Inspired by Taliesin's Blog The Wiccan Rede - A Closer Look

Taliesin's blog got me thinking about applying ethics such as the Wiccan Rede or Thelemic "True Will" in everyday life and in magick. As he suggests, there is often difficulty, disagreement and conflict in defining the important terms in these kinds of laws. (Italicized because there is even disagreement over whether the Rede in particular is even to be considered a "law" or merely a guideline).

It seems to me, that since the definitions of "harm" and of "will" are seemingly subjective and range according to one's own inherent beliefs, that the solution to application of these ethics lies within one's Self. I mean this in basically two ways: One is acting according to one's own inner nature and the other is in keeping the focus on one's self and one's own personal responsibility, rather than focusing on others. (I will clarify this below, but basically it is a similar concept to "physician heal thyself").

The first idea is similar in many ways to Crowley's writings on "Will" and also contains a bit stolen from Taoism. It is simply the concept that if one truly understands and knows one's own inner nature and acts in accordance with that knowledge, one cannot go wrong. As suggested in The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff, "A bird can fly, but a fly can't bird." It is when we go against our true inner nature that we go wrong and cause harm. Of course, I am sure that the first question that comes to many people's mind is, "What if one's inner nature is evil?" or something similar.

Well, this certainly makes things tough doesn't it? This is where, in my understanding at least, Crowley's faith in the perfection and rightness of the universe comes into play. The concepts of balance and of the constant attempt of things to reach a state of homeostasis come to mind for me here. If we are all acting according to our true path and nature, then we achieve balance and equilibrium in line with the tendency of the Universe itself. As Crowley stated, "Know firmly, O my Son, that the True Will cannot err; for it is thine appointed Course in Heaven, in whose Order is Perfection."

For an everyday life-choice example (again inspired a bit by Taliesin's blog), part of my understanding of my self and my nature is that I am a mammal whose physiology is that of an omnivore. In this understanding, I do not put myself above or below other mammals in terms of needs for survival or interaction within the natural world. In other words, I do not see humans as separate from nature. As any omnivore, I eat meat as well as vegetables. I do try to apply my human intellect, ethics and compassion in my choices in this arena, as that is also part of my nature; however, for me, this application does not eliminate meat from my diet entirely. While a Vegan, for instance, might argue that it is within his or her very nature that his/her humanity precludes the ingestion of another animal. In my estimation, we are both right because we are acting according to our true Will.

The second concept (of self-focus and responsibility) is simply my idea that in keeping the focus on our own development, changes, beliefs and actions, rather than trying to change others or "make" them understand or "get them to love us" or whatever goal we might have in mind, we are less likely to cause harm.

This is not exactly an original concept, but it is one that it seems people often have a hard time applying in real life. Feeling like your spouse doesn't listen to you? It might be best to work on your communication skills, instead of focusing all your energy on "making him/her a better listener." Thinking about performing a "love spell" on someone? Probably a better idea to focus on bringing more love into your life, or perhaps focusing on making changes that you believe/understand would make you more "loveable."

Certainly, I understand that there are situations in which, for instance, self-defense is necessary and that not everything can be fixed by focusing on oneself. It is precisely those situations, however, in which the application of concept one is in order.

To Be Continued, my brain needs a rest.