Today I read a very short piece about the ethics behind asking permission before performing a healing for someone. Actually, the essay doesn’t really explain the ethics, it just mentions that it is now a common belief that one must do this.

I think that the requirement of asking permission comes from the idea of respecting other people’s Will. It may be that the person wishes to remain ill, for any number of reasons we may not be privy to, and to heal them would cause them a good deal of harm, mentally or physically. It can be argued that in a case where a person is refusing treatment, performing a healing for them without permission will prevent harm from occurring. While this may be true in some respects, I still feel that we must honour the other person’s Will.

As always, situations need to be examined on a case by case basis. There may be a time, for example, when you wish to help a woman heal after a rape. She may be too embarrassed to admit it happened, or too afraid to ask for your help. It is a moral decision for you to make as to whether you preform a healing for her, after getting her the mundane care she needs. Your heart may be in the right place, but there may be better ways to use your magic.