The Wiccan Rede: "If you harm none, do what you will"... thoughts?

Question

Hello, all:

The Wiccan Rede states: "If you harm none, do what you will" (or some slight variaion thereof). It is the central "commandment" of the Wiccan faith, and some would say one of the key defining characteristics of the religion.

What do you think it means? Is it simply a recommendation to avoid all harm, all the time? Or is it more complicated than that? Could it mean that we are to avoid harm when possible, or when doing so would not lead to greater harm? What do you think about the Lycian Tradition's variation on the Rede: "An it harm none, do as you will. An it cause harm, do as you must"?

I'm also interested in hearing the opinions of people of other religions (or lack thereof) about the Rede, if they have any to offer. :-)

Answer 1

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

Just as Christianity came out of Judaism, Wicca came out of Thelema. Gerald Gardner was very influenced by Aleister Crowley, and some Occult historians believe he was an initiate of the Ordo Templi Orientis. The prototype for the Wiccan Rede was, as someone else mentioned, "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the Law, Love under Will." This is the Law of Thelema, Crowley's philosophy/religion. So, Gardner added the "Harm None" part, which I believe he got from the Hippocratic Oath. I think the long verse poem of the Rede may have been written by Doreen Valiente -- she rewrote a lot of Gardner's material in verse form.

Now, it seems, the "Do what thou wilt," part is almost forgotten, and the Rede is sometimes shortened to two words -- Harm None. This is a good guiding principle to have, but I feel it misses the point. Worse yet, some Wiccans take "Harm None" to such ridiculous extremes that they completely avoid doing Magick altogether -- and isn't Magick part of being a Witch? It has become a dogma. I think that Wiccans will benefit from an understanding of Thelema.

"Do what thou wilt," does not mean "do whatever you want!" It is more akin to, "Know Thyself," or, "To thine own self be true." It means that we are free to follow the dictates of our own conscience. It also means that we are to seek higher spiritual truth within ourselves, to find our True Will. I do not know what your Will is, and I cannot tell you, but I can encourage you to seek to do your Will. It is a statement of freedom, but also a statement of personal responsibility. Sometimes, your whims or your wants can get in the way of your Will. Enjoying a martini at the end of the day is, in itself, harmless. If I overindulge and become an alcoholic, I am no longer free. I then become a slave, and am no longer doing my Will. Self denial, and self restraint are often necessary in order to do your Will. As Thelemites, then, we do not do every whim that crosses our minds. We do not avoid doing these things because they are "evil" or "sinful" or "bad karma" or because we fear some kind of divine punishment. We avoid doing certain things because they are not in alignment with our True Wills. It is a morality not dependent on metaphysical threats or promises of some punishment or reward. "There is no Law beyond Do what thou wilt."

This philosophy is not as selfish as it sounds. "Every man and every woman is a star." We are all divine. As I honor the divinity within me in the pursuit of my True Will, I honor the divinity within you by respecting your right to do your Will. It is not for me to decide what is and is not your Will. It is my duty to get out of your Way, to respect and not hinder your Will. Interfering with the Will of another is as much against Thelema as it is against Wicca. So, for us, "Harm None," is implied in "Do what thou wilt." However, if another person does interfere with your Will, you have the right to defend yourself in the most appropriate way that situation dictates. This is where "Harm None" has its limits.

Shortly after September 11th, I wanted to raise a Cone of Power against Bin Laden, as Gardner had done against Hitler. Many Wiccans I knew raised objections, saying, "That's against the Rede!" and "What about the Threefold Law?" But there is a time and a place for a curse -- and that was it. When we become Pagans, we say we've left Christianity behind, but we still cling to our Moral Absolutes. Why?

The Law of Thelema grants just as much, if not more, freedom than the Wiccan Rede. It requires just as much, if not more, personal responsibility. What it doesn't do is tie your hands behind your back.

Love is the law, love under Will.

Answer 2

The Rede is indeed deeper than it would at first seem. It is applicable to people at all levels of maturity. It isn't a "commandment" as such - it's a commitment; and Wicca is a lifestyle, not a faith. Semantics, I know, but . . . .

So - let's pull this thing apart -
"An it harm none, do what you Will"
It's aligned with the working of Magic - the Will, and relates to all work done in that context. You might say that we are 'working magic' all the time we are conscious, but that depends on your own inner understanding, or conscience.

OK, define 'harm'. How do you decide what harm is? Is it OK to 'help' someone by stopping them doing something stupid? Or is it better to let them learn the lesson you can see descending on them like a ton of bricks? Your decision.
You must decide whether to 'interfere' with a person's karma, or 'learning by doing', or take another route by perhaps advising them without taking any magical action.

Then there is the case of someone acting to harm someone else. Do you interfere? Do you stop them with magical action, ("I'll teach this bastard") or do nothing and let the interaction take its course? Again, your choice.

To some people the choice in either of these cases is clear and simple, but to a witch, many variables come into the equation.
Now what about this 'none'. What does that include (or exclude)? Does it mean only humans? Does it include all life-forms? This again is a matter for your own discretion.

It's all about taking responsibility for your own actions - or inactions. Total responsibility. The buck doesn't even start going anywhere else. It's not easy being a witch - green or not.


That's a very simplistic overview, just off the top of my head, but I'm prepared to join in discussing the whole matter at length if there's enough interest. How about a new Yahoo! group?

Answer 3

The rede is passive towards others
....If you harm none, do what you will
The Lycian corollary, ...an it cause harm, do as you must...
(if I understand correctly) is for defensive purpose...

I found this part...
And Lest In Self Defense It Be,
Ever Mind The Rule Of Three.

Isn't there a pro-active stance to ....do as much good with all that you have for as long as you can???

If a person has a heart attack. I can stand by and not get involved. I am not harming him directly. I am minding my own business.

On the other hand I can start CPR (better have someone call 911 because CPR is labor intensive) and I would be doing good with all that I had for as long as I could (after about 10 minutes I probably would be unable to continue).

The same would be true if I were to witness any sort of injustice. I could stand back and do nothing or I could be active and do something about it...

But what is the meaninng of ...nine woods in the cauldron go?

Answer 4

I'm a Witch, but not Wiccan. I've been a Witch for about 30 years now and know the Wiccan Rede, though I don't consider it a part of my "commandments". There is nothing wrong with it, I actually like most of the poem which is quite long.
I believe there is a version that includes something like, "lest in self defense it be."
From what I understand it actually means pretty much what it says. Do what ever you want, as long as you aren't hurting anyone, including yourself. That is a big restriction, and a good one.
So I do believe that in the longer version it allows for "harm" to be done if someone is threatening or harming you or someone else, in which case it is your duty and right to do what you need to in order to stop them.
That's what I think anyway, for what its worth.

Answer 5

Thank you for asking for my thoughts. :)

I think the Wiccan Rede is good but may easily be misused, in the sense that often people don't realise the harm that their actions may cause. Sometimes a more explicit ethical/moral code is necessary, in the case of people who are not tuned in enough to their intuition to know that a certain action is going to cause harm.

For instance, extra-marital sex harms the spiritual energy of both people who participate, and if a child is produced, can harm the child also, in the sense that the child may not then have a stable family unit. It also harms society, because of the breakdown of the family.

Masturbation harms yourself (energetically and mentally) - It can become an obsession. Other sex sins, such as indulging in pornography, may seem to harm no-one (but yourself), but what about the spirits of the people who made the stuff?

Thinking angry thoughts might be considered to harm no-one... but it does harm yourself, and it also harms others in that when your mind is pre-occupied with anger or other selfish feelings, you are not able to go out and help other people. It adds to the negative energy in the world also.

Sometimes "doing what you will" may mean that you "harm" another person by omission... For instance, living life in a Western country, we enjoy many luxuries that we take for granted. We were born to it. But we live this life at the expense of other countries... The cheap trinkets that we buy that say, "Made in China", etc, are one way that we harm others without evening realising. We should support fair trade and equal opportunity, even for people we will never see.

I think the Wiccan Rede is good because it allows flexibility necessary for following one's intuition.... a good thing. However, every action that you do needs to be carefully weighed for the possible consequences, and often people are of insufficient wisdom to know that their actions may harm others (or themselves) if they don't have more specific guidelines.

Peace and Love.

Answer 6

It depends on the persons Vera. What they want,who they are,and where they are going in life. Yes meant to be's will always be the love is true as well steadfast. They hold on to each other no matter the trials and tribulations,these relationships are rare. They easily become part of you with no thought to it,it just is,naturally. Walls are created by negativity,interference of others,weak minds,yada,yada,yada,many can be healed,with love,some cannot but true love makes the effort and never lets go. As well when there is to much resistance the person is saying it is not right for me,and life goes on. They are not the one for you,they do not have what you seek to heal you nor break down the walls. Perhaps both have issues that need resolving.

Answer 7

http://holysmoke.org/wicca/exegesis.htm
http://www.lisp.com.au/~gillm/texts/rede.html
www.crystalinks.com/wicca.html
www.msu.edu/~rohdemar/earth/exegesis.html
members.tripod.com/lady_miakoda/id1.html

Those are a few of the sites i found when i searched, what an interesting question!!!
I think we should do our utmost to follow the rede as well as we can, including harm to ourselves and the body we have been given for this life. I think that affecting someones free will is classed as harm( how i wish it wasent!!) But where the "do as ye must" would come in is where for example...if you had an alcoholic in the family...you could work magick for them to recover, while affecting their free will, it is also doing what is best for them.
Thank you for posting a wonderfully interesting question, that i have just spent the better part of an hour with!!(on the net)
Blessed Be!!
)O(
Ariel

Answer 8

I'm a Catholic and I remember reading that a saint (can't remember the name right now) once said, "Love God and then do what you will." I'm thinking what he meant was that if you love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength then you can commit no offense. It's interesting how similar the statements are. Don't know anything about Wiccan. Maybe you can enlighten us.
There's a hidden caveat here that might be worth mentioning. A lot of people engage in reckless or selfish behaviors and assume that they're harming no one and yet they can do a lot of damage. Who's to say? I think 'love God and do what you will' would be more satisfactory to me because it isn't relying on a singular perspective.

Answer 9

I would like to add a point to all those above.

As years go by, I find that I act less and less on behalf of others.
What does "doing harm" really mean? Sometimes rushing in to fix things in hopes of helping somebody may have an opposite effect. To what extent is it reasonable and good to interfere with another's process? In the end, she is still the one who will bear the concequences of her life (and myself, of course, will bear the consequences of my ill-advised action).

I have found two valid cases where interference is justified:
1. to console someone in distress, to lift her up and restore her faith in her own power so that she can, once again, take control of her life and
2. material help (be it in the form of an act, money or goods) that, for the time being, will solve an acute material problem.

Everything else is "iffy" to my mind.

Answer 10

I take it to mean that as long as our actions do not harm anyone else, then there is no moral reason not to do what we wish.
This is not to say that it should be taken lightly. All actions, especially spells or prayers, should be extremely well thought it in regards to the rede. For example, a love spell may sound innocent enough, but is it really? It should make you stop and think about performing such incantations regarding a particular person-as in there may be someone else out there who is meant for your object of affection, and THAT is who would be hurt by it.
All in all, I think it is not ONLY meant to be a feeling that dismisses us from guilt or the constraints of the beliefs of society in general-but that it is meant to make us take seriously and with much forethought the possible afterclap of anything and everything we do and say.
As far as the variation-each of us is well within our right to protect our selves, loved ones, and homes from immediate danger. But this idea leads dangerously into excusing vengeance and harmful behavior. We as humans do not have the insight to always do the right thing in a problematic situation, and the karma we create while protecting ourselves should have the utmost consideration.