Wiccan Rede
"An' it harm none, do as ye will"
The Wiccan Rede is one of the most recognized principles in modern Wicca and witchcraft, often quoted in its short form: “An it harm none, do as ye will.” These eight words carry weight far beyond their brevity, serving as both ethical guideline and philosophical foundation for countless practitioners.
But the Rede is more than a single line. It has inspired longer poetic versions, personal interpretations, and decades of debate about what “harm none” truly means in practice. Understanding the Rede – where it comes from, how it functions, and why it matters – is essential for anyone walking a Wiccan or witchcraft path.
What Is a Rede
The word “rede” is Old English for advice or counsel. It is not law. It is not commandment. A rede is guidance offered, not obligation imposed. The Wiccan Rede asks you to consider the consequences of your actions, to weigh your will against its ripples in the world, and to act with intention rather than impulse.
This distinction matters. The Rede does not tell you what you must or must not do. It asks you to think before you act. It trusts you to make your own choices while holding yourself accountable for the harm or help those choices create.
The Short Form and Its Meaning
“An it harm none, do as ye will” condenses a complex ethical framework into eight words. “An” is archaic for “if” – so the Rede says: if your actions cause no harm, do as you choose. Your will is yours to exercise, so long as it does not injure others.
But “harm none” is deceptively simple. Does it mean direct physical harm only? Emotional harm? Environmental harm? What about self-defense? What about inaction that allows harm to continue? These questions have no universal answers. Each practitioner must wrestle with them and decide where their own boundaries lie.
The Rede offers a framework, not a formula. It asks you to be thoughtful, not perfect.
The Long Form and Its Variations
Over the years, many witches have written expanded versions of the Wiccan Rede – poetic interpretations that explore its themes in greater depth. Some focus on the Wheel of the Year, others on moon phases, elements, or the balance between freedom and responsibility.
These longer redes are not scripture. They are reflections – one practitioner’s understanding of what the Craft has taught them. No single version is definitive. What matters is whether the words resonate with your own experience and practice.
The version below is mine, written after decades of turning the Wheel, casting circles, and learning what it means to walk in wisdom while remaining wild and free. I did not write it to replace tradition, but to walk beside it. Take from it what serves. Question what does not. Let it be an invitation into conversation with your own path.
The Rule of Three
Many Wiccan Redes include mention of the Rule of Three, also called the Threefold Law: “What you send out returns times three.” This principle suggests that the energy you put into the world – whether helpful or harmful – comes back to you amplified.
Some practitioners take this literally. Others see it as metaphor for the cumulative effect of our choices. Still others reject it entirely, viewing it as a relatively modern addition to the Craft rather than ancient wisdom.
Whether you follow the Rule of Three is a personal choice. What remains consistent across interpretations is the underlying message: your actions have consequences. Magic does not exempt you from responsibility. If anything, it increases it.
How the Rede Functions in Practice
The Wiccan Rede is not a checklist. It will not tell you whether a specific spell is “allowed” or whether you have permission to act. Instead, it asks you to pause before casting, to consider what you hope to accomplish and what unintended effects might follow.
Before any working, ask yourself: Who might this harm? Am I considering all possible outcomes? Is there a way to achieve my goal that causes less harm? Am I acting from clarity or from anger, fear, or desperation?
These questions do not always have easy answers. Sometimes harm is unavoidable. Sometimes the least harmful choice still carries cost. The Rede does not demand that you never cause harm – it demands that you acknowledge when you do and accept responsibility for it.
This Version
The Wiccan Rede below is structured around the elements of practice I return to year after year: the turning of the Wheel, the phases of the moon, the calling of quarters, the sabbats that mark our year. It is both teaching and reminder, both map and companion.
If you are new to the Craft, let this be a foundation – not rigid rules, but principles to guide your first steps. If you have walked this path for years, may it remind you why you began and why you continue.
The Witch's Way
A Rede
By star and moon, by wind and tree,
Walk in wisdom, wild and free.
Pause in balance, light and dark,
Honor breath, and stone, and spark.
Turn the Wheel and mark each tide:
Sow and reap, and seek, and bide.
Follow moonlight, cast with grace,
Let your Craft find sacred space.
When She’s new, lay plans unseen,
Whispered dreams where none have been.
By silver light of waxing moon,
Clear intentions start to bloom.
At Her height, let power rise,
Call your need out to the skies.
As She wanes, let go, let fade,
Cast off what dims or clouds the way.
East wind stirs the budding mind,
Ideas swift and truths to find.
South brings fire, passion’s flame,
To fuel your spells for growth and gain.
From the West, the waters flow,
Healing tides with truths below.
North stands firm, both root and stone,
The body’s strength, the spirit’s bone.
Walk the Circle thrice about,
With incense smoke, then flame and salt.
Call the Watchers, speak each name,
Within the bounds of Witch’s flame.
The Circle cast, the sacred found,
In whispered spell and hallowed ground.
With blade and cup and spoken rhyme,
Shape your spell and bide your time.
Turn the Wheel through sun and rain,
Through harvest gold and sowing grain.
Let moon and sun be guides by turn,
As seasons shift and cauldrons churn.
Major Sabbats, there are four,
Know their names and their lore.
Minor Sabbats also know,
Mark by sun when they come and go.
As the year begins to wane,
Ancestors guide us at Samhain.
Yule’s new year is longest night,
The King returns to bring the light.
Imbolc stirs the spark to light,
Early flowers in wan sunlight.
Life bursts forth in sunshine’s ray,
Ostara marks spring’s first day.
Handfast blessing, jump the flame,
Bonfires roar at Beltane.
Litha’s power, use it well,
At sun’s height, cast your spell.
Lammas harvest, honey bread,
Grain is cut, devotions said.
Balance light and dark once more,
Mabon opens autumn’s door.
The Rule of Three ever hold:
What you send out returns threefold.
If no hurt nor harm is done,
Let your will and work be one.
In every heart the Gods have place,
To guide our steps through life with grace.
When power tempts or shadows call,
Stay strong and do no harm at all.
Walk your path, live wild and wise,
The Craft is writ in earth and skies.
No law but love, no need for fear,
The Witch’s Way is always near.
Living the Rede
Many witches eventually write their own version of the Rede, whether in verse or in the quiet choices of daily practice. It changes as we do. Mine will, too.
The Craft is not a contest of who knows most, but a practice of paying attention – to the world, to each other, to the turning within. The Rede asks nothing more than that you pay attention to the consequences of your magic and your choices.
So listen well.
Tend your magic kindly.
Walk in wisdom, wild and free.
