Before getting into ethical witchcraft / witchcraft it is important to understand ethics and etiquette. Ethics are the guiding force of our life. It helps to shape our lives. Ethics are a set of principles, standards and moral philosophy that governs the conduct of a person or professional membership, human duty or a system of principles concerning duty. It involves human actions and is based on the principles of true and false. It is the philosophical study of values and rules. While speaking of ethics you need to realize that it is a touchy subject.
One needs to understand that there is a difference between community ethics and personal ethics. It is the personal ethics that decides who we are. And this is not the same from one to another. If you are a believer of witchcraft you are a Wiccan. Then you must learn about the common code of conduct among Wiccans. If you are a Wiccan you should know the Rede. This is a sort of password into the witch world. One of the major rules of ethics is the Rede. Breaking this code could lead to unpleasant consequences.
The Rede is the standard of living and is impossible to achieve. It is the goal to live closely to the Rede. In this connection the actions have to be analyzed. The least harm path is chosen. We learn to be conscious of our actions and this affects how things are perceived around us. Rede forces you to have a personal responsibility. It is important to consider the Rede before you take the right course of action. This can be done by looking at different actions and their consequence whether it can cause harm or good. It is advised to choose the path that is least harmful.
Wicca is a religion, a path of spiritual and personal responsibility. At any point of time people strive to live in a state of awareness. It is time to recognize free will and the will of others. Never ignore the teachings of personal responsibility as it may lead you away from realizing your spiritual potential.
In the beginning set your path and develop personal ethics. At the same time do not overlook the community ethics. These are well defined like:
- Never practice black magic
- Do not take the left hand path
- Never harm another person
- Do not interfere in their free will
- Act in a manner that reflects your path
- Never indulge in anything that will harm the craft
The Wicca paths are open and do not ask people to follow the Right Path. The community ethics are concerned on two things; harm to the craft or harm to the people. Be in the spiritual path and follow it every day and at the same time develop your own personal ethics. All the mentors recommend these in both word and deed. The Book of the Law administers the group. You must define your own ethics and you cannot borrow someone else’s codes. It is here some soul searching could work wonders. This can be done with personal experience.
Also Read : A Short History of Witchcraft
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