The Wiccan Rede
Bide the Wiccan Laws we must
In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.
Live and let live,
Fairly take and fairly give.
Cast the circle thrice about
To keep the evil spirits out,
To bind the spell every time
Let the spell be spake in rhyme,
Soft eye and light of touch,
Speak little, listen much,
Deosil go by the waxing moon
Chanting out the Witches' Rune,
Widdershins go by the waning moon,
Chanting on the baneful rune,
When the Lady's moon is new, Heed the North wind's mighty gale,
Kiss the hand to her, times two,
When the moon rides at her peak,
Lock the door and drop the sail,
When the wind comes from the South,
Love will kiss thee on the mouth,
When the wind blows from the West,
Departed souls will have no rest,
When the wind blows from the East,
Expect the new and set the feats,
Nine woods in the cauldron go,
Burn them fast and burn them slow,
Elder be the Lady's tree,
Burn it not or cursed you'll be,
When the Wheel begins to turn,
Let the Beltane fires burn,
When the Wheel has turned to Yule,
Light the log and Horned One rules,
Heed ye Flower, Bush and Tree,
By the Lady, blessed be,
Where the rippling waters go,
Cast a stone and truth you'll know,
When ye have true need,
Hearken not others greed,
With a fool no season spend,
Lest ye be counted as his friend,
Merry meet and merry part,
Bright the cheeks warm the heart,
Mind the Threefold Law you should,
Three times bad and three times good,
When misfortune is enow,
Wear the blue star on the brow,
True in love ever be,
Lest thy lover's false to thee,
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill;
An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will.
The Charge of the Goddess
By Doreen Valiente
Listen to the words of the Great Mother;
she who of old was also called among men
Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine,
Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Cybele, Arianrhod,
Isis, Dana, Bride
and by many other names:
Whenever ye have need of anything, once in the month,
and better it be when the moon is full,
then shall ye assemble in some secret place
and adore the spirit of me,
who am Queen of all the witches.
There shall ye assemble,
ye who are fain to learn all sorcery,
yet have not won its deepest secrets;
to these will I teach things that are yet unknown.
And ye shall be free from slavery;
and as a sign that ye be really free,
ye shall be naked in your rites;
and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love,
all in my praise.
For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit,
and mine also is joy on earth;
for my law is love unto all beings.
Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it;
let naught stop you or turn you aside.
For mine is the secret door which opens upon the Land of Youth,
and mine is the cup of the wine of life,
and the Cauldron of Cerridwen,
which is the Holy Grail of immortality.
I am the Gracious Goddess,
who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man.
Upon earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal;
and beyond death, I give peace and freedom
and reunion with those who have gone before.
Nor do I demand aught in sacrifice;
for behold,
I am the Mother of all living,
and my love is poured out upon the earth.
Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess;
she in the dust of whose feet
are the hosts of heaven,
and whose body encircles the Universe.
I who am the beauty of the green earth,
and the white Moon among the stars,
and the mystery of the waters,
and the desire of the heart of man,
call unto thy soul.
Arise, and come unto me.
For I am the soul of nature, who gives life to the universe.
From me all things proceed,
and unto me all things must return;
and before my face, beloved of Gods and of men,
let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite.
Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth;
for behold,
all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.
And therefore let there be beauty and strength,
power and compassion, honour and humility,
mirth and reverence within you.
And thou who thinkest to seek for me,
know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not
unless thou knowest the mystery;
that if that which thou seekest thee findest not within thee,
thou wilt never find it without thee.
For behold,
I have been with thee from the beginning;
and I am that which is attained
at the end of desire.
