Here you will find our beliefs, our myths, our holidays and their meanings, all of the foundations for our religion. Our ethics and our actions all arise from our basic beliefs about the nature of the world.
As mentioned earlier, Circle of Firelight has much in common with Wicca; one of the commonalities is the belief in the precept of "An (if) it harm none, do as thou wilt". That means that any action which harms no one, including the person taking the action, is acceptable; however, our definition of harm is very strict, encompassing any negative result that impacts another living being. Since we also believe that nature is in a constant state of conflict, with each life form being dependent on the death of another in order to stay alive, we recognize that at times one must act in a way that harms another. In that case, one's responsibility is to minimize the harm that comes of the action one must take, causing no harm that is not necessary to sustain life. Each individual is responsible first and foremost for self and any dependents (children, pets, etc.), then to their family, their community, their species, and their planet. Where conflict of interest arises, it is to each person to evaluate the risks and benefits of each course of action available, choosing that which causes least risk of harm, and greatest benefit in accordance with our responsibilities to each other.
We recognize what is called in some neopagan circles "The Law of Karma", or "What goes around, comes around". Some are familiar with it as the 3-fold law, but we do not believe in a set limit to the degree to which one's actions return; we are only certain that they do. Every action that we take, for good or ill, sets in motion a chain of events that will eventually return the nature of the action to us. If we help another, they benefit, they may be able to help another person, who also benefits, and that person in the end may speak of us with good will - another benefit. If we cause harm to another, they will bear ill will against us, and speak ill of us, withholding their aid in the future; one way and another, our actions rebound upon ourselves, and it is for us to determine if that will be for good or ill. Each action is likely to return at least 3-fold, but that is not a set limit. The practical result of this belief is that we live in accordance with the principle that we must "do unto others as we would have them do unto us". The basis for this belief may vary with the religion, but it is common to most religions we recognize as positive.
