Can any of us truly live our lives every day without doing anything, no matter how small, that harms either ourselves or another? I doubt it. Even Gandhi couldn’t pull that one off, and he really tried. But what we can do is strive our best to attain that goal, and when we fall short, we can take responsibility for our actions and,\u009dif possible,\u009dundo whatever harm we might have done.<\/p>\n
Say, for example, that you inadvertently hurt someone’s feelings by sayng something mean. First, you acknowledge that what you said was wrong, then you try to make that person feel better again. But then<\/em>,\u009dand this is the important bit,\u009dyou try not to do it again. It isn’t enough to say you’re sorry. Following the Wiccan Rede means doing your best to learn and grow, so you don’t make the same mistakes again.<\/p>\n Ever mind the law of three.Some Witches argue about whether or not there is really a threefold rule of returns, but most of them would agree that what you put out into the universe comes back to you, one way or the other. Call it the Law of Three, or Karma, but either way, it means that,\u009dat least in part,\u009dyou are responsible for what you draw into your own life. This doesn’t mean that crappy things won’t happen to you, even if you are a nice person every minute of every day. But it does mean that a positive attitude is much more likely to result in a happy, prosperous, and fruitful life. And that a negative attitude will almost certainly circle back and bite you on the hind end.<\/p>\n It also means that if you purposely harm others (as you are forbidden to do), that harm will likely show back up on your doorstep one day. You will note that the Rede makes allowances for self-defense, however. You aren’t expected to sit back and let someone beat the crap out of youbut you’d better be sure you weren’t the one who started the fight!<\/p>\n Possibly the most important lawin the Wiccan Rede, as far as I am concerned, is probably the most difficult one to follow. Perfect love and perfect trustis a concept that Wiccans talk about a lot,\u009dbut what does it really mean? <\/p>\n For me (and I can only speak for myself in any of this), perfect love and perfect trust means that we accept each other as we are,\u009dimperfections, flaws and all,\u009dand love each other anyway. When we do so, we are channeling the love of the goddess and the god, and doing their work here on earth.<\/p>\n But it can be pretty hard to love some folks some of the time, and all folks all of the time, in an unconditional and nonjudgmental manner. Let’s face it,\u009dpeople can be difficult! (Not us, of course, but everyone else.) And this rule doesn’t mean you should just love other Witches, or people who follow your same belief system. Nope, sorry. It means everybody. Just like the harm nonerule, there is no way we are going to be able to pull this one off, at least not all of the time. <\/p>\n But the point of walking a spiritual path,\u009dand the point of the Wiccan Rede,\u009dis to give us something to guide us as we live our lives. The gods don’t expect us to be perfect. I believe, however, that they expect us to work to be our best, and following the Rede to the best of our abilities is one way to try and do just that.<\/p>\n Her award-winning short story, Dead and (Mostly) Goneis included in the Pagan Anthology of Short Fiction: 13 Prize Winning Tales <\/strong>(Llewellyn, 2008). Deborah is currently working on her third novel and hopes to find both an agent and a publisher for her fiction soon. Deborah’s first novel, Witch Ever Way You Can<\/strong>, has been the winner or finalist in many RWA (Romance Writers of America) contests and received the EMILY Best of the BestAward. Her fiction is primarily Paranormal Romance, although she also writes Fantasy, Mystery and Young Adult.<\/p>\n Deborah had been interviewed on television, radio and podcast, and can be found online at Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, My Space<\/a>, and at her own website<\/a>.<\/p>\n When not writing, Deborah runs The Artisans’ Guild, a cooperative shop she founded with a friend in 1999, and also works as a jewelry maker. She lives in a 100 year old farmhouse in rural upstate New York with five cats who supervise all her activities, both magickal and mundane.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/deborah-blake_0054-300x218.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
About the Author:<\/strong>
\nDeborah Blake is the author of Circle, Coven and Grove: A Year of Magickal Practice <\/strong>(Llewellyn 2007), Everyday Witch A to Z: An Amusing, Inspiring & Informative Guide to the Wonderful World of Witchcraft<\/strong> (Llewellyn 2008), The Goddess is in the Details: Wisdom for the Everyday Witch <\/strong>(Llewellyn2009), and the forthcoming Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook<\/strong> (2010). She has published numerous articles in Pagan publications.<\/p>\n