World Faiths & Religions

Many Pagans (and most Wiccans) follow two main guidelines that can be seen as the core of Pagan ethics: the Law of Return (or Threefold Law) and the Wiccan Rede. The Threefold Law suggests that every action--whether beneficial or harmful--returns to the actor three times over. This is usually understood metaphorically. Few Pagans literally believe that donating a dollar to charity, for instance, will garner three in return, but it may be that a small act of charity returns a larger good in one's life. The Wiccan Rede (in its most familiar form) states, "Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill: An it harm none, do what ye will." ("An" is an archaic English term meaning "if," not "and.") This is not generally understood as a license for indiscrimate hedonism; rather, the Rede instructs Wiccans to consider the impact of their actions on others, and to refrain from using their actions to manipulate or harm others.