Wiccan Rede: Does It Really Mean "Harm None"?
@Ruby3881 (1963)
Canada
April 13, 2016 12:34pm CST
Witchcraft as a religion does not have a holy book that tells us what or when to celebrate, or lays out certain acts which are required or forbidden. But most people who have even a rudimentary exposure to the Craft can tell you that the ethics of the Wicca are guided by two principles: the Law of Karma (Threefold Law,) and the Wiccan Rede.
The Rede is actually a poem written by Gerald Gardner's High Priestess, Doreen Valiente. It is most often summarized in two lines:
"Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill:
An' it harm none, do what thou wilt."
Many people further distill these lines into two words: "Harm none." The problem is that this is a misunderstanding of the whole purpose of the Rede. Our elders teach that the Rede was intended to free us from conventional morality, and not to restrict our actions in any way. The aim was never to describe situations in which we should not act, but to remind us that the choice is always ours.
Although most Witches, Wiccans and indeed other NeoPagans prefer to walk lightly on the earth and to live in harmony with our fellow humans, we also recognize that there are a good many instances in which pursuing what's right for us may have negative consequences for someone else.
We may choose to follow through on an act (such as working hard to earn a promotion at work, or admitting in honesty that we aren't interested in a suitor) or we may decide that the potential harm to another is too great, and that we don't want to act because of this.
But it's always our choice. And not even the Rede tells us we can't pursue a course of action if it could harm someone (the Rede is mute on that.) There are no "thou shalt not's" in Witchcraft....
[Image: AdinaVoicu/Pixabay/CC0]
5 people like this
3 responses
@OneOfMany (12150)
• United States
13 Apr 16
Fortunately witchcraft hinges on some kind of balance. Most people, even those less likely to follow the Rede will adhere to their own personal concept of balance.
Other religions and teachings have no force to balance, and must rely on laws to restrict and permit. Generally because group followers of that nature are not incredible scholars in most cases.
2 people like this
@pumpkinjam (8546)
• United Kingdom
26 Apr 17
From what I understand of the Rede, it seems to suggest that we should not deliberately harm others and/or that we should consider what we do and then decide on the greater good and suchlike.
I call my sister a 'fluffy Wiccan' because she likes all the, for want of a better description, happy fairytale parts for her path. I'm quite willing to accept grey witches too. There is, as you said, also nothing wrong with pursuit of our own wants.
What you say about there being no 'thou shalt nots' brings me to a point I have made a few times before. That point being witches are often condemned as evil by a religion I won't name but, let me say I find it strange how a belief system which, for many of its followers, is based on 'harm none' (whether from the Rede or elsewise) is called evil by a religion in which not murdering people barely makes it to the top ten.
@Rven999666 (99)
• Memphis, Tennessee
1 Oct 16
The great thing about the craft is that each path is different and fits the specific person who walks the path. Each person is different so why must they follow the same "rules" we all live different lives and have different experiences so why not follow our hearts instead of what some higher power tells us?
