Beginnings and Ethics

A magickal path is like a garden. If you take care of your garden it will thrive and you will reap great rewards, but if you neglect your garden it becomes over grown and unrecognizable. This is also true about magick. You will not succeed with magick if you neglect it. Now, I don’t mean that you should go to your local new age store and buy a thousand dollars worth of books, magickal tools, herbs, candles, etc. Nor should you run out and pay for magickal classes. Don’t get me wrong, I have cupboards, bookshelves, and closets full of magickal tools. I’ve taken many classes on-line and in classrooms. This is very helpful in guiding you on your path, but it is not necessary. There are three basic principles to the performance of magick. They are to dare to perform magick, to believe in the magick and to know it will work. These principles are sometimes called the witch’s hat because the three form a triangle. Do you have your “Witch’s Hat” on now? Then let’s begin!

I am not going to give you cookbook spells or tell you what color candle to use for a money spell or what herb to use. I will not spoon feed you magick. If you want to be given spells and step by step directions then go to your local occult store and buy a pre-made spell kit. If you want to learn how to successfully practice magick you have to study and learn. Nothing in this world comes easy. You can’t make that cute guy in the next cubicle to notice you, simply by lighting a red candle. It doesn’t work that way, and I know, I’ve learned the hard way in many cases.
Magick is very individual. A spell that worked for me may not work for another. This is why I don’t believe in pre-made spell kits or spells from a book. I’m not saying that Scott Cunningham’s spells aren’t good, but if you use another’s spell you have to personalize it for your intent or it will not work. You have to infuse it with your own energy and desires. I own many books and I get ideas for my own spells and rituals from them. I have used bits and pieces of other’s work while performing my own magick. They are helpful guides especially when you are just beginning.

Doing magick sometimes is by trial and error. I remember the first time I had to write and perform my own spell. I thought, “I can’t do this, I am not a strong enough witch!” Guess what everyone makes up his or her own spells. How will you ever know what works if you don’t experiment?

This brings me to our first actual lesson. Walking the magickal path is great, but it is also to be respected. It is just like the elements earth, air, fire, and water. These elements are all wonderful in our life. How could the human race survive without any of them? Yet, we’ve all seen destruction caused by them, mud slides, floods, hurricanes, and wildfires. Magick is in the same category as the elements. It’s wonderful if used properly and devastating if used incorrectly.

All pagan religions have set forth guidelines to practicing magick safely. The Wiccan’s believe in the Wiccan Rede the 13 principles of Witchcraft. They also believe in the Rule of Three this means that anything you do will come back to you three times (good or bad). Other pagan religions believe in Karmic Law. Most go along with “…an it harm none, do as thou wilt,” which basically means that as long as your magick doesn’t harm anyone then it’s all right.

Seriously, that statement is too broad. What if you cast a spell to make it sunny and dry for a week while you paint your house? It seems harmless enough, right? Have you considered the local farmer whose crops desperately need rain? Have you caused harm? Yes! Are you in store for some Karmic retribution? No. Whenever you perform magick a cause and effect is put into motion. You will drive yourself mad trying to figure out all of the possible scenarios. A good rule of thumb is not to intentionally harm anyone. If you KNOW it’s going to cause harm to someone to get your desired outcome, then it’s wrong to use magickal assistance.

For example, you want the job as head cashier at work, but the head cashier position is already filled and the only way you can move to that position is for the current head cashier to be fired. Then it’s wrong to use magick. However, if you do a spell for a better position not specifically the Head Cashier and two days later that cashier is fired for being late all the time. If you are promoted to that position, you did not cause the harm. The key to avoiding unforeseeable harm is to bind your spells with a trigger phrase along the lines of “an’ it harm none, so mote it be.” More or less, “If it doesn’t harm anyone grant my desire”

You can not exert control over someone else’s free will. This is a gift given to us by the divine that can’t be re-gifted. No matter how many red candles and incense you burn, no matter how many red ribbons you tie, not matter how many roses you bury, you’ll never make cubicle guy fall in love with you unless it’s of his own free will to do so.

While on the subject of love spells….no other type of magick will bring you karmic retribution faster than a love spell. Love is a powerful emotion that thrives on free will and we silly humans seem to think we can control love. Love is messy and complicated. It is my suggestion to avoid love spells totally. That is not to say giving yourself a little magickal makeover to attract the opposite sex is wrong. It’s perfectly harmless. Trying to make a specific person love you will only bring heart ache and unnecessary trouble.

Screwing with someone’s free will isn’t confined to just love spells. It’s encompasses doing any magickal work for someone else that isn’t requested. Yes, something as simple as lighting a white candle to send positive energy to someone is forcing his or her will. It is YOUR opinion that they need positive energy, not theirs. “How can this be wrong?” you may ask. I thought that too when I studied Magickal Ethics. Then I was presented this scenario:
You are at the mall minding your own business wearing your favorite pentacle, when a very friendly woman starts up a conversation with you. She seems nice enough. When you start to go on your way, the lady stops and says, “I will pray for you because you’re obviously lost?” “Excuse me?” You ask. “You have obviously lost your way to Jesus. I can tell because you are wearing the sign of Satan.” The woman points to your pentacle. You think to yourself (or out loud) What gives you the right to assume I need prayers?

Makes you angry doesn’t it? Guess what? Your Christian or Jewish co-worker may be equally offended that you sent magick their way in order to fix something that you perceived as broken. It’s meddling into other people’s business when you do magick for someone without their permission. I don’t want other people intruding into my path, even if they think they are acting in my best interest. I show them the same courtesy by not interferring into their path. If you really think you can help a person with magick than talk to them about it and ask for their permission.

The last bit of ethics I want to touch on, the notions that since we have this wonderful relationship with magick that we must cower down to attacks lest receive worse karmically. This is simply not true. If you are in a situation where you are being harmed by another it is perfectly acceptable to defend yourself even if the other person is not magickally inclined. There will be more on this information in a future blog, but for now know that you don’t have to take a mental or physical beating just because you don’t want to cross some ethical line. Always look for the best option for all involved, but when you are left with no other choice than to use a magickal defense, don’t be afraid to do so. That’s all I going to say on this for now, but I promise I will say more in future posts.

In closing these are just my opinions. I encourage you to research the words and phrases I’ve put in bold letters. I want you to do some independent study and form your own opinion of magickal ethics. (hyperlinks to more information is attached to these words/phrases)

Discussion Questions

1. Does the Rule of Three literally mean that you will receive three times what you send out? Do you think if you do something good you will get three times better in return or do you think you will just get better back?