THE WICCAN REDE, THE RULE OF THREE, AND MY THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ON THEM

      In my opinion one of the greatest things about Paganism (any religion not of Abrahamic roots)  of any kind is that they are all very free religions. They rarely have any sort of rules that are black and white. Some have more strict rules than others for example The Wiccan Rede is simply "in it harm none, do what you will" it's very open to interpretation. What does harm mean to you, who does none include? Is it just humans, is it all living things, does it include yourself? Counter to that is Asatru, who's "rules" are nine virtues that they believe people should strive for. Things like honor and integrity, which are themes you see in many Pagan religions because a lot of them were the religions of warrior societies.

      I personally don't follow The Rede, I think it's too open to interpretation. Also I don't like the idea that it basically says doing harm to anyone is a bad thing, sometimes it is necessary to harm people. As a warrior I follow something closer to the virtues of Asatru. That's what's such a great thing about these religions though. They're very personal, if you want a coven then you can have one, if you want to work alone then you can do that. If you want to follow The Rede then you can, if you want to follow something like Bushido then that is your right.

      The rule of three aka the law of threefold return is a concept in some Wiccan practices that is basically karma just everything returns three times instead of just once. The idea basically is, if you put good energy out into the world then good will return to you 3x whatever you did. If you put negative or bad energy out into the world then bad will return to you 3x.

      My opinion on this rule is that it's a little too black and white for my taste. The world we live in is all shades of gray. Who decides what's good or bad. If I hex my neighbor so every time he's a dick he feels pain, he'll probably stop being a dick which would be good to me but he'd probably see it as bad.However, I do believe in karma of some sort. I do think it's true that energy is just recycled so you'll probably get some of the energy back eventually. Being in the military as a Wiccan I found out that sometimes you have to do things that would be considered bad by many others. Through those experiences I had the thought that maybe karma can't always get the bad people by itself, sometimes we humans act as agents of karma and we might not even know it.

      Overall my thoughts are that if you have to kill something, regardless of if it's a plant, animal, human, or any other living thing then just cause as little suffering as possible. Don't think that as a Wiccan you can't hunt, fish, join the military, or even destroy that nest of total asshole wasps who sting you every day.

      Tune in next Wednesday for types of Wicca, new witches won't want to miss this one. If you have an opinion on The Rede or rule of three, put it in the comments to share with everyone.

      Thanks for reading,
                  Aehd Krahe

MAGICKAL MONDAYS #1: MEDITATION

      What's up everyone. Welcome to Magickal Mondays, the weekly post that is specifically about practicing magick. Today I'll be talking about meditation, most experienced witches probably won't get anything out of this post but there has to be a starting point and I hope those with experience will comment useful tips for beginners. Meditation is an excellent stress reliever so even readers who have no desire to practice magick can gain something from this post.

      How To Meditate:

• Some people may choose to burn incense or play music while meditating, however this is optional and you should do whatever makes you comfortable.
• Choose a comfortable position to be in, as you may be there awhile. I recommend sitting or standing instead of lying down because people tend to fall asleep while lying down.
• The positions I personally recommend are: sitting in a chair with your feet flat on the floor and arms straight down at your sides with the palms of your hands pointed in the same direction as your head, sitting with your legs crossed (I think they call it Indian style in America) with your hands palm up on your knees, or standing feet shoulder width apart with arms straight down and hands pointed the same direction as your head
• After choosing your position, close your eyes
• Try to think of nothing. You'll probably not be able to completely clear your mind because the human mind never stops. 
• If you are having thoughts then just imagine them being sealed in a bubble and floating away
• RELAX. After all that's what meditation is all about.
• Once you're done simply open your eyes and get up to go about your day refreshed and stress free. I recommend taking a moment or two after you stand or return to consciousness to make sure you have your balance and that none of your limbs fell asleep.

      Meditation is one of the basics of magickal practices. So any aspiring or beginner witches should practice this often.

      Next weeks Magickal Monday will be about astral projection and crafting your own personal astral sanctuary. So tune in witches, it's gonna be a good one.

      Thanks for reading,
                  Aehd Krahe

GETTING STARTED

      What's up everyone, I am Aehd Krahe. I've created this blog because I hope it becomes a source of information to many people and that it also helps build a community. This blog will be about Paganism, although it'll mostly be about Wicca in its various forms. I'll be sharing spells that have been made by me and if any reader has thought of one that they'd like to share with everyone then they can send that to me and I'll add it to the list.

    

      I hope to help people who are new to Paganism or Wicca. It can be a bit of a challenge to find the path that you want to travel. Whether you're a solitary practitioner or you hope to join a coven I aim to help every aspiring witch find their way. I hope to see many people here sharing their experiences and knowledge with others. A universal truth is that we never stop learning so this blog will have posts that everyone can utilize. All ages and skill levels are welcome. 

      Thanks for reading,

                  Aehd Krahe