Policy of the Church and School of Wicca concerning Initiation and Dedication

Policy of the Church and School of Wicca concerning Initiation and Dedication.

   In the Church of Wicca, two levels of achievement are recognized:
1.   Neophyte -- Meaning that you have been a student of Wicca for any length of time, and a student of the Church and School of Wicca for a minimum of three months. You have gone through some rite of passage with an affiliated Church and School of Wicca coven or teacher, eg. sealing, dedication, or blessing.

2.   Witch -- Meaning that you are an initiated neophyte.
        There are three levels of initiation: first, second and third degree. In order to avoid heirarchy or dogmatic behavior, or simply -- trashy power trips-- the honored title "Witch" does not change with the levels of initiation. Nor does a Witch discuss the level of initiation s/he may have achieved. Anyone claiming any rank of initiation within the Church and School of Wicca automatically loses that rank within our filings and information.
     Please also note that this page is here for an informational purpose only and not open for debate.  Any further information deemed necessary will be disclosed only to active students of the Church and School of Wicca.

DEDICATION
   This ceremony is a requirement within the Church and School of Wicca initiation process. If you do decide to be dedicated, it is not required that you continue onto a formal initiation. This is for those people who have not yet made uptheir mind about how deeply they wish to be involved in the Craft. Dedicants would like to be involved in a group and participate in some rituals. Specifically, Dedicants can participate only in rituals where the First Gate is closed. They cannot participate in initiatory rites nor any Second or Third Gate rituals. Participation in Great Rite or interlude activities is voluntary.

   Before a group of one's peers, the Dedicant may appear robed in a natural fabric cotton garment or skyclad. The Dedicant swears an oath of allegiance to Wicca and the Church and School of Wicca, if studying with us, before a group of peers. If this is done away from the Church and School of Wicca's auspices, one must send a videotape of the activity or send at least five signed notes from witnesses. The oath of Dedication places the loyalty of the Dedicant to the Church above all other loyalties, excepting those of the kin-group, blood or country. It also requires that when a Dedicant is asked, one will affirm that their religious affiliation is Wiccan. (This means you go public people!) After Dedicant has sworn the oath and has stated why s/he wants to be a Witch, s/he is sealed and blessed under the new Wiccan name the Dedicant has chosen.

   A Dedicant has an initiated sponsor. If the Dedicant elects to experience initiation, it is preferable but not necessary that the sponsor will work with the Dedicant through that rite of passage. Sponsorship is a big commitment to your community and to the Craft. Between dedication and initiation there should be a minimum of six months service within Wicca. Service in Wicca basically means learning and helping in doing such things as casting circles, speaking to cowans about Wicca and the ways, and extensive study of Wiccan history as well as creating a book of shadows that can be used by any Neophyte.

   Initiation is only available to Dedicated Neophytes that are studying with the Church and School of Wicca and meet other requirements listed in the course. One cannot achieve ministerial status with the Church and School of Wicca without meeting these requirements. After much heart-ache we have learned that adjusting these requirements for anyone is not in the public's best interest. It is inappropriate to write to us asking for ministerial status without first completing a course and the above listed requirements, plus a multitude of others that will appear on the website in October 1999.

   A Church and School of Wicca Witch may dedicate anyone provided only that that Witch has seen satisfactory proof of the candidate's eligibility and forwarded that proof to this Church.

   The Church will guide active students that have completed Lecture VI of the Essential Witchcraft course to a sponsor. Publication of these names has worked out in a negative way, so we will give this information out on a need-to-know basis.

   Initiation of a Neophyte requires two Witches or one Witch with written permission from the Church and School of Wicca.

   Our covens and teachers tacitly agree to inform the Church and School of Wicca of all Witches they have initiated. If the Church and School of Wicca is not informed, then that person simply is not considered an initiated Witch.

FURTHER LAURELS
   It is the policy of the School that one who asks for Initiation, of any degree, is not ready. Yes, you can obliquely hint; that is, ask your Teacher where you need to grow to qualify; but if you ask directly, we will automatically delay your eligibility for the rite of passage by a year and a day.

SCHEDULING INITIATIONS     Initiation rites are held occasionally: Usually, in Hinton in the summer at a New Moon. There must be at least one female and one male to harmonize the initiation experience. The School will try to coordinate this so that candidates are not disappointed in their travels.

LEVELS OF INITIATION

  In general the requirements for various levels of initiation are as follows:

   FIRST DEGREE
    Neophyte for at least nine months;
    Completion of The School of Wicca course in Essential (Basic) Witchcraft or its equivalent;
    Completion of their tools;
    33 hours of public service;
    Having a complete physical including tests for sexually transmitted diseases.
    Promising never to initiate anyone in a manner less difficult / stringent than they were initiated.

   SECOND DEGREE (Flamen/ca Dialis)
    Completion of 60 Psychic Education units with The School of Wicca, or its equivalent (The School will judge and award psychic education points/units for other instruction taken in formal or informal circumstances.)
    A dramatic change in lifestyle (This usually means a job change to a more positive occupation and a move from one locale to another. It does not necessarily mean across country, though long-distance moves are preferred.)
    Raising of a child until at least the age of five OR
    Choosing a terminal patient and giving intimate daily help for a year or until the death of the patient;
    Assisting in a birthing (human or animal);
    Having a food store sufficient for one year OR
    The killing, skinning out, and eating of a wild stag OR
    Farming 10 acres of land for two years;
    At least three years as a practicing public Witch;
    To agree in this lifetime to raise no more than three other persons to the rank of Second Degree;
    Proven ability in a chosen psychic activity (e.g., healing, prediction ...);
    Completion of a vision quest;
    Sustained leadership of their own study group for 12 months or more.

   One of the major difficulties in becoming a second-degree initiate is finding a Second-Degree Initiate to do the initiation -- since Second-Degree Initiates are not allowed to say that they are Second-Degree Initiates.

   THIRD DEGREE
    In general this occurs a minimum of 10 years after a first-degree Initiation. Among the requirements is the departure from a present job and location, moving to a new town, and starting a group which exists for at least one year after the candidate leaves the new town. The candidate is allowed to take to the new location nothing except the clothes he stands up in and money equivalent to $100. The new location is selected by the initiator. Again, finding a Third-Degree Initiate to do this Initiation borders on the impossible.

   MINISTER
    1. First-degree Initiation
    2. A group of four or more neophytes for a year. The Church will prepare a simple quesstionnaire for each neophyte to complete. (Nice, but not required, would be one or two initiates in the group.)
    3. Agreement to submission of a bimonthly activity report.
    4. Agreement to a Code of Ethics
    5. Obtain a church charter from the IRS. (If you need it, the Church will charter you for a maximum of two years to give you legal cover until you get your charter.)

   OUTREACH MINISTER
   The Church will issue time-limited certification to selected covens and missions so that they can form a legal entity under the umbrella of federal recognition earned by the Church.



Church and School of Wicca

The Church and School of Wicca prefers to do things the old fashioned way, hoping that less mail gets lost than email. If it is very important to contact us, please use the information below keeping in mind that we are a church and like donations to help cover our expenses when we respond to your very important inquiries. Thank you and blessed be! The Volunteers!

Mail: PO Box 297-IN, Hinton, WV 25951-0297 USA

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Most recently updated: September 13, 2006 c.e.

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