Read Reed or Picture Frame?

[younameme qwerty]

before I graduate I thought I should come up with a good question, solitary being NOT Wican.. neopagan not disrespecting Wica's right to exist as a religion.. That WicCa is not a blanket word for real spirituality or lak there of... how would you instruct Us in any relationship we are to have or not have Regarding The Wican Reed?  

[Shearaha]

The reed is a suggestion. It's ment to suggest that before you make a decision or do ANYTHING, that you think about the repurcussions, and if you can deal with them. At least that's the way I understand it. Then again I'm not Wiccan, and really don't have much more then a cusory interest in it.  

[Violet Song jat Shariff]

As Shearaha said, the Rede is just advice. It doesn't prohibit harm, but rather, that so long as what you're going to do isn't going to cause harm, feel free to proceed as planned. However, if what you are going to do is going to cause harm, to sit back and think about it.

These are two essays that scorplett linked to in a thread in the M&R that I think you might find useful:
The Wiccan Rede: A Historical Journey
Proteus Library: Exegesis on the Rede  

[younameme qwerty]

that's what scares me, its such a good thing to not cause harm.. and want to live by that -do as thou wilt harm none.. I think that's what draws so many to it... I guess the question is what relationship should non Wicans have towards it..and is it OK by true Wicca that it is honored by many or others?  

[Violet Song jat Shariff]

younameme qwerty

that's what scares me, its such a good thing to not cause harm.. and want to live by that -do as thou wilt harm none.. I think that's what draws so many to it... I guess the question is what relationship should non Wicans have towards it..and is it OK by true Wicca that it is honored by many or others?

Why do you feel that it is a good thing to live by? Do you think that it is possible to live without causing harm, ever?

To be honest, the Rede doesn't draw me. At all. My gods are not exactly gods of peace and would probably be disappointed if I didn't do harm when it was permissible to do so wink .

I am not a proper Wiccan either so I can't speak with authority on what kind of relationship non-Wiccans can/should have with the Rede. Although I imagine that without the proper context of Wicca that the Rede is skewed and I'm unsure if going about with it with only half of an idea of what it is supposed to mean and how it's supposed to function would really be all that helpful.  

[younameme qwerty]

your right about that.. I mean in a context that Wicca in word is every where and I only really saw the read in a witchcraft bookshop, I guess I mean what should our view of wica then be? I want to live my own path..for me it is a good thing. If someone was meant to be harmed it will probably happen,
but I don't want to be at those controls., this is getting harder but it's helping.  

[Violet Song jat Shariff]

younameme qwerty

your right about that.. I mean in a context that Wicca in word is every where and I only really saw the read in a witchcraft bookshop, I guess I mean what should our view of wica then be? I want to live my own path..for me it is a good thing.

Forgive me hon, but I am not entirely sure what you are asking sweatdrop .

I mean, I know how I view Wicca. But I don't feel that I'm in a position to tell other people how to view it.  

[younameme qwerty]

that's OK, I'm not calling myself wiccan anymore, I thought it might be of help to me to know how to relate to fluff when I see it... I do believe in Wicca,
but I believe in many things, should i not believe in Wicca? sense I am not wiccan that would make sense, ?? but my senses don't lie. they tell me Wicca is real, so i believe with out saying.. I do not care to know how the birds sing but delight in their song...  

[Violet Song jat Shariff]

younameme qwerty

that's OK, I'm not calling myself wiccan anymore, I thought it might be of help to me to know how to relate to fluff when I see it...

To spot fluff in books, one of the ways to do it is to see what kind of works the author is citing. If he/she is working with source texts and academic works...it *should* be good.

Quote:

but I believe in many things, should i not believe in Wicca? sense I am not wiccan that would make sense, ?? but my senses don't lie. they tell me Wicca is real, so i believe with out saying.. I do not care to know how the birds sing but delight in their song...

^_^
When you talk about believing in Wicca, do you mean believing that it is a legitimate religion? It certainly is wink . Just because one doesn't follow a faith doesn't mean that it's somehow no longer an actual religion wink .

I'm so sorry it's hard to make out what you're saying redface redface . Is English a second or third language for you?  

[younameme qwerty]

your right I'm not the academic type, i believe they have a right to exist, and I also believe in real witchcraft...I honestly don't know a lot about Wicca, I have my own path to follow, Like I said it just became a blanket term for a kind of spiritual awakening....  

[Violet Song jat Shariff]

younameme qwerty

your right I'm not the academic type,

It's okay.
If nothing else, you will be eventually xd

Quote:

i believe they have a right to exist,

-nod-

Quote:

and I also believe in real witchcraft...

3nodding .


I don't think I can be of much more help and I think it is best to wait until one of the more knowledgeable folks weigh in. Sorry I can't help more at this moment.  

[younameme qwerty]

Thanks for helping, It helps to talk about it.. I had no idea it was like that...  

[TeaDidikai]

younameme qwerty

its such a good thing to not cause harm..

What do you think harm is?

Quote:

I guess the question is what relationship should non Wicans have towards it

Whichever they feel like? I opt not to have one. I think the different forms of the Rede make for a craptastic moral guideline.
1) It doesn't actually prohibit harm.
2) It doesn't define what harm is.
3) It does not outline guidelines for Catch22s.
4) It makes no statement as to what proper behavior constitutes.
5) One through four are bad enough.  

[Fiddlers Green]

As it is not oathbound material, there is no reason that non-Wiccans should be obstructed from it.
If one wish to practice it, it is theri choice, just as several non-Jews follow kosher diets.
Now, even tho Wicca is orthopraxic, this particular part is not a mystery, it is no secret, and therefore it is not stepping on their toes or stealing from them.  

[younameme qwerty]

I awoke this morning think'n about law enforcement, how if a cop shoots a proverbial bad guy, it would be absurd to tell him ye Must harm nOne, Oops. or, while I can not comprehend the brutal blood bath in the "old Testament' at the hands of folks steadfastly attached to other peoples religion, why in the world wide web would a gentile want to eat kosher?? orthodox Jews have told me that it is not a health issue, I bag to differ.. is it cause E's on the path to becoming a true Jew? any way I don't want to talk about the Christians unless any one wants deep inside information. I am (not named yet*******)
an ex christian and a non wiCan who has some interest in the Wican religion, and at this tyme is called to walk a solitary path...