Parts the Third and Fourth
3.For the circle thrice about to keep unwelcome spirits out
The circle is a symbol common to all faiths. It represents the closing of the cycle, the completion. In wicca, as in many forms of pagan worship, those attending will form a circle (as indeed did the early Christians) and at some point will close it, by the joining of hands. It is the Worm Oroborous, the snake with it's tale in it's mouth. the Universally common symbol of some facet of every faith man has ever professed. The pacing of the circle three times is ritual that is obscure, but it is worth noting here for the first time, the mention of the relationship the number three has to paganism, and wicca in particular. The inclusion of this, and a couple of other basic rituals within the text of the Rede, is serving a purpose common to most religious texts. That being to enlighten those who lack even the basics of the faith. Within paganism there is the acknowledgement that malevolent spirits exist, that they are manifest among us, and that they must be guarded against. The faith allows the circle to have significance, in that it protects those within it from the forces that might be suddenly visible without. There is an element of 'danger' that is, while palpably there in mainstream religions, more readily admitted to, and therefore more frequently dealt with in paganism. Thus, the beginnings of caution, with the rituals for protection. It gives one the willies, to imagine one meeting the Green Man, Cernunnos, Calliach Morrigan, without knowing how to even begin to maintain a 'duck-and-cover'.
4. To bind ye spell well every time, let the spell be spake in rhyme
Another injunction to the initiate, for the Rede is the first statement of faith most are exposed to when really looking into wicca or paganism. There is the word 'bind', which is a suggestion of the power that will be allowed those who follow the path, for it implies there will be a force to be restrained. It also means that to add to the potency of a spell, exact repetition is essential. Recalling a rhyme, even in a foreign language, be it Latin, Greek, Aramaic, Romany or Gaelic, is always easier when it's a verse. One need not even truely understand the words, indeed those sounds uttered at some of the old ceremonies have no meaning we can fathom, but have simply been passed down orally, generation through generation, to be spoken exactly today, as they were uttered millennia ago. In versus, imperium.