The Wiccan Rede: 

Full Explanation

The Wiccan Rede is the central ethical statement of Wicca and of most Wiccan-influenced forms of modern witchcraft.

The Full (Long) Version

The version almost everyone knows today was written by Gwen Thompson and published in 1974, but it is based on earlier material. The complete text is:

Bide the Wiccan Law ye must,

In perfect love and perfect trust;

Live and let live,

Fairly take and fairly give.

Cast the Circle thrice about

To keep all evil spirits out.

To bind the spell every time,

Let the spell be spake in rhyme.

Soft of eye and light of touch,

Speak little, listen much.

Deosil go by the waxing Moon,

Sing and dance the Wiccan rune;

Widdershins go when the Moon doth wane,

And the werewolf howls by the dread wolfsbane.

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 spirits 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 quick and burn them slow;

Elder be ye Lady’s tree,

Burn it not or cursed ye’ll be.

When the Wheel begins to turn,

Let the Beltane fires burn;

When the Wheel has turned to Yule,

Light the log and let Pan rule.

Heed ye flower, bush and tree,

By the Lady, blessed be.

Where the rippling waters go,

Cast a stone and truth ye’ll know.

When ye are in dire need,

Hearken not to others’ greed;

With the fool no seasons spend,

Nor be counted as his friend.

Merry meet and merry part,

Bright the cheeks and warm the heart;

Mind the Threefold Law ye should,

Three times bad and three times good.

When misfortune is enow,

Wear the blue star on thy brow;

True in love ever be,

Unless thy lover is false to thee.

Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill:

An it harm none, do what ye will.

The Core Principle: The Eight Words

The entire long poem is important to many Wiccans, but the ethical heart of Wicca is distilled into those last eight words:

“An it harm none, do what ye will.”

(Old English/Middle English phrasing that means: “If it harms no one, do what you will.”)

How Wiccans Actually Interpret “An it harm none, do what ye will”

Primacy of personal freedom
You have almost unlimited liberty to act, believe, love, and practice magic however you wish — provided you can do so without causing harm.

Harm none” is broader than just physical harm
It includes emotional, psychological, spiritual, financial, and ecological harm. Many Wiccans also extend it to animals, plants, and the planet itself.

Harm is weighed, not banned outright
Most Wiccans are not absolute pacifists. They recognize that sometimes harm is unavoidable (self-defense, protecting others, eating food, etc.). In those cases, the ethic becomes:

•  Do the least harm possible.

•  Accept responsibility for the harm you do cause.

•  Try to balance or heal it when you can.

Consent is crucial
Love spells that override someone’s free will, or any magic done on a person without their knowledge/permission, are usually seen as violating the Rede.

The Rede applies to magic AND to everyday life
It is not just a rule for spellwork; it is meant to govern how you treat people, animals, and the environment in ordinary situations.

Common Misconceptions

•  Misconception: The Rede forbids all curses or baneful magic.
Reality: Many Wiccans will perform binding, justice, or protective magic that technically causes harm (e.g., binding a rapist so he can’t hurt anyone else). They justify it because the overall harm prevented is greater than the harm done.

•  Misconception: The Rede is ancient.
Reality: The short eight-word form first appeared in print in 1964 (in a speech by Doreen Valiente). Earlier versions existed in Gerald Gardner’s circles in the 1950s, but the wording and concept were 20th-century creations.

•  Misconception: All witches follow the Rede.
Reality: Only Wiccans and Wiccan-influenced eclectics generally do. Traditional witchcraft, Hoodoo, most forms of folk magic, Satanism, and many reconstructionist pagan paths do not consider the Rede binding.

The Relationship Between the Rede and the Threefold Law

•  The Rede tells you what is ethically permissible (“harm none”).

•  The Threefold Law is the suggested mechanism of enforcement (“whatever you do comes back to you ×3”).

Many Wiccans see them as two sides of the same coin: the Rede is the rule, the Threefold Law is the consequence for breaking it.

The Wiccan Rede — “An it harm none, do what ye will” — is the primary moral guideline of Wicca. It grants enormous personal freedom while simultaneously demanding deep ethical reflection about the consequences of one’s actions. It is not an ancient law, nor is it universal to all witchcraft, but within Wicca it functions as the closest thing to a “commandment” the religion has.