Friday, August 8, 2014

Feisty Fridays


You cannot have darkness without light, nor light without darkness~The challenge is to understand the difference


Every time I turn around there seems to be a new argument going on in the world of Witchcraft about Witches using *dark* magic. I'm sure you know the kind I’m talking about ... hexes, spells to return evil intentions to the sender, spells to cause an evil-doer to be caught, and even whether to perform spells on behalf of and with the permission of someone else ... *sigh*

I am also hearing some of these people say that a protection spell is a form of *personal gain* and no one should use Witchcraft for personal gain, therefore you should not protect yourself against someone's evil intent. Let's be real here, it’s just plain stupid to avoid protecting yourself by whatever method you have available! You have insurance on your car to protect yourself in case of an accident.  You have locks on your doors to help you protect your possessions from being stolen and to protect you and your loved ones from being assaulted. Why in the name of all that is holy wouldn't you perform a protection spell to keep yourself and your loved ones safe from malevolent magic???

Personally, I'm getting very tired of the constant love and light, do no harm, rainbows and lollipops, play nice folks who refuse to accept the darker side of the Craft. They treat the Crone like a kindly old grandmother who you can find sitting quietly in her rocking chair, stirring a cauldron of hot cocoa instead of knowing Her to be a powerful and experienced Woman. A woman who holds the creative and destructive power over Light and Death and Regeneration.

I completely believe in and live by “A Witch who cannot hex is a Witch who cannot heal” and you must understand both sides of magic in order to perform either one with real skill. Once you have that understanding you can choose whether or not you are willing to perform a hexing or whether you want to ask the Gods for their retribution on someone who has done wrong.

I think one of the biggest reasons so many shy away from the dark power is self-doubt. They don't trust themselves and their intent, so they are afraid of the backlash. They don't really believe in themselves or in magic or in Witchcraft. They don't want to have to put in any real effort and work toward their goals. They are playing a game "Oh look at me,  I'm a Witch, but I'm a good Witch so you don't have to worry." As long as they don't challenge themselves, as long as they don't put their hearts into something that really matters, they don't have to put their money where their mouth is. They can continue to pretend they're a Witch, but they'll never *be* Witch.

Nature is not all good, all light. Nature has a dark side, a destructive side, a powerful force of regeneration. Magic has the same power. It takes a confidence and a strong person to accept the challenge of being Witch.

However, *dark* powers aren't for everyone. If those white lighters want to continue to play at Witchcraft, I'm all for that and say let them. They don't have what it takes and as a result I believe they more than deserve what they get if they meddle in the dark forces of power. Harsh? Possibly. Realistic? Definitely.

For those of you who want to accept the challenge, I have these words of caution:

1. Be very clear in your intent.

The Gods know if you are just play acting. They may forgive you and allow you to play your game a time or two.  Eventually, They will force you to accept responsibility for your actions. If you perform a spell to have your ex stop calling you in the middle of the night but, in your heart you really want them to be run over by a car and splattered on the sidewalk, lose their job, have their children removed by Child Protective Services, have them charged as a child molester and check forgery and prostitute (whew) then you more than deserve the backlash you get for lying about what you really want to have happen! If you can't cast the spell without excess baggage getting in the way, don't cast it at all.

2. Think about all sides of the issue before you cast.

If you get exactly what you ask for, how does this outcome effect you and everyone around you? Many of the Native American tribes refer to the Seventh Generation and rely on weighing their decisions based on how it will affect their people seven generations from now. That might seem extreme but, this will cause you to think more of the long ranging consequences before you begin. You should also think about what will happen if the spell doesn't work, if nothing at all happens. Can you live with that? What happens if the spell backfires on you? Can you live with the consequences?

3. Cue your spell to the actions and intent of the target.

Criminals are often the targets of hexes and the hexing spell is cast that the criminal be caught by their own mistakes and their own bad behavior. A mirror spell where the negative energy is reflected back at someone is just that. A reflection or a mirror. None of your energy is added to that of the target. If someone is sending serious energy your way, that's what they get back. You are completely unaffected; your mirror shield just bounces that negativity back to them.

So yes, in order to balance your magical workings, You can not have Light without Darkness, nor Darkness without Light. The challenge is to know the difference.