Magical Ethics - Tumblr Posts

Ethics of Witchcraft

Before I start, I’d like to say this is entirely my ethics in relation to witchcraft. I’m not out here to tell other people off for what they do, left-hand path is valid, cursing is valid, you’re all valid.

I’m drawing the line at death curses though, no murdering people, it’s impolite.

1. Cursing

I’m personally not too good with curses. I’ve seen firsthand what happens when some overzealous ass with too much anger and too little sense goes after someone with a curse. In my case, some of my students were cursed to continuously suffer burns, which translated to real life pain, by someone who will remain unnamed yet hated for all eternity.

You know what you did.

All binding and screaming aside, I don’t curse people because in most cases the level of trouble I’d have to go to isn’t worth it, and also because I just think I’d regret it. I don’t like hurting people, unless they hurt the people I’m protecting, in which case chances are I’ll bind them.

I try to be a role model, but I’m worried one day I’ll break my own morals.

2. Binding

Sometimes I need to bind people, and it can be hard to make that choice, but in the end I don’t regret it. Hurting the people I’ve decided to protect is a surefire way to get some stuff sent your way, one day I’ll probably snap and curse someone, I’m not going to lie about that kind of thing. They’ll pick the wrong friend or the wrong type of curse and I’ll go off.

For now though, binding is my go-to response for curses. Get rid of the curse, bind them from harming people, it’s simple and easy if you have some yarn for knot magic but you can use whatever you want for it.

Binding people from harming others is something I think is reasonable, and it’s as far as I’ll go.

3. Fighting

I am by no means a pacifist, as you can probably guess by my energy weapon post and the fact I’ve already performed a binding on someone. In a way fighting is an important part of me being a witch. If I didn’t fight, a lot of entities would still be stalking students and friends alike.

To me fighting is a matter of choosing your battles, knowing when you need to use diplomacy versus knowing when you have to be the one to throw an astral punch. Witches have to probably fight more often than normal people, simply because we have a lot more contact with critters who aren’t quite civilised, or if they are civilised it’s in a different way then we’d like.

Fighting for safety, freedom, and the people you care about is one of the most important things you can do.

4. Love Spells

Here’s something interesting to know about me, I have a firm set of values and a list of things important to me. At the top of that list is Freedom, nothing has any meaning to me without freedom. As an old Michael Grant book that taught me for the first time what it truly meant to sacrifice everything for freedom asked me. Is it more important to be free or to be happy?

So it probably therefore won’t surprise you all that have a firm belief that love spells are worse than curses. They strip you of your free will by taking control of your emotions in the worst possible way. They’ll make you sacrifice everything for someone without it truly being you in control. Unlike curses, I know I will not use a love spell under any circumstances.

I don’t trust people who use love spells, I will never use a love spell, and I sure as hell will never let someone use one on me.

5. More On Free Will

I have immense respect for people who just get rid of parasites from people, who chaotic good it up and remove demons or what have you without permission. I think I need to be friends with a few more people like that.

For the simple reason I don’t, I figure if I get rid of the parasite they’ll go and find more, or worse yet curse me as a result. So I leave them go, I always hope they come to their senses but, I’m not happy about it.

On the other hand if the parasite attacks me, I prioritise myself and kill it. I don’t care what happens, it’s my choice if I let it hurt me or not, and given I have enough firepower to get most anything coming my way. The parasite is dead.

I won’t follow someone’s wishes if it means I’ll end up hurt, but I do try to let them decide for themselves.

Art Credits: 1. Nan Fe 2. BeaGifted 3. Eleni Tsami 4. Simon Pape 5. FleareHuce (Deviantart)