Werfriends Creation Story
Werfriends was created out of the ashes of another group dying. There were 7 members in the beginning. We were all apart of another group in Conway that was disbanded by the owner. The 7 of us wanted to keep learning and doing things so we got together and started talking. The first week in January 2000 we met and started writing out Charter, By-laws, Basic Principles, and Rede. By January 12, 2000 we signed into being Werfriends Study Group. Werfriends stands for We Are Finding Relationships In Eclectic Neighborhoods Down South.
As we grew into the Interfaith Studies that we are today Werfriends became a non-profit religious organization. We have people of all paths, including but not limited to Celtics, Druids, Norse, Native Americans, Christian Wiccans, Egyptians, Eclectics and this list grows all the time. We all learn so much from each other whether it is for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.
We meet weekly to study various topics that the group decides on what they would like to learn about on a quarterly basis. We meet for Sabbats and occasionally an Esbat if it falls on our meeting night. Our topics are wide and diverse, anything from Pagans topics to helpful topics in life.
We are a family oriented group because many of us have children and believe that we are the ones who should be teaching our children about open mindness and other religions. Our children are welcome to attend study group meetings, rituals, and/or any functions that Werfriends Study Group sponsors. Our children are the future and it is up to us to teach them all that we can.
This is just a little bit about Werfriends Creation.
Werfriends Study Group Rede of Honor and Basic Principles
Rede of Honor
2. All that which you do will return to you, sooner or later, for good or for ill. Thus strive to do good to others, or at least strive always to be just.
3. Be honest with yourself, & with others. "This above all; to thine own self be true."
4. Humankind, & especially your own family & folk, has the spark of divinity within it. Protect & nurture that spark.
5. Give your word sparingly, to the best of your ability, and if not; give reason.
6. In the world, your first trust & responsibility should be to your own people. Yet, be kind & proper to others whenever possible.
7. What you have, HOLD!
8. Pass on to others only those words, which you have personally verified.
9. Be honest with others, & let them know that you expect honesty in return, always.
10. The fury of the moment plays folly with the truth; to keeps one's head is a virtue.
11. Know which battles should be fought, & which battles should be avoided. Also, know when to break off conflict. There are times when the minions of chaos are simply too strong or when fate is absolutely unavoidable.
12. When you gain power, use it carefully and use it well.
13. Courage & honor endure forever. Their echoes remain when the mountains have crumbled to dust.
14. Pledge friendship & your services to those who are worthy. Strengthen others of your people & they will strengthen you.
15. Love & care for your family always, & have the fierceness of a wolf in their protection.
16. Honor yourself, have pride in yourself, do your best & forgive yourself when you must.
17. Try always to be above reproach in the eyes of the world.
18. Those of our people should always endeavor to settle any differences among themselves quietly & peaceably.
19. The laws of the land should be obeyed whenever possible & reason, for in the main they have been chosen with wisdom.
20. Have pride in yourself, your family & your folk. They are your promise for the future.
21. Do not neglect your mate & children.
22 Everyone of our people should work according to the best that she/he can do, no matter how small or how great. We are all in this world together; thus we must always help each other along.
23. One advances individually & collectively only by living in harmony with the natural order of the world.
24. The seeking of wisdom is a high virtue. Love of truth, honor courage & loyalty are the hallmarks of the noble soul.
25. Be prepared for whatever the future brings.
26. Life with all its joys, struggles & ambiguities is to be embraced & lived to the fullest!
Basic Principles
1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked
by the phases of the Moon & the seasonal quarters & cross-quarters.
2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our
environment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering
fulfillment to life & consciousness within an evolutionary concept.
3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than is apparent to the average person.
Because it is far greater than ordinary, it is sometimes called "supernatural", but we
see it as lying within that which is naturally
potential to all.
4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the Universe as manifesting through polarity-as
masculine & feminine-and that this same creative Power lives in all people, & functions
through the interaction of the masculine & feminine. We value neither above the other,
knowing each to be supportive of the other.
5. We recognize both outer worlds & inner, or psychological worlds-sometimes known as
the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, the Inner Planes, etc.-and we see the
interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena & magickal
exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our
fulfillment.
6. We honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge & wisdom, &
acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.
7. We see religion, magick, & wisdom-in-living as being united in the way one views the
world & lives within it-a worldview & philosophy of life, which we identify as paganism.
8. Calling oneself "pagan" does not make a pagan but neither does heredity itself, or
the collecting of titles, degrees, & initiations. A pagan seeks to control the forces
within him/herself that make life possible in order to live wisely & well, without harm
to others, & in harmony with nature.
9. We acknowledge that it is the affirmation & fulfillment of life, in a continuation of
evolution & development of consciousness, that gives meaning to the Universe we know, &
to our present role within it.
10. Our only animosity toward Christianity, or toward any other religion or
philosophy-of-life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be "the be
one true right and only way" & have sought to deny freedom to others & suppress other
ways of religious practices & beliefs.
11. As pagans, we are not threatened by debates on the history of paganism, the origins
of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are
concerned with our present & our future.
12. We do not accept the concept of "absolute evil", nor do we worship any entity known
as "Satan" or "the Devil" as defined by Christian Tradition. We do not seek power
through the suffering of others, nor do we accept the concept that personal benefits can
only be derived by denial to another.
13. We work within Nature for that which is contributory to our health & well being.
Werfriends Charter (excerpt )
Purpose The purpose of Werfriends is to expand our opportunities
to learn about our own & others religious & spiritual paths & to create a safe haven for
persons of all paths to learn & grow together. We do not consider ourselves a coven or a
circle, but a group of people coming together to learn & share each individual & unique
wisdom & experiences.
Membership Membership is open to: Any adult 18 or more years of age who agrees with our
by-laws Who has been invited by the Board at the recommendation of a Member Whom we have
met at a public location or Meet N Greet.
The beliefs, ideas, comments, and/or statements of an individual participant/member
reflects only that person's beliefs and ideas and not the ideas and beliefs of the study
group as a whole.
Liability Clause
Werfriends Study Group is not liable for accident, injury, and/or theft during a
Werfriends Study Group function or meeting. Werfriends Study Group does not condone or
encourage any illegal activities. Werfriends Study Group is not in any way liable or
responsible for the actions of an individual member who may choose to engage in such
illegal activities.
All information on this website is copyrighted by Werfriends © 2009
