I read a book on Wicca that says "all Wiccans must do this and never do that," and then I read another one that said Wiccans can make their own rules. Some people believe in the Threefold Law, and others don't. Others say that the Wiccan Rede is only for Wiccans but not other Pagans. What's going on here? Are there rules in Wicca or not?
There are rules, but they do tend to vary from one tradition to another. In general, most Wiccans and Pagans follow some form or another of the Wiccan Rede, which says, “An’ it harm none, do as you will.” This means that you can’t intentionally or knowingly cause harm to another person. Because there are so many different forms of Paganism, there are dozens of different interpretations of the Rede. Some people believe it means you can’t eat meat, join the military, or even swear at the guy who took your parking spot. Others interpret it a bit more liberally, and some believe that the rule of “harm none” doesn’t apply to self-defense.
In addition, some traditions of Paganism believe in the Law of Threefold Return. This is essentially a karmic payback – anything you do comes back to you three times more intensely. If good attracts good, then guess what bad behavior brings you?
Remember, though, there’s no Big Pagan Council that sits and writes you a Bad Karma Ticket when you do something wrong. Pagans are big on the concept of personal responsibility, so it’s up to you to police your own behavior and live by ethical standards.
