The Wiccan Rede

 

Bide within the Law you must,

in perfect Love and perfect Trust.
Live you must and let to live,

fairly take and fairly give.

For tread the Circle thrice about

to keep unwelcome spirits out.
To bind the spell well every time,

let the spell be said in rhyme.

Light of eye and soft of touch,

speak you little, listen much.
Honor the Old Ones in deed and name,
let love and light be our guides again.

Deosil go by the waxing moon,

chanting out the joyful tune.
Widdershins go when the moon doth wane,
and the werewolf howls by the dread wolfsbane.

When the Lady's moon is new,

kiss the hand to Her times two.
When the moon rides at Her peak

then your heart's desire seek.

Heed the North winds mighty gale,

lock the door and trim the sail.
When the Wind blows from the East,

expect the new and set the feast.

When the wind comes from the South,

 love will kiss you on the mouth.
When the wind whispers from the West,

all hearts will find peace and rest.

Nine woods in the Cauldron go,

burn them fast and burn them slow.
Birch in the fire goes

to represent what the Lady knows.

Oak in the forest towers with might,

in the fire it brings the God's insight.

Rowan is a tree of power

causing life and magick to flower.

Willows at the waterside stand

ready to help us to the Summerland.
Hawthorn is burned to purify

and to draw faerie to your eye.

Hazel-the tree of wisdom and learning

adds its strength to the bright fire burning.
White are the flowers of Apple tree

that brings us fruits of fertility.

Grapes grow upon the vine

giving us both joy and wine.
Fir does mark the evergreen

to represent immortality seen.

Elder is the Lady's tree

burn it not or cursed you'll be.
Four times the Major Sabbats mark

in the light and in the dark.

As the old year starts to wane

the new begins, it's now Samhain.
When the time for Imbolc shows

watch for flowers through the snows.

When the wheel begins to turn

soon the Beltane fires will burn.
As the wheel turns to Lamas night

power is brought to magick rite.

Four times the Minor Sabbats fall

use the Sun to mark them all.
When the wheel has turned to Yule

light the log the Horned One rules.

In the spring, when night equals day

time for Ostara to come our way.
When the Sun has reached it's height

time for Oak and Holly to fight.

Harvesting comes to one and all

when the Autumn Equinox does fall.
Heed the flower, bush, and tree

by the Lady blessed you'll be.

Where the rippling waters go

cast a stone, the truth you'll know.
When you have and hold a need,

 harken not to others greed.

With a fool no season spend

or be counted as his friend.
Merry Meet and Merry Part

bright the cheeks and warm the heart.

Mind the Three-fold Laws you should

three times bad and three times good.
When misfortune is enow

wear the star upon your brow.

Be true in love this you must do

unless your love is false to you.

These Eight words the Rede fulfill:

"An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will"

When wanting to share why I am a Pagan, I find this quote pretty well sums up why I now consider myself a Pagan.  A simple and yet complex statement when you try to live this daily. 

"When one defines oneself as Pagan, it means she or he follows an earth or nature religion, one that sees the divine manifest in all creation. The cycles of nature are our holy days, the earth is our temple, its plants and creatures our partners and teachers. We worship a deity that is both male and female, a mother Goddess and father God, who together created all that is, was, or will be. We respect life, cherish the free will of sentient beings, and accept the sacredness of all creation."   Edain McCoy

In a quote from the book "Drawing Down the Moon," Margot Adler shares this concept of the Wiccan community:

"We are not evil. We don't harm or seduce people. We are not dangerous. We are ordinary people like you. We have families, jobs, hopes, and dreams. We are not a cult. This religion is not a joke. We are not what you think we are from looking at TV. We are real. We laugh, we cry. We are serious. We have a sense of humor. You don't have to be afraid of us. We don't want to convert you. And please don't try to convert us. Just give us the same right we give you - to live in peace. We are much more similar to you than you think."