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Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com


 
 
                                    THE ABBREVIATED LAWS 
            
                'Tis the Old Law, and the most important of all Laws, that no one
           may do  anything which  will  endanger the  Craft,  or bring  us  into
           contact with the law of the land or any of our persecutors. 
            
                   *Be it ardane that noneshall use the Art (magick)in any way to
           do ll  to any.  8  words the Wiccan Rede  fulfil: An it  harm none, do
           what ye will. 
            
                   *  Respect the privacy of  other Coveners. You  may reveal the
           involvement of no person save yourself. In  case of trouble, the Coven
           will  be disbanded. Should this happen,  all Coveners are to avoid one
           another  for the safety  and well-being of  all.  Should  this happen,
           refer to the Old Laws. 
            
                   *Never accept moneyfor the useof the Art, formoney ever smears
           the taker (and clouds ethical judgement). For all things magickal, pay
           the full price asked without haggling. If it is unaffordable, it is 
           probably inappropriate in some hidden way. 
            
                   * In case of dispute, the High Priestess is the final arbiter.
           Within the Craft,  no law save Craft Law may be  invoked. Any who will
           not agree, or who will not work under this HPs, may and shall remove 
           themselves from the Coven. Any of the third (L.T. Initiates OK) may 
           form a new Coven. 
            
               * The traditional way to hear complaints is this: Before the High 
           Priestess and any other Elders shall come first one, then the other, 
           then both together to be heard. The decision may be  rendered immedia-
           tely,  one lunar  month  later, or  whenever  the time  of  waiting is
           filled. 
            
               * The year-and-a-day rules pertains to: The minimum time between 
           Progressions; The final time of all Leavings; The closings of all 
           cycles. 
            
            
               THE TEMPLE LAWS 
            
                   * Inorder of precedence, you areaccountable to: The Gods, your
           Self, your High Priestess,  your Teacher. Initiates are  also account-
           able to the Craft as a whole. 
            
                   * "Pagan Standard Time" gives you 15 minutes leeway for an an-
           nounced class or  ritual.  If  you'll be any  later or won't make  it,
           CALL! 
            
                   * Questions are expected,  desired, and anticipated.. The only
           "dumb question" is the one the student doesn't ask. 
            
                   * Commoncourtesy in all things. Whenin doubt, it is preferable
           to err on the side of caution and silence. 
            
                   * Ultimately,  you are  responsible for your  own development.
           Independent thought and research are strongly encouraged. 
            
 
 
                                                                             1203
 
 
                              Comments on The Abbreviated Laws 
                                  by J. Random Folksinger 
            
                The Wiccan Rede, while it has been taught widely, is not a 
           part of the Laws, although it may be considered derivative of them. 
           There is nothing in the Laws that says that "in case of trouble, the 
           Coven will be disbanded". There are, in fact, quite a few possible 
           solutions to specific instances, not just for "trouble". 
               
                There  is nothing  in  the Laws  about unaffordability  equalling
           inappropriateness in the purchase  of a magickal tool.  What  the heck
           are "L.T. Initiates"? Long Term? Why is is OK for them to form a Coven
           when it is plain that you have to be of the Third Degree? 
 
                The traditional way to hear complaints, at least in my set of the
           Old   Laws, is  for the High  Priest or High Priestess  to convene the
           Elders.  It says  nothing about whether the HP or HPs  are included in
           this group,  but it  is assumed that  BOTH, not just  the HPs,  are so
           included.  There is  also nothing  in the  Old Laws  about a  "time of
           waiting" for a decision. 
               
                In  the Old Laws, the only thing the year-and-a-day rule pertains
           to is the leaving of a High Priestess. 
            
                Everything in the "Temple Laws" falls in the good-to-very-good 
           category of advice; NONE of it is in the Old Laws. And I have known a 
           good many pagans to take PST to mean anytime during the calendar DAY. 
           There are a number  of teachers in my experience to whom you NEVER ask
           a  question, at  penalty of being  kicked out  of the  class; still, a
           teacher who can accept this rule is probably a good teacher. 
            
                In general, this sheet appears to be a worksheet handed to new 
           students and gone over with them for a quick rundown of the Craft in 
           order to go on to other things; in my opinion, giving them this sheet 
           and NOT reviewing the entire set of the Old Laws (in whatever form) is
           doing the students a disservice; having this sheet around for later 
           reference, on the other hand, is probably a Good Thing. 
 
 
                                                                             1204
 


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