Oh no, here we go – the taboo topic! I will begin simply:
Morality within (practitioners of) the Craft is as varying as its many
manifestations, but I think it is safe to say that the Craft – in itself – is amoral.
It is spirituality (and society) that drives morality, hence its diverse
application to the Craft. With that being said, all that follows is what I
believe. If you have questions, I’m always happy to clarify or expand; disagreements?
I respect your beliefs and your opinions as being different from mine, and I
expect the same dignity from you.
Finally, now that all that garbage is out of the way, let’s
get down to the nitty-gritty!
Where to begin, though? Perhaps with the age old question of:
Good vs. Evil
I do not believe in
evil – or rather, I do not believe in any Cosmic, Universal Evil – hell-bent on
corrupting man. I believe there are struggles – and in conflict there is the
opportunity for growth. Some face much greater hardship, and from it – a greater
opportunity for growth. I believe that any true evils with which we are
familiar are the creations of man, and we have a responsibility to rewrite
these evils – even at the expense of clearing obstructions (or possible means
of growth), for there will always be conflict – with or without the evils
created by man – and there need not be such harsh means of growth.
Ask me, however, if I believe in the diabolical – most certainly,
but I do not consider them evil, in
fact, quite the opposite. While they can breed hardship, they are instrumental
in the growth of man – they are vice and punishment, and only those of great
heart and champion-will might traverse their labyrinthine existence and
emerge, changed for the better. They are those who exist in the seedy
underbelly, the low vibration – and challenge every perception you might have about morality: No
longer are the hues so stark. It is a world wherein the hooker might be a
saint, the murderer can find redemption, and radical in the right. But all the while, these beings strive
to overturn the evils of man – oppression, corruption, destruction, hypocrisy –
by imposing on them, their own malignancy.
That’s one of the reasons I love the proverbial “Dark Ones” so
much – they are their own – they serve no one, and they fight on the side of
justice, even if it means inflicting vengeance. It is from within their fold
that you can see that the dark and the light serve the same end, simply through
different means. They are fueled not by evil, but carnality – the most primal
parts of humankind: sex, violence, anger, greed – all the things that are (in
truth) intrinsically human, it is only when humanity is consumed by their
desire do the diabolic spirits wreak havoc, if it only to lead you back to your
path.
Which brings me to topic number two:
Justice
It’s no secret – I’m one of those baddy witches, who (shield
your sensitive eyes) curses: Fuck. Oh,
and I also cast curses. Now, I know what you light-side-of-the-force people are
saying: “Cursing!? Under JUSTICE!? Sacrilege! Think of Karma!” Well, I have –
in its true and original sense, not the version borrowed by the Western World. Karma
is everything you do – it is action. You tie your shoes? Karma. You smack
someone in the face? Karma. You jump from a 20 story building? Karma… And there
it went. These actions are weighed – not by whether you did the nice thing,
it’s about whether you did the right/just/beneficial-to-society-at-large thing.
When you scold a child for improper behavior, do you accrue “bad
karma” for preventing them from being a little entitled hellion? I do not think
so.
Cursing and hexing is not so black and white.
As I previously mentioned, Karma is action and consequence.
If someone has acted unjustly – this is their karma – and if I have the ability to
correct this action and choose to curse them or hex them, with a fitting
punishment, have I not been the instrument of consequence? You can argue that
I have become: judge, jury and executioner – and you would be right, but if I were
to allow them to proceed hurting and mistreating people, or acting unjustly,
would that not influence my own karma as much as theirs? I’ve experienced enough silence by bystanders
in my life to know that sometimes all it takes is for someone to come to the
side of the oppressed. Even if it meant punishment, I would still stand in solidarity with them.
For a long while, I have believed that a witch has a
responsibility to his/her community, pariah or not. He/she is the hand of
justice, when the justice of man has failed. As such, we are – in part –
instruments of consequence, there to shoulder part of the Universe’s weight.
There to ensure that those who oppress and breed the evils of man are thusly
punished. We are more than the pawns of Fate, we are her left hand. Just be
cautious not to overstep your bounds, as Fate is right handed and has a mean
right-hook.
But I will definitely say that it’s imperative that the
punishment match the crime. If someone absent mindedly cut you off in traffic,
you obviously wouldn’t smite their entire family line with a plague (even
though you might want to – I’m still bitter). That is – in itself – unjust. And
it is also important to not cast impulsively, in that one should not simply
curse someone based on the testimonial of one person alone. Try to remain as
unbiased as possible, and don’t hesitate to sleuth around like Nancy Drew
before you pick up a sacrificial chicken bowl of chile peppers.
In essence, be just
(i.e. don’t be an asshole) – trust your instincts, they won’t lead you wrong.
::end Session #1::
The Qedavian Apocrypha 