BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Pagan Ethics of Spellcasting and Cursing

Hi Rae and all,

A few days ago I watched a DVD from Deborah Gray titled Wish on a Spell. (I'm writing up a review of it now but took a detour here!)

I've not done any "official" spells before, but I have a question about the ethics of spellcasting. Whether it be prayer, sending out energy, actual spellcasting etc., I feel that what you send out will come back. (I think Pagans/Wiccans call this the 3-fold law, yes?)

What of those individuals who try to put spells on individuals, especially love spells? Isn't that trying to violate/bend the will of another? What is your opinion of the ethics of that kind of thing?

For me, I see praying to see someone "saved" or that bad things will happen to them so they "see the light" as a form of cursing. (Of course, I have a laissez faire attitude for the paths of others, feeling that everyone is basically where they're supposed to be in life because life isn't random.)

I also see negative thoughts, plotting, and wishing harm on people as cursing.

So I just have some general questions and would like some opinions:

What is your take on the ethics of spellcasting?

Is energy neutral or is there such thing as "bad"/"negative" energy? If so, where does it come from?

Do you believe in psychic vampirism/cursing and energetic shielding? How does that work, in your experience?

Thanks for any and all input!

Personally, I've learned that whatever I'm trying to ask for or change, I have to ask for it to happen within or from myself.

A few years ago I was talking with a friend, and she mentioned they were blessing the house of a friend who had just left an abusive spouse. The woman doing the ritual felt that to put a warding on the house to ban the ex was too much like working magic against someone and thus violated her belief in the Law of Three (aka Threefold Law). The wording they chose asked that all who might be intent on harm or negativity towards those in the house to be at peace and move to areas that made them (the aggressors) feel comfortable and contented. Or something like that.

I myself recently spent some time dealing with a situation that made me feel angry and frustrated. Instead of praying (working magic) for the person I was unhappy with to change, I instead chose to ask for my opinion and reaction to the situation to change. I asked for my anger to be transmuted to peace, for clarity in my own thoughts, and for the Goddess to work Her magic in Her own ways.

And after a few days, I got to kick back and watch (what was in my opinion) the Law of Three go to work on that other person. There was less stress in my life from my choice of dealing with the situation, which was especially nice as the scenario was an unpleasant repeat of something I had encountered before. The first time, I tried talking with the person and it only seemed to fuel the zealousness of their attack. This time I instead dealt with my end of it, as that's where my actions have the most effect in the world.

Ok, the love spell. This is a popular one. "Oh please, make this person fall in love with me...." I'm sure I had a few moments of that one back in my late teens and early 20s, but at this point in my life, I do view it as working your will to change another, and if they don't want what you want, then it would seem you are working against them, IMO.

To me, energy is potential and therefore can be applied in various ways. I think that the actions of people can raise it, lower it, focus it, direct it, disperse it, etc. I think there are those people in the world who, because of the lessons they chose to learn in this present incarnation, might have a more negative focus this time around. I think some people in pain from events in their lives do seem to walk around trying to overcome whatever it is by sort of sucking energy off of the rest of us.

I did have one strange experience a few years ago that I have come to call a psychic attack, although why I think this was one, I'm not quite sure. But when it happened, that's the very strong thought that formed in my head, so that's what I went with. I was at home in my apartment at the time, so I had a lot of tools at hand to help. I grounded, cast a circle, smudged myself, got my black obsidian egg, got into bed holding it and visualized protective white light. An hour later, I still felt kinda weird, but also felt like everything was ok. Even though I can't explain what was going on that night, I had a strong intuitive sense of what to do in response and that was the cool part.

Wow, Rae, I totally agree with everything you said! That's how I believe, too. Even when I was a Christian, I believed this way, just used different words to explain it. LOL Good to know that I'm not alone. With all this spell casting floating around, especially love spells, no wonder I (at one time) thought it all a bit whacked! The universe knows so much better than we what's "best" for a person IMO...

Thanks for your time and sharing your wisdom and experience. I appreciate it. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Btw, where do you get an obsidian egg at? It sounds *gorgeous*!

The lovely obsidian egg came from a rock and gem show when I was in college in Santa Cruz. I was a sophomore and had just moved out of the dorms and into a shared apartment. I was just starting to follow my interests in "new age" stuff.

I just went and looked at tons of cut and raw stones and sort of tried to be open. This piece is about the size of my hand when clenched into a fist and cut and polished to be an egg shape. I was really drawn to it at the time and when I got home, the stone "announced" to me that it was supposed to live under my pillow. I put it into a turquoise leather pouch that I sewed from a scrap and that's where it lived for the rest of college. I didn't sleep right on it, but it stayed under the pillow at the head of the bed against the wall.

It lives on one of my altars now but when things get stressed or I'm having a freak out over something, I go get it. It also travels to festivals with me from time to time to help with bigger work.

Wow, it sounds like a wonderful piece of work. Very cool. I don't believe I've ever seen a stone the shape of an egg, before. What a comforting shape...

Try taking a look at these then.

gemstone eggs

Many forms of semi-precious stones are able to be cut and polished into an egg shape. The best prices I have ever found have been at local gem and rock shows where you see actual stock that the dealers have on hand. Best way to check the energy of a stone anyway.

Absolutely gorgeous! They're exactly like I imagined them to be. Too bad I live in a very rural area where we don't get gem shows, New Age expos, or anything like that. Heck, I don't even know of a metaphysical bookstore around me!