Universal Eclectic Wicca: Encyclopedia - Universal Eclectic Wicca

Universal Eclectic Wicca

CUEW is the Church of Universal Eclectic Wicca, or UEW, an incorporated church with tax exemption in the United States.

Universal Eclectic Wicca - History

UEW is not a "familial tradition" and does not claim existence from ancient times. UEW does claim existence from previous incarnations beginning in about 1969.

Universal Eclectic Wicca - Core Beliefs

Intellectual responsibility is one of UEW's highest goals, and they do not compromise on the educational requirements for their members. UEW does not teach how to turn your significant other into any type of reptilian or amphibian form, does not teach spells, and focuses on the religion of Wicca rather than the trappings thereof. There are plenty of places that will teach you where they think you should put your athame.

UEW stands for Universal Eclectic Wicca. Universalism acknowledges the existence of truth in many different places. Eclectism is the practice of taking from many places, while having the knowledge of precisely what you are taking and why you are using that particular "thing.". UEW encourages experimentation and exploration towards those things in religious life that work and letting go of those things that don't. UEW defines Wicca as any religion that calls itself Wicca, AND believes in a god/force/power/whatever that is either genderless, both genders or manifests as a male/female polarity that for convenience is called "the Lord and Lady." AND upholds the Five Points of Wiccan Belief.

1. The Wiccan Rede (and not just "harm none)

2. The Law of Return - what you give will come back to you. UEW does not teach a specific multiplier. The universe is a bit too random for that.

3. The Ethic of Self-Responsibility - This is the "big one." If things go wrong, you can't put the blame on someone else, or some evil entity, or "psychic attack" or "Satan ate my homework." Life just doesn't work that way. Of course, bad things do happen to good people, and they are not "at fault" but the point is that too much time is spent finding others to blame. Taking responsibility for your own life and the direction you want to take is quite important to us. "I act in this obnoxious overbearing way because I'm an Aries" just doesn't fly with UEW.

4. The Ethic of Constant Improvement - Sitting like a lump and waiting for enlightenment isn't going to work in CUEW. As you work to constantly improve yourself, you are doing the best job possible with the materials you were given.

5. The Ethic of Attunement - Always strive to be in tune with Divinity. The Self is Divine. The Gods are Divine, and the Universe is Divine. Strive to be in harmony with all three aspects of Divinity.

Universal Eclectic Wicca - Role of Clergy

Clergy in UEW have the same role as clergy anywhere else. The only caveat is that achieving clergy status in UEW is not as simple as it may be elsewhere. It takes a serious commitment even to achieve lay minister status. UEW has both lay clergy and monastic clergy.

Universal Eclectic Wicca - Organization of Groups

UEW has an online teaching presence, called the Coven of the Far Flung Net, which teaches the first two circles of UEW thought in an online format. There are also several offline opportunities for learning. The workload for a student of CFFN is substantial, and students are encouraged not to apply if they can't devote the time and effort necessary to truly research and write quality lessons and be prepared to defend them. UEW is almost fanatical in its desire for students to follow directions.

UEW's First Circle textbook is "All One Wicca" by Kaat MacMorgan, available at for free at All One Wicca.

Holidays =

UEW loves holidays. The more holidays, the merrier. UEW takes its holidays from the Wheel of the Year, but does not enforce their celebration, or rituals at any particular times.

Universal Eclectic Wicca - Standards of Conduct

Be Excellent to Each Other :-). UEW expects people to act like reasonable adults. If they don't, they have far more problems than just being kicked out of the Trad. UEW also insists on agreement with a standard of conduct towards other religions they call the Affirmation of Acknowledgment. It goes like this:

I: I acknowledge the presence of other faiths* on my planet, indeed, right here in my city/town/village. I acknowledge that the followers of these faiths feel as strongly, maybe more so, than I do about mine.

II: I forgive the other faiths and wipe clean the slate between us. I cannot hold a person responsible for the acts of their faith, I cannot hold a faith at fault for individual practitioners. It is not my place to convert, or otherwise alter a person's religion. I invite discussion of beliefs without judgment of those holding them.

III: I acknowledge that I may be wrong, and I have found comfort in the fact that I may be right.

• The word "faith" is used here as opposed to Religion. A Faith is a non-specific religion or religious Philosophy, like Christianity. Religions within the Christian Faith include Catholicism, Fundamentalism, Protestantism, Vineyard Christianity and more.

UEW charges all religions to uphold the Affirmation of Acknowledgment and often refuses to hold discourse with those who will not.

Universal Eclectic Wicca - Ways of Worship

Those are left up to the individual, for the most part. There are UEW groups that do rituals in particular ways, but there are no set "you will do it THIS way and no other."

Universal Eclectic Wicca - Reading and Other References

For details on the Church of Universal Eclectic Wicca, or the Coven of the Far Flung Net, or offline learning opportunities, please see the CUEW website

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Universal Eclectic Wicca", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki