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2. Live an let live -- fairly take an 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 an light of touch -- speak little, listen much. 6. Deosil go by the waxing Moon -- sing an dance the Wiccan rune. 7. Widdershins go when the Moon doth wane, an 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 an 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 an let Pan rule. 18. Heed ye flower, bush an tree - by the Lady blessed be. 19. Where the rippling waters go, cast a stone an truth ye'll know. 20. When ye have need, hearken not to other's greed. 21. With the fool no season spend or be counted as his friend. 22. Merry meet an merry part -- bright the cheeks an warm the heart. 23. Mind the Threefold Law ye should -- three times bad an 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 fulfill -- an it harm none, do what ye will. Information about this text The term 'rede' simply means 'counsel' or 'advice'. This poem is by no means the Wiccan version of the Judaeo/Christian Ten Commandments, but rather it seems to be meant simply as words of wisdom. Although most wiccans (and indeed, even most pagans in general) follow the rede, failure to adhere to it's short-form, "an it harm none, do what ye will" is often equated with Black Magick. Those who practice Black Magick are not embraced by the rest of the wiccan community, as it usually results in doing harm to the innocent. In Chaos Magick, or "red magick", harming others is acceptable in the "eye for an eye" sense, and in self-defense. But since the Wiccan Rede specifically says "harm none", this becomes a grey-area -- and this is also the primary reason that The Rede is generally considered to be mostly suggestion. The Wiccan Rede was appearently written by Lady Gwen Thompson, who founded the New England Coven of Traditional Witches (NECTW) in 1948, though some say The Rede actually dates back as far as the early 1850's. It is often confused with the Wiccan Creed (also called "The Witch's Creed"), which was written by Adriana Porter in 1978. |