“An’ it Harm None, Do What Ye Will”: A Historical Analysis of the Wiccan Rede

Abstract

In the 1950s, the English occultist Gerald Gardner (1884–1964) began propagating a magico-religious tradition now known as Gardnerian Witchcraft whose adherents today number in the hundreds of thousands. A common element of Wiccan belief is an ethical commandment known as the “Wiccan Rede,” usually articulated in the form “an' it harm none, do what ye will.” This article traces the history of the Rede, beginning with an examination of Gardner's own early ethical statements. It traces Gardner's relationship with Doreen Valiente, his collaborator who came to proclaim the Rede at a prominent Pagan gathering in October 1964, noting the influence of Crowley's law of thelema, before moving on to discuss the wider reception of the Rede within the Wiccan movement and why practitioners of many rival traditions chose to reject it.

Where is the Church in the Time of COVID-19 Pandemic: Preferring the Poor via G. Gutierrez’ “Liberation” and the Catholic Church’s Social Teaching in the Philippine Setting

“…It must be added love for God is unavoidably expressed through love for one's neighbor." Similar to the Augustinian (as cited by White, 2015;Russell, 2018) maxim "Love, and do what thou wilt," Gutiérrez intimates that a real and sincere love of God undeniably and inescapably manifests itself. Through which the love for one's neighbors, especially the poor, to whom Christ has a close and enduring affinity.…”