jaimethepooh
11-02-2003, 07:34 AM
A commonly held attitude towards spellwork and ethics, is that doing spells to benefit oneself is not 'allowed'. Personally, I disagree. Am I not just as important as anyone else (in a cosmic sense)? Why should my own needs or wants be unaddressed, while those of other people are fair game?
I think part of the underlying cause for this belief is the cultural influence of Christianity and other religions that preach how denying oneself is supposed to bring you closer to God. Going without is holy, and wanting anything for yourself is sinful. How depressing! Unfortunately, this mindset is common even among people who don't consider themselves Christian. It can be difficult to break.
If you spent many years in law school, would it be wrong to take a well-paying position in a legal firm? Should you not use the skills and knowledge you have acquired for the betterment of your own life? You should look at magick the same way. If you have to skills to accomplish things in your life, why not use them?
Prosperity or money spells tend to be the one's that make people stop and think about using magick for their own gain. Well, a typical prosperity spell doesn't result in a bucket of money showing up at your doorstep. There are many ways for it to manifest itself: a promotion at work, opportunity for an extra shift or overtime, new employment offers, or any number of other ways. In all of these cases, you are still required to earn the extra money. Since you have earned the money yourself, I see nothing improper about the situation.
I think that when your needs or wants become selfish, greedy or extravagent, then it becomes a different matter. But greed can come into play with or without magick. Use the same judgment as you would when making any decisions.
These are my own personal views on the matter, and shouldn't be taken as 'gospel'. Trust your own heart when it comes to deciding whether or not you should work magick for your own benefit. Just don't deny yourself anything because of misplaced spiritual guilt.
Terri Paajanen
I think part of the underlying cause for this belief is the cultural influence of Christianity and other religions that preach how denying oneself is supposed to bring you closer to God. Going without is holy, and wanting anything for yourself is sinful. How depressing! Unfortunately, this mindset is common even among people who don't consider themselves Christian. It can be difficult to break.
If you spent many years in law school, would it be wrong to take a well-paying position in a legal firm? Should you not use the skills and knowledge you have acquired for the betterment of your own life? You should look at magick the same way. If you have to skills to accomplish things in your life, why not use them?
Prosperity or money spells tend to be the one's that make people stop and think about using magick for their own gain. Well, a typical prosperity spell doesn't result in a bucket of money showing up at your doorstep. There are many ways for it to manifest itself: a promotion at work, opportunity for an extra shift or overtime, new employment offers, or any number of other ways. In all of these cases, you are still required to earn the extra money. Since you have earned the money yourself, I see nothing improper about the situation.
I think that when your needs or wants become selfish, greedy or extravagent, then it becomes a different matter. But greed can come into play with or without magick. Use the same judgment as you would when making any decisions.
These are my own personal views on the matter, and shouldn't be taken as 'gospel'. Trust your own heart when it comes to deciding whether or not you should work magick for your own benefit. Just don't deny yourself anything because of misplaced spiritual guilt.
Terri Paajanen