Adriana Porter
Born: July 1857 - Nova Scotia
Granddaughter: Lady Gwen Thompson
Deceased: March 1, 1946 - Melrose, Massachusetts
Life and Times
Lady Gwen Thompson published a twenty-six line poem entitled "Rede Of The Wiccae" in the magazine Green Egg (1975) that she claimed her grandmother Adriana Porter had written. She claimed this poem to be the correct and original version of the Rede and that the version published previously in the magazine Earth Religion News (1974) was a distorted text. Each line of the Rede contains a rhymed couplet, the last line, "Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill, an ye harm none, do what ye will," was popularized by Doreen Valiente in a 1964 speech.
Since Adriana Porter died in 1946 before the publishing of the "Rede Of The Wiccae," there has been no verifiable proof to substantiate Lady Gwen Thompson's claim regarding the poem's origin; some have argued the claim was made to bolster Thompson's claim to being a hereditary witch.
Rede Of The Wiccae
- Bide the Wiccan laws ye must, in perfect love and perfect trust.
- Live and let live, fairly take and fairly give.
- Cast the Circle thrice about to keep all evil spirits out.
- To bind the spell every time, let the spell be spake in rhyme.
- Soft of eye and light of touch speak ye little, listen much.
- Deosil go by the waxing Moon, sing and dance the Wiccan Rune.
- Widdershins go when the Moon doth wane, and the werewolf howls by the dread wolfsbane.
- When the Lady's Moon is new, kiss the hand to Her times two.
- When the Moon rides at Her peak, then your heart's desire seek.
- Heed the North wind's mighty gale, lock the door and drop the sail.
- When the wind comes from the South, love will kiss thee on the mouth.
- When the wind blows from the East, expect the new and set the feast.
- When the West wind blows o'er thee, departed spirits restless be.
- Nine woods 'neath the Cauldron go, burn them quick and burn them slow.
- Elder be ye Lady's tree burn it not or cursed ye'll be.
- When the Wheel begins to turn, let the Beltane fires burn.
- When the Wheel has turned a Yule, light the Log and let Pan rule.
- Heed ye flower, bush and tree, by the Lady blessed be.
- Where the rippling waters go, cast a stone and truth ye'll know.
- When ye are in dire need, hearken not to others' greed.
- With the fool no season spend, or be counted as his friend.
- Merry meet and merry part bright the cheeks and warm the heart.
- When misfortune is enow, wear the blue star on thy brow.
- True in love ever be, unless thy lover's false to thee.
- Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill, an ye harm none, do what ye will.