General Wiccan Etiquette

• It's a huge no-no to identify anyone as participating in Wicca. Wiccans are still subject to persecution and prejudice. It may seriously harm someone to share this information with even one person.

• Don't assume that since some people know Jane Doe is a Witch, everyone does. A Witch may "come out of the broom closet" to only certain people.

• If by accident, something you say may have tipped people off, tell the Witch involved as soon as possible exactly what was said so she/he can decide how to handle the situation.

• Don't proselytize. You can tell people about it if they ask, but Wiccans are not looking to “convert’ people.

Altar Etiquette

Wiccan etiquette around altars is especially important. A Wiccan altar is sacred space, and ritual tools are highly attuned to the person using them.

• Do not touch any item on the altar, and assume that it’s not appropriate to touch any ritual tool or item. If you are close to them, or you Circle together, it's okay to ask if you can hold it.

• Interpret any hesitation as a "no."  Gracefully accept a "no." It may not be anything personal. Some things are simply too private to share, and many people put a great deal of effort into consecrating and charging their ritual and magickal items.

• Ask before placing things on a group altar. Usually for group work, you will know ahead of time the kinds of things that might be appropriate. But sometimes very specific energy is being raised, and other items may not serve the ritual.

• Avoid talking about your sacred items and spiritual practices with "outsiders." People who don't use them don't understand, and it dilutes your Power to share sacred things with them. Especially if they turn out to be judgmental about it.

Wiccan Etiquette For Magick Spells

Here are some magick tips to help you keep yourself -- and others -- safe when you are doing magick.

• Do your research before doing magick. Magick spells are not for beginners -- too much can go wrong.

When you start practicing magick spells, start small and easy, and make sure you put in the all-important caveat:   "This I call, its equivalent or better, and it harm none."

• Never do a magick spell that seeks to control anyone else. That includes spells you think are for their own good. (This puts a damper on most love spells.)

This also means magick should not be used to try to change people, or influence their decisions. 

• Only cast a spell for another person if they have asked you to do so. And then only the spell they've asked for.

• The exception to the prior 2 tips is when you have spiritual authority for another's well-being. For example, animals or children under 12 who are under your care. But even so, check carefully to make sure what you are planning is aligned with Divine will.

• Remember the Wiccan Rede . . . "Do as you will, and harm none."

In magick, this tips your hand toward caution. Using magick to do something that harms others incidentally can be as harmful as harming others intentionally.

• Think through the repercussions. Don't do large-scale magick recklessly. Weather magick will change the natural pattern . . . You could be responsible for far-off droughts or floods, or serious disruption of local weather patterns.

• Be respectful of others; don't do magick in public. Your magick-making should take place somewhere other people are not likely to interrupt you, and your spells are best kept out of sight. This is partly a matter of respect for others' space. And partly to keep your magick spells strong and on-focus.

• Clean up your magickal residue. Release the directions and deities, erase signs and symbols, and open the circle before you leave.

Etiquette During Ritual

•  If you are personally invited to a circle do not assume it is O.K. to bring anyone else. If you have a friend, relative, child or significant other whom you would like to bring please ask the High Priest or High Priestess first. Some covens are more open than others .

• If you have been invited to a Circle which is not publicly advertised please do not discuss it with anyone without checking with the Leaders first. Private circles are by invitation only and it is never good to assume who the other attendees of a particular circle will be. Respect the privacy of those in the circle and never mention who was there to anyone.

• If you have been a copy of the ritual in advance, read it completely.  Bring your copy to the ritual.  If you have been asked to perform a speaking part in the ritual,  read your part aloud before the ritual so that you are comfortable speaking the words.  You may choose to reprint your speaking part in a larger size so that it can be easily read in the candlelight of the circle.

• Offer to help the organizers of the ritual.  Rituals can become expensive and are a lot of work for the organizers.  Offering to help, and following through, can make the ritual planning process much better for the organizers.  Offer to do things like bring fresh flowers, arrive early to set up, etc. Fulfill your commitments. If you've agreed to do something for the ritual, etiquette requires that you see it through because others are depending on you. If you absolutely can't, then it is your responsibility to find someone to adequately fill in for you.

• Support the leaders! Avoid complaining about them or the ritual. People need to hear what they did right. Unless they specifically ask for constructive feedback, bite your tongue. Show them a better way, if you have one, by leading the next ritual yourself.

• Be on time. You should arrive at least 30 minutes before the start of the ritual to relax, center, and socialize before the ritual. If you are going to be more than 15 minutes late, consider not attending the ritual.  Ask the organizers the best way to handle lateness.

• Plan to spend as long as necessary at the ritual, and try not to plan things for afterwards.  Rituals take as long as they take, and if someone has a time constraint, it can be very distracting and disruptive to the energy flow.

• Ask what the mode of dress is for the circle you will be attending.  Dress appropriately.

• Come to the ritual clean, and refrain from wearing any type of perfume or scents that may interfere with the ritual.

• Before the ritual, remove all unnecessary jewelry, hats, watches, etc before entering the circle. 

• Remove your shoes, if possible.  It’s much easier to ground with the Earth.

• Help clean up! It's amazing how people who are so appreciative can vanish as soon as the ritual ends.

• Participate fully. Sing, and if you don't know the words, hum, or clap, or drum. . . It's everyone's participation that makes a ritual work. If you're not adding to the ritual, you are a weight on the collective energy, so join in however you can.

• Stay on focus  -- don't chit-chat. Come early to have time to socialize. Ritual time is too precious - and too scarce - to be frittered away.

• No talking in circle unless you are specifically invited. Stories, anecdotes and discussion in circle are strictly limited to craft related topics. And remember: whatever you hear in circle is confidential. If you find someone's story valuable and would like to share it outside the circle (without names of course) please ask permission of the story teller first.

• Always move deosil (clockwise) when walking around the circle. In other words: when you enter the circle turn left and you will be going the right way

• When the Quarters or Elements (the four directions) are being called turn and face the same direction the leader is facing. If you are unfamiliar with arm gestures and responses being used just stand quietly or try to follow along.

• The Leader may invoke a god or goddess during the ritual which means the deity has entered the body of the leader and may speak through them. Do not talk at all during an invocation unless the god or goddess specifically asks YOU a question.

• If you receive some juice or wine do not drink it all immediately. Be prepared to offer a toast to the gods. It is customary to offer part of your juice, wine and cake or cookie to the gods as a libation. There may be a bowl or bowls provided for this purpose or if the circle is outdoors the libations may be put directly on the Earth. Watch members of the host coven.

• Be aware when moving into and out of sacred space. Ritual etiquette and magickal process require that if you need to leave the Circle, cut a "doorway" in the Circle boundaries, and seal it behind you. (Or have someone do this for you.) Repeat when re-entering. But it's best to plan ahead and not leave the Circle unless you absolutely must. Even with care, energy is disrupted and lost, so the best ritual etiquette is to stay with it all the way through.

• It's not Drop-In/Out. It is rude to leave a church in the middle of a service, and it is just as bad ritual etiquette in Pagan circles. If you know ahead of time that you must leave, let others know... and be prepared: they may tell you it would not be appropriate, and that if you can't stay for the whole thing, to please not join in. If something comes up and you must leave, unexpectedly, tell someone quietly what is going on, and unobtrusively exit the Circle.

• No cell phones in Circle. A phone ringing immediately takes everyone's attention from the internal to the external, from the magick to a distraction. Turn your phone off and forget about it for the duration of the ritual. 

• Never take photos during ritual. Wiccan rituals are not spectator sports. If you are taking pictures, you aren't participating in the ritual. Cameras remove you from the energy, like a wall between you and experience. Also, it shifts everyone's focus away from the magick. Only take photos of Witches at gatherings with their express permission.

• Do not bring children and animals, unless you know for certain they are welcome at the ritual.

• Drugs and alcohol are not appropriate in sacred space. Even, sometimes, prescribed drugs should not be used -- anything that affects your attention, behavior, or energy will affect the ritual and should be avoided. Individual groups may have different rules on whether intoxicants may be used within ritual, but in any case, you should arrive at the ritual clean and sober, and able to function properly.

• Bring something for the feast that everyone can enjoy, if at all possible. If you are attending a public ritual, make a small card listing the ingredients of your dish.