I’ve been thinking about joining the Pagan Speak web ring. I was waiting for the new August topics to be posted, but since they seem to be delayed, I thought I’d try one of the July topics. Also, it ties in nicely with an essay I’m working on for my main site, part of which I will reproduce here.

Topic #1 : Hexing vs. Healing (thanks to Syrenichol)
What do you think about hexing vs. healing?
The saying goes, “a witch can’t hex, can’t heal,” but not every witch agrees to this. Wiccans follow a moral code, “an ye harm none, do as ye will,” but what about self-defense and the idea that you’d be harming someone’s will? Do you even follow the rede? If not what are your beliefs? Have you hexed, have you healed?

I don’t agree with the sentiment that a witch who cannot hex, cannot heal, if it is taken literally. Many Wiccans choose not to practice any sort of “harm,” following the spirit of the Rede. They likely still understand the mechanics and ideas behind a “hex,” even without preforming one. These people can still be excellent healers, usually because they are very empathic.

Banishing spells, which are useful for self-defence and healing, can be considered a “hex” in terms of the above statement, in that they can been seen to cause harm to someone’s self-will. But banishments cast to rid the body of a disease are actually positive. In reality, any spell can be twisted, becoming a “hex.” It is the care and concern of the practitioner that makes the difference.

In terms of self-defence, the line between “hex”, or harming, and “heal” are much more blurred. On one hand, by not taking any magical action, you are allowing yourself to be harmed. On the other hand, by casting a binding spell or something similar, you are harming the other person. So, where would I personally draw the line? First, I would take any mundane legal action required. Not doing so is just silly. Then I would tackle the problem magically from my end. By that I mean I would banishes negative energy (or whatever) from myself and cast spells to protect me, rather then cast binding spells on the other person.

I do my best to follow the Rede, and I do my best to cause as little harm as possibly. I’m not perfect. But I have never cast any spell that I would consider a “hex” or negative. I always try to find a positive way to tackle the problem.

I’ve been thinking about the Rede a lot lately. Although it may cause some snickers amongst people who know me, I’m actually really interested in ethics. The biggest Wiccan ethic (and the only, according to some) is the Wiccan Rede. An it harm none, do as thou will. Or in simple, “If it is not going to hurt anyone, it is okay to do.” A tall order, really.

I’m going to branch off a little bit here, but stick with me. I’m not a fan of most reality TV, although I will admit I got a kick out of Joe Millionaire. I also really like to watch Big Brother. I wasted an entire morning this week reading forums recapping the live feeds of the latest edition of Big Brother. This past week I’ve also wasted time looking for information about Jennifer Lopez and Ben Afleck (who have now split), and dirt about why Bill Murray and Lucy Lui won’t work together anymore. I even watch Access Hollywood this week. Talk about slumming. 🙂

To bring it back to my original topic, does all this snooping and prying into other people’s lives contradict the Rede? Who am I harming? In the case of Big Brother, I don’t think I am harming anyone. These people went on this show knowing full well that people all over North America would be watching their every move. But I think the line is crossed when their lives outside of the house are discussed outside of the show (on forums, other TV shows, websites, etc.).

As for listening to all the gossip about celebrities, I think I’m moving into a seriously dark grey area here. If it is something that is done in public, then it isn’t so bad. But if it is something that has gone on in private, but that the media has discovered, then I don’t think it is okay. For example, yesterday on Access Hollywood, they were talking about the accusations about Kobe Bryant. Discussing the facts is well and good, but they brought up legal trouble his father had approximately thirty years ago, something to do with drug possession and a high speed chase. I really thought that it was awful to bring that up. And they also spoke about his wife’s parents declaring bankruptcy and getting divorced. What does that have to do with anything?

Where’s the harm, you might be asking. Well, I know the information will be out there whether I listen to it or not. Sadly, there is a huge appetite in North American, and most of the western world, for this sort of thing. The harm comes form the affect this has on the celebrities and their families. As I said, if it is something done in public, I don’t see much of a problem, as long as it is reported with some class. But then reporters talk about family members, or events unrelated to their career, it’s wrong. And by me listening to it, or actively searching it out, I’m only adding to the problem.

I guess I’ve figured out, that for me, watching reality TV isn’t against the Rede, but listen to celebrity gossip just may be.

My first real ritual, many years ago, was to empower some pieces of rose quartz to give to several people who were going through different health problems. I had a few jitters, to say the least. First, at the time my parents were only mildly tolerant about my choice of religion. They were coming around, but pretty slowly. (The summer before we went to Salem as part of our holiday, and my mom loved the huge occult shop there, so that helped.) I was afraid they would interrupt me, unknowingly, or tease me, or something. Of course, they didn’t. 🙂

Secondly, I was afraid I was going to do the ritual wrong. I wanted these stones to help and comfort these people, not hurt them. What is I screwed something up? I had prepared myself ahead of time, and researched all the substitutions I wanted to make to make doubly certain they would work. When you are just starting out as a teenager and have very little funds, sometimes you have to find interesting substitutions for things. Sandalwood is your friend. In fact, I think I still have the bottle of Sandalwood oil I bought for this ritual.

The third worry was my pets. Both were exceptionally behaved animals, but they were curious. It turns out they showed up almost as soon as I began, but they were content to watch my every move from the bed.

Fourth, I was concerned about how these stones would be received by the people I was making them for. You see, I didn’t do the ritual to heal these people. Each one was suffering from something completely different – cancer, M.S., and depression, if I remember correctly. I knew no one ritual would help them all, nor did I want to do one without their permission. Instead, I wanted to create something that would be a focus for them, and perhaps a little token to remind them that someone cares about them. They were only people I knew from work, and who I actually lost touch with many years ago, but at the time they meant a lot to me. I actually still think about them occasionally because I am a big softy. Each one accepted the stone, and told me that it meant a great deal to them. I’m not sure if they were being polite or not, but if my gift helped just one of them, then it was worth it.

So, all those things worried me when I did my first ritual. But, I really didn’t need to worry about any of them. No one is going to make fun of you. If anything, the Lord and Lady will laugh with you if you make a mistake. They’ve got to have a good sense of humour, I think. And a good bit of study on actions, correspondences, myths, or what-have-you before you being should help with any worries about things not working out. And if they don’t, big deal. Try again the next time everything is right. It’s a learning process.