Rules?

the Wiccan Rede.

Bide the wiccan law ye must

in perfect love, in perfect trust,

eight words the wiccan rede fulfill;

an it harm none, do what ye will.

the Charge.

Listen to the words of the Great Mother; she who was of old also called among men Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianrhod, Isis, Bride, and by many other names.

Whenever ye have need of any thing, once in the month, and better it be when the Moon is full, then shall ye assemble in some secret place, and adore the sprit of me, who am Queen of all witches. There shell ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets; to these will I teach things that are yet unknown. And ye shall be free from slavery; and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall be naked in your rites; and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in my praise. For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit, and mine also is joy on earth; for my law is love unto all beings. Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside. For mine is the secret door which opens upon the Land of Youths, and mine is the cup of wine of life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of immortality. I am the gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man. Upon earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond death, I give peace, and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone before. Nor do I demand sacrifice; for behold, I am the Mother of all living, and my love is poured out upon the earth.

Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess, she in 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 mystery of the waters, and the desire in the heart of man, call unto thy soul. Arise, and come unto me. For I am the soul of nature, who gives life to the universe. From me all things proceed, and unto me all things must return; and before my face, beloved of Gods and of men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And thou who thinkest to seek me, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not unless thou knowest the mystery; that if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee, thou wilt never find it without thee. For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.

Do these writings show rules? Are these guidelines that form a canvas on which the witch operates? If the answer is yes than this is a noble aspiration. For me these aren’t rules but indeed guidelines. Knowing that the origin of the Wiccan rede can be found in Aleister Crowley’s law of Talema: “do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law” I interpret the latter more as guideline than rule. The addition by Gerald Gardner "an it harm none..." is at least sympathetic but in conflict with individual freedom. Perhaps after all a rule? The Charge can also be seen as a text with rules and laws, for example: "for my law is love unto all beings". The original version of the Charge was written by Gerald Gardner and later adjusted by Doreen Valiente. She used parts of Aradia: gospel of the witches by Charles Lleland and writings by Aleister Crowley. The Charge is one of the most loved texts in modern witchcraft and shows again many guidelines. Gardner and Valiente shall undoubtedly have known that men long for security, especially within religion. Often we hear claims that wicca is free of dogmas and laws. I want to question this. Men hardly can function without rules. The popularity of these writings proves this.

More rules….

Once someone is initiated into a coven they will notice that the number of coven rules is overwhelming: secrecy, rituals according to regulation, respecting the established hierarchy. In short, do what thou wilt, as long as it fits the coven structure. Naturally this is a logical consequence of any group structure and certainly not a negative thing. Dogmas lie in wait and are almost unavoidable. The solitary witch has the choice to bend the rules and guidelines. She is truly master of her own actions.