Editing Wiccan Rede (section)

==Interpretations==
The Rede is similar to a [[Consequentialism|consequentialist]] formulation of the [[Golden Rule (ethics)|Golden Rule]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Madsen, Grimassi, Starhawk|first=Kirsten, Raven|title=Exploring The Pagan Path: Wisdom From The Elders|year=2005|publisher=Carrier Press|isbn=1564147886}}</ref> a belief that is found in nearly every religion.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/436844576|title=A dictionary of philosophy|date=2002|publisher=Pan|others=Antony Flew, Stephen Priest|isbn=978-1-84972-033-5|edition=[3rd ed.]|location=London|oclc=436844576}}</ref> Not all traditional Wiccans follow the Rede; some [[Gardnerian Wicca|Gardnerians]] (a sect under Wicca) espouse the [[Charge of the Goddess]] as a guide for morality. Its line "Keep pure your highest ideal, strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside, for mine is the secret door which opens upon the door of youth" is used as a maxim for ethical dilemmas.<ref>Valiente, Doreen. c.1953. Available Online at [http://www.ceisiwrserith.com/wicca/charge.htm Ceisiwrserith.com.] Accessed 28 December 2007.</ref>

There is some debate in the neopagan and Wiccan communities as to the meaning of the Rede. The debate centres on the concept of the Rede being advice, not a commandment. The rejection of specific exhortations and prohibitions of conduct such as those given in the Judeo-Christian [[Ten Commandments]] and emphasis on the consequences of one's actions makes the Rede's character somewhat different from major religious texts such as the [[Bible]] or the [[Qur'an]]. The Rede is only a guideline which the individual must interpret to fit each particular situation and unlike most religions, which actions "do harm" (and which do not) are not discussed in the Rede. What exactly does and does not do harm is therefore open to personal interpretation.

The concept of ethical reciprocity is not explicitly stated, but most Wiccans interpret the Rede to imply the Golden Rule in the belief that the spirit of the Rede is to actively do good for one's fellow humans as well as for oneself. Different sects of Wiccans read "none" differently. "None" can apply to only the self, or it may include animals and/or plants, and so forth. In essence, the Rede can be fully understood as meaning that one should always follow their true will instead of trying to obtain simple wants and to ensure that following one's will does not harm anyone or anything. In this light, the Rede can be seen as encouraging a Wiccan to take personal responsibility for their actions.<ref name="Ventimiglia, Mark 2003">Ventimiglia, Mark. ''Harm None''. "The Wiccan Rede: Couplets of the Laws, Teachings, and Enchantments." Citadel Press: Kensington, 2003. 186-87.</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite web |author=Piper, David |url=http://www.tryskelion.com/art_ethics_and_rede.html |title=Wiccan Ethics and the Wiccan Rede |website=tryskelion.com |access-date=28 November 2020}}</ref>