Ethics are the standards of right and wrong that prescribe what people ought to do. They are the body of moral principles or values which define a particular culture or group. Ethics guide and inform our conduct. Living in accord with our ethics requires continuous examination of our beliefs and values and striving to ensure that we live up to principles that are reasonable and form a strong foundation for our lives. They are the underlying principles which guide our laws and teachings.

For witches of the Traditional Craft ethical beliefs are not sufficient as they must manifest in our actions as well. An old saying is “I am One with the Law.” To be one with the law, one must live by the beliefs we espouse. There are many tools which help us as students of the Old Ways learn and create our ethical standards.
Karma or the Law of Cause and Effect

The idea of karma is based upon on the Newtonian principle of physics that every action produces an equal and opposite reaction. Every time we think or do something, we create a cause, which in time will bear its corresponding effects. Through our actions this cyclical cause and effect generates the complex weaving or tapestry of life and relationships. While in Eastern thought, karma refers to our actions themselves, it has come in western usage to also mean the results or consequences of our actions.

In its simplest form, past actions influence the present; present actions influence the future. But our understanding of, karma is non-linear and complex. The present moment is shaped both by past and by present actions; present actions shape not only the future but also the present." As witches then, we ultimately determine our own fate through our own actions. There is no supreme figure that passes judgment and doles out reward or punishment for our choices.
the Threefold Law

The Old Ways teach us that what you put out comes back to you three times – three times bad or three times good or on a more complex note, perhaps on three levels: spiritual, physical and emotional. This does not mean that if you give someone a dollar, you will get three dollars in return, but is a much more subtle interaction which may take lifetimes to play out. The Rule of Three, also called the Law of Threefold Return, is oftentimes an admonition given to new witches to remind them that their actions will always have consequences.
Reincarnation

Reincarnation literally means to be made flesh again. It is the belief that the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, comes back in another body or form. A new personality may exist during each lifetime, but the soul and the lessons it has accrued and learned remain constant throughout the successive lives.

So in practice, before becoming a human being the soul goes through various steps on this plane.  It may first be a tree or rock and gradually work its way up the evolutionary ladder until it reaches the human state of existence.  Each one of these levels of life forms carries with it lessons and experiences necessary to the soul, and the soul does not progress from one level to the next until it has mastered all the lessons of that particular level