Glossary - exWitch Australia (formerly 'Born Again Pagan')

WICCAN REDE

Today's Wiccan ethics largely center on the Wiccan Rede: An ye harm none, Do what ye will. Longer versions are in circulation adding poetry or personal views (or both), but these eight words are the basis of these variants and best sum up the nature of Wiccan ethics: to harm none.

Much criticism has been leveled at the Wiccan Rede by outsiders who, by a quick reading of the text, assume that it is a license to do whatever "feels good" to the individual without accompanying responsibility. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The Rede states that a Wiccan is free to do what ever they want to, as long as it does not harm themselves or anyone else. Harm is normally considered to include manipulation, domination, attempts to control, physically injure, emotionally harm, or hurt another person or group in any way.

ORIGINS AND HISTORY OF THE WICCAN REDE

Although by the 1980's the Rede was a standard inclusion in books on Wicca, there were very few references to it prior to the mid-1970's. This may have partly been due to the fact that Wicca was primarily a secretive religion to non-Initiates prior to the end of the 1960's, but also because ethics were not a topic of focus in the early years of Wicca when more emphasis was placed on history and defining witchcraft practices.

By the early 1970's both the Gardnerian and Alexandrian Traditions had gained momentum, having become established in the United States where they quickly spread.

As Wicca received more public attention, and solitary practice began to explode, many public Wiccans felt the need to emphasize Wiccan morality, and in the 1980's authors such as Raymond Buckland and Scott Cunningham produced simplified handbooks that catered to solitary practitioners that included the Wiccan Rede.

Interestingly, Gerald Gardner's writings contain no mention of the Wiccan Rede, be it in general terms or verbatim, prior to his third book The Meaning of Witchcraft, published in 1959. Even in this the Rede was not yet formalized as it is now, but rather it only touched upon its essence of the Wiccan ethos as "harm none".

"[Witches] are inclined to the morality of the legendary Good King Pausol, "Do what you like so long as you harm no one". But they believe a certain law to be important, "You must not use magic for anything which will cause harm to anyone, and if, to prevent a greater wrong being done, you must discommode someone, you must do it only in a way which will abate the harm."

Although the above quote has been sited many times as the origin of the Rede, it turns out that King Pausole (not "Pausol") was a literary character in the story The Adventures of King Pausole (1901) by Pierre Louÿs (1870-1925), a French novelist. The specific quote Gerald was referring to was:

I. Do no wrong to thy neighbour.
II. Observing this, do as thou pleasest.

Already this has the feel of the Rede, but it had not yet been articulated in the form popular today.

The Gardnerian Craft Laws, which were introduced around 1957 although finalized around 1961, make further reference to the idea of the Rede, although again only in general terms: "And for long we have obeyed this law, 'Harm none'".

When associating the Rede with Gardner, most scholars suggest the Rede is actually based on the older Law of Thelema created by Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) in his work Liber AL vel Legis (1904), more commonly known as The Book of the Law.

"Who calls us Thelemites will do no wrong, if he look but close into the word. For there are therein Three Grades, the Hermit, and the Lover, and the man of Earth. Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law."

Although the extent of influence on the Rede is debatable, Aleister Crowley's influence cannot be easily dismissed. Gardner was Initiated into the O.T.O. by Crowley in 1946 and was rumored to have met with Crowley as far back as 1936. After Crowley's death in 1947, many regarded Gerald as an obvious successor as leader of the order, especially since he had been granted (purchased) a charter by Crowley empowering Gardner to start a local encampment of the order.

Therefore, Gerald Gardner was more than just slightly involved with the O.T.O. and its teachings. Being that other writings of Gardner, such as the Charge of the Goddess, were reworked by Doreen Valiente since, as she put it, "people are just not going to accept this and take it seriously so long as they think you're an offshoot of Crowley's O.T.O.", it is quite possible that she also encouraged Gardner to keep the Rede away from sounding like a work of Aleister Crowley.

Doreen Valiente, an early Initiate and High Priestess of Gerald Gardner, and who is considered by many to be the "mother of Wicca" for her significant influence in Gardner's work, was entrusted with editing Gardner's notes into a more formal Book of Shadows.

The first recorded mention of the Wiccan Rede in the eight-word form popular today, at least that I have been able to discover thus far, was in a speech by Doreen Valiente on October 3, 1964 at what may have been the first witches' dinner organized in modern history. The event was sponsored by Pentagram, a quarterly newsletter and "witchcraft review" published by Gerard Noel in 1964.

If the Rede (or at least a version of it) was written by Valiente then the Aleister Crowley influence needs to be accepted as possibility. While Gerald Gardner does not associate Crowley with Wiccan ethics despite drawing from Crowley's work in other areas, Doreen Valiente, seems to have been much more open to using Crowley's Law.

Many of Doreen Valiente's books mentioned Aleister Crowley and recognized his influence in Wiccan beliefs and practices, including the Wiccan Rede which is very reminiscent of Crowley's dictum "Love is the Law, Love under Will" that traditionally followed the greeting "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law". Even the spelling of "magick" with a 'K' in the last line of Valiente's Creed (below) is also very characteristic of Thelema.

An Do What You Will be the challenge,
So be it in Love that harms none,
For this is the only commandment,
By Magick of old, be it done.

By the 1980's most books on Wicca and Neo-Paganism made reference to the Rede, sometimes modernizing it and other times making it more archaic sounding.

By the 1990's many were clueless of the Rede's history and several new variations of the Rede, often anonymous or lacking references, were scattered throughout newsletters and - of course - over the Internet.

More variants seem to include Wiccan catch phrases such as "as above, so below" and "merry ye meet, and merry ye part".

In the Ostara 1975 (Vol. III. No. 69) issue of Green Egg magazine, in an article called "Wiccan-Pagan Potpourri", was a long (but most Wiccans and Neo-Pagans will find very familiar) poem called the Rede Of The Wiccae:

Bide the Wiccan Laws ye must In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.
Live an' let live - Fairly take an' fairly give.
Cast the Circle thrice about To keep all evil spirits out.
To bind the spell every time - Let the spell be spake in rhyme.
Soft of eye an' light of touch - Speak little, listen much.
Deosil go by the waxing Moon - Sing and Dance the Wiccan Rune.
Widdershins go when the Moon doth wane, An' the Werewolf howls by the dread Wolfsbane.
When the Lady's Moon is new, Kiss thy hand to Her times two.
When the Moon rides at Her peak Then your heart's desire seek.
Heed the Northwind'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 East, Expect the new and set the feast.
When the West wind blows o'er thee, Departed spirits restless be.
Nine woods in the Cauldron go - Burn them quick an' burn them slow.
Elder be ye Lady's tree - Burn it not or cursed ye'll be.
When the Wheel begins to turn - Let the Beltane fires burn.
When the Wheel has turned a Yule, Light the Log an' let Pan rule.
Heed ye flower bush an' tree - By the Lady Blessèd Be.
Where the rippling waters go Cast a stone an' truth ye'll know.
When ye have need, Hearken not to others greed.
With the fool no season spend Or be counted as his friend.
Merry meet an' merry part - Bright the cheeks an' warm the heart.
Mind the Threefold Law ye should - Three times bad an' three times good.
When misfortune is enow, Wear the Blue Star on thy brow.
True in love ever be Unless thy lover's false to thee.
Eight words ye Wiccan Rede fulfill - An' it harm none, Do what ye will.

Most Wiccans and Neo-Pagans do not believe in sin. But why then is there a need for the Wiccan Rede? Why encourage Wiccans "to do no harm," and to not do Magick with wrong intentions? The very existence of the Rede indicates a belief that men and women can do bad things, that we are not good all the time.

In contrast to the Wiccan and Neo-Pagan view of 'original sactity', the Bible teaches:

"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." (Romans 3:10-12)
"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God" (Romans 3:21-25)
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (1 John 1:9-10)
"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin." (1 John 3:4-5) "All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death." (1 John 5:17) "And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin." (Romans 14:23) "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." (James 4:17)

RESOURCES FROM OTHER CHRISTIAN SITES:
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WICCA: A BIBLICAL CRITIQUE at Probe Ministries

PLEASE NOTE:
One of the major problems with 'defining' Paganism and/or its beliefs and practices is that it is an 'organic' movement, in that it is undergoing constant change and re-evaluation from within, and as such any 'one-size-fits-all' approach to understanding Paganism will be found wanting.

Due to the very 'organic' nature of Paganism, and the many differing Paths and Traditions within it, in many cases no one definition may be universally accepted by all Pagans. Therefore, where such cases of possible conflicting and/or contradictory meanings of certain terms occur I have endevoured to give not only the generally accepted meaning, but also any major 'variations' in belief and/or practice.

Christians who believe this difference in meaning of certain key terms, beliefs and practices to be unique to Paganism need to remember that such conflicts also arise within the Body of Christ - the Church. Take for instance the differing practices amongst Christians concerning Baptism and the different attitudes towards women in the clergy.

- Jean-Luc