Redes, Creeds, Charges


These are some meaningful pieces upon which to meditate (I've included the authors only if I know who they are, at this time):

The Wiccan Rede, long-poem version

Pagan, The Ancient Rede, by me

The Witch's Rune

The Charge of the Goddess

The Charge of the Autumn Goddess

The Charge of the God

The Charge of the Horned God

The Charge of the Dark Goddess

The Charge of the Dark God

The Witch's Creed

Before Time Was




The Wiccan Rede
or, Rede of the Wiccae (The Rede-poem)
by Lady Gwen Thompson, published first in 1975

the original version:

Bide ye the Wiccan laws ye must, in perfect love and perfect trust.
Ye must live and let live, fairly take and fairly give.
Cast the Circle thrice about, to keep unwelcome spirits out.
To bind the spell well every time, let the spell be spoken in rhyme.
Soft of eye and light of touch, speak ye little and listen much.
Deosil go by waxing moon, chanting out the Wiccan runes.
Widdershins go by waning moon, chanting out the baneful tune.
When the Lady's moon is new, kiss the hand to Her times two.
When the moon rides at Her peak, then the 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 Moor wind blows from the West, departed spirits 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 quick and burn them slow.
Elder be the Lady's tree, burn it not or cursed ye'll be.
When the wheel begins to turn, let the Beltane fires burn.
When the wheel has turned to Yule, light the log and the Horned One rules.
Heed ye flower, bush and tree, by the Lady, Blessed Be.
Where the rippling waters go, cast a stone, the truth to know.
When ye have and hold a need, hearken not to others' greed.
With a fool no seasons 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 now, wear the blue star on thy brow.
True in love ye must be, lest thy love be false to thee.
These words the Wiccan Rede fulfill: An ye harm none, do what ye will.


a general version:
(not entirely word-for-word of the original, but about the same)

Bide the Wiccan laws ye must,
in perfect love and perfect trust.
Live ye well, and let to live --
fairly take and fairly give.

Cast the Circle thrice about
to keep unwelcome spirits out.
To bind the spell well every time,
let the spell be spake in rhyme.

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

Deosil go by the waxing Moon --
chanting out the Witch's Rune.
Widdershins go by the waning Moon,
Banishing the baneful rune.

When the Lady's Moon is new,
kiss your hand to Her, times two.
When the Moon rides at Her peak,
then your heart's desires seek.

Heed the North wind's mighty gale --
lock the door and drop the sail.
When the wind comes from the South,
love will kiss thee on thy mouth.

When the wind blows from the East,
expect the new and set the feast.
When the West wind blows o'er thee,
departed spirits restless be.

Nine woods in the Cauldron go --
burn them quick and burn them slow.
Elder be ye Lady's tree --
burn it not, or your luck will flee.

When the Wheel begins to turn,
then the Beltane balefires burn.
When the Wheel hath turned to Yule,
light a 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 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 ye meet and merry part --
bright the cheeks and warm the heart!
When misfortune is anow,
wear the blue star upon thy brow.

True in love you must ever be,
lest thy lover be false to thee.

In these Eight words, the Wiccan Rede, fulfill: --
'An ye harm none, do what ye will.

* Note: and yes, if the only rule you have in your life is Harm None, it really does work! That's the one to have.




Pagan, The Ancient Rede
by me, the owner of "The Forest Pyramid" web site
August 2002; revised, 1-11-'03.

Hear ye the words of the ages:
of worship and play intermixed;
the Ways of the ancient sages;
for gods, festivals they affixed...

On Yule, called the winter solstice,
the child horned god is reborn;
Imbolc, purify, and lights burn;
Ostara, Green Goddess, returns;

Beltane, Goddess and God unite;
Summer Solstice sun-god shines bright;
Lughnasadh is the first harvest;
Autumnal equinox we feast;
On Samhain Eve the old god dies.

Esbats, celebrate the Mother;
full and new moons -- share Her power;
Eternal Star Goddess dances,
with Her Lover, watches mankind.

Be joyous, be reverent, have fun.
So, work with the magick; harm none.
The Goddess and Horned God are two
Divine forms of the One Spirit;
Forever grow back toward The One.

To learn is to change; the path is
in balance -- in the middle way.

Be calm, always, show love and give.
In knowledge, your power most lives.




The Witch's Rune

Darksome night and shining moon,
Harken to the Witches Rune;
East, then South, West, then North,
Here come I to call thee forth.

By all the powers of land and sea,
Be obedient unto me.
Wand and pentacle, cup and sword,
Harken ye unto my word.

Candles, incense, bell, and knife,
Waken all ye into life.
Powers of the witches blade,
Come ye as the charge is made.

Queen of heaven, field and dell,
Send your aid unto this spell.
Horned hunter of the night,
Work my will by magick rite.

By all the might of moon and sun,
As I do will, it shall be done;
By all the powers of land and sea,
As I say, so mote it be.




The Charge of the Goddess
attributed to Doreen Valiente

Listen to the words of the Great Mother, who of old was called Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Diana, Arienrhod, Brigid, and by many other names:

Whenever you have need of anything, once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full, you shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me who is Queen of all Witches.
There shall you assemble, who have not yet won my deepest secrets and are fain to learn all sorceries. To these shall I teach that which is yet unknown.
You shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that you be free you shall be naked in your rites.
Sing, feast, dance, make music and love, all in My presence, for Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and Mine also is joy on earth.
For My law is love unto all beings.

Mine is the secret that opens upon the door of youth, and Mine is the cup of wine of life that is the Cauldron of Cerridwen that is the holy grail of immortality.
I am the Gracious Goddess who gives the gift of youth unto the heart of mankind.
I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal and beyond death I give peace and freedom and reunion with those that have gone before.
Nor do I demand aught of sacrifice, for behold, I am the mother of all things and My love is poured upon the earth.

Hear the words of the Star Goddess, the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven, whose body encircles the universe:

I who am the beauty of the green earth and the white moon among the stars and the mysteries of the waters, I call upon your soul to arise and come unto Me. For I am the soul of nature that gives life to the universe. From Me all things proceed and unto Me they must return.

Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold -- all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals. Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.

And you who seek to know Me, know that your seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery: for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without. For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.




The Charge of the Autumn Goddess

I am the waning moon,
The Goddess who is fading from the land.
In the Springtime I sought my Lord,
And mated with him beneath the trees and stars.
At Beltane I wed my Lord,
Beneath the first blossoms of the hawthorn tree.
And in the Summertime I ripened the apples in the orchards,
And the fruit grew round and strong.
At the corn harvest I cut down my Lord,
That by his death our people might be fed.

And now, in the Autumntime,
I descend beneath the Earth
To dwell with my Lord in his dark kingdom,
Until our child is born.
At the Winter Solstice I will bring forth the child,
And renew your hope.
And at Candlemas, I, myself, will return
To renew the land.

I leave you, but I return to you.
When you see my power fade,
And the leaves fall from the trees,
When snow obliterates like death,
All trace of me upon the Earth,
Then look for me in the Moon --
And in the heavens, you will see the soul of me
Soaring still among the stars;
And in that darkest time,
When the Moon is covered by shadow
And there is no trace of me in Heaven or on Earth,
When you look outward and your lives seem cold,
and dark and barren,
Let not despair eat at your hearts.

For when I am hidden,
I am but renewing;
When I am waning,
I am making ready for return.
Remember my promise and look within you,
And there you will find the spirit of me,
Awaiting those who will seek.
For by the well-spring of your being,
I await you always.

I am Diana in Heaven,
And on Earth, Persephone,
And within you, that dark Hecate --
Triple am I --
The One in Three --
My body the Earth,
My soul the Moon,
And within thine innermost self,
The eternal spirit of me.




The Charge of the God

I am the radiant King of the Heavens,
flooding the Earth with warmth and encouraging the hidden
seed of creation to burst forth into manifestation.

I lift my shining spear to light the lives of all beings
and daily pour forth my golden rays upon the Earth,
putting to flight the powers of darkness.

I am the spirit of all beasts wild and free.
I run with the stag and soar as a sacred falcon against
the shimmering sky.

The ancient woods and wild places emanate my powers,
the birds of the air sing of my sanctity.

I am the harvest, offering up grain and fruits beneath
the sickle of time so that all may be nourished.
For without planting there can be no harvest;
without winter there can be no spring.

I am the thousand named Son of creation.
Know that by all names I am the same.

The spirit of the horned stag in the wild, the endless harvest.
See in the yearly cycle of festivals my birth, death and
rebirth and know that such is the destiny of all creation.

I am the spark of life, the radiant Sun, the giver of peace and rest.
I send my rays of blessings to warm the hearts and strengthen the minds of all.




The Charge of the Horned God
by Vivienne West

Hark unto me: for I am He who has existed throughout all time. I was there from the beginning; it was my potency that charged the fertility of the Great Mother and created life from her empty womb.

Myself it is in the winds that sweep the worlds; myself it is in the flames that give warmth and light to all beings. I am he who provides: the Green Man of field and forest fruitfulness; the lust of the bull that engenders life upon the cow; the strength of the boar that engenders life upon the sacred sow of Ceriddwen; the speed of the stag running free in the forest that no hunter can bring down save he who speaks the sacred words to call unto the spirit of the fleeing stag.

I am Lord of the Dance; he who swirls through the starry universe with the world at his heels. I am he who dances on mountain and plain and hearth, and he who captures all things in his dance.

And I am also Kernnun the Dark Hunter; he with visage as dark as void and armor bright with flame. My name is Lord of the Hunt; my prey those souls who needs must die and descend into the dark, chthonic depths of my bowel. For I bring life but death also; I am he at the gateway of the worlds, and to me shalt thou come in the end, thou who art my child and my prey.





The Charge of the Dark Goddess

The Dark Goddess speaks to us, through the mouths of Lilith, Kali, Tiamet, Hecate, Nyx, the Black Madonna, Nemesis, Morgaine, and by other names...

I am the Darkness behind and beneath the shadows.

I am the abscence of air that awaits at the bottom of every breathe.

I am the ending before life begins again, the decay that fertilizes the living.

I am the bottomless pit, the never-ending struggle to reclaim that which is denied.

I am the key that unlocks every door.

I am the glory of discovery, for I am that which is hidden, secluded and forbidden.

Come to me at the dark moon and see that which cannot be seen; face the terror that is yours alone.

Swim to me through the blackest oceans, to the center of your greatest fears --

The Dark God and I will keep you safe; scream to us in terror, and yours will be the power to forbear.

Think of me when you fell pleasure, and I will intensify it, until the time when I may have the greatest pleasure of meeting you at the crossroads between the worlds.




The Charge of the Dark God
by Christopher Hatton

Listen to the words of the Dark God,
Who was of old called Iakchos, Donn,
Anubis, Hades, Setesh, Hoder,
And by many other names:

I am the shadow in the bright day;
I am the reminder of mortality at the height of living.
I am the neverending weil of Night
Where the Star Goddess dances.
I am the Death that must be so that Life may continue,
For Behold, Life is immortal because the living must die.

I am the strength that protects, that limits;
I am the power that says No, and No further, and That Is Enough.
I am the things that cannot be spoken of,
And I am the laughter at the edge of Death.

Come with me into the warm enfolding dark;
Feel my caresses in the hands,
In the Mouth,
In the Body of one you love,
And be transformed.

Gather in the moonless night and speak in unknown tongues;
The Dark Mother and I will listen.
Sing to us and cry out,
And the Power will be yours to wield.

Blow me a kiss when the sky is dark,
And I will smile,
But no kiss return;
For my kiss is the final one for all mortal flesh.




The Witch's Creed
by Doreen Valiente

Hear now the words of the Witches,
The Secrets we hid in the night,
When dark was our destiny's pathway,
That now we bring forth into light.

Mysterious water and fire,
The earth and the wide-ranging air,
By hidden quintessence we call them,
And will, and keep silent, and dare.

The birth and rebirth of all nature,
The passing of winter and spring,
We share with the life universal,
Rejoice in the magical ring.

Four times in the year the Great Sabbat
Returns, and the witches are seen
At Lammas and Candlemas dancing,
On May Eve and old Hallowe'en.

When day-time and night-time are equal,
When sun is at greatest and least,
The four Lesser Sabbats are summoned,
And Witches gather in feast.

Thirteen silver moons in a year are,
Thirteen is the coven's array.
Thirteen times at Esbat make merry,
For each golden year and a day.

The power that was passed down the age,
Each time between woman and man,
Each century unto the other,
'Ere time and the ages began.
When drawn is the magical circle,
By sword or athame of power,
Its compass between two worlds lies,
In land of the shades for that hour.
This world has no right then to know it,

And world of beyond will tell naught.
The oldest of Gods are invoked there,
The Great Work of magic is wrought.

For the two are mystical pillars,
That stand at the gate of the shrine,
And two are the powers of nature,
The forms and the forces divine.

The dark and the light in succession,
The opposites each unto each,
Shown forth as a God and a Goddess:
Of this our ancestors teach.

By night he's the wild wind's rider,
The Horn'd One, the Lord of the Shades.
By day he's the King of the Woodland,
The dweller in green forest glades.

She is youthful or old as she pleases,
She sails the torn clouds in her barque,
The bright silver lady of midnight,
The crone who weaves spells in the dark.

The master and mistress of magic,
That dwell in the deeps of the mind,
Immortal and ever-renewing,
With power to free or to bind.

So drink the good wine to the Old Gods,
And Dance and make love in their praise,
Till Elphame's fair land shall receive us
In peace at the end of our days.

And Do What You Will be the challenge,
So be it Love that harms none,
For this is the only commandment.
By Magic of old, be it done!




Before Time Was
from a work by Scott Cunningham

Before time was, there was The One;
The One was all, and all was The One.
And the vast expanse known as the universe was The One,
all-wise, all-pervading, all-powerful, eternally changing.
And space moved.
The One molded energy into twin forms, equal but opposite,
fashioning the Goddess and God from The One and of The One.
The Goddess and God stretched and gave thanks to The One,
but darkness surrounded them.
They were alone, solitary save for The One.
So They formed energy into gasses and gasses into suns and planets and moons;
They sprinkled the universe with whirling globes
and so all was given shape by the hands of the Goddess and God.
Light arose and the sky was illuminated by a billion suns.
And the Goddess and God, satisfied by their works,
rejoiced and loved, and were one.
From their union sprang the seeds of all life, and of the human race,
so that we might achieve incarnation upon the Earth.
The Goddess chose the Moon as Her symbol,
and the God the Sun as His symbol,
to remind the inhabitants of Earth of their fashioners.
All are born, live, die and are reborn
beneath the Sun and Moon;
all things come to pass thereunder,
and all occurs with the blessings of The One,
as has been the way of existence since before time was.




return
to
main
page

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1