Interpretations of the Rede (ritual, Earth, incarnation, soul, choice)

[niamhwitch]

"An' it harm none, do what you will"

I would like to know how my fellow Wiccans and/or Pagans view the Rede. Do you consider it to be a rule that should be enforced or do you follow it as more of a guideline?

My opinion is that it is meant as a guideline that encourages one to think about their actions before the do it. I in no way view the Rede as a "rule" that must be followed by every Wiccan. I dont believe it is a rule mainly for the fact that it is incredibly impossible to "harm none".
The Rede as a guideline should (IMO) be considered in all aspects of life. Before doing an action or act of magick, one must think to themselves "Will this action hurt anyone (myself included)?" If either yes or no, "What is my purpose for doing this?" "Will it benefit anyone (even if the answer to the first question was "yes")? Who?" "What should I expect to come back to me (through Karma) if this action is performed?" "What would happen if I didnt do this?" "Am I justified in doing this?"
Now to clarify, I personally dont think one should purposely "harm" another person... what I mean (in a magickal sense) is performing a spell that may be conflicting with someone else's free will. Which is typically "not allowed" in the Wiccan community.
So, going through the process of asking oneself questions before performing an action is doing exactly what the Rede had intended (IMO): to make one think before they act.

When it comes to the Rede and vegitarianism...
Personally, I get a little annoyed when a Wiccan chooses to become a vegitarian based solely on "following the Rede". Like I said, it is impossible to "harm none". I view eating meat as both a natural thing (that has occured since time began) and a spiritual thing. It is the circle of life. We eat animals, but they also eat us. I view animals on a much higher plane than us. Yes I believe that we are animals, but I think that all the other animals on this earth are "closer" to deity than we humans. When I eat meat I try to remember to alway pray for the spirit of the animal. I pray that it has a safe trip to the astral realm, so that it may cleanse its soul and heal, I then pray for a quick rebirth. I pray that the animal (if in its previous life was at a farming factory) has a much better life in their next incarnation. I dont think eating meat is wrong, and I dont feel that it goes against the Rede (well my interpretation of it anyways). Of course, I dont have anything against vegitarians, I just dont really like it when it is in the name of the Rede. But to each their own I guess.
Another topic concerning the Rede is self-defense... Now, if I was attacked, I would defend myself in an instant, even if that meant hurting the other person. I personally feel justified in doing so.
I think about life and sometimes things that I dont feel are wrong technically go against the Rede (abortion is another instance of that), so it leads me to believe that the Rede isnt so much of a rule but a guideline for us to think about our actions before performing them. Justifying what one does is a personal choice. Mainly what I am trying to say is I believe the individual should do what HE/SHE feels is right. The individual should think about their actions and then judge it through some kind of method (like asking questions), and figure out if he/she feels comfortable with the course of action.

Remember, the Rede is a man made creation.

--I hope I didnt get too long-winded there lol

[Feathers in Hair]

Pretty much exactly how I feel. I am learning though, that (although it may seem selfish) one must remember to put oneself first in the 'none'. For instance, I can get so caught up in the idea of hurting no one else that I allow others to tromp all over me. Things are much healthier if I remember that I, according to the Rede, I've got to break that cycle, too.

[Draka]

I think that it mainly means that to do no action that has maliciousness behind it. As long as your intent is not to cause harm then it is fine..."stuff" happen though, in everything we do. That is just a fact of life.

[michel]

Any Wiccans say, "The 'harm none' rule is not a free ticket to do whatever you want as long as you aren't hurting someone or yourself. It has a much deeper meaning than this." Well........no, it really does not. It means just what it says, it's plain and simple, it's just a short and sweet statement. The Rede does not expound on this concept of "will." It simply is a poem with a final line stating that a person is free to do as he or she wants/needs/must as long as his or her actions are not causing harm. "Will," in this case, is desire or need.

I think many Wiccans attempt to portray this concept as being so deep and complex simply because it doesn't seem possible that there could exist a rule so elementary and straight forward- a one-liner that basically is a foundation for so many people's lives, magickal and mundane. How could eight little words "rule" a person's life? There seems to be proof in the Rede that this is, indeed, possible.
What, if anything, is wrong with this concept of "you must not cause harm?" I suppose nothing is wrong with this rule, however, when a person obeys a rule for the simple fact that it's an ethic one must accept within a religion......it doesn't seem natural. "You must conform and be just like everyone else within this religion, you must accept the same rule and similar ethics." Are Pagans who accept this rule honestly comfortable with that? Do some people accept it because it seems like the "right" thing to do if you want to be a good Wiccan (or Pagan in general)? This thinking seems to bring a sort of paranoia......

So many people blow this rule so far out of proportion that they seem to be completely frightened of magickal practice. Some seem to be scared to death to, not only make a move that might potentially cause harm, but also paranoid that every move they make could be interpreted by the "great universal powers" as negative. Do I use magick to get a good grade in school....or is that selfish? Selfishness is negative, negativity can cause harm, I can't perform such a spell! Do I perform a spell to assist in finding a job? Using my magick for personal gain might be selfish, selfishness is negative, negativity causes harm! And lord knows, selfishness is unacceptable and we'd never want to do anything for ourselves for personal gain! What if I perform a spell to get that job but fate decides I shouldn't have it....now "Karma" is going to get me three times as bad....oh no!

Are people afraid to think for themselves and use common sense? Are they brainwashed by this Rede and this "rule?" Are they so frightened of Karma and the notion of "magick returns to you three times as strong" (give me a break) that they can't develop a magickal practise that suits them?
First of all.......anything and everything can be interpreted as harmful somehow, some way. Perform a spell to heal your mother's disease- seems perfectly acceptable, right? What if, by healing your mother, you have caused her to be in another situation that brings harm to others.....now healthy, she is driving her car to the store and causes an accident, injuring the driver of the other vehicle. Looks like you might have had a hand in causing some "harm."
Nothing you do is fool proof. What seems like positivity and goodness in your mind might actually bring "negativity" and sadness that you can't foresee. Goodness and harmlessness to you might be seen as selfishness and harmful to another. So, does this mean that you should steer clear of magickal practise altogether?

Why allow a rule to cause you to be afraid to live life? Try your best, do what you must, do what you can, be yourself, nobody's perfect, but at least you will try. What else can we all do? Do we allow a simple rule to frighten us to the point that we worry over every move we make, whether magickal or mundane? Must we all comform to this rule just because a few Wiccans decided it's a good idea? Why not just use common sense......live, and learn?
And remember that our mistakes are a part of what make us more outstanding and wise individuals.



Source:-http://www.geocities.com/astraeaaradia/harmnone.html

[niamhwitch]

I agree with you completely, Michel (or rather the original writer). That is part of what I was trying to say. Think before you act. Sometimes you do something that seems right at the time, but turns out that it really caused harm. Would that be going against the Rede? Or is it the intent that counts, not the outcome? I agree with Draka that intent plays a huge role.

So many people blow this rule so far out of proportion that they seem to be completely frightened of magickal practice. Some seem to be scared to death to, not only make a move that might potentially cause harm, but also paranoid that every move they make could be interpreted by the "great universal powers" as negative. Do I use magick to get a good grade in school....or is that selfish? Selfishness is negative, negativity can cause harm, I can't perform such a spell! Do I perform a spell to assist in finding a job? Using my magick for personal gain might be selfish, selfishness is negative, negativity causes harm! And lord knows, selfishness is unacceptable and we'd never want to do anything for ourselves for personal gain! What if I perform a spell to get that job but fate decides I shouldn't have it....now "Karma" is going to get me three times as bad....oh no!

So true, so true! I have met so many Wiccans who were just so afraid to do anything because they were afraid they were going against the Rede. Its rediculous in my opinion. As for the "Threefold" law, I dont particularly agree with it. I dont believe that Karma comes back times three. I definately believe in Karma, though.
Also, what's wrong with selfishness? I guess I dont really view that as being that bad of a thing.

First of all.......anything and everything can be interpreted as harmful somehow, some way.

Why not just use common sense......live, and learn?
And remember that our mistakes are a part of what make us more outstanding and wise individuals.

So incredibly true, and this is exactly what I was trying to get across. Think about what you are doing and judge for yourself if you are doing the right thing. Use common sense. If it turns out that it was a bad decision in the end, try to fix it, and if you cant, learn from your mistake.

In a sense, I dont really follow the Rede. Maybe my saying is something like: "If your intent is good and you mean no harm, do what seems right to you. If in the end it was wrong, fix and learn." Its a lot longer than the Rede, but it makes more sense to me than just "An it harm none, do what you will".

[kreeden]

I'm not Wiccan , but the Rede is a rule { or guideline } that I have followed all of my life , even before I had heard it . It has been said in many ways , with different religious backgrounds , I believe . And I see it as a personal guideline that ties in closely with the Threefold Law . Everything we do { Wiccan or not } has an effect upon us . These effects add up to make us what we are . We have that choice , to become what we wish to become . And the Rede and Law are the fundation to that , however they are impied , or not implied .

BTW I don't believe in " karma " , but I do believe in our psyche , which may be the same thing ?