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Wiccan Basics

The Rede- Harm None


Harm none.  Short and to the point.  That being the case, it’s a law we can live with.  Besides, it’s easy enough to follow.

Right?

Well…….

Seems like most applications should be fairly obvious…

For example, not to do bodily harm, to ourselves or anyone else.

Do not wish ill, manipulate, or deliberately hurt someone’s feelings.

We even know better than to damage as we become successful.

These things go without saying.

But what about all the things we can’t know or control?

Like how something we say might affect someone else.

What if it is taken out of context, and angers them or brings on pain.

What if they react and endanger themselves?? Does some of that responsibly come to us…? You bet it does, we started the wheel in motion.

Words have power–much more power than we could ever imagine–and the actions they evoke aren’t always what we intend.  This is the reason that we need to be extremely careful with what we say and how we say it.  And that isn’t always as easy as it seems. But we also need to be aware of what we think. As Pagans/ Wiccans/Witches we are all aware that thoughts have as much power as words. So if we wish ill against someone could be as bad as saying it outright.

Your actions come into play here as well. Not that we would ever intentionally harm another living soul.  But we need to be aware that the harm none law is very cut-and-dried, and it doesn’t allow for personal intentions.  What IS important is the end result: harm none, and that means taking control of our lives, our emotions, and our personal energy.

Now some will take this to extremes, not eat meat because it harms an animal . Or wear masks so they do not breathe in a bug and harm it.  God/dess set up this place very well. Carnivores eat other carnivores or herbivores. Herbivores eat plants and bugs. It is the cycle of life. If you chose a different cycle that works great for you, but condemning someone for not following your way is harming them. See what I mean about how difficult it can be.

Now I will not touch on the use of magick as there are way too many differing paths and arguments on the “grey” areas between what is considered Light and Dark Magick. But as long as no one gets hurt and everything is okay.  Right?

Well, not necessarily.

Think about what happens when we toss a stone into a pond.  The stone hits the surface.  Ripples appear.  They radiate in an outward and encircle areas previously unaffected by the original stone toss.  Such is the case with the ripples of magick.

What this means is that every spell we cast has the capacity to affect many lives–even the lives of people unrelated to the magical goal.  If the spell is beneficial to all, there’s no problem.  But how do you know what is beneficial for someone else??  How can we possibly know what’s good for people we haven’t even met?

Does this mean that all magic is bad?  No.  It does mean that we need to think things through…  We need to be absolutely certain of what we want and why.  We need to have a clear view of things as they really are. Why? Because in doing so, we may discover that the very thing which seemed to warrant a magical solution at the onset doesn’t need one at all, and is best left to its natural cycle.

And if you still choose to continue with your desire then you need to be aware that the ripples will also bounce back and in the end effect you. So make sure that you are prepared to take the responsibility for your action.

Blessing until next Month

S.Dunham