Ethics and Magic




The ethical use of magical abilities is something that I have found in one form or another in every magical system that I have studied. In many, such as Wicca, it is ingrained as a teaching and often misunderstood. The Three-Fold law does not state that you get back three-fold what you do, but that you should return every good deed done upon you three-fold. To quote Gardner, "Thou hast obeyed the Law. But mark well, when thou receivest good, so equally art bound to return good threefold." (High Magic’s Aid, 1949)

The idea of karma is present in many beliefs. The Golden Rule (Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.) is one example. In modern times, things like the Secret and the Law of Attraction are based on that teaching. If you keep anger, hatred, doubt, fear or any other negative emotions in your mind that is exactly what you will receive.

Of course, holding it in your mind is the precursor to action, so if you act that way you are simply reinforcing to the Universe that this is what you want to experience. This is why the people that worry about things and dwell on them often find examples of that same thing in their lives. In kabbalah, this is called tekoon.

But it is not that the Universe is keeping score and gives boons or punishments based on that score. One positive does not cancel out one negative. It is situational. So, if you are normally a positive, up beat person but you have a problem finding a job because you believe you can not get one, then most of the time your life will be up beat and positive except for the job hunt. What you give out, you get back. What you project onto others is projected back on you by life.

As a practitioner of ceremonial magic, this is the concept that would be closest to ethics. If I don’t want to receive negativity from others or experience negativity in my life, why would I project it out to others? I know that there will be consequences. By the same token, I know that me saying that it is ok that I control others means that I am also giving permission, on a subconscious level, to be controlled by others. That is definitely something to think about when you think about casting that love spell on someone you desire. You can lie to others, but you can’t lie to the subconscious. Besides, you attract more bees with sugar than with vinegar.

Some people will say that they can do magic with impunity, or that since they don’t believe in karma or any concept like that it doesn’t affect them. 99 times out of 100, these are also the people who have trouble in many aspects of their lives, unstable behaviors or mental conditions, are jobless or complain about everything. These are often also the people who do not take responsibility for their actions or conditions. It is always someone else’s fault. Not to say that their belief is the only cause of these conditions, it it is definitely not helping the situation.

One area that I do teach and promote ethics is in regard to teaching others. I completely believe that if you teach others incorrectly or do not ensure that they have the correct information and knowledge to do whatever it is that you are teaching that the karma for their actions falls on you. Now, if you teach them correctly and they choose to ignore it, that is on them. There are plenty of people out there in the metaphysical community that are teaching others with no real knowledge or experience of their own, and one day it will catch up with them.

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