I am a believer that there is something that connects everyone. Thats why I am so into astrology , which I have been into for years, but I think there has to be something more to it than that... astrology can only take you so far. The first way I began to learn about Wicca was from my friend. Her family is a lot more open about things like that. She told me about one of the principles being that as long as you harm none do as you will, something along those lines. That sparked my interest because I identified with that saying, it just made sense to me. Well I bought a Cunningham book a little bit ago to try to fill in the missing pieces, I knew there was more than one deiety (oh god I don't know how to spell that) involved in the religion and that it respected nature. I am a little bit through the book and I just want to ask a question about the nature aspect of Wicca... which I guess is the major part.... well when it says harm none and do what you will does that mean that I can't harm any living thing? Not that I have it all planned out to go out and shoot a deer or soemthing but I mean with like flies and plants.... I don't know why this bothers me so much... Would swatting at flies be against that law?... I feel like I am being an idiot... lol.... I guess if no one replies that I can take that for that this is a stupid question. Oh the book I am reading is Guide for Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner... hmmm it is something like that. -Thanks
Ok I'm gonna reply for the simple reason that I don't want you to think that your question is stupid.. 'cause it's not I'm not too familiar with Wicca (which is a young and sort of established religion) but being highly interested in zenbuddhism (which has the harm none guideline as well) plus being somewhat of an ecclectic pagan I know the dilemma you're facing all too well. My own personal 'rule' is that I only want to do things with the purest intents. For me that means (at the moment) that although I think humans are omnivorous by nature, I'm a vegetarian. I simply can't stand the thought of having an animal killed for my luxury (since where I live there are plenty of substitutes). But now you might say that plants are living things as well and I kill them as well for food. True.. but I draw the line at not killing things with a central nervous system, since they are more likely to be able to feel pain. However, I do use dairy products which sort of help the meat-industry as well. It's all very complicated and everything is connected.. so you have to 'make up' your own 'rules' to live in a way that you can be happy with and be proud of. It's completely impossible to harm none.. even if you'd kill yourself you'd make people sad.. you can only try to prevent or minimize the pain you inflict. I don't know if this makes any sense at all.. feel free to ask any further question on the subject
In my opinion, it's ok to kill something for food (like, a cow or an eggplant, makes no difference to me, lol, a person has to eat, and we were designed to consume something living, plant or animal), or protection--as in, if you're about to be bit by a snake, by all means fight back, or if there's a spider in the house, kill it before it could bite your child, etc. To me, "the rule" mostly applies to other people--like, it's not cool to wish something bad would happen to a coworker, so you can get a better job, etc. There are few times in the average person's life when their actions would directly effect one of another species, unless that person was, say, hunting (and while we're on ethics, i personally think it more honorable to hunt wild animals than to shove them into cages and fatten them up for their inevitable and gruesome demise--but that's just me).
I would like to be vegetarian, but I grew up with a strange eating style so it's a gradual process, also waiting for local shops to get with the times. The rule to me is to follow it as much as possible - if there is no way to avoid say killing a snake that will bite you as ryvrewillow said, it has to be done but you don't kill a snake because you just don't like them. And I first saw the rule through the magic aspect. If you are casting spells, don't cast hexes, and intent and wishes follow that too. Don't wish bad for people.
In a way it's ok to wish bad without actually hexing I think.. like.. when someone is abusing a child you can cast a spell that the person doing it feels the pain he/she is inflicting upon the child.. like a 'let him/her feel what he/she's doing'-spell thingie.. that probably will hurt the person but only because it reflects their own deeds.. it's different from making 'new feelings' I think. I think there is a line in the Bible somewhere as well (sometimes there are usefull things in there) that says that as long as you do something with a pure heart you're doing things right.. since you believe in all honesty that you are doing ok. I'm pretty openminded when it comes to different lifestyles, I only have a huge problem with hypocrisy for some reason.. can't stand it if someone just closes their eyes for something.
Oh yes I've got that book too Wicca has almost no set rules, hence the debate and conflicts, only you can find what is right for you. I'm vegetarian, working towards veganism for many complex reasons, trying to help the enviroment and don't kill anything but houseplants*. Even the flies remain unswatted, got as much right to life as me and dead bugs are icky. That's just from my interpretation of the rede. Think it over and find out what you feel comfortable with. Good luck on your path *I've no issue with them, just a series of accidents. Mainly that I forget to water them.
My interest in astrology and universal interconnection is what attracted me to wicca as well... so I totally sympathize! Good luck on your spiritual journey!
Haha I am so glad people replied... I never checked after a bit if anyone replied to this, I forgot. Well I am glad no one thought it was a stupid question... I always think I am doing something really stupid and someone is gonna start bitching at me for it. -shrugs- All of your replies helped, nice to know other people are thinking the same things. What I think is that its okay to kill animals if your gonna eat them like someone said... (my computer is all screwed up so I can't push the back button). Its okay because thats the food chain and if they were at the top they'd be eating me. Lol I am so unsure about everything. Thanks everybody
Ohhwww.. *hands over some selfesteem* Now there ya go.. you can use it because you seem like a great person
