In the last chapter, you see how I referenced to the Rede of the Wiccae, a lot. This poem comes from origins of Lady Gwen Thompson. She claims that the poem has been told to her by her grandmother, and beforehand. Nethertheless, this poem is an important text in Wicca.
The Rede of the Wiccae
Bide the Wiccan Laws we must
In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.
Live and let live,
Fairly take and fairly give.
Cast the Circle thrice about
To keep the evil spirits out.
To bind the spell every time
Let the spell be spake in rhyme.
Soft of eye and light of touch,
Speak but little, listen much.
Deosil go by waxing moon,
Chanting out the Witches' Rune.
Widdershins go by waning moon,
Chanting out the baneful rune.
When the Lady's moon is new,
Kiss thy hand to Her, times two.
When the moon rides at her peak,
Then your heart's desire seek.
Heed the North wind's mighty gale,
Lock the door and drop the sail.
When the wind comes from the South,
Love will kiss thee on the mouth.
When the wind blows from the West,
Departed souls will have no rest.
When the wind blows from the East,
Expect the new and set the feast.
Nine woods in the cauldron go,
Burn them fast and burn them slow.
Elder be the Lady's tree,
Burn it not or cursed you'll be.
When the Wheel begins to turn,
Let the Beltane fires burn.
When the Wheel has turned to Yule,
Light the log, the Horned One rules.
Heed ye Flower, Bush and Tree,
By the Lady, Blessed Be.
Where the rippling waters go,
Cast a stone and truth you'll know.
When ye have a true need,
Hearken not to others' greed.
With a fool no season spend,
Lest ye be counted as his friend.
Merry Meet and Merry Part,
Bright the cheeks and warm the heart.
Mind the Threefold Law you should,
Three times bad and three times good.
When misfortune is enow,
Wear the blue star on thy brow.
True in Love ever be,
Lest thy lover's false to thee.
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill:
As Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will
---
It is possible, you thought that this poem was written by Doreen Valiente. What you are thinking of is either the Witches Creed, or the Witches Rune. For the sake of it, it will be here for easy access.
The Witches Creed
Hear now the words of the witches,
The secrets we hid in the night,
When dark was our destiny’s pathway,
That now we bring forth into the light.
Mysterious water and fire,
The earth and the wide-ranging air.
By hidden quintessence we know them,
And will and keep silent and dare.
The birth and rebirth of all nature,
The passing of winter and spring,
We share with the life universal,
Rejoice in the magickal ring.
Four times in the year the Great Sabbat Returns,
And the witches are seen,
At Lammas and Candlemas dancing,
On May Even and old Hallowe’en.
When day-time and night-time are equal,
When sun is at greatest and least,
The four Lesser Sabbats are summoned,
Again witches gather in feast.
Thirteen silver moons in a year are,
Thirteen is the coven’s array,
Thirteen times at esbat make merry,
For each golden year and a day.
The power was passed down the ages,
Each time between woman and man,
Each century unto the other,
Ere time and the ages began.
When drawn is the magickal circle,
By sword or athame or power,
Its compass between the two worlds lies,
In Land of the Shades for that hour.
This world has no right then to know it,
And world of beyond will tell naught,
The oldest of Gods are invoked there,
The Great Work of magick is wrought.
For two are the mystical pillars,
That stand at the gate of the shrine,
And two are the powers of nature,
The forms and the forces divine.
The dark and the light in succession,
The opposites each unto each,
Shown forth as a God and a Goddess:
Of this did our ancestors teach.
By night he’s the wild wind’s rider,
The Horn’d One, the Lord of the Shades.
By day he’s the King of the Woodland,
The dweller in green forest glades.
She is youthful and old as she pleases,
She sails the torn clouds in her barque,
The bright silver Lady of midnight,
The crone who weaves spells in the dark.
The master and mistress of magick,
They dwell in the deeps of the mind,
Immortal and ever-renewing,
With power to free or to bind.
So drink the good wine to the old Gods,
And dance and make love in their praise,
Till Elphame’s fair land shall receive us,
In peace at the end of our days.
And Do What You Will be the challenge,
So be it in love that harms none,
For this is the only commandment.
By magick of old be it done!
---
And of course, here is the Witches Rune. This text is within the Gardnerian Book of Shadows. The book is in free domain, and easy to find online. For clarification, this is a chant to build energy within the circle.
The Witches Rune
Darksome Night and Shining Moon
Balance of the dark and light,
hearken ye our Witch's Rune,
as we perform our sacred rite!
With earth and water, air and fire,
by blade and bowl and circle round,
we come to you with our desire:
let all that is hidden now be found!
With censor, candle, book and sword,
and ringing of the altar bell,
we tie a knot within our cord
to bind our magic in a spell.
Mother of the summer fields,
goddess of the silver moon,
join with us as power builds!
dance with us our witch's rune!
Father of the Summer dew
Hunter of the winter snows
With open arms we welcome you!
Dance with us as power grows!
By all the light of moon and sun,
by all the might of land and sea,
chant the rune and it is done.
As we will, so mote it be!
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My 2¢ on Wicca
SpiritualWelcome to this little corner of Wattpad. This book is a guide--err what I know about-- the mysteries of Wicca, Witchcraft, and Paganism. I am another naive teenager writing a book about Paganism and Wicca, so that's that. However, I feel after rea...
