The
Rede
The absolute first thing that most beginners will read is the Wiccan
Rede. Of course, most people read it once, scratch their heads,
and abandon it for something which makes sense. As such, I am
going to try to explain the basics of it.
"Rede" is a Middle English term that means to advise,
give counsel, or explain. The Wiccan Rede explains the laws that
guide Wiccans in their daily lives. It sounds harsh, using the
word "laws," but it's really just a way of living. It's
not like the Wicca police are going to arrest you for breaking the laws,
but the big one (harm none) is what we live by the most. If this
is broken, then you are breaking the Wiccan law. There are certain
things that go into being Wiccan, and this is one of them.
Simply put, the Rede (in all its infinite wordiness) states the
following:
- Take care of yourself; don't harm the life
around you. That includes things like plants and bugs.
- Be fair - don't be selfish, but if someone
gives you something, return the favour somehow.
- There is always more to learn; we must be
open to this. Less talk, more listening - basically, the more you
listen, the more you'll hear things that will teach you.
- The Rede gives the basics of how ritual
works, information about the moons, the winds, which woods hold
which properties, which wood NOT to harm (Elder), information about
the Sabbats, and such.
- Mind the Sabbats and Full Moons. We're
not telling you to go out and do a full-blown ritual every full moon
if you don't want to, but at least acknowledge it and what it
symbolizes. It is a reminder of the Goddess as Mother of all
life.
- Be aware of the world around you, for all
things are alive, and all things possess knowledge. Take care
of the life around you.
- Use magick ONLY when you really NEED it.
Don't let greed coerce you into using magick for yourself or
others.
- Remember the Threefold Law - everything you
do, good or bad, will return to you x 3.
- Be a true, honest friend, and keep friends
of the like.
- You are free to do as you will, so long as
nobody and nothing gets hurt. Forms of harm include punching
someone, hurting their feelings, controlling them with magick,
abusing animals, or even tearing the leaves off trees, as examples.
All plants and animals (including humans) have their own life
force, and should be allowed to live freely and safely.
These are the basics of being Wiccan. Pretty
simple, isn't it?
This lesson is about magick, and
about beginning as a solitary vs. joining a coven.
Magick - is there anything a beginner wants to jump right into more than
this? I am flooded with questions from beginners, telling me they
want to be Wiccan, going on about how they already went out and bought a
spellbook. I have news for them - Just because it's a spellbook
doesn't necessarily mean it's Wiccan. Many of these books contain
spells which manipulate or control things they shouldn't.
Magick is a natural force. It could be described as the life
energy that flows through all things; the Chinese call it Chi. It
is this force which we direct in our magickal workings. I believe
that the first thing a beginner needs to do, before attempting ANY
spells, is to sit quiet and learn to feel this energy. It requires
an understanding of what effect it is you are having when you perform
any type of magick. It allows you to better focus what you are
doing, I think. Perhaps, if every beginner took this advice to
heart, I would have less e-mails from people complaining that this or
that spell didn't work.
Anyway, on to the core of beginning - To join, or not to join?
When a beginner joins a coven, they have the benefit of seeing
first-hand how rituals are done, as well as being surrounded in people
who are willing to teach and explain. They are immediately
immersed in Wiccan Culture, so to speak. They are shown how the
Coven does things, such as casting a circle, invoking the Gods, and
performing the rituals. They celebrate every Full Moon and Sabbat,
in the company of others.
A Solitary, on the other hand, must rely on books, websites, and the few
helpful people they might find online. There is no High Priestess
to show them a specific way of doing things, and there are no Coven
members to ask questions to on a whim. The Solitary must find
their own answers and learn their own way. However, the Solitary
also learns that there are many ways of doing things, and none are the
"correct" way. The Solitary more readily learns the
lesson of working by feel - if something feels right, then it's correct
for you.
It is a matter of personal choice. If you are more comfortable in
a group setting, learning one way of doing things, then by all means,
find a Coven and find out what their rules on initiation are. If,
however, you would prefer to experiment until you find a way best suited
to you, and perform alone, in the privacy of your own home (or wherever
you choose to go), then there's no shame in being Solitary.
Hardcore Hereditaries and Coveners will sometimes tell beginners that
they aren't really Wiccan unless they were either born into it or
initiated into a known Coven. They'll even go as far as saying
we're angering the Goddess by pretending to be Wiccan.
The way I see it, we all share the same beliefs, follow the same Law,
and commune with the same Goddess, and I don't think she's shallow
enough to be angry with people who don't do things the hereditary's way.
If she was, she'd be a pretty bad Mother, wouldn't she?
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