Seems a lot of people, especially Wiccans, have some very clear-cut ideas of magic being 'white/light' or 'black/dark'. They're very quick to judge others doing what they deem 'black/dark' magic. They have knee-jerk reactions to words like hexing, cursing, revenge or binding. Heck, they even have big issue with magic for 'personal gain', as if it's wrong to want to have the peace of mind that comes with knowing your rent is covered, your pantry is full and your bills are up to date.
Say anything about your magic that isn't completely 'white-lighter' and these people launch into their big schpiel about how the Rede says 'harm none' and the Threefold Law will send it back to you and how you're a disgrace to the Wiccan community or whatever.
There's simply too much to go into here on my opinion on all these things. I've written extensively about them on my Hub pages on why I disagree with this perspective, and what I really think of such opinions. If you're interested, please feel free to read, comment, share, spread it around:
But I'm trying to make a more succinct point here, so let me just remind you that morality and ethics are complex issues.
Let' me ask you this-- if a guy were trying to molest a child, would you grab a bat and try to stop him? Would you punch him in the face to get him off the child?
If so, do you think that's unethical? If you think it's fine to attack a child molester, then why would it be wrong to curse one or bind one? You might actually stop him before he strikes again. Why wouldn't you do everything in your power to stop him?
Could you face his next victim and say you could have stopped him, but didn't, because it would be 'dark'?
If your broke friend needed work, would you cast a spell to help her get a job? You want to help, right? Does it occur to you that someone else in need of a job (maybe even more in need) is going to remain unemployed because you manipulated that process with your spell?
Whenever you do magic, you are taking it upon yourself to manipulate things. For one person to gain, someone else has to lose. It is just the way of it.
My Tip for You Today: Don't be judgemental over other people's magical choices and ethics.
I'm not saying go hog wild throwing death curses at people who look at you wrong... but don't oversimplify ethics, either. If you really like to color-code magic, then realize this: almost all magic is gray.
White magic is really only for the highest, most divine purposes, and black magic is really only for the most petty, selfish people who would hurt others for pleasure.
The rest is all gray:
- Cast a spell for money? Gray-- someone lost it for you to find it.
- Cast a spell to help you find an apartment? Gray-- someone else needing a place to live didn't get it. Perhaps the former resident was prompted to move out because of you.
- Cast a spell to get a great deal on a car? Gray-- the salesman gave you such a great deal that he got practically nothing for commission, and he is a widower with 5 children who need braces more than you need a brand new car.
- Cast a healing spell on your 97 year old grandfather who broke his hip? Gray-- instead of moving on, as he was prepared to do, you are keeping him lingering for years in terrible pain and poor health as his savings is depleted by medical bills.
- Cast a spell to help you find love (no targets, just a general call out)? Gray-- that girl you met ran into her soul mate the day after your first date, but she turned him down because she's got such a strange attraction to you.
And if someone else does what they think they need to do, don't judge-- for all you know, that woman who cursed her ex-boyfriend for harassing her stopped him before he went on to the next step and beat the crap out of her.
How black & white do you see ethics and morality about magic?
No comments:
Post a Comment