Code of Ethics for the Apple Branch

Preamble

Having accepted the Call  and recognizing my service to Her and the immanent manifestation of Her in those I serve and in all of life, I voluntarily agree to adopt and commit myself to following principles and actions:

Principles

I make a commitment to myself, to the Divine and to those I serve to act in ways that demonstrate:

• Gratitude: I will constantly be aware of my gratitude and to demonstrate it often and in many ways. I will make every effort to never take anyone for granted and to display healthy sense of pride and humility;
• Advocacy: I will be an advocate for and an example of equality and fairness;
• Service: I accept that my work is in service to Her and is for the purpose of doing good for others; in my work I will always be mindful of my thoughts and actions and the effect they have upon the web of life. I will thrive to be ever mindful to not cause harm to myself or others;
• Mindfulness: I recognize that what is past is past. I also know that what is to come may often be unexpected or might come as a result of my own intentions, but in reality, now is all I have and so will be mindful of my thoughts, actions, and deeds in the present moment and that my focus be on what is going on in the here-and-now;
• Interconnectivity: I acknowledge and accept and agree to remain a consciousness of wholeness, interconnectivity, and earth-mindedness;
• Immanence: I agree to always honor the deity within and without in all living things;
• Autonomy: I agree to value and support the rights of others to choose their own course.

Actions

• I will uphold the principle ethics of my tradition;
• I will actively cultivate my own devotion through daily prayer, personal rituals, and meditation;
• I will honor She who is in me, as I honor Her as She surrounds me by engaging in interaction with all, as though they too, are Divine;
• I will work with others in my Circle and Grove as equals. We are all at a different place on the spiral of learning; no place on the spiral comes with more power within the Circle/Grove except as to the admittance and continuance of students or in the changing of Coven Laws;
• I will continue to read and seek ongoing training to refine my skills and knowledge as a priest/ess;

In my relationships with those I serve:

• I will engage with those I serve in a supportive, encouraging and respectful fashion;
• I will be readily available should those who study with me have questions, to guide, and to assist in ways that will help them achieve their goals;
• I will be an ear when they need one and do my best to provide “wise counsel” when requested;
• I will create the time and space for the required rituals and the needs of those I serve;
• I will, at all times, make every effort to be a role model within my community. I am human and so it is a given that I will make mistakes. I will “own” my actions and do whatever it takes to correct them. I will make every effort to live within this personal code of ethics but not sit in judgment of any other should their code be different from mine;
• I will honor and serve the Goddess within each person;
• I will speak out if I see personal attacks, injustice, back-stabbing, or bullying of any kind, in any place where I encounter it. I will never be silent when a strong voice is needed;
• I will be both direct in my communication and make my best effort to communicate, including listening to and offering feedback to the other women in my Circle, Coven and Grove. In situations where I feel the communication or interaction with another coven member is unclear, I will assume that their intentions are honest and kind and engage the person so that we can seek clarity together;
• Confidentiality is important. I will never divulge personal information you have shared with me without your permission except as required by law;
  I acknowledge and maintain that nothing specific to our Tradition, such as our rites may ever be published;
• I will not engage in multiple relationships with those I serve as teacher or priestess, unless this is in the best interest of the group or the individual;
• I will not engage in sexually harassing behavior toward any member of my community that includes unwelcome and inappropriate touching, patting, or explicit comments, and other behaviors that could be misconstrued as harassing;
• I will not engage in any coerced sexual intercourse with any member and will not use my position of authority to develop such relationship; I recognize, like it or not, as a high priestess I am in a “power over” position with my students. For this reason sexual intimacy with a student is highly discouraged. Should such intimacy be desired by both student and teacher, it is best to end the student/teacher relationship.
• I will report all cases of suspected child abuse as required by law

This ethical code has been reviewed and implemented by the Elders of the Apple Branch. It is the stated code for all who associate within the Apple Branch as students and those ordained as High Priestess/es and Druids. This document will be reviewed on a regular basis for clarity and fairness. This is a living document and all who serve with the Apple Branch have a voice as to its content.