The Ethics of Spellcasting

There is much debate about the ethics of spell casting these days. Our ancestors had felt no compunction in throwing those curses around amid all that work on the lotions and potions for healing. They knew which herbs would heal fevers, but also the ones that would end an unwanted pregnancy. There was no white magic and black magic, there was just Magic.

We all hear of the "harm none" rule, and the muddying of the ethical waters that it entails. The general rule is not to work magic upon a person unless one has their express permission to do so. It is much easier for magic to work if both sender and receiver are in alignment. But the rede is a guideline, it shouldn't prevent you from being able to defend your loved ones from harm.

Personally, I wouldn't cast a love spell on someone. Forcing someone into a course of action that they wouldn't normally take doesn't put them in a very good mood. You may succeed in securing the object of your unrequited love, but it isn't likely to be a happy relationship. However, there is nothing to stop you putting your wish to find love out to the Universe...it might know just the person, it may well just "engineer" that chance meeting that leads to all sorts of possibilities - it's up to you to make of those chances what you will.

The same think goes for healing. The automatic response would be to immediately send healing to someone that was sick or injured. It's quite natural to see a loved one with a terminal disease, and to want to do something to make it go away, to make them well enough so that they can spend more time in the land of the living. But what if their greatest wish was to pass on? Perhaps they are more than ready to move on and to reunite with those who have passed on before them. There are always more sides to the story to consider when working magic.

Of course, if a person would like a little extra healing help, it's easy enough to find out just by asking..."would you like a drink?", "would you like a pain-killer?", "would you like a little extra magical healing?".

But what if you aren't able to ask permission? What if you are in the broom-closet? What if the idea of magic is totally abhorent to that person? Then send out the energy to the Universe, add it to the pool of healing energy that can be tapped into by a person's higher self - that part of them that doesn't have preconceived ideas about what magic is, that part of them that could perhaps use a little extra energy if needed.

This type of healing is more passive than active, and passive spell-work fits extremely well in the hedgewitch range. Active spells have a specific target, a person, a habit, a situation or object. Passive spells work in the background, rather like a bowl of pit pourri. The energy of a passive spell is there for the taking, it can be accepted, or not, it has no specific target, and it's acceptance is entirely optional - much like the pool of healing energy sent to the Universe.

Passive spells can be worked for many reasons, a house-blessing, a cleansing, a ward for negative energies. You can add a little magic to your cooking along with the herbs and spices used to flavour it - the energy is there to be accepted by those who want it. It is their choice of what to do with that energy - much like those in receipt of a simple smile can choose whether to pass on that smile, or to ignore it and remain in a grump. There are no tricky ethical issues to distract you and rob your intent of its power.

Passive spells can be used to manifest our desires. Permeate the house with magic for attracting abundance, a job, love, happiness, etc. Let the energies flow around you and through you, and you will become in tune with these energies also. Use fragrances, crystals, candles, whatever you have. Work in harmony with the world, and the world will work in harmony with you.

Work a little passive magic everyday - and soon there will be difference between magical and mundane worlds.

Blessed be

Blaidd