~*~ Witches Rede Of Chivalry ~*~

[Crutesy Of: Magical Rites from the Crystal Well, Ed Fitch and Janine Renee, 1987, Llewellyn
Publications.]

Insofar as the Craft of the Wise is the most ancient and most honorable creed of
humankind, it behooves all who are Witches to act in ways that give respect to the Old
Gods, to their sisters and brothers of the Craft, and to themselves.

Therefore, be it noted that:

1. Chivalry is a high code of honor which is of most ancient Pagan origin, and must
be lived by all who follow the old ways.
2. It must be kenned that thoughts and intent put forth on this Middle Earth will wax
strong in other worlds beyond and return... bringing into creation, on this world,
that which had been sent forth. Thus one should exercise discipline, for "as ye
plant, so shall ye harvest."
3. It is only by preparing our minds to be as Gods that we can ultimately attain
godhead.
4. "This above all... to thine own self be true..."
5. A Witch's word must have the validity of a signed and witnessed oath. Thus, give
thy word sparingly, but adhere to it like iron.
6. Refrain from speaking ill of others, for not all truths of the matter may be known.
7. Pass not unverified words about another, for hearsay is, in large part, a thing of
falsehoods.
8. Be thou honest with others, and have them know that honesty is likewise expected
of them.
9. The fury of the moment plays folly with the truth; to keep one's head is a virtue.
10. Contemplate always the consequences of thine acts upon others. Strive not to do
harm.
11. Diverse covens may well have diverse views of love between members and with
others. When a coven, clan, or grove is visited or joined, one should discern
quietly their practices, and abide thereby.
12. Dignity, a gracious manner, and a good humor are much to be admired.
13. As a Witch, thou has power, and thy powers wax strongly as wisdom increases.
Therefore, exercise discretion in the use thereof.
14. Courage and honor endure forever. Their echoes remain when the mountains have
crumbled to dust.
15. Pledge friendship and fealty to those who so warrant. Strengthen others of the
Brethren and they shall strengthen thee.
16. Thou shalt not reveal the secrets of another Witch or Coven. Others have labored
long and hard for them, and cherish them as treasures.
17. Though there may be differences among those of the Old Ways, those who are
once-born must see nothing, and must hear nothing.
 18. Those who follow the mysteries should be above reproach in the eyes of the
world.
19. The laws of the land should be obeyed whenever possible and within reason, for
in the main they have been chosen with wisdom.
20. Have pride in thyself and seek perfection in body and in mind. For the Lady has
said, "How canst thou honor another unless thou give honor to thyself first?"
21. Those who seek the Mysteries should consider themselves the select of the Gods,
for it is they would lead the race of humankind to the highest of thrones and
beyond the very stars.

~*~ The Witches Rune ~*~

The Witches Rune is a poetic dedication. More Info Below.

Darksome night and shining moon,

East, then south, then west, then north,
Hearken to the witches' rune:
Here I come to call thee forth.
Earth and water, air and fire,
Wand and pentacle and sword,
Work you unto my desire,
Hearken ye unto my word.
Cords and censer, scourage and knife,
Powers of the witch's blade
Waken all ye unto life,
Come ye as the charm is made.
Queen of heaven, Queen of hell,
Horned hunter of the night,
Lend your power unto my spell
And work my will by magic rite.
By all the power of land and sea,
By all the might ofmoon and sun,
As I do will, so mote it be:
Chant this spell, and be it done.
Eko, Eko, Azarak,
Eko, Eko, Zamilak,
Eko, Eko, Artemis,
Eko, Eko, Herne.

What is the Witches Rune?

The Witches Rune is used during Wiccan Rituals as a way to raise energy. The Rune is
chanted by all the Witches, sometimes whilst they are dancing in a circle, they will repeat
the Rune until the person leading the ritual, often the HPS or HP indicates that they stop.
Usually when the HPS indicates the energy has reached the required level all the
Coveners will drop to the ground as the HPS or HP shouts 'down' and then directs the
energy raised towards the intended purpose.

~*~ Three Fold Law ~*~

"May whatever ye do, Come back to the,
Three times bad, or three times good"

Three-Fold Law, or Law of Return as it is also called, is perhaps one of the more
controversial aspects of Wiccan ethics. The basic premise is that anything we do comes
back to us in the end, often to a greater degree (such as three-fold). If we do good, then
good will be retuned and if we cause harm, we put ourselves in danger of harm.

This relates a lot towards Karma In that ethically it is equivalent to the Golden Rule: "Do
unto others as you would have done to you". But in the case of the Law of Return, there
is a literal reward or punishment tied to one's actions, particularly when it comes to
working magic.
The debate over the validity of the Law of Return and its variations takes many forms.
Some feel that it was created to keep new initiates in check as they learned to work with
magic, while others feel it is a remnant of Christian thinking, being that a majority of
Wiccans come from a Christian background. However, many Wiccans today, including
some authors and "community leaders", take the three-fold law quite literally.

Since the idea that "we reap what we sow" is generally accepted among Wiccans, the
Law of Return can fairly be considered a core belief. However, it must be acknowledged
that it is neither a necessary nor a universally defining belief of the Craft. There are many
Wiccans, experienced and new alike, who view the Law of Return as an over-elaboration
on the Wiccan Rede, which recommends that we refrain from causing harm. A Wiccan
would not wish to cause harm since he or she deems it wrong to do so, not out of fear of
retribution.

Doreen Valiente, one of the most influential and respected figures in modern witchcraft,
boldly stated in her speech at the National Conference of the Pagan Federation in
November 1997:

Another teaching of Gerald's which I have come to question is the belief known
popularly as "the Law of Three". This tells us that whatever you send out in witchcraft
you get back threefold, for good or ill.
Well, I don't believe it! Why should we believe that there is a special Law of Karma that
applies only to witches? For Goddess' sake do we really kid ourselves that we are that
important? Yet I am told, many people, especially in the USA, take this as an article of
faith. I have never seen it in any of the old books of magic, and I think Gerald invented it.
While researching the Three-Fold Law, I took the liberty of writing several early authors
who had referenced it in their books. The few responses I received were always the same;
they did not know where it came from but it was known, at least as oral tradition, when
they entered the craft. Using the dates of their initiations I hoped to at least obtain a
starting point for my research. In this case, since Raymond Buckland was the first to be
initiated of those authors who took the time to respond, I had a start date of 1963.
Buckland was initiated as a Gardnerian by Lady Olwen, Gerald Gardner's last High
Priestess before his death in 1964. Although Buckland recalled that Lady Olwen's coven
referred to the three-fold law, he did not recall any mention of it by Gardner himself in
their correspondences. I also knew from Margot Adler, that it was known in the US, at
least orally when she entered the craft in 1972. "I know it was talked about the minute I
entered the craft in the Brooklyn Pagan Way, and that was 72, but whether it came in
written or oral form, I don't know."[1] The Brooklyn Pagan Way was run by the New
York Coven of Welsh Traditional Witches so the Law of Return had already
disseminated outside of Gardnerian practice by 1972.
Starting with books in the 60's, I sought to find any reference to the Three-Fold Law or
variations of that theme. I was particularly interested in finding non-Gardnerian sources
since, unlike many other aspects of modern Wicca, the Three-Fold Law appears to be a
purely Wiccan construct particularly of Gardnerian lineage, adding a moral element to
the practice of magic. I then worked backward seeking earlier influences, as well as
forward, seeing who referenced these early books in their bibliographies.