Whether you are Wiccan or not, if you are running in the Pagan circles, you are going to encounter references and arguments over the Wiccan Rede. Because it is so widely referenced I believe that it is an important work for every Pagan to read and contemplate, regardless if you decide to adopt it as part of your path or not. The Rede can be a very hot button topic that causes intense debates and even all out arguments between Pagans. It, unfortunately, very often becomes a tool by which inflexible followers of the Rede try to berate or otherwise put down any practitioners who do not abide by the Rede. It is important to remember that the Rede is a Wiccan work that some other Pagan traditions have chosen to adopt but it is not followed by a great many Pagans. Each Pagan must decide for themselves if they agree with the Rede or if they have a different path.
The word “rede” comes from the Middle English word for “counsel” or “advice.” This is a very interesting note to consider when interpreting the Wiccan Rede. If we take the word at its base meaning then the Rede was never meant to become a law written in stone but more of a moral guide. There is controversy over where the Rede comes from. Basically there are kind of a couple different Redes. The first publicly recorded version is merely eight words said by Doreen Valiente in a 1964 speech, an it harm none, do what ye will. It is considered important to note that this holds great similarity to the line from Alieister Crowley’s The Book of Law which says, “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.” Doreen was known to want to distance Wicca from the influence of Crowley so it is not surprising that she added the part about harming none and she may have taken some influence from Gerald Gardner who said witches, “are inclined to the morality of the legendary Good King Pausol, 'Do what you like so long as you harm none.”
Longer versions of the Rede were eventually written, the first, The Wiccan Rede, appearing in Earth Religion News (1974). This was a twenty-six line poem ending with Doreen’s eight words. Another long version called The Rede of the Wiccae was published shortly after in Green Egg magazine and was written by Lady Gwen Thompson. She accredited the original version of the Rede to her grandmother Adriana Porter. It is widely believed that Adriana could not have written the original version because of the language and Wiccan principles included.
There’s a lot of information in the long Rede but it is very rarely quoted. When you encounter people discussing the Rede it is almost always Doreen’s eight words that are referenced. While that is the case it is important to read the Rede in its entirelty so you are educated to what it says and can make your own decisions about it. I have included in this post the long version Rede of the Wiccae for you to study and contemplate.
Rede Of The Wiccae
Being known as the counsel of the Wise Ones:
1.Bide the Wiccan Laws ye must In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.
2.Live an’ let live - Fairly take an’ fairly give.
3.Cast the Circle thrice about To keep all evil spirits out.
4.To bind the spell every time - Let the spell be spake in rhyme.
5.Soft of eye an’ light of touch - Speak little, listen much.
6.Deosil go by the waxing Moon - Sing and dance the Wiccan rune.
7.Widdershins go when the Moon doth wane, An’ the Werewolf howls by the dread Wolfsbane.
8.When the Lady’s Moon is new, Kiss thy hand to Her times two.
9.When the Moon rides at Her peak Then your heart’s desire seek.
10.Heed the Northwind’s mighty gale - Lock the door and drop the sail.
11.When the wind comes from the South, Love will kiss thee on the mouth.
12.When the wind blows from the East, Expect the new and set the feast.
13.When the West wind blows o’er thee, Departed spirits restless be.
14.Nine woods in the Cauldron go - Burn them quick an’ burn them slow.
15.Elder be ye Lady’s tree - Burn it not or cursed ye’ll be.
16.When the Wheel begins to turn - Let the Beltane fires burn.
17.When the Wheel has turned a Yule, Light the Log an’ let Pan rule.
18.Heed ye flower bush an’ tree - By the Lady Blessèd Be.
19.Where the rippling waters go Cast a stone an’ truth ye’ll know.
20.When ye have need, Hearken not to others greed.
21.With the fool no season spend Or be counted as his friend.
22.Merry meet an’ merry part - Bright the cheeks an’ warm the heart.
23.Mind the Threefold Law ye should - Three times bad an’ three times good.
24.When misfortune is enow, Wear the Blue Star on thy brow.
25.True in love ever be Unless thy lover’s false to thee.
26.Eight words ye Wiccan Rede fulfill - An’ it harm none, Do what ye will.