Bide the Wiccan Laws we must
In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfil:
"and ye harm none, do what ye will."
LEST IN THY SELF-DEFENSE IT BE,
Ever mind the rule of three.
Keep these words in mind and heart,
and merry ye meet and merry ye part.
These words have been the source of controversy, theological disemination and misunderstanding.They have also been the moral compass for many followers of Wicca. there is also a longer version: Breaking Down the 26 Couplets of the Wiccan Rede This is also sometimes called The Wiccan Rede. It was first published in Green Egg Magazine in 1975 when it was submitted by Lady Gwen Thompson, who had it given to her by her grandmother, Adriana Porter. Nobody really knows how old it is, but it is a central pillar of the Wiccan faith. 1. Bide the Wiccan Laws ye must
in perfect love and perfect trust.
2. Live and let live -
fairly take and fairly give.
3. Cast the Circle thrice about
to keep all evil spirits out.
4. To bind the spell every time,
let the spell be spake in rhyme.
5. Soft of eye and light of touch -
speak little, listen much.
6. Deosil go by the waxing Moon -
sing and dance the Wiccan rune.
7. Widdershins go when the Moon doth wane,
and the werewolf howls by the dread Wolfsbane.
8. When the Lady's Moon is new,
kiss the hand to her times two.
9. When the Moon rides at her peak,
then your heart's desire seek.
10. Heed the Northwind's mighty gale -
lock the door and drop the sail.
11. When the wind comes from the South,
love will kiss thee on the mouth.
12. When the wind blows from the East,
expect the new and set the feast.
13. When the West wind blows o'er thee,
departed spirits restless be.
14. Nine woods in the Cauldron go,
burn them quick and burn them slow.
15. Elder be ye Lady's tree,
burn it not or cursed ye'll be.
16. When the Wheel begins to turn -
let the Beltane fires burn.
17. When the Wheel has turned a Yule,
light the Log and let Pan rule.
18. Heed ye flower, bush and tree -
by the Lady blessed be.
19. Where the rippling waters go,
cast a stone and truth ye'll know.
20. When ye have need,
hearken not to others' greed.
21. With the fool no season spend
or be counted as his friend.
22. Merry meet and merry part -
bright the cheeks and warm the heart.
23. Mind the Threefold Law ye should -
three times bad and three times good.
24. When misfortune is enow,
wear the blue star on thy brow.
25. True in love ever be
unless thy lover's false to thee.
26. Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfil,
an it harm none, do what ye will. What all that means: 1. You must practice Wicca with an attitude of perfect love and trust - if you are not sure it is right for you, perhaps you need to rethink your path.
2. Respect both people and Nature - treat them as you would like to be treated.
3. When casting the magick circle, it is generally walked three times. Three is magickal number - it stands for the three aspects of the God and Goddess, it is the number of creativity and also refers to the Threefold Law.
4. Witches cast spells in rhyme to keep the conscious mind busy while the subconscious focuses on the desire and taps into the energy of the Universe.
5. Sit back and be quiet - wise people don't blab, they listen.
6. When the Moon is waxing, go deosil (anticlockwise in Australia) around the magick circle to bring good things towards you: ie. cast the circle deosil under the waxing Moon.
7. When the Moon is waning, go widdershins (clockwise) around the circle to drive away negativity: ie. cast the circle widdershins under the waning Moon. Wolfsbane is dreaded because it is poisonous.
8. When the Moon has just become visible again after the Dark of the Moon, salute and welcome the Lady by kissing your first two fingers.
9. When the Moon is full, go after your heart's desire. When the Goddess is at the peak of her powers, you can ask almost anything of her.
10 - 13. These couplets describe elements associated with the four directions (North, East, South, West).
14 - 15. There are nine species of magickal wood that are burned in the cauldron during ritual - apple, birch, fir, hawthorn, hazel, oak, rowan, vine and willow. The elder is the Goddess' tree and because of this it is never burned - it is always spared.
16 - 17. The turning of the wheel is the cycle of the year - Beltane is the greater sabbat that occurs in the spring, Yule is the lesser sabbat that occurs on the Winter Solstice.
18. Take care of nature - respect it as a sign of respect to the Goddess.
19. When you throw a stone into water, many ripples spread out from it. In the same way, your actions send out ripples that affect everyone around you.
20. Don't let money rule you - never take money as payment for magick.
21. People are judged by the company they keep. If you hang around with a fool you may be seen as one too.
22. Enjoy the company of true friends.
23. Whatever energy you send out - good or bad, magickal or mundane - comes back to you threefold.
24. When you are in trouble, visualise a blue pentagram on your forehead - it will protect you.
25. Always be loyal in love, unless your partner is not!
26. These eight words sum everything up - if it harms nobody, do whatever you like. This lesson is about the Ethics of witchcraft as we practice them in this coven. So I will not go into all the debate about what it "really" means to anyone else. In general, it is a warning, and a simple expression of conscience. To some it's value is equal to a "commandment" from the divine. No one knows for sure it's origin. It has been attributed to several people but seems to have appeared in the late 20th century, and used by several wiccan groups as their Creed. Not all Wiccans and/or witches subscribe to the Rede, but the coven of Light and Shadows does. The Rede along with the Law of Three, the karmic law of return, provides us with a solid foundation on which to practice our faith and Serve the God and Goddess. The meanings Rede and the Law of Three boil down to one word... Respect. Respect for the Divine, Others, Self, and Nature. Just as the needle of a compass will point north no matter where you go, or in what direction you are going, any and all infinite number of subjects, minutia of questions, and nuances of dogma can be settled within your spirit by wieghing whatever subject arises by placing the question, "Does this reflect the Respect the Divine deserve?" on the other side of the scale. It's that simple AND that complicated. Like any Spiritual Truth, it is subject to the person asking the question. Along with the Wiccan Rede, there are other fine points of ethics we at Light and Shadows practice as witches and as human beings... they are: Doing the best we can to do things in accordance with the Divine. That can be a tricky one...Remember in the movie Bruce Almighty where this one woman fell in a grocery store and got hurt? She prayed that she would win the law suit she had against the store, and bruce said OK... and that's when Morgan Freeman (God) showed him he messed up because her winning that law suit kept her from needing to rely on her sister and mending their relationship. So when we cast our spells instead of just expecting it to BE we interject the caveat "In accordance with the Divine and Harm to None" This way we keep from interjecting our will on to others affected by our magick in a negative way. This may mean the spells may not work... but better that than the outcomes possibly turning negative. Plus we acknowledge the greater Wisdom of the Gods and Goddesses!! It's Two-fer! We don't magickaly mess with the free will of any individual. We don't cast compulsion spells to influence a person to do things they wouldn't normally do, such as love spells to make another person fall in love with someone else. Free will is a gift given by the Divine and an extreme matter of trust, in that everyone has the right to choose their own destiny. we may try to sway them with words and such, but not take over their right to choose for them even when it seems to us they are self destructing. The one exception would be if one person was truly doing harm to an innocent. In such a case, binding spells can be employed, but only under the couseling and supervision and advice of the Arch High priestess and her counselors. and Protection spells should be your first line of defense. Binding spells are THE last resort. We do not proselytize. As witches our focus is on walking our Path and Service to the Goddess. Not in dragging other people along with us. The Goddess has her own way of wooing and leading a person to become enlightened with out us going out banging on doors and scaring people. If a person is curious and asks about Wicca, fine, but introduce them tenderly and reservedly. There will be some with alterior motives that ask about Wicca only for the opportunity to express their desire to "save" you from the clutches of the "devil". Be aware and Be wise...proceed with caution and self confidence and honest candor... urge them to research the truth and not rely on hearsay by mislead sources. You have nothing to prove to anyone, you are not on the defense and you should not put anyone else on the defense by trying to enlighten them. Just simply walk your Path and be true to your self... They'll "get it" when they are ready. The Law of Three What ever you do comes back to you three times, reminds us to consider carefully whether the consequences of our actions (or inaction) is worth whatever we are choosing to do (or not do). An it harm none...do as you will This is a warning and an invitation to be yourself by using your right of free will, but to be responsible about it. Know that the only life you have reign over is your own. (and your kids to a point) Once your kids reach the age of responsibility, their life is their own, and it's time to let them take the risks and experience the consequences and rewards of their choices. (Which, by the way, is REALLY difficult to do sometimes) Assignment: Memorize and be able to recite, on demand (no crib notes), the shorter version of the Wiccan Rede. Write about a personal instance in which any two of the above ethics proved to be a challenge for you to follow, and relate what happened, good or bad, and how you handled it and the repercussions of your choice, and what you did about that. | 
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