View Blog - Pagan/Wiccan Rede

Search

Member Login

Navigation

Home
Blogs
Calendar
Photos
Polls

About Us

Links
FAQs
Terms of Service
Privacy Policy
Site Map
Contact Us

Links

3 of 37 linksDe'Ana Psychic Director...
Wingmakers
Church and School of Wi...

Gray-Spirit > BLOG ARCHIVE

Pagan/Wiccan Rede

Posted by: Tanoro - January 05, 2007

The Pagan's Rede

Bide the Wiccan Laws we must

In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.
Live and let live,
Fairly take and fairly give.
Cast the Circle thrice about
To keep the evil spirits out.
To bind the spell every time
Let the spell be spake in rhyme.

Soft of eye and light of touch,

Speak little, listen much.
Deosil go by the waxing moon,
Chanting out the Witches' Rune.
Widdershins go by the waning moon,
Chanting out the baneful rune.
When the Lady's moon is new,
Kiss the hand to her, times two.
When the moon rides at her peak,
Then your heart's desire seek.
Heed the North wind's mighty gale,
Lock the door and drop the sail.

When the wind comes from the South,

Love will kiss thee on the mouth.
When the wind blows from the West,
Departed souls will have no rest.
When the wind blows from the East,
Expect the new and set the feast.

Nine woods in the cauldron go,
Burn them fast and burn them slow.
Elder be the Lady's tree,
Burn it not or cursed you'll be.
When the Wheel begins to turn,
Let the Beltane fires burn.
When the Wheel has turned to Yule,
Light the log and the Horned One rules.
Heed ye Flower, Bush and Tree,
By the Lady, blessed be.
Where the rippling waters go,
Cast a stone and truth you'll know.
When ye have a true need,
Hearken not to others' greed.
With a fool no season spend,
Lest ye be counted as his friend.
Merry meet and merry part,
Bright the cheeks and warm the heart.
Mind the Threefold Law you should,
Three times bad and three times good.
When misfortune is enow,
Wear the blue star on thy brow.
True in Love ever be,
Lest thy lover's false to thee.
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill:
An ye harm none, do what ye will.

The Pagan's Rede dates back hundreds of years. Though the above is the bulky, poetic version, only the final line really needs to be understood. "An ye harm none, do what ye will." Utilizing more conventional wording, it states "So long as you harm no one, do what you want." This rede is the sole commandment of the Pagan path. It is the only rules we have to guide our actions and our etiquette. It is the very core of what we consider perfect conduct.

This, as simple a phrase as it is, is a very tall order. It applies not only to what you do with magick, but everything you do! It also applies not only to what you do to people, but to everything; plants, animals, people of other religions, everything! All deserve their respect, even if they give you none in return. This way of thinking alone sets you up on a good path for yourself and others. Some people believe that you must give respect to get it, but it all starts somewhere. If everyone waited for the respect of others, no one would ever get any respect. That, unfortunately, is a common problem among people today. Some people who accept the Pagan path have unusual difficulty and even shame in respecting plants and animals. It is hard for some to respect other life forms as equals. This must be overcome to accept the Rede.

By the way, let's get more accustomed to the word "harm." This does not apply only to physical harm. It applies to emotional harm as well. If you steal money from someone and leave them with nothing, you have successfully harmed them, even if they were unaware of it. It does not matter how you harm someone. In addition, when the rede says "harm none," this applies to yourself as well. You are not allowed to harm yourself or let harm be brought to you. For those of you who are children beneath your parents' roof, punishment or scolding from your parents is not considered harm. Scolding brought on by your parents is for the purpose of correcting you and is for your better good. Preventing harm to yourself means not letting someone hurt you for their benefit. Stand up for yourself and do not let others be harmed. To live and love for yourself and others is the foundation of the Rede.

Some of you may be asking yourself about hunting or fishing. It is, unfortunately, impossible to get food of any kind without harming either a plant or animal. This, however, doesn't mean you should lose respect for them. You can kill a deer for food, but being wasteful with your kill is disrespectful and wrong.

It's as simple as that. Though it's merely a short and simple sentence, its order is tall and precise. Following the Pagan's Rede is among the first commitments of the aspiring Pagan. If you can't respect all that lives as your equal, you should choose a different path. However, this Rede, you will find, lives up to most of the by-laws you'll find in other religions. It is our way to life and love and it has been our foundation for hundreds of years.