The Witch's Pyramid: Discipline and Silence

I can't seem to recall the last time I heard the Witch's Pyramid being referenced online, if I ever did.  Yet, for many, the Witch's Pyramid remains a cornerstone of their faith, a model for every spell, every ethical scenario, and as a way of life.  For those who don't know, the pyramid goes like this:

To

Know

To Will

To Dare

To Keep Silent

All four pillars are related to one of each of the four elements.  To know, which some interpret as "acquiring the basic information," but which I think is better ascribed to every situation a witch encounters to know when to act or withdraw, is associated with air.  To will is associated with fire, and obviously it is just that: the desire to manifest change, to truly want something.  To dare is associated with water, and it is the impetus to action, putting both knowledge and will to work.  Finally, to keep silent is associated with the element of earth, and, surprisingly, I think it is the corner of the pyramid that most witches today forget.

What does it mean, besides the obvious, to "keep silent"?  In spellcraft, some witches believe that speaking about the spell will nullify it.  Is this what it means to keep silent?  Or what about the Burning Times, when covens had to maintain secrecy above all else?  Does "keeping silent" mean not ratting out your co-worker because she requested Samhain off before you got the chance? 

Well, yes and no.

Keeping silent involves all of those things, but it also involves something else: keeping your goddamn trap shut no matter how much you want to vomit words and useless information over everyone you come across.  The Witch's Pyramid is ultimately about discipline.  It teaches you to assess a situation TO KNOW when you are needed and when you are not.  If there is some worthwhile action you could take, the Pyramid teaches you to look within yourself, to see if your WILL is in accordance with this knowledge.  Just because you could choose to act, does not mean that you desire to.  To make a difficult ethical choice requires a great amount of discipline.  The Pyramid teaches you TO DARE, to try, if your brain and heart can agree.  "To dare" implies a certain amount of risk along with action; to force yourself to take a risk is also an act of discipline.

And if it all goes off without a hitch?

The Pyramid teaches us TO KEEP SILENT, not to brag.  Even if it doesn't go off quite as you intended, the Pyramid still councils the witch to keep her disappointments close to her heart.  Leaving cryptic facebook messages begging for attention is the act of a child, not a witch.  Some might not agree with me when I say that there is a certain amount of decorum involved in being a witch, and that's fine.  However, it is indisputable that there is a lot of DISCIPLINE involved in being a witch.  There is no pastor to call you when you have missed services, no one to nag you about duty or obligation (in most cases).  It's just you.  And if you can't keep from sharing that latest bathroom selfie because OMG LOOK AT THIS PIMPLE than your pyramid might be a bit precarious.  Just sayin'.