The Wiccan Rede

The following is the Rede in full

Bide ye Wiccan laws ye must, in perfect love and perfect trust

Live and let live, fairly take and fairly give

Form the circle thrice about, to keep unwelcome spirits out

To bind the spell every time, let the spell be spoke in rhyme

Soft of eye and light of touch, speak ye little, listen much

Deosil go by waxing moon, sing and dance ye Wiccan rune

Widdershins go by waning moon, chanting out ye baleful tune

When the Lady's moon is new, kiss ye hand to her times two

When the moon rides at Her peak, then ye heart's desire seek

Heed the north wind's mighty gale, lock the door and trim the sail

When the wind comes from the south, love will kiss thee on the mouth

When the wind blows from the west, departed souls will have no rest

When the wind blows from the east, expect the new and set the feast

Nine woods in the cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow

Elder be the Lady's tree, burn it not or cursed you'll be

When the wheel begins to turn, soon the Beltaine fires will burn

When the wheel has turned to Yule, light the log the Horned One rules

Heed ye flower, bush and tree, by the Lady blessed be

Where the rippling waters flow, cast a stone and the truth you'll know

When ye have and hold a need, hearken not to others' greed

With a fool no season spend, or be counted as his friend

Merry meet and merry part, bright the cheeks and warm the heart

Mind the threefold law ye should, three times bad and three times good

When misfortune is anow, wear the star upon thy brow

Rue in love ye must ever be, lest thy love be false to thee

These eight words the Rede fulfill

An ye harm none, Do what ye will.

The Main Laws

As you can see, the Rede (pronounced like the word "reed") is very long. For many beginners, it can be confusing or hard to follow, so we have broken it up into the main laws in the Rede that all Wiccans should follow. They are:

·  Harm None This is found at the end of the Rede, and is the most basic and important of any of the laws. Wiccans do not harm other people, animals, plant-life, or Mother Earth. If you choose to follow the Wiccan Way, then this idea should be included in any spell. An example would be: "May this be for the good of all, the harm of none."

·  The Threefold Law Wiccans believe that anything you do, or "send", will come back to you - either three times better or three times worse. For example, if you did a good deed one day, you would receive wonderful things for yourself three times over. If you performed a hurtful spell on someone, you would be hurt three times worse. This is karma at work, basically.

·  "In perfect love and perfect trust..." Found at the beginning of the Rede, this concept is used most often when casting a circle, but also for initiates joining a coven. It is very important - both Rhiannon and Ileana have had experiences where another Wiccan did not follow this law, and covens were dissolved as a result. To truly be Wiccan, you must always trust and love your fellow Wiccans - and the God and Goddess as well.

·  The Golden Rule Not truly in the Rede, but it is the rule all Wiccans follow, nonetheless. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." In a sense, it sums up the previous laws mentioned.