Credo – I believe.

This phrase, not typically associated with witchcraft, is often overlooked in the context of the Witches’ Pyramid or the Four Words of the Magus: To Know, To Will, To Dare, and To Keep Silent.

The Witch, it is said, does not rely on belief; she knows.

Know—don’t wish, or think … Know.

The ancient Greeks, with their inscription gnothi seauton (“know thyself”) at Delphi, emphasized knowledge over faith. In witchcraft, certainty defines our ability to perform the Craft. Belief may be the spark, but knowledge is the flame.

The Four Words, sometimes referred to as the “Four Powers of the Magus” or “Witches’ Pyramid,” are often attributed to Eliphas Levi, a French occultist who lived in the 1800s. According to Ben Gruagach, what is sometimes called the “four powers of the sphinx,” specifically to know, to will, to dare, and to keep silent, appears to have been invented by Levi. There doesn’t appear to be any reference to the concept prior to his two-volume book Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie, first published in 1854.

However, as noted by Prof. Robert Mathiesen in that same Facebook discussion, the work Arbatel, first published in 1575, says in several places that a magician ought to value silence or taciturnity. These four powers specifically are, to the best of his knowledge, mentioned before Levi only in an anonymous work on the “Egyptian Mysteries” from the late 1700s. This is not the ancient work by Iamblichus, but another, lesser work. It states: “Always remember your guiding principles: knowledge, will, courage, silence.” Part II, symbol 5.

So they came from somewhere—but nobody seems absolutely certain of their origin.

In Paul Huson’s interpretation, the four cornerstones of the Witches’ Pyramid are: a virulent imagination, a will of fire, rock-hard faith, and a flair for secrecy. These correspond to the Four Words: To Know, To Dare, To Will, and To Keep Silent.

Let’s explore each [The following four paragraphs are adapted from similar pieces online at silverlotus.net/wicca/magic/four-powers-of-the-magus/ and windingstream.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/the-witchs-pyramid-tacere/]:

To Know (Noscere in Latin) is the foundation, urging us to seek truth relentlessly through study, experience, intuition, and observation. It is associated with Air and intelligence, emphasizing the pursuit of truth and the clarity of perception. The Witch must seek knowledge through books, lived experience, inner knowing, and observation. To Know means to understand the forces you work with, the consequences of your actions, and the nature of your own soul. It is not enough to dabble or guess; the Witch must be disciplined and thorough in her quest for knowledge.

To Will (Velle in Latin) is the engine of magic, focusing thoughts and emotions to shape reality. It is associated with Water and demands inner strength, emotional clarity, and mental discipline. To Will is not mere wishing; it is active, deliberate, and fierce. The Witch must cultivate inner strength, emotional clarity, and mental discipline. Will is the ability to concentrate, to visualize, to direct energy with precision and purpose. Without Will, knowledge is inert; Will is what drives the spell, what holds the vision, what commands the energy.

To Dare (Auder in Latin) is the courage to act, challenging boundaries and confronting fear. Associated with Fire, it encourages boldness and transformation. To Dare is the leap into the unknown, the willingness to challenge boundaries, and the bravery to confront fear. Magic is not safe; it demands risk. It demands transformation. To Dare is to step into power, even when the outcome is uncertain. The Witch must dare to speak truth, to walk a different path, to defy convention. Daring is not recklessness—it is boldness tempered by wisdom. It is the fire that burns away hesitation and ignites change.

To Keep Silent (Tacere in Latin) is the guardian of the Craft, emphasizing discretion, timing, and the protection of sacred knowledge. It is associated with Earth, symbolizing stability and grounding. To Keep Silent is the discipline of discretion, the wisdom of timing, and the protection of sacred knowledge. Silence is not secrecy for its own sake—it is the shield that preserves power, the space where intuition speaks, and the boundary that keeps magic intact.

To Keep Silent is like a seed being planted in the earth. You don’t constantly dig up that seed every day to see if it has sprouted. If you do that, you will kill it. You have to wait for it to take root and sprout on its own, in its own time. That’s also how magic works—on its own, in its own time.

Spellwork is not a public performance. It is an intimate exchange—an energetic contract between practitioner, participant, and the unseen forces that govern outcome. It demands respect, not spectacle.

And yet, there is a fifth word: Credo. I believe.

Belief matters. It is not a substitute for knowledge but the force that propels us toward it. Belief sustains us when certainty is elusive, fueling our search and anchoring us through silence, daring, and will. Without belief, the ritual is hollow, the spell mechanical, and the path brittle.

Belief is also protection, shaping our reality and choices, and grounding us in a world that often misunderstands Witchcraft. Perhaps belief is not the absence of knowing—but the invitation to begin.

The recent events surrounding the satirical piece “We Paid Some Etsy Witches to Curse Charlie Kirk,” published by Jezebel on September 8, 2025, highlight the complexities of public spellwork. The article’s closing line, “Spellwork is a collaboration between the caster, the client, and the universe itself,” became a lightning rod for controversy after Kirk’s death.

This incident underscores the importance of discretion in magical practices. Visibility invites scrutiny. Spectacle invites backlash.
In a Discord discussion, someone shared that quote with admiration. A Discord response was: “Spellwork is a collaboration between the caster, the client, and the universe itself.” Another voice in the thread offered a quiet but pointed reminder: “You don’t go broadcasting your spellwork in the Village Square. That’s something a lot of the Oldtimers seem to have forgotten, and most of the newcomers have yet to learn.”

The Social Media Witches—whether on Etsy, TikTok, or any other platform—often act as if they’re immune to the aftereffects of the publicity they generate. But they’re not. And as fictional Inspector Kemp once said, with unsettling accuracy: A riot is an ugly thing… undt, I tink, that it is chust about time ve had vun.”

And sometimes, the riot isn’t metaphorical.

On September 9, 2025, The Wild Hunt reported an attack on a Fort Wayne business owner in his metaphysical store, believed to be a hate-motivated assault. This chilling reminder of the consequences of public misunderstanding emphasizes the need for witches to keep themselves safe, polish their wards and shields, and remain resolute in the face of fear.

This wasn’t a random act. It was targeted. It was personal. And it was fueled by the same cultural undercurrents that turn satire into stigma and visibility into vulnerability.

So keep yourselves safe, folks. Polish your wards and your shields. Renew them regularly. Don’t be afraid—but don’t be stupid about it, either.

The Witches’ Pyramid, with its Five Words—To Know, To Will, To Dare, To Keep Silent, and To Believe—forms the essence of our magic.

Perhaps this is the true meaning of the Pentagram, where each point represents a fundamental aspect of our practice and belief. The Pentagram, with its five points, can be seen as a visual representation of these Five Words, each one essential to the whole, each one supporting and enhancing the others.

Just as the Pentagram is a symbol of protection and power, these Five Words are the foundation of our magical work and our spiritual journey. They remind us of the balance and harmony we seek in our Craft, and they guide us as we navigate the complexities of knowledge, will, courage, discretion, and belief.

Whether viewed as a pyramid or a pentagram, these principles are the cornerstones of our magic, the breath of our spirit, and the rhythm of our lives.

They are the tools we use to shape reality, to connect with the divine, and to walk the path of the Witch.

So let us embrace these Five Words, let them be our compass and our shield, and let them guide us as we continue to grow, to learn, and to believe in the power of our Craft.

And when fear creeps in, remember the words of Frank Herbert’s Litany Against Fear:

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

And that is the essence of the Witch.
Not untouched by fear, but unbroken by it.
Not immune to danger, but unwilling to be ruled by it.
Not reckless, but resolute.

We walk paths that others fear to tread. We speak truths that others dare not name. We shape reality with our will, our knowledge, our courage—and our silence.

Because we believe.
We believe in the power of our Craft.
We believe in the sanctity of our practice.
We believe in ourselves.

To Know
To Will
To Dare
To Keep Silent
To Believe

These are not just words. They are the bones of our magic, the breath of our spirit, the rhythm of our lives.

So walk wisely. Speak carefully. Shield fiercely. And never forget:
You are the spell.
You are the circle.
You are the Witch.