I have been a part of a Christo-Pagan discussion group on facebook for probably about 2 years now. About a week ago I was invited to become an admin for the page. I knew the other admins from the early days of the discussion group before it became as large as it is today (with over 300 members). I take my position as admin seriously because with a group like this that is attempting to blend two seemingly opposing belief systems, arguments can easily start and tempers can flair.
Religion is a big deal to people, it's a huge part of some peoples' image of themselves. That includes me: I am passionate about my spirituality and it means a great deal to me.
Keeping the above in mind, it is important that people in our discussion group are mindful of what they say and how they say it. We are all about expressing one's opinions, but we want our members to do it in a way that is not confontational.
That preface was not intended to be my actual blog post. Instead, I wish to discuss the "rules" of Wicca. Let me preface this just a tad more by saying that a member of the Christo-Pagan discussion group I'm a part of started a thread about the Wiccan Rede: 'An it harm none, do what ye will. I have no problem with a discussion about the Rede, however the way she wrote her post made it sound like she was belittling the Rede. She was saying that people take it too seriously. Because this got my temper up a little, I wanted to explain my position here.
The Wiccan Rede is an essential part of Wicca. It has become a foundational clause that holds Wicca up and gives Wiccans realistic boundaries. The part of the Rede that is most famous is the last two lines of the poem: 'An it harm none, do what ye will.
There is a lot of discussion even among the Wiccan community as to what those two lines mean for how witches should live their lives. In my opinion, to each his own. If the Rede matters to you, you will figure out what it means for your life and your practice.
For some, the Rede covers all living things and because of that it means that Wiccans should be vegetarian. This is a logical manifestation of the Rede. I don't personally take the Rede to mean I should be vegetarian, but I respect and honor those who do.
For me, the Rede means many things. It means you should think about others. It means you should consider the full effects of a spell and how it might affect others before you cast it. It means taking care of yourself. It means not intentionally harming others or yourself, and beyond that it means to be mindful of how your actions do effect others so that you can live with more intention in your actions.
How does this relate to navigating Christo-Paganism? Consider the Golden Rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This rule requires you to think about how you would like to be treated. It uses the theory of self preservation to manifest kindness towards others.
The Threefold Law acts basically the same way as the Golden Rule. The Threefold Law states that the energy you send out will be returned to you threefold. If you send out positive energy, you will see it returned in kind. If you send out negative energy, expect to receive it back. Same basic concept.
My message here beyond explaining my view of some basic Wiccan principles is this: to each his own. Let people have their own spirituality. Allow others to be free to express their beliefs in their own way. As long as their spiritual practice isn't harming you, it shouldn't concern you.
Blessed Be.
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