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Wiccan Rede & Pagan Ethics
The Rede
Bide the Witches' Law ye must,
In perfect Love and perfect Trust.
Live and let ye All else live,
Freely take and freely give.
Tread the Circle thrice about
To keep unwanted spirits out.
To bind the spell well every time,
Be sure the spell be spake in rhyme.
Light of eye, soft of touch,
Speak ye little, listen much.
Deosil go by the Waxing Moon
Chanting out the joyful 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 trim the sail.
When the wind blows from the East
Expect the new and set the feast.
When the wind blows from the South
Love will kiss thee on the mouth.
When the wind blows from the West
Departed souls will have no rest.
Heed the flower, bush, and tree
And by the Lady bless'd thou'll be.
Where the rippling waters go,
Cast a stone and then you'll know.
When you have and hold a need,
Hearken not to others' greed.
With a fool no season spend,
Nor be counted as his friend.
Merry meet and merry part,
Bright the cheeks and warm the heart.
Mind the Three-Fold Law ye should;
Three times ill or three times good.
When misfortune is eno'w
Wear the blue star on your brow.
In love ye must be ever true,
Unless your love be false to you.
Eight words the Witches' rede fulfill,
"An' it harm none, do as ye will."
The Thirteen Goals of a Witch
Lady Bridget has composed a wonderful piece, elaborating
some of the core beliefs held by most Wiccans.
Link Here, and Check Out this Great Site, too.
The Four Cornerstones of Magick
To Know
To Dare
To will
To Be Silent
"An' it harm none, do as ye will."
This one rule pretty much sums up Wiccan ethics. You may do whatever you like, as long as it brings no harm to other people, yourself, or Mother Earth. While this seems simple enough, practicing it can become really tricky at times. Everything in the Universe is interconnected, and even the most trivial action will have its consequences. Now, I'm not advocating a life of indecision and paranoia, but it does take attention and practice to learn to truly "harm none." Let's consider s common example: gossip.
How can a private conversation that you're sure will never leave the room hurt anyone? Well, the first person gossip hurts is the gossiper herself; the negative thoughts and energy involved in speaking ill of a fellow man or woman do set up a karmic reaction (the Three-Fold Law is similar in spirit to the concept of Karma in Eastern religion.) Negativity out equals neativity in. It's that simple.
The second party harmed by gossip is the listener; listening to negative talk is a sure and quick way to lower the spirits and invite more karmic debt. One should never be a party, in any way, to a harmful act. The third person who is injured, of course, is the person at whom the slander was directed. Spreading rumors about any person's weaknesses denies the good, and the God and Goddess, residing in all of us.
As you may have noticed, gossip is high on my list of ethical no-no's; it is insidious, poisonous to the spirit, and just plain wrong. As an example, though, of ethical problems involved with "doing as you will," it shows that careful thought about the chains of consequence is often necessary regarding even the most trivial of our everyday actions.
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