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Chado2423 · 10-10-2007, 06:50 PM

Oct 10th... Today is not a single word it is a phrase: "An' it harm none, do what ye will..."

The Wiccan Reed/Creed/Commandment: An' it harm none, do what ye will... Spoems - Wiccan Rede

Thought for the day: (in some one else's words this time): "If you think about -- I want you to really think about it -- you think about what Kosovo is all about. People were taught to hate people who were from a different ethnic group than they were, who worshiped God in a different way. They started out by being afraid of them and misunderstanding them. Then, they came to hate them. And then after hating them for a good while, they came to dehumanize them. And once you decide that someone you're looking at is no longer a human being, it's not so hard to justify killing them, or burning them out of house and home, or torturing their children, or doing all the other things you have heard. It all starts -- it all starts with the inability to recognize the inherent dignity and equality of someone who is different from ourselves." --- Former President Bill Clinton

Today I share the Wiccan Commandment... Just one?? That's right! (Let me make mention that simply because ANY religion has any commandment does not necessarily that ALL the followers of said religion constantly abide by it. This is why Wiccans have a mantra that I've heard over and over again... somtimes it becomes a bore to hear it again, but it is never untrue... "...calling one's self a witch does not make a witch." You could substitute the term Wiccan, or Christain or whatever. The point of that mantra is more important to BE a follower of the highest ideals, rather than to simply claim you are. Barrack Obama recently discussed his veiws on not wearing a flag lapel pin. The reason he gave was because he wanted himself to be a symbol of true patriotism. Of course he was attacked for being un-patriotic simply because he refused to wear a pin. IMO this is absurd. He was trying to make the point that it is more important to BE, rather than to APPEAR TO BE. "...calling one's self a patriot does not make a patriot."

But back to the reed... The Wiccan reed is cosidered akin to the ethic of reciprocity taught in many other religious affiliations and some phiolsophical thinking. Judaism/Christianity: "...thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.", Leviticus 19:18 Native American Spirituality: "Respect for all life is the foundation."-- The Great Law of Peace. "All things are our relatives; what we do to everything, we do to ourselves. All is really One." Black Elk "Do not wrong or hate your neighbor. For it is not he who you wrong, but yourself." Pima proverb. Christianity: "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." Luke 6:31, King James Version. Buddhism: "...a state that is not pleasing or delightful to me, how could I inflict that upon another?" Samyutta NIkaya v. 353 Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful." Udana-Varga 5:18Confucianism: "Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you" Analects 15:23

This commandment in the Wiccan faith is usualy implicitory of The Three Fold Law. In other words the commandment is an implied principle, a guideline referencing the concept of the three-fold law. The Three-fold Law (also called The Law Of Three) is a tenet that states: "ever mind the law of three, what ye send forth comes back to thee times three." There are many variations of this law. The connecting notion between the Law Of Three and The reed is that if one sends forth harm, that that harm will be sent back to him or her multiplied. Often it is believed that this reciprocation takes place in this life-time, whereas others believe they may have karmic debts to pay in the next life-time. If you really think about it this is very similar to the concept of "what you sow ye shall also reap" principle. I don't much about other faiths besides Christianity... so my references to other faiths may be quite limited. The action is the seed, the three-fold return is thr growth of that seed. If you send out negative energy, you receive negative energy multiplied, in Wiccan thought. "Young one, for just a moment sit, quiet, and still. Remember child, for good, for ill, shall be returned us by three times the full moon, or perhaps soon. So, ever mind you do not do harm, so that you will be free to do what ye will." (I dk know the source of this rhyme.) The basic Threefold Law states, simply, "Ever mind the rule of three. Three times what thou givest returns to thee." In everyday English, the Threefold Law might be put as, "What goes around comes around!" Whatever you send out comes back threefold. If you do good, you get good threefold; if you do negative things, you get negative consequences back threefold. Whatever energy you pass on comes back to you three fold. The Threefold Law is simply the Law of Return - whatever you give - good or bad - returns three times as strong. This basically means that whatever energies you put OUT, be it of a positive or negative nature, will RETURN to you threefold, in like kind! Most Wiccans adhere to the principle that The Threefold Law makes us responsible for our own actions because the end result is that what we're doing to the world is exactly we're doing to ourselves! We must always check our motives. We must consider what is on the inside as well as the outside. "The morality of Wicca is based heavily on free will allowing individual freedom with as little interference as possible. There is high level of equality in Wicca with the emphasis on the circle and the lack of any preaching. The concept of a talking stick where everyone has their say is more widespread than dominating leaders. The emphasis is on the creation of harmony by allowing the individual to do their own will but encouraging them to think of the harm done to others by the exercising of this freedom." -- The U.S military Chaplain's Handbook, 1999 version. Aside from the Wiccan Rede and the "three-fold law", Wiccans do not have to subscribe to a fixed ideology so beliefs vary, however the common theme is that Wiccans gain a connection with the divine spirit of mother nature through the celebration of her cycles through the traditional Wheel Of The Year Sabbat calendar. This is done either individually or with other Wiccans. But back to the reed. Some Wiccans are quite repulsed when they hear others explaining any Wiccan belief, because of the previous rule of secrecy. But some modern Wiccans believe that this secrecy IS one of the faults of our ancestors... They believe that only by sharing our beliefs can others understand us, and that if they understand us they are less likely to fear us. It is with that the Long Version of the Witches' Creed had been created... what was once in the shadows is now in the light... The Wiccan Reed

Albeit the reed does not refer to a list of precise systematic guidelines for one to follow, it isn't meant to. Wiccan theology teaches the student to seek out council from Spirit. They believe that each person has personal responsibility in their relationship with Divine.

The word "An" in the reed is not "And", instead it is an archaic version of the word "If"... A modern translation would be something along the lines of "Do what ye will, so long as it harms no one." "If it harm none, do what ye will." I've even heard it go more profound than this and be something like "Do the true will of your spirit, so long as it harms none."

The reason I give definitions here, is because... if anything in learning Wicca is likely to give you problems, it will be the definitions. The problem is many of the terms related to Wicca have multiple meanings. Just as the word "bear" has more than one meaning so do many Wiccan words have more than one meaning depending upon the Tradition. It is no different with the reed. Many Wiccans interpret it differently, just the same way that Christians interpret Biblical verses differently. However, the theme in any Wiccan tradtion is always a connection to the Divine, even if they have differing views of what it means to be Divine.

What counts as harm according to the Wiccan Rede? Unfortunately this isn't a simple answer. Just think about what harm means. What does it really to do harm? If you need shelter, but kill a tree to make logs in order to protect yourself from Nature's harm, is it wrong? After all, you killed a living entity. But simplistically anything that is obviously hurtful or damaging is an obvious answer. If it is not so obvious, Wiccans believe in asking Spirit to guide. Additionally, however, anything that controls or manipulates another is a form of harm in that those actions restrict another's free will and chance to evolve from learning from their own actions.

Summary:
The Wiccan Rede is both a moral directive, and an ethical creed. It defines a structure by which the individual can measure the correctness of behavior as it is defined by the culture. It is also worded in such a way that the interpretation of the constraints is placed firmly in the hands of the practitioner. Therefore, the Olde Religion has as one of its central tenets a requirement of personal responsibility for all its members. This can result in a truly virtuous culture, or one based upon the whims of personal satisfaction and greed, depending entirely upon the character of the culture’s individual components. In this lies the inherent paradox of the Wiccan religion. It is hierarchal in regards to teaching and communal decision-making, but it depends on personal responsibility and ethics to guide the decisions of the individuals.

10-10-2007, 06:50 PM	#8 (permalink)
Chado2423 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 388	Oct 10th... Today is not a single word it is a phrase: "An' it harm none, do what ye will..." The Wiccan Reed/Creed/Commandment: An' it harm none, do what ye will... Spoems - Wiccan Rede *Thought for the day:* (in some one else's words this time): "If you think about -- I want you to really think about it -- you think about what Kosovo is all about. People were taught to hate people who were from a different ethnic group than they were, who worshiped God in a different way. They started out by being afraid of them and misunderstanding them. Then, they came to hate them. And then after hating them for a good while, they came to dehumanize them. And once you decide that someone you're looking at is no longer a human being, it's not so hard to justify killing them, or burning them out of house and home, or torturing their children, or doing all the other things you have heard. It all starts -- it all starts with the inability to recognize the inherent dignity and equality of someone who is different from ourselves." --- Former President Bill Clinton Today I share the Wiccan Commandment... Just one?? That's right! (Let me make mention that simply because ANY religion has any commandment does not necessarily that ALL the followers of said religion constantly abide by it. This is why Wiccans have a mantra that I've heard over and over again... somtimes it becomes a bore to hear it again, but it is never untrue... "...calling one's self a witch does not make a witch." You could substitute the term Wiccan, or Christain or whatever. The point of that mantra is more important to BE a follower of the highest ideals, rather than to simply claim you are. Barrack Obama recently discussed his veiws on not wearing a flag lapel pin. The reason he gave was because he wanted himself to be a symbol of true patriotism. Of course he was attacked for being un-patriotic simply because he refused to wear a pin. IMO this is absurd. He was trying to make the point that it is more important to BE, rather than to APPEAR TO BE. "...calling one's self a patriot does not make a patriot." But back to the reed... The Wiccan reed is cosidered akin to the ethic of reciprocity taught in many other religious affiliations and some phiolsophical thinking. Judaism/Christianity: "...thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.", Leviticus 19:18 Native American Spirituality: "Respect for all life is the foundation."-- The Great Law of Peace. "All things are our relatives; what we do to everything, we do to ourselves. All is really One." Black Elk "Do not wrong or hate your neighbor. For it is not he who you wrong, but yourself." Pima proverb. Christianity: "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." Luke 6:31, King James Version. Buddhism: "...a state that is not pleasing or delightful to me, how could I inflict that upon another?" Samyutta NIkaya v. 353 Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful." Udana-Varga 5:18Confucianism: "Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you" Analects 15:23 This commandment in the Wiccan faith is usualy implicitory of The Three Fold Law. In other words the commandment is an implied principle, a guideline referencing the concept of the three-fold law. The Three-fold Law (also called The Law Of Three) is a tenet that states: "ever mind the law of three, what ye send forth comes back to thee times three." There are many variations of this law. The connecting notion between the Law Of Three and The reed is that if one sends forth harm, that that harm will be sent back to him or her multiplied. Often it is believed that this reciprocation takes place in this life-time, whereas others believe they may have karmic debts to pay in the next life-time. If you really think about it this is very similar to the concept of "what you sow ye shall also reap" principle. I don't much about other faiths besides Christianity... so my references to other faiths may be quite limited. The action is the seed, the three-fold return is thr growth of that seed. If you send out negative energy, you receive negative energy multiplied, in Wiccan thought. "Young one, for just a moment sit, quiet, and still. Remember child, for good, for ill, shall be returned us by three times the full moon, or perhaps soon. So, ever mind you do not do harm, so that you will be free to do what ye will." (I dk know the source of this rhyme.) The basic Threefold Law states, simply, "Ever mind the rule of three. Three times what thou givest returns to thee." In everyday English, the Threefold Law might be put as, "What goes around comes around!" Whatever you send out comes back threefold. If you do good, you get good threefold; if you do negative things, you get negative consequences back threefold. Whatever energy you pass on comes back to you three fold. The Threefold Law is simply the Law of Return - whatever you give - good or bad - returns three times as strong. This basically means that whatever energies you put OUT, be it of a positive or negative nature, will RETURN to you threefold, in like kind! Most Wiccans adhere to the principle that The Threefold Law makes us responsible for our own actions because the end result is that what we're doing to the world is exactly we're doing to ourselves! We must always check our motives. We must consider what is on the inside as well as the outside. "The morality of Wicca is based heavily on free will allowing individual freedom with as little interference as possible. There is high level of equality in Wicca with the emphasis on the circle and the lack of any preaching. The concept of a talking stick where everyone has their say is more widespread than dominating leaders. The emphasis is on the creation of harmony by allowing the individual to do their own will but encouraging them to think of the harm done to others by the exercising of this freedom." -- The U.S military Chaplain's Handbook, 1999 version. Aside from the Wiccan Rede and the "three-fold law", Wiccans do not have to subscribe to a fixed ideology so beliefs vary, however the common theme is that Wiccans gain a connection with the divine spirit of mother nature through the celebration of her cycles through the traditional Wheel Of The Year Sabbat calendar. This is done either individually or with other Wiccans. But back to the reed. Some Wiccans are quite repulsed when they hear others explaining any Wiccan belief, because of the previous rule of secrecy. But some modern Wiccans believe that this secrecy IS one of the faults of our ancestors... They believe that only by sharing our beliefs can others understand us, and that if they understand us they are less likely to fear us. It is with that the Long Version of the Witches' Creed had been created... what was once in the shadows is now in the light... The Wiccan Reed Albeit the reed does not refer to a list of precise systematic guidelines for one to follow, it isn't meant to. Wiccan theology teaches the student to seek out council from Spirit. They believe that each person has personal responsibility in their relationship with Divine. The word "An" in the reed is not "And", instead it is an archaic version of the word "If"... A modern translation would be something along the lines of "Do what ye will, so long as it harms no one." "If it harm none, do what ye will." I've even heard it go more profound than this and be something like "Do the true will of your spirit, so long as it harms none." The reason I give definitions here, is because... if anything in learning Wicca is likely to give you problems, it will be the definitions. The problem is many of the terms related to Wicca have multiple meanings. Just as the word "bear" has more than one meaning so do many Wiccan words have more than one meaning depending upon the Tradition. It is no different with the reed. Many Wiccans interpret it differently, just the same way that Christians interpret Biblical verses differently. However, the theme in any Wiccan tradtion is always a connection to the Divine, even if they have differing views of what it means to be Divine. What counts as harm according to the Wiccan Rede? Unfortunately this isn't a simple answer. Just think about what harm means. What does it really to do harm? If you need shelter, but kill a tree to make logs in order to protect yourself from Nature's harm, is it wrong? After all, you killed a living entity. But simplistically anything that is obviously hurtful or damaging is an obvious answer. If it is not so obvious, Wiccans believe in asking Spirit to guide. Additionally, however, anything that controls or manipulates another is a form of harm in that those actions restrict another's free will and chance to evolve from learning from their own actions. Summary: The Wiccan Rede is both a moral directive, and an ethical creed. It defines a structure by which the individual can measure the correctness of behavior as it is defined by the culture. It is also worded in such a way that the interpretation of the constraints is placed firmly in the hands of the practitioner. Therefore, the Olde Religion has as one of its central tenets a requirement of personal responsibility for all its members. This can result in a truly virtuous culture, or one based upon the whims of personal satisfaction and greed, depending entirely upon the character of the culture’s individual components. In this lies the inherent paradox of the Wiccan religion. It is hierarchal in regards to teaching and communal decision-making, but it depends on personal responsibility and ethics to guide the decisions of the individuals. Last edited by Chado2423; 10-10-2007 at 11:57 PM.