The crisp air, sunny days, and cool nights of October give us pause to reflect during this very active season. Magick is, indeed, in the air. We need to consider what that means to us personally. It's good to know spells to help you improve your life as you go about your daily business; however, few stop to consider the cost of doing magic. To think you can use magick alone to change your life is a fallacy. We all have the most precious gift of Free Will. And to choose kindness and love over greed and fear is our real magick. Everyone of us are magickal beings, children of Divinity and every choice we make should reflect that.
Energy manipulation (spellcraft) can have the same effect on you as when you stretch your muscles while exercising, or stretch your brain while thinking of solutions to problems. All can make you quite tired and, over time, deplete your energy. Consistently overdoing something may leave a permanent impairment. Using spellcrafting constantly, without developing your other skills, can harm you. We also have to remember Karmic law. There is nothing that we ever do that does not have some repercusions- good and bad. The most important components in magick are wisdom and balance and focus. Just because you are capable of energy manipulation doesn't mean it's always the best way. The example I can give you here is Love Magick. No matter what we beilieve personally, they are the most sought sfter spells. How many times have we heard of this backfiring. Using spellcraft on the object of one's affextion..only to find.. a)this person is NOT what you need and want..and now you are stuck with him/her...b)to do a "love spell" on a specific person is unethical, because it intentionally violates their free will..and honestly, I don't think it could work on someone who is totally uninterested in you.
Magickal work has ethics.. harm none and do as ye will..sound familiar?
Sounds simple but look again!! "harm none" - as witches, we believe that our actions will come back to us. If you put a curse on someone, you are likely to face some negative consequences down the road. Beyond the effects of individual karma, we also believe in the interconnectedness of all beings, in which harm done to one is harm done to all.
At the same time, it is impossible to live without harming anyone. For one thing, we all eat beings (plants or animals) that had to die in order to feed us. For another, sometimes doing magick to help yourself (e.g. get a job) will inadvertently harm someone else (who therefore doesn't get the job). We cannot avoid these contradictions; we have to face them squarely and accept the consequences of our actions. Essentially, magickal ethics are no different than regular ethics. Would you beat someone up if they made you angry? No? Then don't curse them to make them suffer. Would you try to bribe a prospective employer to get a job? No? Then don't work magick on someone else to make them hire you.
It is also important to remember that sometimes, magick isn't the best approach. Generally, the time to use magick is when you have already exhausted all possible non-magickal ways of accomplishing your goal. For example, if you and a friend had an argument, doing a spell to create harmony between you is not the first thing you should try. The best approach would be to sit down with your friend when you are both feeling calmer, and try to talk it through.
The most difficult - and most important - thing to learn about magick is when NOT to use it.
Depending on spellcrafting to be your only talent will inevitably leave you lacking in other areas of your life. Make sure your studies and use of multiple talents will keep you well balanced and grounded. The key words here are wisdom balance.
Magic comes from within. To understand and work magic effectively, that requires that you understand yourself and the power within yourself. They go hand in hand. It seems to me that a lot of people forget that the first item on the "Goals of a Witch" is "Know thyself." That's not just a religious concept. It's a magical one. You cannot understand magic if you cannot understand the source (yourself). And you certainly can't work magic effectively until you understand it.
When you use magick you are using a lot of energy - your own energy and the earth's energy - and you are also affecting existing energy patterns in your life and maybe in other people's lives. And when you use magick, you can never be sure what all the consequences will be (short-term or long-term). So you'd better be sure that it's for a good reason and that you're willing to accept the consequences.
No comments:
Post a Comment