permits polygamy, and practitioners of
many traditional religions as well.
We make a distinction between polygamy, in which
one man has several wives but women cannot have
several wives or husbands, and polyamoury, in which
several adults of whatever assortment of genders are
all romantically involved with one another. The first is
Patriarchal, based on male dominance, and the
second is egalitarian, with all equal parties. The first
does not fit with our theology, the second does.
It will be November before the first stage of this case
comes to trial in the BC Supreme Court, after which
it will very likely go through the BC Court of Appeals
and to the Supreme Court of Canada for final
decision. In all likelihood, it will be a minimum of
three years before the question is resolved.
Another unfortunate note this month was that due to
an accident at work (Sam slipped on some wet grass
and threw out his back) the May Full Moon Open
Circle was cancelled. However the Mead making
workshop two days later was a success and the mead
should be ready to taste, if all goes well, by May of
2011. Other workshops on reiki and on tool-making as
well as song and chant sharing are in the works, all to
happen in Surrey.
The next Open Circles for the Vancouver-Burnaby
Temple will be the 25th of June and 23rd of July, both
at Metrotown Mall’s Community Meeting Room
above the Sears store, beginning at 7pm.
Blessed Be
Sam Wagar
Priest, CWABC
 CWA Membership Info:
Membership requirements:
CWA is not a coven or an association of covens
and so we do not require training or Initiation of
people who wish to be members. We do not expect
“perfect love and perfect trust” but a much more
normal level of trust and mutual respect of our
potential members.
Potential members must be legal adults, must
attend at least three of our Open Circles over the
course of a year, sign the attendance book at each of
them, signify in writing that they agree with our
statement of beliefs and our ethic statement (below)
and pay our annual membership fee (currently $25).
This membership is a joint membership with the
national Congregationalist Witchcraft Association.
Only voting members may vote or be elected to
congregational councils or the provincial council, may
vote to confirm a clergy person for ordination, or train
for our clergy.
Clergy training takes a minimum of one further
year, regardless of the amount of previous training or
experience which a person may have.
Statement of Ethics:
All members of this Society must bind themselves
by agreement with the following:
Although there are many Goddesses and Gods and
many Paths to their worship, our path does not
involve;
a/ animal sacrifice,
b/ any coercive activities,
c/ charging fees for teaching the Craft beyond the
recovery of costs, or for Initiation. (Members of
groups may reasonably be expected to share in the
expenses of events sponsored by the group, or agreed
to as part of its obligations as members of this
Society, and voluntary donations will be accepted).
d/ malfeasance,
e/ breaking Priestly confidentiality, subject to the
law,
f/ oath-breaking.
People who wish to become further involved in
our church need not be members to volunteer for
committees (although nonmembers cannot vote) or to
attend basic Religious Education classes (which will
be taught by members and clergy). Just contact the
Secretary of CWA as a whole or your local
congregation’s lay clergy or congregation council
Summoner.

CWA Statement of Beliefs: The Secretary of CWABC for 2009-10 is Sam

Wagar and he’s at samwagar@shaw.ca
The members of this Society believe:
a/ that the divine is multifaceted and that it is
appropriate to Name and worship a variety of
Goddesses and Gods in a variety of different ways,
b/ that the divine is primarily immanent,
c/ that there are a variety of guardian spirits and
levels of divinity,
d/ that we generally shape our liturgy and theology
around the worship of the Goddess or the Goddess
and the Old Gods,
e/ that the divine is ever-present and ever-active in
the world,
f/ that we can through petition, action, and ritual,
cause change in the world in accord with our Wills.

Every woman and every man is an embodiment of

divinity.

All acts of love and pleasure are acts of praise of

the Goddess. This specifically includes all non-
coercive sexual orientations.

An ye harm none, do what ye will.