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Wiccan morality is largely expressed in theWiccan Rede: "An' ye harm none, do what ye will"—old-fashioned language for "as long as you aren't harming anyone, do as you wish". While this could be interpreted to mean "do no harm at all," it is usually interpreted as a declaration of thefreedom to act, along with the necessity of thinking through and taking responsibility for theconsequences of one's actions.[1]
Another element of Wiccan morality is expressed in theLaw of Threefold Return, which is understood to mean that whatever one does to another person or thing (benevolent or otherwise) returns with triple force.[2] Opinions differ on whether the form taken by the return of harmful actions might include bad reputation, revenge by others, negative emotional states, an uneasy conscience, poor luck, malign magical influences, something resembling the Hindu concept ofkarma, or some combination of some or all of these, and also on to what extent the number three should be interpreted poetically rather than literally.
Many Wiccans also seek to cultivate a set of eight virtues mentioned inDoreen Valiente'sCharge of the Goddess,[3] these beingmirth,reverence,honour,humility,strength,beauty,power andcompassion.
Wiccan morality is expressed in a brief statement found within a text called theWiccan Rede: "An it harm none, do what you will." ("An" is an archaic word meaning "if".) The Rede differs from some other well-known moral codes (such asChristian orIslamic notion ofsin) in that, while it does contain a prohibition, it is largely an encouragement to act freely. It is normally considered that the prohibition against harm also covers self-harm.[1][4] It is also worth noting that "Rede" means advice, as such it is not so much a law that must be followed as advice that it is recommended one follows—not following it would be considered folly more than rule-breaking, though for a group that calls itself "Wise" it follows that such folly would be strongly avoided.
A common belief amongst Wiccans is that nomagic, even of a beneficent nature, should be performed on any other person without that person's direct informed consent. This stems from the understanding that it would interfere with that person'sfree will and thus constitute "harm".[5] 'Love spells' are very much frowned upon by the greater Wiccan community for precisely this reason.[6]
The Rede's origin is unknown, its earliest mention being byDoreen Valiente at a meeting held by thewitchcraft magazine "Pentagram".[7] Gerald Gardner compared[8] the moral code ofwitches with the legendary ethic of the fabled King Pausol[9] which was "Do what you like so long as you harm no one". Nevertheless, the similarity of the phrasing of the Rede (and explicit and verbatim phrasing of other texts) suggests that this statement is partly based on the Law ofThelema as stated by occultistAleister Crowley,[10] "Do what thou wilt is the whole of the Law. Love is the law, love under will", itself deriving fromRabelais' phrase "fay çe que vouldras" ("Do what thou wilt").[11] While the wording of the Rede may have been influenced by the Law of Thelema, there are significant differences: Thelemites considerTrue Will to be like the idea of a "higher calling" or filling one's niche, based on personal skills. This leads to different interpretations of "do what you will" than that of the Wiccan Rede.
Many Wiccans also promote theLaw of Threefold Return, a belief that anything that one does will be returned to them threefold. In other words, good deeds are magnified in like form back to the doer, and so are ill deeds.
A possible prototype to the Rule of Three may be found in the prescribed ritual practice of the newly initiated second degree Wiccan scourging "her" initiator with three times as many blows at the end of the ceremony as "she" has received from "him" at the beginning. Gardner maintained that his 1949 novelHigh Magic's Aid contained elements of Wiccan belief presented in the form of fiction, and he wrote of this scourging: "For this is the joke of Witchcraft, the Witch knows though the initiate does not, that she will get three times what she gave, so she does not strike hard."[2]
Many lineaged Wiccans also follow, or at least consider, a set of 161laws, commonly called the Ardanes. A common criticism of these rules is that they represent outdated concepts and/or produce counterproductive results in Wiccan contexts. Modern authors, specificallyDoreen Valiente, have also noted that these rules were most likely invented by Gardner himself in mock-archaic language as the byproduct of inner conflict withinGerald Gardner's original coven over the issue of press relations, to justify Gardner's own authority over that of his High Priestess.[12][13]
