Wiccan Rede

[Tamaska]

Does anybody know what the true Wiccan Rede says? I've seen about fifty different versions of it all over the internet. :) Thanks!

[morningstar2651]

If by true, you mean original, here is what Gerald Gardner had to say in The Meaning of Witchcraft (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1578633095/sr=1-1/qid=1139360609/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-5028657-3501403?%5Fencoding=UTF8):
[Wicans] are inclined to the morality of the legendary Good King Pausol [sic], "Do what you like so long as you harm no one." But they believe a certain law to be important, "You must not use magic for anything which will cause harm to anyone, and if, to prevent a greater wrong being done, you must discommode someone, you must do it only in a way which will abate the harm".

[darksatansangel]

Although there may be different version, they all have the same principle -

1. Do what you wish as long as you harm no in the process
2. Any harm you do attend will come back three times as hard
3. use magic for good - do not abuse your power over others and do not force others agaisnt there own will
4. keep and protect nature, honour the Goddess and the God by respecting and loving all that surrounds you.

That is what i have interpreted from the Wiccan Rede. Depending on who you are and what you wish to read from the Rede, your findings will be different. This is what i live by and have so far taken from the rede...
Out of the selection you have read, i would suggest to think about what you think it says and how it makes you feel. Try writing it in a list like i have if it clarifies your thoughts...

[Morgandria]

The Wiccan Rede itself is just "An' it harm none, do what ye will." If you are referring to the "long" version, that is actually "The Rede of the Wiccae", and while it is very pretty, it's simply poetic advice.

The Rede itself is not a commandment or law. Morningstar made a good post here. And some Wiccans do not follow the Rede. It isn't an absolute.

[Theres]

2. Any harm you do attend will come back three times as hard
4. keep and protect nature, honour the Goddess and the God by respecting and loving all that surrounds you.

wondering where in the eight word rede it says all that. :confused:

If you are referring to the "long" version, that is actually "The Rede of the Wiccae", and while it is very pretty...
well, that's debatable. to me it always sounded like cheesy poetry some high school girl wrote on the back of her PeeChee. :rolleyes:

[Morgandria]

I should have said "considered very pretty by some", then. :p I don't particularily like it myself.

[Theres]

;)

[DebLipp]

2. Any harm you do attend will come back three times as hard

I don't know what you mean by "attend," but this is not the Rede. "That which you do will come back three times" is called the Law of Three, it is not the Rede, and it is not about harm (good supposedly comes back as well).

3. use magic for good - do not abuse your power over others and do not force others agaisnt there own will
This is something that can be interpreted from the Rede, but is not the Rede itself.

4. keep and protect nature, honour the Goddess and the God by respecting and loving all that surrounds you.
These might be considered principals of Wicca, but they are not the Rede.

I think you are confusing the Rede, which is one specific piece of advise, with general principals of Wicca.

[Ben Gruagach]

Here are two excellent websites that discuss the history of the Wiccan Rede (both the actual rede and the longer poem which many people mistakenly call the Wiccan Rede.)

The Wiccan Rede: A Historical Journey (http://www.waningmoon.com/ethics/rede.shtml)

The Wiccan Rede Project (http://www.wiccanrede.dreamhost.com/) (this is a backup copy of the original site which unfortunately seems to have disappeared off the web. Parts of this backup are missing.)

[darksatansangel]

I wrote my interperatations from the Rede of the Wiccae;

2. Any harm you do attend will come back three times as hard - from the verse 'Mind the Threefold Law ye should - three times bad an'three times good.'

4. keep and protect nature, honour the Goddess and the God by respecting and loving all that surrounds you. - from the verse 'Live an' let live - fairly take an' fairly give.'

i understand that not everybody will understand where these interperations have deveopled - the rede to me personally is not a law, but guidelines in how i feel about living my life...

[DebLipp]

I wrote my interperatations from the Rede of the Wiccae;

- from the verse 'Mind the Threefold Law ye should - three times bad an'three times good.'

- from the verse 'Live an' let live - fairly take an' fairly give.'

i understand that not everybody will understand where these interperations have deveopled - the rede to me personally is not a law, but guidelines in how i feel about living my life...
Okay, just to be clear..."The Rede of the Wiccae" is not "The Wiccan Rede." I thought you were interpreting the Wiccan Rede.