On a Barnes & Noble shopping spree a few months ago, I walked out with a variety of books intended to grow my world and expand my perspective. One of the books I came home with was a cute yin/yang book called Nice Spells on one half, and Naughty Spells in the upside down other half. Kinda cute, huh?
I’m quoting the author, Skye Alexander, from the intro:
Magick is “creating a mental image of the result you intend to produce, then fueling it with your will and emotions.”
She says underlying all magick is a simple physics principle that before something can materialize in the physical world, somebody first has to imagine it. That energy is the raw material that makes up our Universe. And that by molding energy, you literally create your own reality.
Sound familiar??
Yeah, to me too!
Anyway, this girl’s not joking. It’s a for real deal book on magic! The contents include a wide variety of “spells” and call for things like moonlight and gemstones and flower essences and hair clippings and pentagrams and other things that might make a person think “witchcraft.” At least it did me.
(Don’t ask why I was surprised to find that in a book called “Naughty & Nice Spells.” ?!)
Anyway, I’m reading and thinking … is she a witch … or a deliberate creator?? And is there a difference??
In “about the author” it says Skye is a “practitioner of the occult arts.”
Okay, that kinda sounds like “witch” to me.
The fact that this book sounds a LOT like what I teach clients to do has got my full attention and eyebrows raised, if you know what I mean.
Sidenote: wow – just read my vision statement for Good Vibe Coaching which says “bring infinite magic and endless possibilities to light for all.” Hmm!
Anyway, Skye says, “most black magick is performed by ordinary men and women who don’t even realize they’re doing it.”
Which makes me think of how my energy worker told me that gossip is a form of black magic (projecting negative energy onto another). Another ‘hmm.’
So now I’m thinking this magic and witchcraft thing might be closer to ALL of us than we realize!
Example: when clients ask whether they can get their ex back, or their boss fired, or the interviewer to pick them over the others, or their boyfriend to think it’s no big deal they made out with their ex-fiance (oh, that was mine) … when I get questions like that, I squirm just a little bit. Because the answer makes me slightly uncomfortable, and it’s the one most LOA experts don’t offer.
Most people say, “No, you can’t create on another’s behalf. You can’t make someone else do something.”
But you can.
And yet, the fact that we can doesn’t mean we should, right?
AND … that doesn’t mean we aren’t already doing it … WAY more than we realize!
Not consciously, by any means, but I suspect most of us have had moments where we strongly wished a particular outcome on another.
In fact, I saw the divorced girls do it on The Amazing Race last week. One girl wished bad things on a fellow team and good things on themselves. I remember laughing, “It doesn’t work that way, girls!”
(And no, I’m not saying I can get the President to appoint me to the Supreme Court or Russ to start bottle feeding kittens – although that one’s tempting! – but there’s a lot more leeway in affecting others than you might be aware of. The fact is our energy already impacts those in our lives. The question is how are we using that power?)
So when my client asks me if she can get her husband to be more supportive, or if I can help him improve his sex life with his wife, or if she can get her true love back in her arms … are they inquiring about black magick?
Skye seems to think so.
And my discomfort with those questions leads me to believe I might be on the same page as Skye.
Perhaps it’s just time for me to get over the term “magick” and “witches.” That’s probably the lesson for me here.
But whether we call it being a deliberate creator, a wizard, “lucky” girl, or whatever label we use – we’re basically talking about managing energy to produce results we want, right?
So is there a line we cross when we impose our will on another person’s reality? Is it wrong to wish a boyfriend to propose? Or a girlfriend to have a stronger sex drive? Or a boss to overlook our error?
Maybe crossing the black magic line is a little like pornography: hard to define, but you know it when you see it. ha
I know this much for sure: when clients make inquiries like this, I ask them to focus on what they REALLY want. Get to the essence of the true desire. Take the name or the face off of it and let Universe deliver it in whatever way is best – and be prepared that that may be different (sometimes VERY different) than what they had in mind.
Skye says, “Many spells are considered ‘bad’ because they are manipulative” and that love spells are the ones people most often misuse. Skye’s suggestion to handle this dilemma is to to add a “disclaimer” at the end of your spell, something like ”if this is for our highest good.”
I was trained to use the phrase “this or something better.”
Black magic and deliberate creation – that’s what I’m wondering about lately. And the ”moral code” associated with using it. Would love to hear your thoughts!
We are all magicians, co-creators, somehow hypnotized into thinking less of ourselves. Nothing wrong with witchcraft in itself as far as I'm concerned; it is an ancient system of tools and techniques to help focus the mind to consciously exert our creative power, something we do unconsciously all the time. Black magic, on the other hand, is when you use this power with malice or without regard to the effect on others. This obviously invokes karma, and the negative energy is bound to be reflected back to you at some point.
Witchcraft, the Old Religion, has its own traditional moral code – it is so appropriately simple: do what you will, but harm none. It recognizes that life is meant to be experienced as an adventure, in freedom, and as long as you are careful to not interfere with others' paths, you are doing nothing wrong.
But then, accepting that we might be so powerful can be perceived as a burden; suddently we no longer have an excuse to be "ordinary." Perhaps you've heard this passage by Marianne Williamson:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us."
See also my blog post "The artist's creative power" for a poetic take on this topic
I enjoy your writing, so I sent you a friend request!
Personally, I think the confusion is all about the words that we use to describe what is happening. I believe that "to intend" is a better description for the modern day co-creator, which is similar to pray or meditation or mantras or magic or miracles or vows, etc..
All forms of intending offer warnings such as 'do onto another as you would have done unto you; as you sow, you reap; harm none; love another as yourself; what goes around comes around; karma; etc.
BTW: I too enjoyed the sharing of your insights. Thanks
Sebastien, thanks for the distinction between black magic and witchcraft. I do remember reading in Skye's book "do what you will, but harm no one." That seems an easy enough guide to go by. I guess the definition of "harm" is the potential area for disagreement, but I also suspect when we're clear about our driving intentions, we know the difference.
Thanks for such a thoughtful post, my new friend!
I like that, Char! "To intend is a better description of the modern day co-creator." Well said!
Your insightful comments are much appreciated!!
Hi,
The thing is, for me, that to intentionally wish for someone elses actions to change, is quite simply contravening spiritual law. What right does one person have to affect the life of another without their permission? or worse, without their knowledge?
When I tell people, No, you have no right to interfere with the life of another person, the next step is then to look deeper at the issues which are clearly present. ie the question of why anyone wants to influence or change someone else, this usually uncovers other routes for people to take, routes that involve them looking into themselves at their motives and personal development.
Fabulous question.
Thanks for posting.
Tamasin