The Gypsy Rede

The Wiccan Rede states, "An' it harm none, do what ye will." It is a code of conduct for Wiccans, one of the few religious "rules" we have. On this page I will explain my rules of conduct for myself concerning my site and my coresspondance with you, my guest.

1.) I do not give out rituals, so please don't ask me for them. I don't have any spells either, and if I did, I don't think I would give them out either. I will offer my advice if so asked, and can offer to exercise my resources regarding herbs and such, but I also make no guarantees that any Magickal advice I give you will work.

2.) I don't have a Book of Shadows (BoS) as of yet, and personally I disagree with people putting them up on the net. To me, it just seems too sacred and personal a thing to be shared with "everybody and his brother" as I've often heard my mother say. It is, however, a personal choice, and I respect that. If someone else chooses to put theirs on their website, then that's their deal and they are free to do so, regardless of my opinion. I myself would not choose to do so. Also, the BoS in the Gardnerian tradition is a very different thing than in the general Pagan population. It contains oathbound material that is passed down to initiates of the Coven, and may or may not have things added to it through the generations. It is important to note that things may get added, but not changed.

3.) Very much like my parents, I am liberal in my politics, conservative in my beliefs. I am a Traditionalist, and I do not easily abide by sweeping changes made to religion. Adjustment and accomodation for the times is one thing, but altering the core material of a belief system is quite another. Also, by saying that I am a Traditionalist, I am purposely setting myself apart from Eclectics (for the difference, see The Basics). I follow the path set before me by my High Priest and High Priestess, who's path was set by all those who came before them up to Gardner, whose path in turn was set by the Gods. I believe very strongly in keeping to this path and its practices.

4.) I categorically cannot abide by oathbreaking. As a pre-initiate of an oathbound religion, if I come across material that seems questionable to me, I avoid it as much as possible. Once initiated, I would not reveal oathbound material, nor would I accept such material from another tradition. At this point, I will not accept such material either, especially not anything from Gardnerianism. If you were to have something you wanted to share with me, I would ask that you first research your sources to make certain that no oaths to the Gods have been broken.

5.) I absolutely will not tolerate any attempts on the part of anyone to convert me, or anyone else, to a different religion or belief system. Whether the attempt is made by Christian, Jew, Pagan, Buddhist or Atheist, is of no consequence. I firmly believe that freedom of religion means ANY relgion, including lack thereof. I believe that there is a path for everyone, and it is part of life's purpose to find that path, whether it be Islam, Hinduism, Wicca, Agnosticism, or even something non-religious, such as science and Atheism. It's up to you to find your own path, no one can tell you what it is except you.

6.) I do not have the knowledge, experience, authority or resources to train anyone in the Craft. I am willing to be a friend and a resource of sorts (I'll share what knowledge and advice I do have if so asked), but I am not looking for students. Also, if I were looking for students, I wouldn't go about it in this way. My opinion is that if you are going to learn from someone, you should do so in person, not over the net. I'm not saying that everyone has to learn in a Coven, but even Solitaries consult other Witches from time to time. Plus, I feel that there are some things that you can't just read about, you have to experience them.

7.) This is just a restatement of something I said before, but it bears repeating. I do not believe in "outing" people. That is, I will not proclaim that they are a Witch or Pagan or Wiccan or whatever, unless they have made the decision to reveal that information themselves, and have done so before I do. Unfortunately, fear and ignorance still keep many of us in the Broom Closet. While I believe that the best way to combat that fear is to be open about Paganism, I respect that others may not share my view, or may have other reasons to remain in the safety of their own closet.

I realize I may have made some enemies here, and possibly brought some hate mail upon myself, but I see it this way; of you disagree with what I've said here, then that's your opinion and you are free to have it. If that is the case, all I ask is that you extented that same courtesy of freedom to me as well. I don't think any way of practicing the Craft, or any relgion for that matter, is "better" or more "right" than another, it just might be the case that I am reaching to the Divine in a different way than you are.

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