The Wiccan Rede is a saying that was formulated to sum up the ethics of the neo-Pagan religion Wicca. The most common form of the rede is An it harm none, do what ye will. "Rede" is a word from Middle English meaning "advice" or "counsel", cognate to the German Rat or Swedish råd. "An" is an archaic contraction of the word "and," meaning "if," as in the Shakespearean "an it please thee." Other variants include: Ethics (via Latin from the Ancient Greek moral philosophy, from the adjective of Ä“thos custom, habit), a major branch of philosophy, is the study of values and customs of a person or group. ... Neopaganism (sometimes Neo-Paganism, meaning New Paganism) is a heterogeneous group of religions which attempt to revive ancient, mainly European pre-Christian religions. ... The pentagram within a circle, a symbol of faith used by many Wiccans, sometimes called a pentacle. ... Middle English is the name given by historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of 1066 and the mid-to-late 15th century, when the Chancery Standard, a form of London-based English, began to become widespread, a process aided by the...

An it harm none, do as thou wilt

Do what you will, so long as it harms none

An it harm none, do what thou wilt

That it harm none, do as thou wilt

Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill, An it harm none do what ye will.^[1]

History

The combination of Wicca with no harm to others and do what thou wilt made its first known appearance in The Old Laws by Gerald Gardner, 1953. A similar phrase, Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law, appears in Aleister Crowley's works by 1904, in The Book of the Law (though as used by Crowley it is half of a statement and response, the response being "Love is the Law, love under Will"). The rede in its best known form was used by Doreen Valiente in several writings. In the form of the "eight words" couplet it was first recorded in a speech she delivered in 1964. In 1974 a complete poem entitled "The Wiccan Rede" was published in the neo-Pagan magazine Earth Religion News. It was shortly followed by another, slightly different, version, entitled the "Rede Of The Wiccae," which was published in Green Egg magazine by Lady Gwen Thompson. She ascribed it to her grandmother Adriana Porter, and claimed that the earlier published text was distorted from "its original form." The full poem as published by Thompson is as follows: It has been suggested that New Forest coven be merged into this article or section. ... Year 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley, (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947; the surname is pronounced // i. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... Cover of The Book of the Law by Aleister Crowley (Weiser 2004 Centennial Edition) The Book of the Law is the central sacred text of Thelema, written (or received) by Aleister Crowley in Cairo, Egypt in the year 1904. ... Doreen Valiente (1922 - 1999) was a co-creator of Wicca, together with Gerald Gardner. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... The Green Egg was a Neopagan magazine published by the Church of All Worlds from 1968 through 2001. ... Lady Gwen Thompson (September 16, 1928 – May 22, 1986) was the craft name, or pseudonym of Wiccan author Phyllis Thompson, born Phyllis Healy. ... Adriana Porter (?1850, Nova Scotia, Canada - 1946) was a poet. ...

Rede Of The Wiccae

Being known as the counsel of the Wise Ones:

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.

The poem has since been very widely circulated and has appeared in other versions, with additional or variant passages. A clockwise motion is one that proceeds like the clocks hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back to the top. ... This page is a candidate to be copied to Wiktionary. ... Species See below Aconitum (known as aconite, monkshood, or wolfsbane) is a genus of flowering plant belonging to the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). ... ... This article is about the Gaelic holiday. ...

Dating the poem

The attribution to Porter has been disputed, since Porter died in 1946, well before Gardner published The Old Laws, and no evidence for Porter's authorship exists other than Thompson's word. The language of the poem refers to Wiccan concepts that are not known to have existed in her grandmother's lifetime. Its attribution to Porter may have formed part of Thompson's claim to be an hereditary witch. Its precise origin has yet to be determined.^[2] A hereditary witch is one who is born into or initiated later in life into a tradition of esoteric origin. ...

Adrian Bott, in an article written in White Dragon magazine, 2003, argues that its creation can be placed somewhere between 1964 and 1975. Bott bases his argument on the alleged misuse of archaic English in the poem, in particular of "an'" as an abbreviation of "and", and of "ye" instead of "the". Bott states that the author of the poem was evidently unaware that this contraction of "and" is not an archaic, but a modern convention. According to Bott, in the "eight words" couplet originally cited by Valiente, "an" is used correctly, in the Middle English sense of "'in the event that', or simply 'if'" (as in the Shakespearan "an hadst thou not come to my bed") and thus has no apostrophe. In the poem, this has been transformed into an abbreviated "and" and given an apostrophe, with every "and" in the poem's additional lines then being written "an'" as if to match. Accordingly, Bott concludes that the poem was an attempt to expand Valiente's couplet into a full Wiccan credo, written by someone who misunderstood the archaic language they attempted to imitate.^[3]

However Bott ignores the fact that printing "an'" in the archaic sense with an apostrophe was a publishing convention from the late 19th century and that "an" as a straight abbreviation of "and" is also to be found in Shakespeare.^[4]

In contrast to Bott, Robert Mathiesen repeats the objection to "ye", but argues that most of the archaisms are used correctly. However, he states that they all derive from late 19th century revivalist usages.^[5]Based on this fact Mathiesen concludes that early twentieth century authorship of at least part of the poem is probable. He argues that its references to English folklore are consistent with Porter's family history. His provisional conclusion is that a folkloric form of the poem may have been written by Porter, but that it was supplemented and altered by Thompson to add specifically Wiccan material. Mathiessen also takes the view that the last line was probably a Thompson addition derived from Valiente. According to this account, the 1974 variant of the text, which was published by one of Thompson's former initiates, may represent one of the earlier drafts. Its publication prompted Thompson to publish what she - falsely - claimed was Porter's "original" poem.

Interpretations of the Rede

The Rede is seen by both Wiccans and outside observers as very similar to the Golden Rule, a belief that is found in nearly every religion. While the Golden Rule forbids harm subjectively, the Wiccan Rede does not forbid anything. The golden rule is: Treat others as you want to be treated. ...

There is some debate in the neo-Pagan and Wiccan communities as to the meaning of the rede. The debate centers on the concept of the rede being advice (from the meaning of rede) not a commandment, as well as the fact that actions which do harm are not discussed in the rede. An expansion on this theme can be found in Wiccan Ethics and the Wiccan Rede by David Piper. The concept of ethical reciprocity is not explicitly stated, but most Wiccans interpret the Rede to imply the Golden Rule in the belief that the spirit of the Rede is to actively do good for one's fellow humans as well as oneself. Different sects of Wiccans read "none" differently: some include the self, others include animals or plants, and so forth. Trinomial name Homo sapiens sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Humans, or human beings, are bipedal primates belonging to the mammalian species Homo sapiens (Latin: wise man or knowing man) in the family Hominidae (the great apes). ...

It is also noted by some as similar to the Harm principle set by the philosopher John Stuart Mill in the 19th Century. Another notable antecedent was put forth by Saint Augustine of Hippo, as "Love, and do what you will." The harm principle is laid out in John Stuart Mills arguably most famous work, On Liberty. ... John Stuart Mill, (20 May 1806 – 8 May 1873) British philosopher, political economist and Member of Parliament, was an influential liberal thinker of the 19th century. ... St. ...

In the second part of the Wiccan Rede the word "wilt" is understood to mean "will". The meaning of "will" in this case is understood to mean one's true will as opposed to a want. This means that the rede can be fully understood as being that one should always follow your true will instead of trying to obtain simple wants and to ensure that in doing one's will you do not harm anyone or anything. The rede can be seen as encouraging a Wiccan to take personal responsibility for his or her actions.

In addition to the concept of ethical reciprocity expressed by most versions of the Golden Rule, however, the Rede also expressly rejects the concept of sin outside of harm to oneself or to another. Ethics (via Latin from the Ancient Greek moral philosophy, from the adjective of Ä“thos custom, habit), a major branch of philosophy, is the study of values and customs of a person or group. ... SiN is a computer game developed by Ritual Entertainment and published by Activision in late 1998. ...

Some Wiccans interpret the Rede as meaning that causing harm by inaction is inconsistent with Wiccan belief. For instance, doing a spell to disable a rapist from continuing to abuse others, even though he may be harmed by the spell, can be interpreted as a legitimate observation of the Rede. Where greater harm is caused by inaction, then the Rede may be seen as encouraging responsible action to prevent it.

It is this qualification that most distinguishes the Wiccan Rede from other versions of principle of non-harm. Others disagree, however, and believe that any harm done intentionally must be avoided. Sometimes the rede has a second line appended to it, clarifying the point: An it harm none, do as you will; an it cause harm, do as you must.^[6]

The rejection of specific exhortations and prohibitions of conduct such as those given in the Ten Commandments in Christianity makes its character somewhat different. The Rede is only a guideline which the individual must interpret to fit each particular situation. This 1768 parchment (612x502 mm) by Jekuthiel Sofer emulated the 1675 Decalogue at Amsterdam Esnoga synagogue. ... Christianity percentage by country, purple is highest, orange is lowest Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch...

Interestingly, the ethics espoused in the Rede have gained quite a bit of modern currency among anarchists and some libertarians, and have become widely used in debates over, e.g. drug legalization and euthanasia. Also interesting, is that similar statements have been derived by Christian theologians as a logical outcome of "Love thy Brother" and the foundation of most of the Ten Commandments (e.g., common sense construes stealing and murder as harm). Anarchism is a political philosophy or group of philosophies and attitudes which reject any form of compulsory government[1] (cf. ... This article deals with the libertarianism as defined in America and several other nations. ... The prohibition of drugs through legislation or religious law is a common means of controlling the perceived negative consequences of recreational drug use at a society- or world-wide level. ... Euthanasia (from Ancient Greek: ευθανασία, good death) is the practice of ending the life of a terminally ill person in a painless or minimally painful way, for the purpose of limiting suffering. ...

It must be noted, however, that not all traditional Wiccans follow the Rede itself; some Gardnerians in particular espouse the Charge of the Goddess as a guide for morality. Its line "Keep pure your highest ideal, strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside, for mine is the secret door which opens upon the door of youth" is used as a maxim for ethical dilemmas. The Charge of the Goddess is a traditional inspirational text sometimes used in Neopaganism and Wicca. ... Secret passages are sometimes concealed using large items of furniture, such as this reconstruction of the bookcase that covered the entrance to Anne Franks secret room. ...

Compare with: Thelema Thelema is the English transliteration of the Ancient Greek noun : will, from the verb θέλω: to will, wish, purpose. ...

Notes

1. ^ This is the first published form of the couplet, quoted from Doreen Valiente in 1964. Later published versions include "ye" instead of either "the" or "it": "Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill — an ye harm none, do what ye will" (Earth Religion News, 1974); "Eight words ye Wiccan Rede fulfill - An’ it harm none, Do what ye will" (Green Egg, 1975)
2. ^ http://www.waningmoon.com/ethics/rede3.shtml.
3. ^ Adrian Bott, 2003. "The Wiccan Rede" in White Dragon magazine, Lughnasadh 2003
4. ^ Such as '"And why, Sir," quoth I, "an' it liketh you?", from D.L. Purves (ed) The Canterbury Tales and Faery Queen, with other poems of Chaucer, Edinburgh, 1870. In Love's Labours Lost, 5:2. the phrase "an if you grow so nice" appears to involve a straight abbreviation of "and".
5. ^ Robert Mathiesen and Theitic, The Rede of the Wiccae: Adriana Porter, Gwen Thompson and the Birth of a Tradition of Witchcraft, Olympian press, Rhode Island, 2005, pp.68-70.
6. ^ Wicca: For the Rest of Us - The Wiccan Rede; THE FULL WICCAN REDE?; Mixing Catholicism and Wicca

Loves Labours Lost is one of William Shakespeares early comedies; it is believed to have been written around 1595-1596 and is probably contemporaneous with Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Nights Dream. ...

See also

• Rule of Three (Wiccan)
• Wiccan morality

The rule of three (or threefold law) is an important tenet in Wicca. ... The pentagram within a circle, a symbol of faith used by many Wiccans, sometimes called a pentacle. ...

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

The Wiccan Rede

• David Piper: Wiccan Ethics and the Wiccan Rede
• The Wiccan Rede: A Historical Journey
• Exegesis on the Rede
• The Wiccan Rede
• The Wiccan Rede Project
• The Wiccan Rede
• The Complete Wiccan Rede (an expanded variant of the text)