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     If you here someone talking about the Witch's Rede, they are talking about the Wiccan Rede.  One of the things that seperate Traditional Witches from Wiccan Paths ( besides not being created in the past 200 years) is the Wiccan Rede.

     The Wiccan rede is more of a guideline that states not to do harm, however this rule/law was not used in Traditional Witchcraft.  In fact all the laws are pretty much rubbish in traditional terms.

      Traditional Witchcraft has neither Wiccan Rede nor Threefold Law. Both of these were included into Wicca by Gerald Gardner to ensure a defined form of moral code, and originate from eastern ideas. Traditional Witches are required to depend entirely upon their own personal responsibility and honor and ask themselves every time whether something is moral or ethical. We Traditional Witches don't believe in any good or evil force. Although we do believe that people can be good or evil there is no specific good or evil force such as the Devil in Christianity. The intent of someone’s actions is what concern us most of all. Humans have the ability to make decisions and act on them, and they may choose and act with good or evil intentions. Traditional Witchcraft does not set out laws as to what actions and intentions are evil, but followers of this path take responsibility for their own actions. Witchcraft teaches that you should follow your heart and take responsibility for your actions.

     Some might take this as "we do what ever we want"..which is true in the same sence that it is not.  The thing about taking responsibility for your own actions means that you are aware that what you are about to do will either effect only yourself, people around you or things around you and if the result affects those beings or things in a negative manor then be preparied to take the fallout of what occured.   Local laws also applies when taking responsibility for your actions. 

Here is a general example that has a general effect not specific to any belief but can happen to anyone.

    A teenager playing with an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) at his house.
No one is in the house, something goes wrong and the kid loses a hand.  For one, he has  himself to blame for playing with an IED, his parents rath, and maybe local law enforcement gets involved.

   The same teenager playing with an IED while babysitting his kid sister.  But this time his sister doesn't make, not  only is there his parents rath but the rath of the rest of the friends and family, and without a doubt the local law enforcement will get involved.

   There is no escape behind your beliefs, you knew what you where doing, so just accept what is coming.

      You need to look ahead and determine the affect of the action and all the surrounding impact it will have on the people and things around it.  Once that is determined, is there local or federal law that will come back on me?   Once you have determined all this, then it is still up to you to do it, and if you can handle any negative impact that it will occur.  Even if you knew it would effect something else or not.

      In the end...it's all on you.