by Lady Bridget, © 1997
Also known as "The Four Cornerstones of Wicca", or "The Witch's Pyramid", or "The Four Cornerstones of Magick" depending on the tradition and the teaching, but they all refer to the same four basic principles stated here:
to know
to dare
to will
to be silent
To know:
To have the knowledge to do the work you have in mind. This means that you must have enough motivation to pursue learning all you can about the subject. You must also have imagination, for without that you will be simply redoing what others have already done. Remember that knowledge is power, and imagination is the use of that power.
To dare:
The courage needed to do the work, including the courage to carry through to the end and to take all all the consequences which will result. "Where lies your fear, there lies your greatest power." Facing the fear, moving cautiously ahead, and determination to go forward in spite of the fear is the greatest courage known.
To will:
The will is the desire which gives the work it's impetus, without the will, nothing happens. The desire for the outcome of the magick is one of the main driving forces to make it so. If you only want something haphazardly, that is how you will get it. Develop faith in your own abilities, for your own self-doubts will destroy your work more certainly than anyone else's can. A Witch makes magick manifest because she/he "says so", "As I do will, so mote it be" means it happens because I say it does. This is my will, a very powerful tool indeed.
To be silent:
This is the hardest part, especially for newer magi who wish to share their latest working with others. Never share what you are doing with anyone who may cast aspersions or doubts on your work. Remember "power shared is power lost" which is an injunction against loose lips telling all about their latest spell! Be careful with whom you share your secrets. The burning times may be past, but people are still human after all, and emotions such as fear, or jealousy, or envy can certainly hinder any working.
