About five years ago my wife, Carol, and I took a trip to the red rock country of Sedona, Arizona. It was a working vacation for us; I did a book signing and lecture at a very, popular bookstore there. During our vacation, we took a one day excursion to the Grand Canyon and the surrounding area. It was a profound and eye opening event; the energy and expanse of this natural creation took our breaths away.

My fear of heights made it all the more exciting as we stood on the edge of the Grand Canyon gazing at this wonder of creation. Suddenly, I had a vivid past life glimpse. In the vision, my wife and I, dressed in ancient clothing like Mayans, were being thrown off the side of a steep cliff; this was some type of ritual sacrifice. It looked and felt very real, as if we were right there. In fact, my fear of heights may have originated from this past life event (many fears and phobias can sometimes be traced to previous incarnations).

Our final day in Sedona was also eventful—we signed up for the “Ancient Ruins” jeep tour. The tour guide, dressed like a cowboy from the Old West, was a knowledgeable and unique character. He took all of us from Sedona up into the surrounding hills to an ancient place called Hoptaki Ruins. The ruins are nestled into the side of a butte, and there are ancient pictographs and blackened walls at this ancient place.

While we were exploring the Hoptaki Ruins, a former home of the Anasazi Indians, the tour guide explained that sometimes cameras will not work here due to the high energy. Sure enough, we experienced “camera issues” here. As we came close to the ruins, our camera simply stopped working, and another tourist walked by us saying, “My camera’s not working.” We believed that the high energy here had affected our digital camera. As an extremely sensitive person, I could sense the Indian spirit guides and protectors in this ancient place. My wife and I both felt we needed to be respectful of this place, this place that may have been sacred to the ancient people that lived here long ago.

All of the Sedona area possesses extremely high vibrations of energy. In fact, it is believed that there are four energy vortexes in Sedona; one of these energy vortexes is believed to be on top of Airport Mesa, which overlooks the town of Sedona. Sedona is a mystical and marvelous place with the beautiful red rock cliffs and buttes that glisten under the sun. It is a magical destination to visit.

We returned home to Canada with our lives forever touched by this incredible place. We plan on visiting Sedona again in the not too distant future. (Also, for those wondering, our digital camera did not work again until we arrived home.)

Our beautiful earth possesses wonderful and magical places. Sedona is one of these places.

Our thanks to Doug for his guest post! For more from Douglas de Long, read his article “Discovering Our Many Past Lives.”

The Rider Waite Smith (RWS) deck revolutionized tarot for many reasons. And, in the US, it is the most popular deck, selling who knows how many copies a year. Additionally, most teachers use it for classes and in most workshops I attend at conferences, the RWS is the “common language” amongst readers.

But tarot readers want more than one deck. So publishers publish them. And here’s what happens:

If a deck follows the imagery of the RWS deck in the cards, the deck is said by some to be nothing but a clone, as if following in that tradition is a bad thing.

If a deck tries to create a new way of expressing the cards that is different from the RWS, some people say “oh, it is more of an oracle than tarot” or “that card doesn’t look like the Moon to me.”

Now we know that no deck is going to please all readers, so it’s not a problem of “how to make everyone happy.” It’s really just a question: is tarot going to evolve and change, as it always has over the centuries of its existence or has the RWS really nailed it and we should quit trying to reinvent the wheel?

I am really curious to hear your opinions. I confess that I’m a RWS girl and have a hard time imagining something else. That is why doing the Book of Shadows, vol. 1: As Above was such a challenge. I was asked to think outside the RWS box. I’m glad I did it and hope that I continue to flex my creative muscles, because it is good to get outside my comfort zone, right? So tell, me, what do you think is the future of tarot?

For example, if you wanted more love, you could inscribe or write the number 13 (as described above) on the object—ranging from a simple doll (or poppet) to a complex talisman—you’ll use for your magick. Alternatively, you could transliterate from English using the chart above. L=30, O=6, V=6* and E, being silent, gets no attribution. Thus, “love” could = 30+6+6 or 42 (hmm, Douglas Adams might have liked that). You could also use a mystical formula such as 13=42 and make perfect sense.

But what if, instead of a number, you wanted to use a word or phrase linked to that number? If you’re unfamiliar with the language, how do you make up words in Hebrew that total 13? And how do you figure out words in English that total your number? (Well, 42 could be  pronounced “Mob”—if you don’t count the vowel—so perhaps you want to be “Mobbed with love?”)

If all you wanted to use, for example, were words from the Hebrew Torah (the first five books of the Bible), there’s a book for that. However, magicians usually prefer something far more specialized. Aleister Crowley first published a study like this with his book, Sepher Sephiroth. Using our 13 example, he gives fourteen words with a gematria value of 13. Since one of those words is a locust, you could use a drawing of a grasshopper to represent love.

For an easier-to-use and more complete book with gematria relationships and other associated techniques and information, the book Godwin’s Cabalistic Encyclopedia by David Godwin is an ideal resource. It even includes Crowley’s Sepher Sephiroth.  As you become more involved with the use of gematria for theory and practice, you may find your own lists of gematria will be getting bigger to a point where, well, they’re really out of hand. What’s needed, in my opinion, is something where you can easily jump from one thing to another and find terms, meanings, translations, transliterations, and more. This is something that simply cannot be done in a book format, but can be done electronically. And I’m glad to say that some friends of mine have done exactly that.

A New Tool for
Students of Gematria

In a pdf format, the people at Thelesis Aura have published Cartier’s Dictionary of Gematria by François Cartier, a student of the Hermetic Qabalah for 45 years. It’s the most complete and massive cross-reference of gematria I’ve ever seen. Because it’s electronic it’s easy to use and a must for magicians. A massive 539 digital pages, the numerical relationships between key words in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek are connected through an elaborate system of internal hyperlinks with explanations in English, combined with extensive tables, indexes, and interactive graphics. Looking again at the gematria equivalents associated with the number 13, there are an astounding 43 associations, plus information on key concepts related to the number, arithmetic associated with the number, geometry associated with 13 (including that it’s the sum of the faces and edges in a regular pyramid, making this number associated with pyramids and their correspondences), the Tree of Life, and more. The appendices include selections from Fabre d’Olivet’s The Hebraic Tongue Restored, Gesenius’ Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament Scriptures, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Paul Foster Case’s Gematria, and Aleister Crowley’s Gematria.

I don’t see this as competition for books such as Sepher Sephiroth or Godwin’s Cabalistic Encyclopedia so much as a valuable complement to them. The more information you have from these tools, the better a magician you’ll be.

One thing to be aware of: This is a highly technical file from a computer standpoint. I tried to open the pdf file with a simple reader and it wouldn’t do it. I would suggest that you get the latest Adobe Reader (it’s free) directly from Adobe. The current version is XI, although this .PDF has been tested to run under version X, too. The link to this ebook opens to a page that has a link to Adobe’s website so you can download the reader.

* Alert readers will note there are two Hebrew letters and associated numbers that carry the sound “B.” There are also sounds in English that are missing or have duplicate Hebrew letters. As a general rule, if there is no direct comparison in Hebrew, work something similar. For example, the English “C” can be sound like an “S” or a “K.” Use Hebrew letters associated with those sounds in place of the “C.” Although in pure Hebrew there are specific rules for choosing which letter to use when a word might have to letters with the same sound, these rules are generally not followed in this type of Gematria. Try using each and see which one provides the most significance to your investigations.

The one comment that was not posted was far too long to include in the comment section. In fact, it was longer than my original post. This comment came from Rain Dove, the Priestess of The Dragon and The Rose Coven of Georgia. A quick look on The Witches Voice shows that “Rain Dove has been practicing and walking the path of Wicca since 1996, but has been studying since 1994.” The Coven practices the Jordanian Tradition of Celtic Wicca. By this she means they “are referring to attempting to practice, to the best of our abilities, the same religious path and follow the same religious beliefs of our Celtic Ancestors…The Jordanian Tradition was developed and designed by Rain Dove’s own experiences and training in this path. The Tradition is a mixture of Irish Paganism, Celtic Studies, Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca.”

As you will see, Priestess Rain Dove was rather upset by what I posted. Well, that happens. When you write a great deal and/or are willing to take a stand you’re going to upset someone. Although I could be wrong, I get the feeling from the tone of what she wrote that were I to edit her comments in any way she might get upset, so I’m going to publish it here exactly as it was sent in. For ease of understanding I will make my comments in between her paragraphs. To differentiate what she wrote from my comments, her words are in blue while my responses will be in black.

I would like to thank Priestess Rain Dove very sincerely for the time and effort she took to respond. Obviously, this means a great deal to her and I’m glad she was able to write this. As you will see, we have some differences. That doesn’t make either of us right or wrong, just different. She clearly considers the topic important and so do I. It is my hope that this will further open discussion, thought, and consideration.

This is a long post—a very long post!—so settle back and enjoy the ride…

Before I even begin this response, I want to let you know .. I am not a “writer”. I am not a “journalist” .. I am simply a practicing Wiccan Priestess. A practicing Wiccan Priestess who is also APPALLED .. at what I am reading.

Once again and as usual … the Rede has been taken out of context, been exaggerated, and is being viewed from ONE angle. Your first mistake was writing about something that apparently you don’t understand or know about. It might have been a good idea to have gotten with someone who is a High Priestess or a High Priest of WICCA .. ((and I don’t mean someone who is the HIGH PRIEST OR PRIESTESS OF THE PAGAN WICCAN CHRISTIAN BUDDHIST UNIVERSAL ANIMA ANIMUS TEMPLE OF ALL WALKERS OF THE OCCULT CHURCH !!!!!

I am talking about someone who has been on this path for many years .. as a WICCAN. Someone who KNOWS what our REDE means .. and what it applies to and HOW.
A Wiccan HP or HPS who perhaps … is also a writer or journalist .. so they could explain to you ((and alot better than I am getting ready to do)) … what the WICCAN REDE actually means.

Well, according to the information about you and your group on The Witches’ Voice, I have been studying, practicing, and was initiated into Wicca for over 15 years before you even began looking at it. I trained and was initiated into Wicca by Raven Grimassi and Scott Cunningham. I have “gotten with” and studied with, talked with, and practiced with Wiccans of numerous traditions long before you ever became interested in the Craft. And I have discussed the Rede with many of them.

The Rede applies to our MAGICAL lives. It doesn’t hardly ever … pertain to our MUNDANE lives .. such as “shopping in a grocery store”. This article just proves ONCE AGAIN …how badly training is needed in the Wiccan path. It is very evident that you not only do not understand what it means, you do not know or understand the PURPOSE of the Rede , either.

Kids *and* young adults, as well as … people who have had no training … want to get in our path, read a book or two … take a look at something that was written by any of our most respected Elders , and many years ago … .. and dissect the crap out of it, tear it apart, criticize it, downplay it .. or change the stinking words to it ….. just to suit THEM and possibly a handful of others who might *see* things the same way. I must ask, don’t you have something better to do with your time .. than to attack our Rede?

What is up with that???? Why don’t you go and try and do that with the Bible…??? I am sure there are many things written in it .. that you could dissect, criticize … downplay … analyze … tear apart!!!

I certainly agree with you that training is needed for Wiccans, Pagans, and magickal people of all sorts. One of the problems, however, is that sometimes people mistake the specific—their own, personal approach—for the general—what they assume must be true for everyone.

Therefore, while I acknowledge that you want to separate your magickal life from your mundane life, many others see them as united or at least vitally interconnected; they see the world as a wonderful, magickal place. Our understanding of the magickal nature of the universe “informs” our approach to daily—or what might be called “mundane”—life. In fact, part of my Wiccan training was to do exactly that. Certainly we each have a collection of different personas, putting on “faces” that we present to different people. We relate to parents, spouses, teachers, co-workers, friends, etc., in different ways. However, if we do not have a unifying and underlying principle upon which we base all of our actions, we are justifiably called hypocrites.

Even if we were to completely separate our magickal and mundane lives, there is nothing in any form of the rede that states it’s only for our magickal lives. It’s meant as a guide for all of our lives. I would not want a person to claim they represent Wicca when they are “shopping in a grocery store” and push elderly people to the floor to get the last bag of discounted apples, saying such behavior is allowed in Wicca because it’s not part of their magickal life, would you?

Let me see if I can put this most ridiculous article … in its place.

The Rede was simply put in place to help those who are “tempted” to go in the WRONG DIRECTION with magic, to think twice. Do not harm another .. *INTENTIONALLY AND WITHOUT JUST CAUSE* … BECAUSE … the three fold law does and can, and will respond. It doesn’t pertain to anything else. It doesn’t mean we can’t walk on the grass .. or we’ll *harm it* .. it doesn’t mean don’t eat meat, “you’ve harmed yourself and the animal” .. it doesn’t mean “don’t go to the grocery store and purchase those vegetables because they were grown by underpaid workers” ….. It does not mean ANY of those things.

I am sure that is your interpretation. But that’s exactly what it is: your interpretation. There is nothing in the history of the rede that says it must be interpreted this way. So what you are doing is abandoning the rede, as written, and created a new version of it, with more details, as you’d like it to be. I think that’s a good thing. Or perhaps it would be better to say, “The rede is a concept we should discuss,” which is exactly what my post did. That’s why you’re responding to it. You felt you needed to talk about the way it should be reinterpreted. 

It is not hard to understand what the Rede means. It is not hard to understand … that if you are going to practice the Occult , if you are going to practice magic, if you are going to go to places that ANGELS AND DEMONS DARE TO GO …… that FIRST, it might be wise to get with someone who is EXPERIENCED … and who has been doing this for a substantial amount of time .. before you try and strike out on your own. Just as … it might be wise to get some training before we write about something we do not understand.

I agree. Sort of like it might be a good idea to do a web search on someone before assuming they’re of a certain age or background. By the way, you might enjoy my eBook on my friend Scott Cunningham, The Magical Life of Scott Cunningham, available through the Kindle Store [LINK], Kobo [LINK], Nook Bookstore [LINK], Sony [LINK], and iTunes [through the store in iTunes]. And on June 26, 2013, I’m being interviewed on Seasons of the Witch by Raven Grimassi and Stephanie Taylor-Grimassi. The link to this live, FREE program, is here: LINK.

Second …. you must use common sense, logic and be practical and smart about it .. or else …. those things which *are* hidden .. may very well come back to bite you in the ass. (Hidden; i.e. Occult).

And again, I agree with you. That’s why I made my previous post. I was looking at the rede logically based on what is there, not what people might think is there.
<<<<>>>>

What??? This is absolutely RIDICULOUS. If a pet is suffering, it is ETHICAL AND MORAL to put the pet down .. so not to prolong the suffering. THAT IS NOT HARMING THE PET. That is MORALLY the right thing to do.

And I agree. It is the ethical and moral thing to do. However, to define something out of existence doesn’t make it true. My dictionary defines the word harm as “physical injury, esp. that which is deliberately inflicted.” Indeed, that is what happens when we euthanize a pet. We deliberately inflict a fatal injury (stopping breathing and the heart) in order to prevent pain and misery. The rede, as written, does not allow for this decent practice, allowing our beloved pets to pass to the summerland in peace.

You are literally applying our Rede in situations where it DOES NOT apply. First, you are taking the Rede’s words .. for LITERAL FACE VALUE, for *exactly* what they say .. instead of seeing the REST of the Rede .. you take these few words and cut it up in shreds. When you place the REST of the words WITH the “harm none” clause … I believe you can clearly see it means .. UNJUSTLY CAUSING HARM to another. NO WHERE … does it say to “go against your moral code of ethics”. Common sense, being practical,. and using logic … as well as using a MORAL COMPASS … all play a role in the WICCAN Rede. Anyone knows … that if one has any kind of moral compass, they would not allow a pet suffer. Our moral code of ethics would not allow us to have a disease and not do something about it, either.

I respectfully disagree with you. The intent of the rede is to apply to all actions. However, you are correct. I am taking the rede’s words literally. If that is not done there can be dozens or hundreds of interpretations of it, including interpretations I’d disagree with and I imagine you would disagree with, too. If you want to change the rede to say, “An it does not unjustly cause harm to another, do what you will,” that’s fine. I would suggest that you start a website or at least blog on why you think it should be changed to say this.

I agree that most Wiccans love their animal friends. We consider them part of our families. There is even a long-held belief in some Wiccan traditions that unlike any other creature, cats are unique and can go in and out of circle without disrupting it. Our pets our special to us and, like most decent people (Pagan or not), we do not want to see them suffer. But that’s not what the rede says. That’s the way you are interpreting it. Fine. Why not re-write the rede so it is clear and doesn’t need such interpretation? After all, if you can interpret it according to your moral compass, others can interpret it according to their moral compass.

You have torn these beautiful words to shreds and have tried to turn them into something they are not. What you have said here is very indicative of no guidance in this path. It is utterly ignorant and ridiculous some of the *examples* you have used to explain our Rede. Our moral compass is used in conjunction with the Rede. But the Rede itself is applicable to our magical lives more so than our mundane. I would have a tendency to believe that most Wiccans use their moral compass in every aspect of their life. Like … if someone is being raped, or if a child is being abused … we don’t think of the Rede and use those words at face value. Naturally, we would do what our moral compass GUIDES us to do. There is no “repercussion” for HELPING someone or PREVENTING someone from being harmed. There is the three fold law, but the three fold law is not always a bad thing. Good things happen to us too. Good things return to us, just as the bad would return to us.

The rede is one of the bases for the Wiccan moral compass. It informs it and guides it. If it’s the other way around, then the rede is unneeded. We could function quite well following our moral compass without the rede. Of course, then you have to determine the source of our moral compass. It seems to me you are presenting some confused ideas, such as when you say there is no repercussion for helping someone in one sentence and in the next sentence you contradict this by citing the three-fold law.

<<<>>>>>
Dear, if you knew the history of the “bible”, you would also know that the words written in those texts … were written LONG before anything called “Christianity” came along.
The “we reap what we sow” statemetn … is considered to be a spiritual law. It is written in ALL spiritual and/or religious paths. No matter which one you go to, you will find that same idea. Maybe not in the same words, but the same message is most definitely there.

When it comes to “law of return” .. whether that be the “three fold law” .. or the “ten fold law” .. it does NOT mean that the way you have put something OUT .. is going to return in the same FORM. We might take our winnings or our inheritance and loan someone some money to get through a rough spot (a very kind act) .. and it may or may NOT .. return to us in the form of money. It could be .. that someone ELSE comes along .. and takes us out to dinner. Or .. maybe we get in a rough spot .. and someone comes to HELP US. It does NOT mean .. that we would get money in return THREE TIMES. And SPEAKING of “three fold” …..

That does not mean you will receive something THREE TIMES. It simply means that what you do, what you think, what you put out there .. shall return TIMES THREE (x 3) .. not THREE TIMES. It may not return in the same form, but be rest assured, it will return and likely “times (mulitiplication) .. three”.

Its like placing water in a glass … and dropping a pebble in the glass. It cause ripples to go to the *edge* of the glass .. and we have no problem seeing that. What we do have a problem seeing .. is the ripples returning to its source. They always return to the middle where the pebble was dropped into the glass. But what happens to the pebble, you ask? Well,. the ripples follow that pebble … all the way to the bottom of that glass. Even though YOU don’t see it … they are there.

Well, I don’t claim to be an expert on the history of the Bible. I’ve only been studying that since the early 1970s, and there are people with far more knowledge of the subject than I. Nor do I claim to have studied “all spiritual and/or religious paths” as you seem to be claiming you have done. How else could you state that “ALL spiritual and/or religions paths” believe a certain thing? And you are correct that times three doesn’t equal three times. Perhaps what you’re saying—contrary to my example where if I break someone’s arm my arm will be broken three times—is that if I break someone’s arm, my arm will not be broken three times, but in three places?

The problem I question is with the dogmatism of the three fold or three times. What if it is only 2.9 times? What if it is 3.1 times? You talk about other spiritual/religious paths, but I know of no others that necessitate a specific number of times the energy of an action is returned to you. Perhaps some others reading this know of a religion or ancient tradition that believes this way.

More importantly, in my opinion, is not merely that energy is returned, but why that energy is returned. If it’s simply, “if you do X you will get 3X back, so don’t do X,” it’s implying that the universe wants to treat us like little children, or like the those who interpret the Abrahamic faiths as telling people what to do and not do just because that’s what God says.

<<<>>>

This is yet another misconception. Wiccans do not *follow* the law of karma. The law of karma is a Hindu belief. While we do not deny the existence of karma, nor do we not *acknowledge* the theory of it, we do not follow that belief. It is not part of our *foundational* beliefs, in other words. THE THREE FOLD LAW .. and KARMA .. are TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT THINGS.

What are the differences , you ask? Karma deals with past lives. The belief is .. what you are going through in THIS life.. is a result of what you did in a past life. Whether that be GOOD, BAD OR INDIFFERENT. The THREE FOLD LAW .. deals with NOW. The PRESENT. The three fold law means that what we do., what we think .. what we put out there … shall return to us TIMES THREE (again multiply x 3) … IN THIS LIFE. It does not WAIT until the next life. Does this mean we don’t believe in karma? NO. It simply means we have experienced the three fold law in our own personal lives … to happen in the present. It could be that some things … happen in our next life, we don’t know. What we DO know .. is that we’ve experienced the three fold law .. IN THIS LIFE. In other words .. its actually happened. We’ve received something for something we’ve done.

Respectfully, this information is incomplete. First, the concept of karma precedes Hinduism. Second, part of karma deals with a carry-over of the results of actions of past lives on the current life. However there are traditionally four types of karma, most of which are related to our current lives. Rather than repeating them here I would direct readers’ attention to my article on this available at this LINK. Now it is true that some authors, such as Ray Buckland, do consider the three-fold law as limited to the present life. However other authors, such as the Farrars, believe that our actions carry over from life to life. Who is right? That’s going to come down to our beliefs. All I can say is that within their current lifetimes many people do not receive either a positive response in some way for their good actions or a negative response in some way for their bad actions. I believe that most people are aware of this. If we limit karma and/or the three-fold law to one lifetime, it would appear not to be accurate.

<<<>>>
You said it yourself RIGHT HERE .. in this paragraph. And it is EXACTLY how we apply the Rede in our lives. ” I’ll try to stop them without hurting them. However, if I must, I will use force.” ..

The Three Fold Law is something that works in our favor .. or against us .. depending on our INTENT of what we do. If you INTENTIONALLY stop another from hurting someone else .. or… to save another … this is not hurting or harming without JUST CAUSE. The Rede applies if we set out to harm someone WITHOUT JUST CAUSE. Again, so simple .. but everyone wants to complicate the hell out of it. No where .. does it say in our Rede .. to go against our moral codes or compass. In fact, it is saying USE your moral compass and/or code of ethics.

And again, it reads to me as if you want to change the rede to say “intentional harm” rather than just “harm.” Further, you are contradicting your claim that the rede only applies to magickal practices when here you’re saying your interpretation also relates to more mundane causes.

<<<>>>>
I don’t think you want to know what I *really* think. If I wrote it, it wouldn’t get posted. What I do wish .. is that everyone would stop dissecting our religion and our ethics and morals that we live by. As a practicing Wiccan Priestess who has been on the Wiccan path for almost 18 years, I feel that there are way too many “wannabes, dabblers, trouble makers, know it alls AND new agers” … coming into our path and tearing it apart. If you don’t want to be Wiccan, then don’t be. IF YOU ARE NOT WICCAN, what is your concern of our Rede? No one told you that you had to live by the Rede. Most who are NOT WICCAN .. DO NOT claim it, nor do they live by it. It’s called the WICCAN REDE .. for a REASON. Its WICCAN. It is not PAGAN, it is not BUDDHIST, IT IS NOT CHRISTIAN .. IT IS WICCAN.

It sounds to me like what you’re saying is that your interpretation of the rede is correct and that nobody has the right to question you about it, because if anyone dares question you they are merely “wannabes, dabblers, trouble makers, know it alls AND new agers.” If that’s the belief system within your coven, fine. My attitude is somewhat different. When I give workshops (and I’m giving two worldwide webinars in the near future, one on Tarot & Magic and the other, which I am repeating by popular demand, is on Magickal Self-Defense), I always begin with the letters: TFYQA. That stands for “Think For Yourself. Question Authority.” I invites questions and disagreements and try to present my positions so people can understand them. I have stood in front of screaming Christian fundamentalists, as well as some very polite ones, asking questions about beliefs and why I dare to stand up for the Lord and Lady.

When you’re a voice in the community, people will look at how you present yourself and how you respond to questions. Saying that you won’t answer people because they’re wannabes or dabblers, etc., or that their questions (which may challenge our perceptions) are trying to dissect our religion and that is bad gives the implication that there are only certain “right” people who are entitled to information. When someone tries to dissect our faith it may be because they’re trying to understand it. When someone tries to tear apart our faith I choose to stand up for it by answering their questions.

I think it’s wonderful that you’ve been on the Wiccan path for almost 18 years. Having walked the Wiccan path for about 35 years, I say that your choice to join us is fantastic. The thing is, I love the Lord and Lady enough to think that even if people don’t want to follow our faith, if they adopt some of our ethical and moral beliefs and practices they may be better for it. So I choose to share with people within and without the circle. If we simply blindly follow tradition without asking questions our living faith becomes mere dogma. That is something I hope never happens.

The words of the WICCAN REDE .. are for WICCANS. They are not for anyone else … unless they CHOOSE to apply them in their lives. If you CHOOSE to live by the Rede, then get with someone who can better explain to you … what the Rede actually means. Especially before you go writing about it.

We all choose whether to apply them in our lives. To follow blindly and without questioning turns Wicca into just another dogmatic belief instead of a living, growing faith. Even you have reinterpreted the rede to meet your needs. That’s great. That should be discussed.

I have a friend who told me about a time when her young daughter was performing with a group at her elementary school. The performance began with the Pledge of Allegiance. When everyone paused after saying, “One nation, under God,” her daughter piped up saying, “and Goddess.” I think that’s great. She’s thinking. She’s questioning. Maybe it will help others open their minds and lead them to think and question, too.

The one request that alot of us Wiccans have at this time … it to stop coming into our religion and dissecting, analyzing and tearing it apart … just to suit your own beliefs, to suit your own personal spiritual needs , wants or desires.. Wicca has worked and is STILL WORKING.. with the REDE,. THE 161 LAWS, THE PRINCIPLES and ALL OF THE DIFFERENT TRADITIONS in place for LOTS AND LOTS OF YEARS … and … its been working JUST FINE !!!

If you want something DIFFERENT … then make up your OWN religion.

That’s just it. Contrary to the belief held by some people, there are dozens of traditions that call themselves Wiccan. Are they actually Wiccan? How far from Gardnerian or Alexandrian or some other tradition can they be and still justifiably be called “Wicca?” This is a debate I believe we should be having, but are not. These are questions we should be asking, but are not. Personally, I believe that if we don’t ask these questions of ourselves, others who are not Wiccans will make those decisions for us (or attempt to do so). I don’t consider that a good thing.

We’ve never had this problem before .. with folks coming into our path and trying to change it, to morph it into what THEY want it to be .. until recently. Over the last 5 to 10 years, we’ve had HUNDREDS .. coming into this path trying to destroy it.
We do not FIX something that isn’t BROKE.
LEAVE IT ALONE.

Actually, we’ve always had this problem. I have dozens of books by people claiming to be Wiccans and that supposedly enlighten us about Wicca even though they have little or no relationship to the Craft. Most of the people who have been involved in Wicca for a long time love to laugh about some of these books.

The dinosaurs existed for about 165 million years. They weren’t broken. They just couldn’t evolve to meet the changing environment. I would hate to see Wicca vanish like the dinosaurs because of fear of introspection and change.
<<<>>>
This statement is ridiculous. First and foremost, there’s no TRADITIONAL SOURCE that holds ANY position … for anything pertaining to karma, the three fold law .. or any other spiritual theory or belief. ITS CALLED FAITH. And EXPERIENCE in life. When you get ENOUGH experience in life … you might come to understand this.

Rain Dove
Priestess of The Dragon and The Rose Coven of Georgia

Well, the reference to your comment isn’t clear. But I’d like to thank you very much for raising your concerns and expressing your ideas. You seem to be saying that you have an interpretation of the rede which isn’t in the rede itself. I think that’s fine. I would strongly encourage you to write your version and post it on your website or blog. I would encourage discussion and debate about it by Wiccans and non-Wiccans alike.

I wish you and your coven continued success and peace.

Well, readers, what do you think?
Should we accept the rede without change or should it be updated?
Should we accept something else?
Do we accept it as written or as interpreted?
If we believe it should not be accepted literally whose interpretation should we follow?

Please leave your comments below.

In fact, for many Pagans, when asked how their spirituality flavors their lives, they have little to say, often responding not based on their spiritual paths but according to their sociopolitical beliefs. Some other Pagans—even those who do not identify themselves as Wiccans—fall back upon the Wiccan Rede:

Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill,
An it harm none do what ye will.

The source of the rede (rede is a Middle English term meaning “counsel” or “suggestion”) is highly questionable. Some date it back to Bible (Romans 13:10 can be interpreted as similar to the rede in concept),  Saint Augustine of Hippo (“Love, and do what you will”), John Stuart Mill’s “Harm Principle,” French author Pierre Louÿs’ 1901 book, The Adventures of King Pausolus (“Do not harm your neighbor; this being well understood, do that which pleases you.”), or Aleister Crowley’s famous “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

Perhaps it was derived directly from one of these, perhaps indirectly, or perhaps it was just the founders of modern Wicca expressing their libertarian views. Whatever the source, as related to Wicca it first appears in a speech by Doreen Valiente in 1964. Various versions of it, including ones that are much longer, have appeared over the past half century, but the essence remains those eight words: An (Middle English for “If”) it harm none, do what ye will.

This seems like a magickal mantra for modern-day Objectivists and libertarians: As long as you leave me alone and don’t affect me in any way, do whatever you want.

The Practical Impact of the Rede

Unfortunately, unless you live by yourself and completely “off the grid” using no public services of any kind, actually following the Rede is not only impossible, it’s unethical.

• If you buy clothes of any kind, chances are they were made in third-world countries by people in terrible conditions. You’re hurting them.
• If you buy food in a grocery store, chances are the fruits and vegetables were planted, raised, and harvested by underpaid and overworked temporary workers. You’re hurting them.
• If you see a person such as a child or someone who is elderly being attacked or abused, you can’t use force to stop the attacker or abuser. That would be hurting them.

To completely follow the rede requires you to either raise your own foods or know where it came from during every step of its production, not buy any clothes that might have been made by workers who are laboring under horrible conditions, and certainly not use force to defend the health, safety, and well-being of the weak or powerless.

If you have a pet that is suffering intense pain from age or disease, the rede requires you to let them suffer until they die on their own. You could not euthanize them to prevent further suffering. And since the rede is usually associated with treating yourself well, if you’re suffering intense pain from some disease or other ailment, and there is no possible cure or way to alleviate your pain, making the conscious decision to end your own misery is not allowed.

Silver RavenWolf clearly understands the problem of actually following the letter of the rede. In Solitary Witch she writes that “if you lived by the ‘an’ it harm none’ rule to the letter, you couldn’t even work against disease!” Her workaround is to acknowledge that by not acting to stop someone from doing evil, you are allowing greater harm to manifest. Your goal should be to minimize harm to everyone.

Okay. That’s a way of working around the rede. But that’s what it is: working around the rede. The rede doesn’t say act to limit harm to all; it is an instruction to you not to do harm. Period. You can choose not to follow the rede and work to limit harm to all. That might be a good solution. However it should be made clear that you have abandoned following the rede and are replacing it with something that allows for what I would consider to be a more ethical response to the real world.

Fully following the rede in our current culture is simply not possible. You would have to act like those who follow the Jain religion in India, living a life where they even avoid stepping on an insect. Some Pagans simply add a clause to the eight-word rede to cover modern reality: “An it cause harm, do as you must.” This basically negates the rede and changes the context to following RavenWolf’s interpretation of limiting harm to all.

The Missing Part of the Rede

There is also something important missing from the rede that makes it irrelevant: the result of not following it. If you harm someone, what happens as a result? As written, there is no negative impact on you. You may as well say, “try to live a harmless life, but if you harm someone, well, YOLO. That’s the way it goes.”

So what is it that’s missing? Although not originally directly associated with the rede, Gerald Gardner first wrote about it in his Wiccan novel (1949) entitled HIgh Magic’s Aid. It’s later described as a “law” by Monique Wilson and was popularized as a law by Raymond Buckland. This is the “Law of Three” or “Three-fold Law.”

Simply put, this “law” states, “whatever energy a person puts out into the world, be it positive or negative, will be returned to that person three times” (Wikipedia).

Really?

So if you break someone’s arm, does that mean you’re going to get your arm broken three times? If you trip someone does that mean someone is going to trip you three times? If you kill someone does that mean you’re going to be murdered three times? How could that work? It would have to imply a belief in reincarnation and multiple lives. So isn’t it great, then, that you have your own murder to look forward to? I don’t think so.

Some people refer to this as the “Law of Return” and state that the concept is valid, but it may not necessarily have a three-fold return. So does that mean if you murder someone you’re only going to be murdered 2 1/3 times? How does that work?

And if we follow the Law of Return, do we need the Wiccan Rede at all? Others have different versions of this “law.” One older version is usually presented, “As you sow, so shall ye reap.” That comes from Galatians in the Bible. So are the ethics of Wiccans, Pagans, and magickal people who follow the rede ultimately based on the Bible or is there another alternative?

The Reluctant Messiah

In Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah, author Richard Bach confronts the situation. A movie Dracula-like vampire asks to feed on the story’s protagonist. The protagonist refuses. His mentor points out that he’s hurting the vampire by not letting him feed. He leads the protagonist to understand that we are all free to do whatever we want. Period. But wouldn’t this ultimate freedom lead to pure narcissism and anarchy and not caring about anyone other than ourselves? Possibly. But there is an even older Pagan solution.

The Tantric Solution

Most people think of Tantra as being “that sex stuff.” In actuality, Tantra is one of the world’s oldest Pagan spiritual traditions. Tantra is the source of such concepts as the chakras, kundalini, acupuncture, the Tattvic Tides, a God and Goddess, etc. Some authorities (see, for example, Ann Moura‘s book on the history of Witchcraft) even believe that it was people from early India who came West into Europe where they became known as (or influenced) the Druids.

The ancient Tantrics also discovered the concept of karma. Most people reading this will have some idea of karma, and I describe it more fully here. Basically put, karma has nothing to do with intent. It only has to do with actions. If you do something, there will be a result. Your intent is irrelevant.*

Contrary to popular belief, the purpose of karma is not to punish or reward; it is to educate. Once you learn the results of what you do, enlightened self-interest will encourage you to do good so that the response from the universe back to you will be good. This process will help you on your personal spiritual evolution. This traditional concept of karma makes clear that:

You are free to do whatever you want in life,
but you are responsible for whatever you do.

A karmic response to any action may come through the actions of friends and family, governmental organizations, or from the universe itself with new opportunities or a removal of positive things in your life. It may take several lifetimes for you to learn what you need to do to make your life the wonderful thing you want it to be.

However, you are free to do whatever you want. The ancient Tantric term for this is svecchacharya (pronounced svek-cha-car-ee-ya), Sanskrit for “The path of doing one’s Will.” You are free to do whatever you want, but you are responsible for whatever you do.

If I see a child being abused, someone weak or frail being abused, a woman being raped, someone being bullied, etc., I’m going to stand up to the bully, the abuser or the rapist. I’ll try to stop them without hurting them. However, if I must, I will use force. That will have a negative impact on my karma. But I’m aware of that and it’s my choice. In my opinion, freedom without the awareness of the results of that freedom is ethically worthless.

So what do you think? Is it time to abandon the Wiccan Rede and Three-Fold Law as unobtainable and unrealistic goals? Would moving to the concepts of svecchacharya make more sense? Share what you think in the comments section below.

* Some New Age writers disagree and claim that there are “Lords of Karma” who determine the degree of reward or punishment for an action based on some sort of mystical or clairsentient interpretation of your intent. There is no traditional source that holds this position, nor is there any traditional understanding of karma indicating that intent affects the karmic process.

The 9 of Swords is not really my favorite to get in a reading, but in so many decks, I find the card to striking and powerful. Such is the case here:

One of my very favorite things to do is visit Descanso Gardens, an amazing botanical wonderland nestled way out on the edge of Los Angeles where the city gives way to the foothills. For me, it’s not just about ooh-ing and aah-ing at the pure physical beauty of the tulips and camellias (or whatever happens to be in bloom), although that’s part of it. It’s more like a spiritual pilgrimage to visit the wisest sages I know, all of whom are more than generous with their wisdom and healing abilities. The only prerequisite is that I sit quietly, listen, and be open to receive.

How to Talk to a Flower
When I have what I call a “conversation” with a flower (but what might more accurately be called a “session”), I begin by sitting or standing comfortably in close proximity to it. While gazing at the blossom, I consciously relax my body and become aware of my breath, allowing it to naturally deepen. When the time feels right, I might silently ask something of the flower, like, “How can I relieve stress?”, “How can I gain clarity (on a certain situation)?”, or, more frequently, “What wisdom or healing would you like to share?” I ask these questions not simply with silent words, but with my heart and feelings. Then, I continue to relax and gaze at the flower. In time, feelings and thoughts begin to emerge within me, which I identify as communications or responses from the blossom. Perhaps I feel a warmth in my belly or an opening in my heart, or perhaps I see a picture of myself spending more time in nature or drinking less coffee. Sometimes I will bring a notebook along and translate the information into words, so that it’s almost like I’m receiving dictation.

A Tiny Sampling of Flower Wisdom and Healing

In The Magic of Flowers, I relate a lot of the wisdom and magic I’ve received from blossoms, but below you’ll find a brief sampling of some of what they’ve had to share. (Although, of course, you don’t have to take my word for it—the flowers would love to commune with you as well!)

• Iris is a master energy healer. She’s excellent at balancing the subtle energy patterns throughout the body, aura, and chakras.
• Morning glory says, “Relax! You are one with All That Is, so why worry? Why struggle? Why rush? Relax into your true nature, into the arms of the Divine.”
• Cherry plum supports digestion, circulation, and overall energy levels.
• Lantana helps with depression by jump-starting your emotional flow.
• Bleeding heart says, “Don’t fight your old pain and heartache! Relax and breathe into it. Let it be what it is. Send love to it continually until it naturally begins to disperse.”
• Orchid reminds us to express our uniqueness and to know that we are beautiful and elegant exactly as we are.

Our thanks to Tess for her guest post! For more from Tess Whitehurst, read her article “Seven Flower Magic Rituals.”

No, really!

And then I discovered comics from Marvel. Spiderman was a kid not much older than me, and he had all the problems and issues I faced (along with his spidey sense and super powers thing). I really liked Thor, too. Here was a guy who was in love with a woman but was too shy to say anything because he had a physical handicap. She loved him, too, and kept waiting for him to say something. Eventually, he finds a stick that turns him into a virtual God when he taps it on the ground. This was every schoolboy’s dream! If you were beat up by bullies or felt insecure (who didn’t?) you could just tap a stick and become a hero so handsome everyone would fall in love with you. Whatta guy! [It caused me to go to my school library and the local public library to find out more on the traditional Thor, but neither had much on him. There was plenty on the Greek and Roman myths, but in those books the Norse myths were minor appendices. Grrr.]

And then came Dr. Stephen Strange. A brilliant but egotistical and money-hungry neurosurgeon, his hands are damaged in a car wreck. He spends his savings looking for a cure. When he fails he becomes depressed and a drunk. Then, in foreign saloons he hears whispers of a man who could help him. He travels to the Himalayas to the home of a mystic known as “The Ancient One.” The mystic, however, won’t help him. Strange is still too egotistical. But sensing something special in him, he invites Strange to stay.

There is also another student there, Baron Mordo, who, it turns out, is planning on killing the mystic and assuming his power. Strange doesn’t believe in real magick, but tries to warn The Ancient One of the murder plot. Mordo uses magick on Strange to stop him from giving the warning. It turns out that the mystic knew Mordo was planning the murder and used it to bring out the decency in Strange. Mordo is sent packing and Strange becomes The Ancient One’s main student, eventually claiming the title of “Dr. Strange, Sorcerer Supreme,” the magickal protector of the Earth and our universe.

Dr. Strange by Steve Ditko
From Wikimedia

Unlike most of the other comic book heroes, Dr. Strange wasn’t stuck on this or any other planet. He thrilled our imaginations as he travelled through strange dimensions and fought evil beings there. His personality and characteristics changed and evolved, as did his appearance, depending upon the writers and illustrators such as Steve Ditko and Gene Colan.

Dr. Strange’s Magick

While Dr. Strange is studying with The Ancient One and learning all sorts of spells, it appears that his real power doesn’t come from any of them. Rather, there are all sorts of otherworldly entities who, by using the appropriate spells, callings, or tools, will give him power to use. The two primary sources of his powers are  the Vishanti (consisting of Agamotto, Hoggoth, and Oshtur) and the Octessence (composed of Balthakk, Cyttorak, Farallah, Ikonn, Krakkan, Raggadorr, Valtorr, and Watoomb). So what I guess Strange was studying was the memorization of which bizarre poem or phrase to use to call on a particular entity who grants him the use of their power, often through the use of some sort of object, such as the “Wand of Watomb” or the “Crimson Bands of Cyttorak.” At times, his powers (or his use of powers) transcends worldly issues and becomes cosmic in nature, virtually changing universes. I imagine they purposely keep all of Strange’s powers and practices somewhat hazy to make him seem more mystical.

Although Strange frequently studies and practices, it seems as if what he really needs to know is the magick words. Simply saying the magick words results in powers from levitation and energy blasts to protecting worlds, reversing time, and sealing a black hole!

This concept has been a pervasive running thread in the popular—but fictitious—understanding of real magick: if you know the words, even if you do nothing more than mumble them, magick will occur. Ah if it were only that easy! As I have written elsewhere, if that understanding of real magick were true, every book on magick in the U.S. would be locked up under the Patriot Act!

There’s more to real magick than wand waving and word mumbling. You also need to know how to generate and direct magickal energy. Without those abilities you have theater, a movie, a novel, or a comic book. Add those abilities to working with magickal tools and using words to form and direct the spells and rituals, and you have real magick!

7 Tips for Interpretation

Because any one tarot card has such a wide variety of meanings, these are tips I use to zero in on the right one for any particular reading. My list only has 7 because that’s all I have and I didn’t want to make things up just to have 10, even though that would have been nicer.

1. Consider the basic card meaning. For me, this is almost always the starting point for interpreting a card, although it often happens simultaneously with the next two.

2. Consider the card position. This is especially helpful if the position is something like “negative influences,” “something to avoid,” or “roadblock.” These would lead me to look to the negative extreme of a card meaning first. It is not a guarantee that you should go with the negative extreme, but it leans that way. Conversely, something like “positive influences” or “advice” would lead me to consider the positive extreme of a card first.

3. The question. The nature and subject matter of the question will help you focus on the interpretation for the card in that reading. The Knight of Cups in a romance reading might be read differently than the Knight of Cups in a career reading.

4. The querent. The querent’s reaction to the card can help, as well. I remember doing a reading for someone and the Tower came up. She exclaimed in delight, “oh, that looks like a party!” Different from my normal range of interpretations for the Tower, but in this case, valid.

5. Surrounding cards. Whether you use elemental dignities or not, the surrounding cards can shape a card’s meaning. Imagine the 3 of Swords surrounded by bright, sunny, energetic cards. Then imagine it flanked by, say, the 10 of Swords and the Queen of Cups. In the first case, we might see a deeply private sorrow hidden from the rest of world. In the latter, perhaps a drama queen who is using an unfortunate situation to gain attention.

6. Your intuition. Sometimes we get a gut feeling or an intuitive hit that isn’t within our usual range of interpretations. Perhaps a detail or symbol that you don’t usually notice seems like it’s screaming for attention. It’s usually a good idea to give voice to those flashes.

7. Literally. Sometimes a card is very very literal… perhaps the 6 of Cups is about receiving a gift, the 9 of Swords is about insomnia.