There’s No Such Thing
as a White Witch
When I had been studying the Craft for about two years, my husband said to me, “You know, there really is no such thing as a White Witch. The concept is a dream of perfection.”
He is right. First, let me explain that the terms “Black” or “White” Witch have no racial connotations whatsoever. Someone, somewhere, felt it necessary to draw the line between negative magick and positive magick in a way that the general population would understand. Hence, black was used for negative magick in the idea that no light is emitted from it, and white for positive magick with the meaning of pure light.
Where you live has a great deal to do with whether you term your practices as white/black or positive/negative. Where I live, in the belly of Pow Wow country, people will readily understand white magick as being a good thing simply because, for over one hundred years, Pow Wows have been telling them that what they practice is “white” magick. Since people go to Pow Wows for healing and it works, they think that white magick must be all good, and since everything has an opposite—including the scale of hues—the opposite is black. Incidentally, Pow Wows are directly responsible for telling the general population in our area that Witches have always been bad and practice black magick. To a Pow Wow, the Witch is the enemy! This is not an easy myth to destroy.
Just about every magickal text in print devotes at least one page, maybe even two, to a short discussion on magickal ethics. They give you the Rule of Three, and basically tell you that negative magick is a no-no, end of lecture. Is it really that cut and dried?
Nope. For the record, the Rule of Three is as follows:
Ever mind the Rule of Three
three times what thou givest returns to thee.
This lesson well, thou must learn,
thee only gets what thou dost earn!
On the surface, it seems like a relatively simple concept to grasp, doesn’t it? Do something good for another person and it comes back to you three-fold. Do a nasty, and you get zapped worse than the effect of what you originally did. This doesn’t necessarily mean that three bad things will happen to you. Just one very bad thing could happen instead, in the magnitude of a three-time zap. So what’s so hard about that?
When one first begins working in magick, things fall under the exceptionally neat headings of Right and Wrong, simply because your magickal capabilities, knowledge, and expertise are limited to the basic fundamentals.
As your skills progress, however, the line between right and wrong has a tendancy to blur; unless, of course, you are a saint (which, to be honest with you, is less than likely).
Determining boundaries becomes progressively more difficult as your capabilities strengthen. You may make mistakes—some very big ones—and things may get complicated until you work them out.
I believe one of the biggest problems Witches face today is the influx of Christianity and its “turn the other cheek” melodrama. More and more individuals are leaving the Christian kingdom in favor of ours, but they bring with them brains that have been hammered for years with another philosophy.
The world is not run by the meek, and the meek aren’t going to inherit it. The difficulty is not so much the doctrine itself, but those that carry it with them into various Craft organizations. If we lay down and put our paws up in the air tomorrow, our children would not be better for it.
Things You Should Consider in a Conflict
All things are drawn to you (or you are drawn to them) for a specific purpose. If you find yourself in a really tough spot, try to logically determine, as best you can, why this is happening to you. Here is where your skills are needed. By using divination, astral projection, protection magick, etc., you may at least be able to stall for time until you come to a satisfying solution.
Common sense and wisdom should never play second fiddle to your magickal powers. A workable way to tackle a question is to sit down with a blank piece of paper in a quiet room, by a stream, or under a tree—any place where you know you will be undisturbed. On one side of the paper write the word “Pro,” and on the other side write “Con.” This type of decision-making process can be used in a yes/no situation, or when you have to make a choice between two things. List all the reasons you should go ahead with your plan under the pro column, and all the reasons you shouldn’t under the con column.
The trick here is to be totally honest in your assessment of the situation. Now, mentally review your paper. If the solution doesn’t pop out at you, don’t worry. Hold the paper in your left hand and go into your basic meditation procedure. Contact your higher self or the Universe and ask that you be provided with the best possible solution to the problem. If the answer does not blossom before you, tuck the paper in your pocket and go about your day in the usual manner. In the evening, put the paper under your pillow and instruct your dream self to assist you in finding a solution. When the solution does come to you and you are satisfied that you will take the best possible action under the circumstances, thank the Universe, and scatter the paper to the winds.
What is happening to you may not be the result of a past-life boo-boo. One question I hear often when divining for magickal people is, “Is this difficulty a direct result of something I have done in a past life?” Too many people are willing to accept a bad situation by interpreting it as a punishment because of foul deeds done in another lifetime. For some strange reason, it makes the difficulty easier to rationalize and handle.
This gives justification for rolling over and saying, “Gee, kick me again!” in a volatile situation, turning everything over to an almighty purveyor of justice to squash our hopes and dreams without so much as a cry of indignation. “I must have deserved it” is not always a correct response in these situations.
Karma does not exist to be used as the easiest road in times of crisis. It exists to bring things into balance, yes, but the Universe does not revolve around this doctrine as the one and only rule. There are others. Cause and effect are important, but they are not everything.
You are here to learn many lessons, but you are also here to assist others in accomplishing their goals and lessons, as well. Not every situation you encounter is a result of the law of karma. Not every difficulty you are involved in is a result of karmic backlash. Likewise, not every person you meet is really someone you have known well or dealt with before.
If you are having difficulties with a specific person, stop and consider all the angles before getting angry. You must be an optimist in all situations; through this you can usually find a solution. When dealing with other people, don’t believe everything you hear or have read. Gossip is a nasty bitch.
Think about how many arguments are started in one single day on the premise of misinformation. Not everything said or printed in black and white is true, and don’t forget that truths differ among people. When you are in doubt about specific information, go to the source. Don’t even bother with the tributaries.
If you find yourself in a verbal confrontation with another person, mentally step back from the heat of the moment to determine what is making you angry. Be honest with yourself; rationalization can get you into trouble. Remember that it is not your job to control the other person. It is your job to control yourself.
Check out your body language when you put your shields up. Once you determine why you are upset, you can attempt to figure out why the other person is having verbal heart failure. Maybe they are making you feel threatened or hurt. Bring your own emotions under control.
In a logical assessment, consider what is making the other individual angry. Is it misinformation? Has someone else hurt them (lover, boyfriend, parent, boss, etc.) and they are lashing out at you? Did you make yourself a prime target? Are they rationalizing, or did you really do something to piss them off? Are they on a guilt trip? Are you?
If you cannot resolve the situation and it is totally out of hand, calmly indicate that perhaps you should take up this discussion at a later date; but for goodness’ sake, don’t haul tail and run unless, of course, you are being physically attacked and fight or flight becomes a necessary choice.
Hold your ground and stay calm in verbal confrontations. Do not take a defensive posture; take an offensive one. Speak in a clear, low voice. If the person screams even louder, speak lower and lower. Keep lowering your voice until it is barely a whisper. This works, and eventually the steam will go out of their locomotive mouth because they have to concentrate on hearing you and not on their anger. They will be left standing in a defensive position feeling totally foolish and looking equally stupid.
Consider that, at times, the best defense is no defense at all. There are situations where we can dig ourselves deeper by citing numerous counterpoints to an argument. Is this necessary? Is the accusation worth your time and effort? Or is your opponent really after the destruction of something that is not under fire? Perhaps you will be so busy dousing the flames you will lose something far more important. Do not hesitate to use strategy. For example:
Retreat is noble when continuance with the battle or the issue at hand would result in further losses or total annihilation of your resources. In order to return on another day, you must salvage all the warriors and materials possible.
—Leadership Secrets of Attila The Hun
Before opening your mouth in any confrontation, ask yourself this question: “Is it worth it?” Craft thought on casting spells for others, telepathic pushing, and power draining varies proportionately throughout the different traditions and organizations. For example, there are those Witches who cast love spells on a specific person and think there is absolutely nothing wrong with this. And, of course, there are those that will tell you to bring love to yourself instead, without targeting a particular individual. In the end, the choice is yours—and so are the consequences. This is magick used in an overt manner, indicating that the consideration for the spell has been planned and strategy has been used. Whether it is right or not is not up for discussion at that point. But what do you do about an emotional thoughtform such as anger, jealousy, or vengeance?
We all have these emotions. We would not be human if we did not. It is wise to remember that the subtle side of anger can be just as detrimental as casting a negative spell. In fact, it can be even more dangerous because of the amount of raw emotion involved. We know that no single individual is the epitome of good. Even the most calm and loving individual gets angry sometimes! Getting angry every once in a while is healthy. We must be able to vent our anger and frustration in order to stay psychologically sound.
What I have just described, then, is the perfect Catch-22—and I daresay Yossarian would be proud at the analogy! But, that doesn’t solve our dilemma, does it?
To run an experiment on action and reaction, go to a quiet lake, pond, or a smooth area in a stream. Take a small pebble in your hand, and envision that you are the stone. When you throw it into the water, think “This is the action.” Watch as the stone hits the surface and understand that the initial rise of water is the main consequence of the action.
Then watch as concentric circles flow from the point of impact. These circles represent the fallout of your action, the stone hitting the water. Some of the circles are very definite in nature, others are almost indistinguishable in design. Carry this thought further and consider the impact of a good deed: the environment and all that is in it vibrates around the deed, and changes occur that are positive in nature.
Now, imagine the impact as a negative deed, and ponder on the domino effect because of that action on the environment and those people that are contained in it. This example is a very good tool for teaching children as well as adults when they do not seem to be grasping the theology of action vs. reaction, and the fact that they are indeed responsible for their own actions.
As a magickal person, you carry the heavy burden that your knowledge imparts. Magick is not a sometime thing, but it should also not be considered a panacea, either. Common sense, wisdom, and strong values should already be an integral part of the Witch’s life. Along with the multitude of good things magick can bring you comes the realization that you, and only you, are responsible for what you do, how you act, and the final shaping of your own destiny.
Where Is the Craft Heading?
Here is my theory, take it for what it is—someone’s philosophy. It is my belief that first the male/female aspects of the Craft will become more balanced. As each woman yearns for the perfect male, and each male in turn searches for the perfect woman, then too the god and goddess yearn for each other—the ying and the yang—the All . . . the One. Yet this whole will never again lose itself in either representation of one sex or the other. They will, finally, be together; equal.
At the same time, the breakdown of the patriarchal religions will be complete. If you have been watching your current events, you will have noticed that some of the big boys have begun to drop, one by one. The savior of the Christians will finally have his bride—but it won’t be the Church, as they would like you to believe. It will be the goddess, in whatever form she sees fit to take. The almighty jealous- father syndrome will bite the dust.
An acquaintance of mine once remarked on how much knowledge of the New Age he has learned by tuning to one of the popular television church shows. It is one of those biggies that runs forever, with documentaries, game-show techniques for the guilty to give money, and a talk-show atmosphere all rolled into one. He said, “You know, I learned so much because of the way they presented the New Age as evil, yet nothing I saw was particularly bad, and the point that they were trying to make was how much the New Age had infiltrated Christian doctrine. They were right about one thing,” he added, “the fact that they showed me thirty minutes of New Age material certainly proved that they were assisting in the infiltration!” This individual was also astounded at the sophisticated marketing techniques used to keep the show in money.
I personally believe that women followers of the Christian doctrine are major catalysts of New Age phenomena. For too long the churches have accepted their money, their time, and their support without giving much in return. With the career woman now out and about, farming her kids to the closest daycare center (whether she likes it or not), dealing with both home and job, the church gave her nothing to lean on—no deity to relate to.
And unfortunately, in many cases, women receive severe condemnation for working to survive instead of caring for her little ones and being a good wife. Her husband is absolved from his affairs and she is to be supportive, no matter how many times she runs her fingers over the notches in the marital bedpost.
With a religion like that, who has to worry about some mythical place called Hell? She’s already got a shitload of it. Definitely time to look for a new religious structure where women are not only supported, but accepted as equals. Enter the New Age, and the new generation of Witches.
Men, too, are totally frustrated. His wife or girlfriend has become a warrior right in his own house. She competes with him on the job, nags him to share the work at home, and expects him to take half the responsibility for the children.
He is supposed to be sensitive, but not weak. And he may no longer treat her in the centuries old “good-old-boy” fashion. If he pipes up and tells his wife that he wears the proverbial pants in the house, he has another thing coming—not only from her, but from her friends, her mother, her sisters, and from women he didn’t even know existed.
It used to be you could have a nice wife and a nice mistress and never the two should meet. Furthermore, neither wife or mistress were permitted to switch roles; it would have been un-Christian and certainly un-American.
Now these roles are no longer separated and he’d better be happy with what he has chosen, or his days are surely numbered!
I also believe that men, too, are not finding the support they need within the major religious structure. And since it is a patriarchal structure at this time, they can choose whether to go with the flow of equality, or hang on for dear life to the last vestiges of power in the struggle between the roles of men and women. Their religion is not telling them how to cope with a woman who is the mother of their children in the morning while putting them on the school bus, and Shaharazad after the lights go out.
This is a mistake. It is not just the Christian doctrine that is fighting to survive without change; Moslems are clawing to remain intact, as well as other equally unbalanced systems across the world.
Those that survive will be those that change. Those that change will move toward each other, in common equality. Those that do not change will die. I don’t believe I will see it in my lifetime, but my children may actually experience the moment when all religions suddenly realize that they are heading in the same direction (which they are). And, one day, they will be One.