In UEW, we do not believe that the 3rd Circle should be the goal of every student. While there are many traditions and many non-traditional groups who award degrees or circles to most, if not all of the students that they teach, our approach is different because of our view of what the circles mean. Because this fact has caused confusion amongst many people, this document will explain the meaning of each circle within UEW, what attaining that circle entails, and the responsibilities that come with the circle.

UEW holds the firm belief that Wicca is at heart an experiential religion. We do not believe that any Wiccan need speak to their Gods and Goddesses through the medium of a priestly caste or cadre. Because of this, we teach the fundamentals of ritual practice in the First Circle. We do not, however, believe that this makes every Wiccan a priest or priestess.

This begs the question: what does being a priest/ess mean in a religion that does not require them? We believe that the title and role of priest/ess is to be the repository of knowledge and experience that deepens our tradition and our practice. To make an analogy, while we believe that everyone is a pianist, not all pianists must be composers.

The implication of this is that we not only expect, but strongly encourage, people to stop at the Circle which corresponds to their goals. We encourage people who are not sure if they want to continue to take time to reflect before starting the next journey and to ask themselves if the study of the next degree will give them something they need, or instead will add a responsibility that they do not want to take on. As illustration, most of our students stop at Second Circle.

The First Circle of UEW is a learning time. In the terminology of the Medieval university, it is the Grammar of our practice. We teach our First Circle students the fundamentals of our practice. This includes the history of not only Wicca as a religion, but the history of Universal Eclectic Wicca as well. It includes the principles of our belief, the Five Points and the Fifteen Creeds. It includes basics, from vocabulary to beginner theology. It also includes the tools of how to live as a Wiccan in day to day life, from ritual fundamentals to ethics.

We expect that a someone who has completed study as a First Circle Universal Eclectic Wiccan, is comfortable with and capable of practicing Wicca in a fulfilling way for them. Whether solitary or as part of a group, they should be able to take their place in a ritual Circle, recognize good practice in others, and analyze materials that they find elsewhere critically. Their primary responsibility is to themselves, to live by the Five Points and to deepen their relationship with their God/desses in the course of their life.

It is of note that we do not ask any binding oaths of our First Circle students. All we ask is that they come to us with an open mind and agree to conduct themselves by the Five Points and recognize the Affirmation of Acknowledgement. It is, in our opinion, foolish to bind someone to a religion that they know nothing about. It is expected that our First Circle students will discuss their feelings about Wicca, what they "get" and what they are having trouble with. It is not uncommon for us to recommend that a student investigate another religion entirely. Our goal is not to get another UEW member, but rather to help our students find the best place for them.

Upon entering the Second Circle, this changes. We insist that our Second Circle students have a firm committment to the principles of Universal Eclectic Wicca. In the language of the Medieval university, this is the Dialectic, and our Second Circle curriculum reflects this. We teach the deeper principles of theology and ethics. We teach coven keeping as well as liturgy.

A Second Circle Universal Eclectic Wiccan should be fully equipped to lead a coven and teach the basics of UEW to interested students. They can be sanctioned as Lay Ministers by the Church of Universal Eclectic Wicca and may choose to charter covens within the tradition. Most importantly, they understand the roots of Wiccan practice. Commensurately, the responsibilities of Second Circle are higher: we expect our Second Circle members to be working for and in their communities. While not all people are interested in leading a coven or teaching, these are but two ways that Second Circle members can work. Some choose to do so in the "broom closet," some choose to be open about their beliefs, but our expectation remains the same. Because we expect this to be the terminal degree for most of our members, and because they may choose to become sanctioned lay clergy and to run UEW covens, we expect them be of high ethical character.

The Third Circle, to complete our analogy, is the Rhetoric. It is at this level that our members take the Grammar and the Dialectic and use them to create, to illuminate, and to educate. The expectations here are high, to the point that we encourage people to take time to assess whether they truly wish these responsibilities. A Third Circle student's primary lesson revolves around creating a new body of work, a unique contribution to Wicca in general and UEW in particular. But more than this, a Third Circle student makes their religion not just a part of their life, but the core of their life. According to our clergy handbook, having reached Third Circle and becoming ordained is referred to as Monastic clergy, with the obvious implication.

Our Third Circle clergy are people who are elders, teachers, and writers, people who are resources for the UEW community and every community with which they are involved. They also are responsible for evolving the ideas and clearly communicating and continuing the ideals of Universal Eclectic Wicca.

-- What this all means

By this point, you may be thinking, "I want to study, research and write about Wicca, so I must continue to the Third Circle." This cannot be further from the truth. UEW expects a fairly unusual amount of scholarly interest and ability from its students, and thus it is expected that many of our members, no matter what degree they have, will contribute intellectually.

Similarly, you may be thinking, "I want to study Wiccan theology, so I must continue to the Second Circle." This also is not the case. If you express interest, you will find someone to teach you here. It is important to note that I do not mean a shallow expression, e.g. a simple statement of your interest ("Can anyone tell me about the Gods worshipped in pre-Roman Spain?"), but rather an exhibition of interest that shows that you are serious ("I've found this book on the religious practices of pre-Roman Spain. I'm having trouble understanding a couple of things. Can anyone point me to better resources or explain what this particular bit means?")

You should choose to start the next Circle because you feel like you are called to do so, that in order to be fulfilled, you must take on those responsibilities. We aren't going away; you can take your time to be sure this is what you want. And you should talk about it with your teachers, by asking honest questions and providing honest (even if painfully so) answers.