Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived a witch with an obscure name. This witch was known to possess great powers and had a reputation for being both mysterious and dangerous. She lived in a secluded cottage deep within the dark woods, where she practiced her ancient sorcery. The villagers were wary of her, believing that she could cast spells and potions that could bring harm to anyone who crossed her path. Despite her fearsome reputation, the witch with an obscure name was actually a kind-hearted and gentle soul. She had never used her powers for harm and was always willing to help those in need.
She had never used her powers for harm and was always willing to help those in need. However, due to her obscure name and the rumors spread by the villagers, she had become an outcast in society. People would avoid her at all costs, both out of fear and ignorance.
Radical Pantheist: Defining Unethical Magic
Witches, pagans and muggles alike need to stop using the terms “black magic” and “dark magic,” because they oversimplify conversations around magical ethics and enforce problematic stereotypes.
Black and dark are not synonyms for bad. In a piece titled That Old Black Magic: Getting Specific about Magical Ethics, author Judy Harrow explains how the usage of these terms is problematic.
“Saying ‘black’ when we mean ‘evil’ is nasty nonsense,” wrote Harrow. “In the first place, it reinforces the racist stereotypes that corrupt our society. And that’s not all. Whenever we say ‘black’ instead of ‘bad,’ we repeat again the big lie that darkness is wrong. It isn’t, as people who profess to love Nature should know. Darkness can mean the inside of the womb, and the seed germinating within the Earth, and the chaos that gives rise to all truly new beginnings. In our myths, the one who goes down to the underworld returns with the treasure. Even death, to the Wiccan understanding, is well-earned rest and comfort, and a preparation for new birth. Using ‘black’ to mean ‘bad’ is a blasphemy against the Crone.”
“Using ‘black’ to mean ‘bad’ is a blasphemy against the Crone.” Image via Pexels.
Traditionally, people use these terms to refer to negative or unethical forms of magic, generally spells that impact the free will of others, spells meant to cause harm, spells to restrict or control the actions of others and spells that involve invoking spirits traditionally seen as negative. Yet it’s not always so easily cut and dried.
What is Unethical Magic?
One could say all magic impacts others’ free will and decision making, and this is undeniably true to an extent, but clearly all magic isn’t unethical. When it comes to using ethically-questionable magic, there are cases of protection and self-defense and there are cases of manipulation and revenge.
As with any type of magic, the intent is everything. Let’s go through some specific examples and examine the ethics involved.
Person X casts a spell to bestow career success and financial stability on their unaware friend.
Obviously here the intention is positive, so I would expect the energy Person X receives back and the spell’s results to be relatively positive. Still, some say it is wrong because Person X did not get consent from their friend, infringing on their free will. The specifics of the spell also matter. Did person X wish their friend general career success, or did person X focus on a specific career, potentially ensuring their friend will only gain success in that specific career, one they may wish to change?
Person X, after seeing pictures of their ex on a date, casts a spell to make their ex come back.
Even if the intention is to bring them both happiness, the nature of this spell is very manipulative. Many people question if it is even true love if you hexed someone to fall for you, and it would seem the intent of this spell is rooted in jealousy, which would not yield positive energetic results.
Let’s say person X is feeling extremely depressed, like they can’t live without their ex, and desperately casts this spell to make life more enjoyable again.
It’s still manipulative, but the intention is not to cause harm. Using magic, in this case, would be irresponsible, not necessarily evil or bad.
Person X casts a spell to cause harm to their ex after they broke up in a trivial fight.
Clearly, the intent is negative and done in anger in this example. For me, this is the definition of unethical magic.
Person X casts a spell to cause harm to their ex, who sexually and emotionally abused them.
Again, there are often blurry lines between what magic is considered negative and what isn’t. In cases like these, the use of magic to inflict pain is very understandable and relatable, but that does not make it ethical. In these cases, I don’t wish negative karma on the spellcasters, but I fear it may be an energetic consequence of their magical actions since they are based in revenge. Of course, this is no comparison to the karma the abuser will face. And to be clear – abusers always deserve to suffer consequences.
Energetic consequences might be severe. Photo by it’s me neosiam via Pexels.
Person X casts a spell intending to kill a well-known billionaire war criminal.
I feel like I wrote this example to challenge myself. This is another case where I understand the intention and the anger behind it, but believe the energetic consequences might be severe. Would his death prevent the deaths of countless others? Is the existence of a mega-powerful billionaire class inherently evil and violent? The answers are yes. So, it’s about intention. Is the intent to cause immense suffering to the billionaire – understandable, but again based in unethical revenge – or to liberate the people he exploits?
Person X casts a spell to bind a person’s ability to buy the house next door because Person X prefers the silence.
Spells like these are self-serving and petty. Person X’s desire for silence is not more important than others’ ability to find a secure home. An empty house should not go to waste in a world with so many homeless people.
Person X casts a spell to bind the actions of a well-known billionaire war criminal.
The intent of this spell is not to cause harm, but rather to prevent those in power from causing or contributing to harm. Binding spells placed on dangerous individuals in the name of safety are extremely reasonable. Even though they infringe on free will, I support mass political binding spells and don’t believe they should cause much, if any, negative energetic repercussions on spellcasters.
Person X invokes a very violent spirit without adequately containing it in order to gain tremendous wealth.
This is unethical because it endangers any innocent bystanders and is the intent is inherently self-serving at the expense of others.
Person X invokes a non-violent demon and enlists the spirit’s help to enact revenge.
Again, some revenge is petty and some is born of valid anger, but I would say this is still textbook unethical. I understand and support why Person X would want a spirit to seek revenge on a rapist, even though it could create bad karma. Seeking revenge on a mean coworker is clearly wrong.
Metaphysicians have interacted with all sorts of spirits for ages. Image by freestocks.org via Pexels.
Person X invokes an aggressive spirit in order to study it and adequately contains it.
For me this is ethical. There is no malintent here. Metaphysicians have interacted with all sorts of spirits for ages, and it’s how they learn.
Person X invokes a violent spirit to ward off hexes or viruses.
While this can be dangerous, I wouldn’t call it unethical. The actions here only affect Person X and are not intended to cause harm.
These examples demonstrate just how blurry the lines are between what one considers positive and negative magic, and why lumping several types of magic together under the title “dark magic” is problematic and inaccurate. When doing any task, it benefits to ask “what is my intention?” and “what are the consequences?”
I'm sure there are other questions to be asked here, and equally sure that they will be asked as this thread progresses. I just figured this was a subject worth exploring.
One day, a young girl named Lily stumbled upon the witch's cottage. Lily was lost in the woods and was seeking shelter from the rain. The witch, seeing the girl's plight, took her in and provided her with food and warmth. Lily was curious about the witch and asked her about her obscure name. The witch smiled and explained that her name had been forgotten throughout the ages. She was once called Amelia, but as time went on, people referred to her simply as "the witch." Lily spent the next few days with the witch, learning about her powers and the magic of the world. She discovered that the witch's obscure name was irrelevant to the person she was inside. The witch taught Lily the importance of not judging others based on hearsay or appearances, but rather on their actions and intentions. Word spread of Lily's encounter with the witch with an obscure name, and the villagers were astounded to learn of her true nature. They began to question their preconceived notions and prejudices, realizing that they had misjudged the witch all along. The villagers decided to reach out and reconcile with the witch, seeking her wisdom and guidance. From that day forward, the witch with an obscure name, who was once feared and misunderstood, became a respected member of the community. She used her powers to heal the sick and protect the weak, becoming a valued ally in times of need. The villagers came to appreciate her not for her obscure name, but for the compassion and goodness she shared with the world. The main idea of this story is that one should not judge others based on their reputation or appearance but rather on their actions and intentions. This witch, with an obscure name, was misunderstood and feared by the villagers. However, when Lily stumbled upon her and saw her true nature, she realized that appearances can be deceiving. The witch taught Lily and the villagers a valuable lesson about acceptance and the importance of looking beyond stereotypes. By opening their hearts and minds to her, the villagers discovered a kind and gentle soul who used her powers for good..
Reviews for "A Nameless Witch's Journey: Exploring the trials and triumphs of her mysterious life"
1. John - 2/5 - I found "The witch with an obscure name" to be quite underwhelming. The story was slow-paced and lacked a cohesive plot. The characters felt one-dimensional and I struggled to connect with any of them. Additionally, the writing style was bland and didn't engage me. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and wouldn't recommend it.
2. Sarah - 1/5 - "The witch with an obscure name" was a complete waste of my time. I couldn't understand the purpose of the story or the point the author was trying to make. The characters were unrealistic and uninteresting, and the dialogue felt forced. The writing was convoluted and difficult to follow, making it a chore to finish the book. I would advise others to stay away from this confusing mess.
3. David - 2/5 - I struggled to get through "The witch with an obscure name". The plot was disjointed and confusing, leaving me feeling frustrated and unsatisfied. The writing was overly descriptive to the point where it became tedious. I also found the character development lacking, as none of them felt fully fleshed out or relatable. Overall, this book did not meet my expectations and I would not recommend it to others.
4. Emily - 3/5 - While "The witch with an obscure name" had some interesting elements, it ultimately fell short for me. The story started off promising but quickly became repetitive and predictable. The characters lacked depth and their actions felt contrived. The writing style was also a bit too flowery for my taste and made it difficult for me to fully immerse myself in the story. This book had potential, but it didn't live up to it.
5. Michael - 2/5 - "The witch with an obscure name" didn't captivate me as I had hoped. The pacing was sluggish and the story lacked a clear direction. I found it difficult to stay engaged in the plot and often found my mind wandering. The characters were forgettable, and I didn't feel invested in their journey. Overall, this book failed to leave a lasting impression on me and I wouldn't recommend it.