#witchethics

Grab a cup of your favourite tea and join me for Around The Witches Cauldron with WillowMoon. it’s a long one!

So these last couple of months have been a roller coaster of emotions from frustration, sadness, worry, happiness, relaxation to growth. Each emotion coming to each person in waves as we’ve had to isolate ourselves from the outside world and each other, which can be extremely hard for some people as they 're unable to see family and friends which are a great support to many of us when we are going through a hard time. Many people unfortunately living on their own or in difficult circumstances really had to battle through to make it out the other side.

This situation got most of us thinking about what really matters in our lives, who matters, how we want to grow and learn from this situation, and many of us have learnt what truly is important and who really are our true friends. Unfortunately so many lives were lost and people are still losing their fight against this virus which follows with so much heartbreak for those who loved them. Their life and memories will live on within their family and friends for many years to come, they will not be forgotten! We are thankfully now on our way out of getting back to the “new normal”, I suppose you could call it, as that’s as close as we can get for the time being anyway so we are very happy to be back open and ready for you lovely lot to come back and carry on your spiritual journey with us.

This situation got me thinking more about the craft, the differences you come across from practice to path. How each path either follows certain rules/guidelines or is so eclectic that how they practice, depends on what they are drawn at that time. To me there aren’t really any rules of witchcraft, However I do believe in Karma, what you put out there certainly comes back to you, whether you believe in the threefold rule or not, Karma is something to be very wary of.

I am currently very drawn to the Hoodoo Practice, however I do not read out psalms during spells which is very heavily done within the Hoodoo practice. That side of it, the religious side makes me feel uneasy. Some witches will say that is wrong and you should only follow a particular path the way it is written to do so and that’s how it is always been done. But each practice started somewhere, people had to start and lay out these guidelines to begin with so why are you not allowed in some eyes, to start your own magickal practice and guidelines?

The term Gatekeeping comes to mind, which there has been a lot of talk about Witch Gatekeeping the last several years which basically means not everyone can be a witch and what gives anyone the right to simply do witchcraft.

Personally I am yes and no within this argument. Yes I believe anyone can do witchcraft, after all we all blow out birthday candles every year and make a wish. This is such a simple spell to do as you are effectively performing candle magick and blowing your wish into the smoke to flow up into the universe for manifestation. That is withcraft! Witchcraft is manipulating energy to the goal you desire. Then there is the No side of the argument which does have its merits. Not everyone should be involved in witchcraft and those people, use it for the wrong reasons.

For example, I have been approached in the past by people who have never done any witchcraft, have no knowledge etc to put hexes on people to cause them harm as they have upset someone and they want them to pay for what they have done. I will always say “NO!, that is not my way of working and I would never put harm onto anyone who has upset someone else as I personally do not know both sides of the story for one, and two I will not take the brunt of the Karma aspect for anyone wanting to cause harm to someone else”. So they then go on to ask me, “Ok, so how can I do it then?, as I really want to hurt them back, tell me what I need to buy...can you write it all down for me then I will perform the spell instead of you”. My answer is still “NO! I will not tell you how to perform such a spell as that is still me putting that energy out there and I will not be a part of anyone causing harm to another person simply because you do not like them”.

I have also had people approach me who again have never done a spell or learnt about witchcraft who want to 'Win the Lottery'. Oh my Goddess! My Reply is always "Now if it was THAT easy all of us would be doing it and be financially better off. How wonderful the world would be if we could all win the lottery and live happily ever after" I then have the reply 'But I will share it out and not be greedy with it'. My finishing statement to that which I read in a Protection Magick Book which was like a YES moment... is 'Nothing is Gifted, Nothing is Entitled! You only get what you deserve, so deserve what your desire'. In other words just because you say your going to be doing it for the highest good of all doesn't give you the right to have it.

Now these people have no education on witchcraft or experience for that matter and they want to just jump in and perform spells without knowing what they are doing and just leap into something they don't understand or respect.

Witchcraft is NOT something to play with! It is NOT the only answer to every little thing! If done incorrectly it can go very wrong, so I ask you please don’t jump into doing witchcraft when you don’t know what you are doing as it can literally come back on you and also work completely differently to how you intended as you weren't clear and precise in what you were asking for. If your not clear and precise, the energy has no direct orders so to speak, so basically does the job how it sees fit, which could be detrimental to the person who cast the spell. You wouldn't (I hope) just get into a car and drive without any lessons or a seatbelt on. You need to know the basics before you get onto the road. Working with energies is the same, you need to learn the very foundations which they operate on before you delve into performing spells and rituals.

Witchcraft is a practice and lovely path to follow if you mean well and do it with the best intentions. Protect yourself by all means. To be honest that should always be your first protocol within any practice. Protection is such an important step to take, so those who do mean harm against you cannot penetrate your ward so it won't affect you.

It’s about ethics basically. Would you like bad energy sent your way if someone took a dislike to you? I’m pretty sure the answer would be a firm no!, so why send it out to them.

I want to connect with a particular deck. i’ve seen people talk about connecting with the spirit of a deck of cards, and i’d like to do that, but im not sure what would be the best way of doing so. (i usually just carry them around all the time and sleep with them near me, but i never feel super connected to the cards)