Hello, All!
March is here in full force and it is time once again to let me know what you think.
In the first episode this month, I'd like for us to spend a little time discussing the ethical questions surrounding magickal practice.
We have often heard the Z. Budapest quote, "A witch who can't hex can't heal," and there are some of us who choose to study what many call "The Left Hand Path." At the same time, there are others of us who believe that magick should never be used to harm others under any circumstances. Some take this moral perogative even further and say that magick should never be used for personal gain. Still others of us have opinions that lie somewhere in the middle of those two opposing views. Over the years, I've read many different arguments from the gambit of view points on this topic, many of which were quite persuasive.
So, what do you think? Do you absolutely abide by the "Harm None" principle or believe that there are good reasons for a Witch to acquaint themselves with the Left Hand Path? Is your view on this somewhere in the middle? Why do you hold the particular view that you do?
Either leave a comment on this post, or e-mail me at thebroomcloset@hotmail.com. I'd like to have the episode out by March 19, so please send me your responses by then.
Bright Blessings!
~LitheWolf
Thursday, March 6, 2008
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5 comments:
Hi LitheWolf! I'm loving the podcast. :) I follow the Rede, but there are times when I wish I didn't! ^_~ There are times when someone does something to me when I think, I ought to hex them! But then, I come to my senses and realize that anything I send to them will come back to me. I don't need any bad karma!
I believe in the Rede. In a way, I always have even when I wasn't Wiccan. However, I do believe that we also have a right to defend ourselves when necessary. Couldn't not defending ourselves be considered harm to ourselves? I do believe that we should do magick for ourselves. For one, if we don't do it, then who will? Also, if someone else is doing a spell for me, I honestly do not think that it would be as successful. Not because I am such a powerful witch, which I assure you isn't the case, but because they dont feel the same need or desire that I would feel, which is so important in making magick. I don't do magick for others for this simple reason, except for very special circumstances.
I have actually had a Christian ask me to do a spell for her because it was wrong in her faith for her to do witchcraft or spells. I guess it was ok for me to go to hell in her favor, but not for her. LOL. I told her that I wouldn't do it, but I would be happy to show her how, and what she would need. She said no thanks.LOL.
Great question. My religion is purely left handed ( Church Of Mammon ) yet harming others seems like such a waste of time and a drain of energy. I think that people who deserve being harmed generally are already harming themselves in one way or another. Observe, and see if maybe that's true.
Hey LitheWolf. I enjoy listening to your podcast and consider it one of the best out there.
First off, I consider myself a witch though not Pagan or Wiccan. This makes for very interesting conversations when the topic turns to ethics and morals. I don't believe in karma, nor do I subscribe to any laws of return, 3x3, etc. These concepts distinctly remind me of the 'do this or burn in hell' mentality, although the concept of karma has become somewhat skewed these days. I do believe that the universe has it's own way of moving through time, things only being what they are and no more and no less. That being said, I do feel that the knowledge we, as witches, are privy to carries great responsibility. I try very hard day after day to just live my life according to my own terms and I am greatly offended when anyone believes that their way is the only way. It is for this reason alone that I will not meddle in the affairs of others excepting certain situations and circumstances dependent on my relationship with them. I have worked magic for others but I also have a process where they are involved in intense divination and counseling of all viable options which are most times overlooked. For instance, one person was in desperate need of money for rent. Turns out that it was because of her daily Starbucks habit. Anyway, you probably get the picture. There will be many different thoughts on this topic and I appreciate hearing them all. Keep up the good work and I look forward to your podcasts keeping me engaged and thoughtful for a long time to come.
Hi there, LitheWolf. :)
I'm sorry I didn't reply to this sooner, as I have just started listening to your podcast (love it, by the way!). I heard your talk about ethics today, and actually wrote about it in my own LiveJournal. I thought I'd share a little of it with you, if you don't mind!
When I was around 11 years old, my mom enrolled me in Tae Kwon Do. Well, kind of enrolled -- the "classes" were held in the garage of a trainer who lived around the block. He also happened to be good friends with our family, and my sister and I were with his daughter. Anyway, from the ages of 11 to about 15, I practiced TKD two or three times a week, earning my purple belt by the time I left training. I often intimidated people when I went to the beach since I had rather developed abdominal muscles, but otherwise, I looked rather normal.
There came a day when I had to put my skills to the test, when a kid at our middle school was taunting my sister. He got physical for a moment, and a few seconds later, he found himself on the ground, unhurt but still a bit stunned. I had knocked him over with a few of the moves I had learned, which came rather instinctive to me as by then, I had been training for almost three years. Caught by surprise, he ran to the other end of the school, then never bothered me nor my sister again.
What's the lesson in this? I'd say, it's not a bad thing to at least know. Studying darker arts such as hexes and curses will at least provide some insight as to that side of practicing, and would allow someone to learn more than what's in their little bubble of "purity and light." But like the TKD situation, such knowledge comes with consequences, and must be used wisely.
Would I be so quick to hex someone if they did me wrong? Honestly, it depends on the situation. Truth be told, I have yet to use any sort of curse before, so either my tolerance is really high, or I find it a waste of energy. :) Either way, as a witch, I have the ability and even the resources, but it'll have to take something major to actually want to use it -- rather than something petty that will likely not be solved through violence or cosmic maltreatment.
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