The Laws For Witches

YOUR HIGH PRIESTESS

In the Magic Circle, the words, commands, and wishes of the High
Priestess are Law. She is the earthly representative of our gracious Goddess.
She is to e oeyed and respected in all things. She is our Lady and, aove
all others, a !ueen in the highest sense of the word. "ll female coveners
will curtsy and say #$lessed $e# when they come efore Her, and all male
coveners will end their %nee and %iss Her on the right chee% and say #$lessed
$e#.
YOUR HIGH PRIEST
In the Magic Circle, the High Priest is the earthly representative of
the Great God. He commands the respect due a Magus, Lord Counselor, and
father.
THE LAWS
&H' L"(S (')' M"*' +,) &H' (I&CH'S &, "*-IS' &H'M I. &H'I) &),/$L'S.
*, .,& CH".G' &H'M LIGH&L0.
1. &he (itches should worship the Gods as is their due, and oey their
will. +or the worship of the Gods is good for the (itches even as the worship
of the (itches is good for the Gods2 +or the Gods love all their (itches.
3. "s a man loves a woman more y ac4uiring more %nowledge of her wants and
desires, so should the (itches love the Gods y the learning 5mastering6 of
them.
7. It is necessary that the Magic Circle, which is the &emple of the Gods
in these times, e case and purified such that it may e a fitting place for
the Gods8 and the (itches should e properly prepared and purified to enter
into the presence of the Gods.
9. (ith love and worship in their hearts the (itches shall raise power from
their odies 5and the elements around them6, and they shall offer this power
to the Gods so that the Gods may help their (itches.
:. &he High Priestess shall rule her coven as the representative of the
Goddess, and the High Priest shall support her as the representative of the
God. &he High Priestess will choose any memer of the coven to e her High
Priest, if he has sufficient standing in the cover. "s the God Himself %issed
our Lady;s feet, gave Her the five<fold salute, and offered Her His power
ecause of Her youth and eauty, Her sweetness and %indness, Her wisdom and
=ustice, Her humility, gentleness, and generosity, and shared His power with
Her, so therefore the High Priestess should always e aware that all power
comes from Him8 it is only lent, to e used wisely and =ustly.
>. &he greatest virtue of a High Priestess shall e recognition that youth
is necessary to the representative of the Goddess. She will, therefore,
gracefully retire in favor of a younger covener should the coven so decide in
council. &he true High Priestess should reali?e that gracefully surrendering
the pride of place is one of the greatest virtues, and that therey she will
return to that pride of place in another life with even greater power and
eauty.
@. In the ,ld *ays, when there were many (itches, we were free and
worshipped freely in the greatest temples8 ut in these times, we must
celerate our sacred mysteries in secret. &herefore, none ut the (itches is
to see our mysteries8 no coven shall %now the location of any other coven or
who its memers are, eAcept the High Priest, the High Priestess, and the
Messenger8 and that there shall e no communication among the covens, eAcept
y the Messenger of the Gods or the Summoner. ,nly if it is safe may the
covens meet in some safe place for the Great +estivals8 and while there, none
shall give their true names or any information aout their coven or its
memers. &his law is made for this reason2 no one can tell our enemies what
they do not themselves %now.
B. It is ordained that no one shall tell any person not in the Craft who
other (itches are, or give them names, or addresses, or in any way tell
anything that can etray a (itch to their face. .or may anyone tell where the
covendom or covenstead is, where any meetings are held, or any other
information aout the coven unless directed to do so y the coven in council.
C. If anyone rea%s these laws, even under torture, may the Curse of the
God and the Goddess e upon them, so that they may not e reorn upon the
'arth 5ut shall live forever in the Hell of the Christians6.
1D. Let each High Priest and High Priestess govern their coven with =ustice
and love, with the help and advice of the other and of the elders of the
coven, always heeding the advice of the Messenger of the Gods if he should
arrive. &hey will heed all the suggestions of their coveners and strive to
settle any differences among them.
11. It is recogni?ed that there will always e people who will try to ma%e
everyody agree with their ideas2 these people are not necessarily ad <<they
often have good ideas, and these ideas should e discussed in council. $ut
if they will not come to agree with their other coveners, or if they say, #I
will not wor% with this High Priestess,# then the elders will have them leave.
It should e suggested that they might =oin another coven, or if they are of
sufficient standing they may e encouraged to found their own coven. +or it is
etter this way, to avoid strife among the family of (itches.
13. (hen using geographic oundaries, whenever anyone of &hird *egree lives
more than a league from the covenstead 5or are aout to6, any of these may
found a new coven8 indeed, any (itch living within the covenstead who wishes
to form a new coven will inform the elders of this intention, and immediately
move to a new dwelling eyond the oundaries of %nown covensteads. Memers of
any coven may choose to =oin the new coven when it is formed, ut they must
totally avoid their old coven if they choose this course. &he elders of the
old and new covens should meet in peace and love to determine the oundaries
of the covens. "ny (itch living outside of any two covens may choose to =oin
either coven, ut never oth. "ll may meet for the Great +estivals if the
elders agree, so long as they meet in peace and love. Let the elders confer
as to the use of this law when it is not directly applicale. "lways e aware
that the splitting of a coven reeds ad feelings8 this law was made chiefly
for this reason. "nd may happier times comeE
17. If you would %eep a $oo% 5whether it is called a $lac% $oo%, $oo% of
Shadows, $oo% of Light, or whatever6, write it in your own hand. Let your
rothers and sisters in the Craft copy as they will from your oo% in their
hand, ut never let your $oo% out of your hands and never %eep the writing of
another. 'very (itch should %eep and guard their own writings, that none may
e discovered through their $oo% eing found in another;s possession.
19. *estroy your $oo% whenever danger threatens, and commit as many as
possile of these Laws to memory. *estroy the writings of a deceased (itch if
they did not have time to do so themselves. If any of their writings are
found, it is clear proof against oth the writer and the holder, for our
enemies firmly elieve that #one may not e a (itch alone#2 their family and
all who are %nown to e friends may e suspected as (itches. $e responsile
with your writings and you will protect all who love you.
1:. If your $oo% is found on you, it is clear proof against you alone
unless you tell our enemies what you %now. 0ou may e ta%en and tortured, ut
%eep all thoughts of the Craft from your mind. If the torture is too much to
ear, tell them, #I cannot ear this torture. I will confess. (hat do you
want me to sayF# If they try to ma%e you tal% aout the Craft, do not8 ut if
they try to ma%e you spea% of asurd things, such as flying through the air,
consorting with the Christian devil, sacrificing children, or eating men;s
flesh, say, #I held an evil dream8 I was eside myself8 I was cra?ed,# or
words to that effect, to otain relief from the torture. .ot all magistrates
are ad << if there is any semlance of an eAcuse, they may show mercy. If
you have confessed to anything, deny it afterwards2 say that you aled
under torture, or that you don;t rememer what you said. If you are
condemned, do not e afraid, for the Craft is powerful and your escape will e
aided if you stand fast. If you go steadfast to the flames, e certain that
drugs will reach you and you will feel nothing of the pain. 0ou will only go
to death and what lies eyond << the ecstasy of the God and the Goddess. If
you etray anything, however, there is no hope for you in this life or that
which is to come.
1>. &o avoid eing discovered, choose your wor%ing tools to e ordinary
items which you would have around the house. Ma%e your Pentacles out of waA
so that you can rea% and melt them at once. *o not %eep a sword unless its
presence would alarm no one. Have no signs or names visile on anything2
write the signs in in% or water immediately efore consecrating the tool, and
wash them off immediately after. *o not engrave anything, for this will only
help you e discovered. Geep your athame and %erfan 5wor%ing %nife6 among
your %itchen %nives, and let the colors of the hilts determine the one from
the other and from the other %nives. "lways rememer that we are the Hidden
Children of the Goddess. .ever do anything to disgrace the Craft or Her
<<never oast, never threaten, and never say that you wish ill of anyone.
1@. It is not foridden to say, #&here is (itchcraft in the land,# for the
Christians say so themselves and have made it heresy not to elieve so8 ut
always say, #I %now nothing of it here, though it may e elsewhere.# If any
person spea%s aout the Craft outside of the Circle, say, #*on;t spea% of such
things << it frightens me. It is ad luc% to tal% aout such things.# Say
this for this reason2 the Christians have their spies everywhere. &hese
spies have een %nown to tal% as if they were drawn to the Craft and as if
they would want to come to our meetings, and they say such things as, #My
fathers and forefathers worshipped the ,ld ,nes, and my mother8 I would li%e
to worship in this way myself.# &o all of these, tell them that you do not
%now what they are tal%ing aout, and that you wish they would stop. $ut to
others, say, #It;s silly to tal% aout (itches flying around in the air8 they
would have to e lighter than feathers or thistle<down. $esides, everyone
%nows that (itches are all leary<eyed old hags8 what fun could they possily
have at their meetings, and why should I want to participateF "nd esides,
you %now we were taught in school that there are no such things as (itches.#
"lways ma%e fun of the su=ect, that we may worship in peace when the
persecution ends2 let us all wor% for that happy time. May the lessing of
the God and the Goddess e upon all who %eep this law.
1B. If any in the Craft holds any property, let all (itches guard it and
%eep it clear and good for the use of the Craft. It is the further
responsiility of all (itches to guard Craft funds wisely.
1C. If any (itch offers a well<made item, it is proper to pay them for it
according to the value of the wor%8 this is not ta%ing money for the Craft,
ut payment for honest wor% << even the Christians elieve that #the laourer
is worth his hire#. Still, if any (itch wor%s willingly for the good of the
Craft and will not accept payment, this shall e to their greater honor.
3D. It is %nown that a coven may e ound together y seAual ties, and that
this is often not desirale. (hen it is found that this is not desirale, the
coven should e made up of loving couples, and there may also e single
coveners. In such cases, it is re4uired that the search for new love e
underta%en outside the coven eAcept when two single coveners find love with
each other8 otherwise, it will often cause division in the coven. +or while
all acts of love and pleasure are indeed the rituals of our eloved Goddess,
She is not inclined to favor acts which divide her covens and scatter Her
(itches unnecessarily.
31. If there should arise 4uarrels or disputes among the (itches, the High
Priestess or High Priest shall immediately convene the elders and in4uire into
the prolem. &he elders shall hear each side separately, and then oth
together. &heir decision should e =ust, not siding with one side until the
matter is determined, recogni?ing that there are people who cannot wor% under
others, and others who cannot ma%e wise decisions. &o those who must always
e in charge, the possile solutions for them are to void the coven
alto<gether, find another coven for them, or for them to found a new coven
5ta%ing with them all who will go6. &o those who cannot rule wisely, the
solution is that those who cannot ear the rule will leave the coven. .o one
can truly worship the Gods when personal conflicts among the coveners are not
resolved8 all who cause strife in the coven must e told, #Go away from us,
for the Craft must ever survive.#
33. In the ,ld *ays, we could use the "rt against anyone who treated the
(itches adly8 ut in these times, we must not do so. ,ur enemies have
invented a urning pit of everlasting fire into which their God throws
everyone who does not worship Him, eAcept for those few who uy their penance
from His priests 5for their God always seems to e in need of money6. 'ven as
our Gods need our aid to ma%e fertility for people and crops, so it is that
the God of the Christians is always needing men to find and destroy us. &heir
priests tell them that any man who is helped y us will e damned to their
Hell forever, to the point that men are mad with the terror of it. $ut the
priests also ma%e them elieve that they may escape this Hell if they give up
(itches to e tortured, so that these men are always thin%ing, #If I catch
only one (itch, I will escape the fiery pit.# +or this reason we have our
hiding places, and when no (itches are found, the searchers will say, #&here
aren;t any (itches, or at least not in this area.# $ut as soon as one of our
oppressors dies or even catches a cold, the cry will go up that it is
#(itches; wor%#, and the hunt will e on again. "nd while they may %ill ten
Christians for every (itch, they will not care, for they are countless
millions while we are few indeed.
37. &H')'+,)', I& IS ,)*"I.'* that none shall use the "rt in any way to
harm anyone or even wish them ill. However much they may in=ure us, H")M
.,.', and may the Christians forget that we eAist.
39. &hese laws are ordained to help us in our difficulties. .o person, no
matter how large the in=ury or in=ustice they incur, may use the "rt in any
way to do evil or harm anyone. $ut they may use the "rt, after great
consul<tation with the elders and fellow coveners, to %eep the Christians and
their tools from harming anyone << ut only to constrain them. &o this end,
some day men will say, #&hat man says he is a mighty persecutor of (itches,
ut all we ever see him torture are old women << we cannot see that they have
hurt anyone, and if they are all such powerful (itches, why has he not een
harmedF# &hey will see him as an evil person regardless of his professed
eliefs. (e %now that too many people have died ecause someone had a grudge
against them, or were persecuted ecause another wanted their wealth or
ecause they were too poor to rie the witch<hunters. "nd many have died
only for eing old women << so many that most men now seem to elieve that
only old women are (itches. &his is to our advantage, for it turns many
suspicious eyes away from us8 ut we mourn deeply for the old women. Still,
in 'ngland and Scotland, it has een hundreds of years since a (itch #died
the death#8 e vigilant, for the misuse of our power might egin the
persecutions again. .ever rea% this law no matter how much you are tempted.
.ever consent to the rea%ing of this law2 even a High Priestess who merely
consents to the rea%ing of this law must e deposed immediately, for it is
the lood of all the (itches that she endangers. *, ,.L0 G,,*, and then only
when it is safe to do anything at all.
3:. .ever accept money for the use of the "rt, for money always smudges the
receiver. Christians ta%e money for the use of their arts, and they sell
pot<metal charms, pardons, and potions to men so that they may escape from
their sins. *o not act li%e these men8 as long as you refuse to ta%e money,
you will e free from the temptation to use the "rt for evil causes. "ll may
use the "rt for their own advantages, or for the advantage of the Craft, ut
you must always e certain that no one will e harmed y its use. Let the
coven deate the use of the "rt at length, and only when all are satisfied
that none will e harmed y its use will the use e allowed. )ememer that if
you cannot achieve your means in one fashion, your aim may still e reached
through another << always harming none.
3>. If anyone in the Craft needs a house or land and there is no one
willing to sell to them, you may use the "rt to incline an owner;s mind to e
willing to sell, provided that the spell does not harm the owner or the
property and that the full value is paid without haggling. .ever argain or
cheapen anything wile living y the "rt.
3@. &he most important of laws2 *o nothing that will endanger anyone in
the Craft or which will ring them into conflict with the law of the land or
any of our persecutors. In this regard, it is .'-') permissile, in any
dispute involving the Craft, to invo%e any laws other than those of the Craft,
nor may any triunals e held other than one consisting of the High Priestess,
the High Priest, and the elders.
3B. &he coven is to %eep two oo%s on heralism2 one of these will list
the names and uses of all hers which are cures for ills or are otherwise good
for humans, and all may have access to this oo% to learn these things. $ut
%eep a separate oo% with the names of all poisonous hers and those used in
dar% spells, letting only the elders and other trusted (itches %now of these
secrets or even of this oo%;s eAistence.
3C. )ememer that the "rt is the secret of the Gods and may only e used
in earnest << never for show, or pride, or personal glory. &he Christians may
taunt you saying, #0ou have no power2 Perform some magic for us, and then we
may elieve.# *o not listen to them, for the "rt is holy and is to e used
only in need.
7D. It has always een the way of men and women that they should see% after
love, and while no one should e reproved for this, it may e to the
disad<vantage of the Craft sometimes. It has happened too many times that a
High Priestess has found a new love and run off with him, giving no word to
the coven of this. " High Priestess may resign in full coven at any time, and
this resignation is valid8 ut if she has not resigned, the coven shall wait
for her to return for a year and a day 5for she may return sooner, having left
for love6. If she has a deputy, that deputy is to act as Priestess for as
long as the High Priestess is away. If she returns within this time, all will
e as if she had never left8 ut if she does not return within this time, a
new High Priestess shall e elected in full coven. /nless there is a good
reason to the contrary, the deputy, having done the wor%, should reap the
reward and e chose as the new High Priestess. $ut if another is chosen, the
deputy shall e the maiden and deputy of the new High Priestess.
71. &he High Priest serves at the pleasure of the High Priestess. If the
High Priestess is gone for more than a year and a day, he shall continue in
his office while the deputy serves in her place. However, once a new High
Priestess has een chosen, the new High Priestess will appoint her own High
Priest 5and it may e the current High Priest or not6. .either the prior High
Priest nor his friends may e angry if a new High Priest is chose, for pride
must always give way to harmony in the coven.
73. &he "rt is sacred2 it is the "rt of the wor%ing of energies, and it
must always e taught inside of the Magic Circle. It has een found that
teaching the "rt fre4uently leads to a seAual attraction etween the teacher
and student << and that this often improves the result. If for any reason
this is not desirale, it should e avoided at the eginning y oth persons
firmly < and verally < resolving that their relations will e limited to that
of rother and sister, or parent and child. It is for the reason that shared
love often increases the result of wor%ing magic that teaching should always
e done from man<to<woman and from woman<to<man. (hen a coven is made up of
memers of all one seA, the masculine<to<feminine energy eAchange should e
adhered to whenever possile. &eaching people aout the Craft, however, may
e done whenever and wherever it is safe, so long as the teacher is
%nowledgeale, the student is willing, and the information taught is availale
pulicly or is not a secret of the "rt. .o one may charge for teaching,
unless it is to cover such eApenses as the cost of the room, oo%s or other
printed materials, refreshments, and so forth.
77. ,rder and discipline must e %ept within the coven2 the High Priestess
of the High Priest should and may punish all faults. &o this end, all in the
Craft should receive their correction willingly. (ith the culprit %neeling,
all in the Circle should e told of the offense, and the sentence will e
pronounced. Punishment might include the scourge or the recasting of the
Circle, followed y something silly such as several %isses. &he culprit must
ac%nowledge the =ustice of the punishment y %issing the scourge upon
receiving sentence, and afterward y than%ing everyone for their loving
correction.
SO MOTE IT BE!
.ote to Magic%.et friends and ac4uaintances2 &he aove is a comination of
what I was taught and what I learned. Many different sources, including my
.eoGardnerian training, two different sets of Celtic Craft laws, four versions
found in print, and the pic%ed rains of several of my students, went into it.
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