One's Highest Ideal

Within Traditional Wicca, there is the concept of acting with respect to one's "Highest Ideal" - as is stated within the "Charge of the Goddess" where the Moon Goddess speaks:

"Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside."

One's "Highest Ideal" can be likened to one's "True Will" as found within the Thelemetic magickal tradition, where an individual, a follower of that path acts in accordance with their Higher Self, one's Holy Guardian Angel.


Within the more traditional branches of Wicca, certain passwords are provided - those being "Perfect Love and Perfect Trust" and prior to initiation into the Wiccan Priesthood, the Dedicate is expected to have meditated upon these passwords to understand their "true" or "deeper" meaning. Likewise, a Wiccan novice/neophyte seeking entry into the Inner Court of a more traditional coven is expected to fully understand, or at least gie due consideration, to the words of the Goddess and endeavour to "strive ever towards their highest ideal" for this implies that as the Wiccan novice/neophyte grows within the Craft, their horizons, personal limitations and preconceptions will continuously expand and mature.

In essence, the Wiccan novice/neophyte is embarking on the endless quest of learning. The passwords of the Wiccan priesthood, "Prefect Love and Perfect Trust" are very appropriate as they indicate unconditional (Perfect) compassion (Love) and wisdom (Trust). These passwords also provide a standard the Wiccan novice/neophyte aspires to against which to measure actions, motivations and growth.


This is because our actions ground and concretize our morality (or our lack of morality) in our daily lives. This grounding creates the habits and the environment that fuel and reinforce our future directions. If we claim to value compassion, personal responsibility and self-knowledge (in other words: to have a conscience), but we enact selfishness, self-indulgence, and constant emotional self-stimulation, it is these latter qualities that we will invoke into manifestation in our minds, and our environment.


Based on an article entitled "Morality and Modern Paganism" by Apollonius-Mithras