Ethics
Wiccan Rede
Bide the Wiccan Rede ye must,
     In Perfect Love & Perfect Trust;
Live ye must and let to live;
     Fairly take and fairly give;
Form the Circle thrice about,
     To keep unwelcome spirits out;
Bind fast the spell every time,
     Let the words be spoke in rhyme.
Soft of eye and light of touch,
     Speak ye little, listen much;
Deosil go by the waxing moon,
     Sing and dance the Witches' Rune;
Windershins go by the waning moon,
     Chant ye then a baleful tune;
When the Lady's moon is new,
     Kiss hand to her times two;
When the moon rides at peak,
     Heart's desire then ye seek.
Heed the North wind's mighty gale,
     Lock the door & trim the sail;
When the wind comes from the South,
     Love will kiss them on the mouth;
When the wind blows from the West,
     departed souls 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, burn them slow;
Elder be the Lady's tree,
     Burn it not or or curs'd ye'll be;
When the wind begins to turn,
     Soon the Beltain fires will burn;
When the wheel has turned to Yule,
     light the log, the Horned One rules.
Heed the flower, bush or tree
     By the Lady, Blessed Be.
When the rippling waters flow
     cast a stone - the truth you'll know;
When ye have & 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, warm the heart;
Mind the threefold law ye should,
     Three times bad and three times good;
Whene'er misfortune is enow,
     Wear the star upon your brow;
True in troth ever ye be
     Lest thy love prove false to thee.
'Tis by the sun that life be won,
     And by the moon that change be done;
If ye would clear the path to will,
     Make certain the mind be still.
What good be tools without Inner Light?
     What good be magick without wisdom-sight?
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill-
     An harm ye none, do what ye will.
One of the items that come to mind when discussing ethics, is the Wiccan Rede. Rede means guide, therefore the Rede is more of a suggestion than a rule. The rede has been mostly attributed to Doreen Valiente, however it's origin is not known for certain.
Personally, I follow, "Harm none, do what you will. Receive harm, do what you must." There may be circumstances in which harm must be caused, and in those instances be mindful of the harm you can inflict.Choose the path of least pain.
I also follow the Law of Threefold Return. I believe that all deeds, not good or bad, but all deeds, are returned to the sender. Keep this in mind when you are asked to help a friend or think about smiting an enemy.
What it boils down to is this, no matter what you do, there are consequences, legally, morally, ethically, and karmically. Whatever your future decisions may be, be prepared to deal with the ramifications.
As an assignment, compose an essay of your personal ethics. Do you see things as black and white or several shades of grey? How have your ethics changed over time? Do your ethics differ from those of your parents, friends, or the government?
For additional information on the Wiccan Rede,
go to http://www.waningmoon.com/ethics/rede4.shtml
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