pre- or post 1954. None of this is really important. The importance of the poem lies in the message it contains and the guidance it provides to witches on many different areas in the Craft.
The language used is a little hard to understand and pseudo archaic. Instead of translating the poem stanza by stanza into understandable English (which by the way will not make the poem any clearer), I am going to offer the reader – where appropriate – with an interpretation instead, thus clarifying the message I believe it holds.
The first thing that struck me about the poem initially was that when I put the various stanzas together in a logical poem format instead of in a list format, the text took on a moon shape. It is not a perfect circle though, but appears to be more like the reflection you would see of a full moon on water. To me this is significant for two reasons. Firstly, the moon is associated with the Triple Goddess – Maiden, Mother, Crone. Secondly, the poem reflects on the ethics, conduct and worship of witches. Whether the shape that emerged was intended, only the original poet will know.
Rede, by the way, does not mean – as is often implied. The very first line of the poem instructs the Witch to abide by the Laws of the Witches, so perhaps that is where the confusion comes from. “Rede” is an archaic word meaning advice or explanation. So perhaps, the Witch’s Rede offers both. But on what? I personally believe that we do not have a view of the full picture. The poem offers advice and explanation of the Law. Which Law? There have been many written by many covens and institutions over the years. Assuming that Adrianna Porter wrote the Rede, it would be helpful to obtain the specific Laws she