Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

Wicca! A Way to Life!
~Navigation~

Brief History of Wicca

Modern Witches

Principals of Wicca

Deities
-Celtic
-Greek

Your Power

Invoking the Goddess

The Goddess in Daily life

Wiccan lifestyle

Word List

Tools

Your Altar

Correspondances

Sabbats
-Samhain
-Yule
-Imbolc
-Ostara
-Beltain
-Litha
-Lammas
-Mabon

Values

Crafts

Earth Spirits and Faeries

Rituals

Spells

The Wiccan Rede

1. All Wiccans should adhere to the Wiccan Rede

I suppose within the framework of a coven, the HPS/HP will tell people before initiation whether adhering to the Wiccan Rede is something that is expected of coven members. This would give a pre-initiate the opportunity to voice doubts or discuss matters of concern. As I mentioned above, I believe that most people who choose to follow a spiritual path and work on their own growth will have a moral framework in place which they will continue to re-evaluate with new life lessons they learn.

2. The Wiccan Rede and abortion

This is one very tricky moral issue for me (and surely for many others as well). My mother is a Catholic and would have never considered abortion for herself, yet was fiercely pro-choice. For a long time I myself thought I would never have an abortion, whilst believing every woman should have the right to have a legal and clinically safe abortion. The older I get though the more situations I become aware of where I might consider abortion, yet I hope I will never need to make that decision.

One of the questions when thinking about abortion is: When do I believe that the soul enters a human being? Since I believe that this happens at the moment of conception, I would be aware that I was terminating not just a couple of cells with some genetic codes embedded therein but a human being.

In terms of 'harm it none', there will always be harm involved in abortion; to the mother, possibly the father, to the child that is being aborted. Yet aren't there situations where having the child would inflict more harm to all involved? In extreme cases like pregnancy after a rape, or when serious health issues for mother and/or child are involved, abortion may be the path that causes less trauma or pain, yet it is a decision that most women don't take lightly – probably most Wiccans wouldn't.

3. The Wiccan Rede and Suicide

I feel that everybody has the right to do with their lives as they want, and if that includes terminating it, then that is their choice. I have known people who threatened suicide during a certain period of their lives who 'got over it' at a later stage. I have also known people for whom life had become too painful, who ensured that no-one would be able to stop them, and who went through with suicide.

Those who are often harmed the most by suicide are the person's beloved ones, who can be left behind not only grieving but with a feeling of guilt for not being able to prevent suicide. In the best-case scenario family, friends, the coven (for Wiccans) may offer the person at risk the support that they need in order to carry on living and finding a new purpose in life.

There is of course also suicide to end one's life in a dignified manner when suffering from a debilitating terminal disease, and I personally believe anyone thus afflicted should be entitled to make this choice, both in legal and moral terms. However, for those who believe in reincarnation, one thing that may speak against any form of suicide is that we are here and live our lives to learn certain lessons and it's not inconceivable that by committing suicide one is 'opting out' and will have to return to face the same lessons again.

4. The Wiccan Rede and self-harming behaviour

In this context I think the Wiccan Rede can teach self-respect and respect for others. I personally think there's nothing wrong in having a drink too many once in a while, overindulging at times etc. However, if a Wiccan drinks themselves into a stupor at any given opportunity, or takes as many drugs as they can get hold of, or gorges themselves on food out of a feeling of inner emptiness, then they have a spiritual problem which is almost certainly incompatible with the path that they have chosen.

5. The Wiccan Rede and telling lies or stealing

Honesty is very important to me and I try to strive to be honest. However, there are people who use 'honesty' as a reason for simply being rude and hurtful to others and then claim, 'I was just being honest'. This type of 'honesty' can be more harmful that keeping one's tongue at times. Of course it is also possible to do as much harm by staying quiet as by telling lies ( e.g. withholding important evidence from a court hearing). And then there is the question of self-protection. By this I don't mean going about telling everybody outrageous and untrue stories about oneself (and it is surprising how many people actually do this), but I do believe one has the right not to tell everybody, even friends, all of one's darkest secrets, fears or desires, because this opens you up to attacks, intentional or not. Sometimes the line between lying and honesty is very thin, particularly because no two people will ever perceive reality quite the same way as someone else does. Generally I would say that lying is harmful behaviour, both to the person one lies to as well as to oneself.

Stealing is also a matter that seems to be seen in very relative terms. Taking from someone who is needy themselves is frowned upon more than, for example, defrauding a large company (even though this may have dire consequences for people that weren't supposed to be harmed, e.g. the defrauded company has to lay off workforce because of the financial loss). I don't think most Wiccans would do either; however, there is another grey area that might fall under the heading of 'stealing': nicking office stationery, taking time off sick when one isn't etc. This is behaviour that I have often observed (and, to be honest, I'm not innocent there either). Again the question would be one of harm, e.g.: I'm taking home these pencils because no-one ever uses them and sooner or later they'll just be thrown away vs. I take home those pencils, the company can afford new ones. As mundane as this may sound, I think one should be aware of such issues as well; it's easy to claim, 'Stealing's wrong and I'd never do it,' yet forget all about the little ways one is basically taking away money and time from others.

6. The Wiccan Rede and sex There are people in Wicca who – in my opinion – overstate the sexual nature of the religion. Whilst the union of the Goddess and the God are an important feature of the religion it's not all it is about and the sexual nature of certain rituals should not be used to force someone into doing something they don't want to.

Away from religion, respect for self and others is once again the key. According to the Rede I see nothing wrong with two (or more) people getting together and having sex just for the fun of it, without any strings attached. However, if one party promises the other eternal love just to get them into bed and then brushes them off, it would harm them and is therefore questionable. In terms of self-respect I would also think that consistently getting off with people one doesn't really like and feels bad about the next day is not consistent with following the Wiccan Rede.

Another important issue here is protection (contraception, VDs) as well as respect for one's own and one's partner's/partners' feelings/desires. The type of abuse that goes on in many relationships where sex has become an instrument to wield power over the other person is entirely inconsistent with the Wiccan Rede (and one of the reasons why patriarchal religions hold no interest for me).

A final thought: Sexuality is one of the most powerful driving forces known to us, and it can be used to give and receive great pleasure and happiness, or to cause great harm. Wiccans should be aware of this not only when they celebrate the Sabbats but also when they contemplate their own sexuality.

7. The Wiccan Rede and working in a group

I think that working in any group, whether in a Wiccan group or in a job situation, requires responsibility of the individuals, as well as respect for the other group members and a high degree of honesty (however not of the hurtful kind). The 'harm it none' aspect can certainly be applied to doing one's share of work and not off-loading it on others, ensuring the required amount of secrecy and discretion, as well as making an effort not to damage the group or individuals in it. I suppose that most Wiccan groups will have their own rules and guidelines in addition to the Wiccan Rede that people are required to adhere to; I see the Rede more as an umbrella for behaviour within the group, with individual rules being the more accurate framework.

8. The Wiccan Rede and murder

Taking someone's life (against their will, i.e. not assisted suicide) definitely harms the person and their beloved ones and I see no way this could be envisioned as not contravening the Rede. However, I also believe in everyone's right to self-defence; if someone attacks me or someone close to me, they are trying to harm me, and I would stand behind my decision to harm them back, even though I would hope that this does not result in their death!

9. The Wiccan Rede and gossip

Gossip is a nice social lubricant and can be quite friendly and harmless. However, because it can be harmless, it is often very easy to overstep the boundaries and for the gossip to become harmful, even malicious. I think that when talking about somebody else, particularly when repeating hearsay, utmost caution should be applied. 'Keeping silent' is a very good guideline here; this does not mean one can never talk about another person or voice one's opinion of them, but I think Wiccans in particular should steer clear of empty gossip.

Summary The Wiccan Rede does give a guideline as to how to live one's life, but it is very demanding of the individual to think about his/her decisions. Unlike the 10 Commandments for example, there are no strict definitions of what's okay to do and what isn't. This asks for personal development, frequent examinations of our values and behaviour as well as taking responsibility for any actions, even those we are not happy about. At times it is impossible not to do harm; at times it is not possible to undo the harm one has caused. By being aware, however, that one's actions can cause harm and that this is something to be avoided, we are encouraged to think about our actions in advance and to try and restore harmony if we have not fulfilled the ideal of 'an harm it none'

Email Me


© Copyright of AutumnFire unless stated otherwise. Nothing on this site may be re-published in anyway or form for commurcial purposes. All art on this site is copyrighted by law and if found republished anywhere with out written permission of the artist will be removed. This is a profit FREE site, providing free information. 2007©