My Five Wiccan Non-Laws

Earlier this week, I saw a question posed at Patheos.

PATTI WIGINGTON: “Some people believe in the Threefold Law, and others don’t. Others say that the Wiccan Rede is only for Wiccans but not other Pagans. Plus, sometimes you say that one tradition does things one way but that other traditions don’t have to do things the same way. What’s going on here? Are there rules in Wicca or not?“

The easy answer is yes, but, of course, like all things Wiccan, it's a bit more complicated than that.

Some Wiccans will be familiar with the the Ordains or Ardanes, Old Laws, Craft Laws; there are several names for this dusty list of Wiccan "laws" in the Books of Shadows of some of the more traditional Wiccan lineages. Or perhaps you've come across them in some of the Wiccan classics like King of the Witches (1969) by June Johns on Alex Sanders or The Grimoire of Lady Sheba (1972).

The Wiccan Laws may have been produced or at least expanded upon by Gerald Gardner in the 1950s. Apparently there were 30 and Alexandrian Wicca added more than 100. Doreen Valiente was suspicious of them and it is said she and others left Gardner's coven over disagreements regarding the Laws. I can't say I blame them. The Laws are sexist, ageist, more than a little bit Christian, and rather silly at times.

4. As a man loveth a woman by mastering her,
5. So the Wicca should love the Gods by mastering them.
18. And the greatest virtue of a High Priestess be that She recognizes that youth is necessary to the representative of the Goddess.
19. So will She gracefully retire in favor of a younger woman, should the Coven so decide in council.
25. So be it ardane, that no Coven shall know where the next Coven bide.
26. Or who its members be, save only the Priest and Priestess and the Messenger.
35. And if any break these Laws, even under torture, the Curse of the Goddess shall be upon them, so they may never be reborn on earth, and may they remainm where they belone, in the Hell of the Christians.

These above are out of Lady Sheba's copy.

I'll keep them for historical interest, but as Wiccan laws? I don't think so. Judging by the numbers of Wiccans I know breaking Laws 25 and 26, I'd say most Wiccans don't heed these. What does that leave us with then?

I can't speak for anyone else, not even anyone in my own tradition or coven, but I can share my thoughts on the ethical building blocks that I try to live by and that I've observed as being fairly common, though by no means universal, in my little corner of the Wiccaverse.

An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will
A very large and heavy book can be written about this controversial statement and the variety of ways in which Wiccans understand it. Perhaps I'll expand my own thoughts on it at a later time, but to keep it simple for now I'll just say that I interpret the Wiccan Rede metaphorically rather than literally, as fundamentally social, and about active negotiation in order to be a responsible member of a harmonius society.

The Threefold Law of Return (Karma)
Much can also be said about this guideline and I recently wrote about karma. To summarize, I don't believe that this is a literal one-to-one system of corresponding rewards and punishments. It is simply cause and effect, action and reaction. Like the Wiccan Rede, I view this principle in social terms and it is a good standard to make one pause and consider one's actions and potential consequences.

As Above, So Below
Everything is interconnected. I say this often: we do not exist in a vacuum. We live as part of a breathing, evolving, complex ecosystem, a web, and we may never know the ripple effects of some our actions. Everything we do is part of something broader and the best way to change the world is by changing ourselves. The personal is political. And environmental and spiritual.

Thou Art God, Thou Art Goddess
We all have access to the Divine. We all carry a divine spark. Yes, even your obnoxious neighbor with the small, yappy dog that goes on your lawn and the coworker that steals your well-labeled yogurt from the company fridge. It doesn't mean you have to turn the other cheek or that everyone is deserving of your respect, but compassion is the impetus for restraint and peace when we are able to share in what we all have in common.

Goddess is Alive, Magic is Afoot
"She changes everything She touches and everything She touches changes." The world is full of magic and anything is possible.