The Answer I Give Might Surprise You
As a person who has been casting spells and doing divination, such as tarot readings, for decades now, one of the questions I get asked most often is: “Is witchcraft evil?” Now, you might think that as a witch myself, I would automatically say, “No!” but the answer isn’t quite that simple.
What Is Witchcraft? And Is Witchcraft Evil?
First, you have to understand what witchcraft is. Witchcraft is a spiritual act of shaping reality to your will. What does that mean? It means that I hold the belief that we humans have more power than we realize to make our lives what we want them to be. There are time-tested systems (which we can generically call “magic” or “magick”) for moving things in the spiritual world so that they go the way that we want them to go.
There are a lot of systems for doing this ranging from spell words, to working with herbs, to making talismans, to lighting candles, to even prayer. Yes, I said “prayer.” Whenever you ask your deity to help you with something, you are doing a spiritual act to change your life in some way – and that’s magick. So, whether you are reciting a pre-written ceremonial magic spell, are speaking a prayer from your heart, or lighting a candle for a certain wish, you are implementing magick. And when you are doing magick, you are doing witchcraft.
What Is the True Definition of a Witch?
A witch is someone who uses the power of their own will along with spells, charms, and magical items to shape their life. They believe that the individual has power to effect changes on the spiritual and material level. They know that their thoughts, beliefs, and will have the ability to manifest the outcomes they would like.
How Can You Identify a Witch?
There is no way to identify a witch except to ask them if they are one. While the popular culture would have you believe that witches are all women and are either old and ugly or incredibly beautiful, the reality is that real witches are just regular people. Some might dress up in clothing to look more “witchy” or for special occasions, but the vast majority just wear normal clothes for their day-to-day life.
What Are the Powers of a Witch?
There is a huge variety of the skills a witch might have. For example, there are witches who can communicate with animals, plants, or the natural world on a deep level. There are witches who use essential oils or herbs for magic or for healing. Other witches who have psychic abilities or are skilled at reading tarot cards, using numerology or other forms of divination.
There are witches who have the power to manifest certain outcomes easily and there are others who are skilled at making a love potion or doing a money spell. Some witches who work with the power of the moon, sun, stars, or other heavenly bodies. There are witches who use spells or rituals to heal or to harm. Is witchcraft evil? It depends on the witch!
Do You Have to Be a Pagan or a Wiccan to Do Witchcraft?
Here’s the interesting thing, most Wiccans and some Pagans call themselves witches, but not all witches are Wiccans or Pagans. Wicca and Paganism are religions that have a strong connection to magick and witchcraft, but I personally know Catholic witches, Protestant witches, Jewish witches, Muslim witches… you name the religion and I can probably connect you up with a witch who follows that faith.
As for me, I’m a New Thought Spiritualist witch, which means that my spiritual system is all about the law of attraction and connecting with spirit guides (mine and other people’s) and my work reflects my belief system.
So, Is Witchcraft Evil?
Magick is neutral and can be taken in any direction. Think of it being like a screwdriver. A screwdriver is neither good nor evil. You can use it for something positive, like hanging a painting on your wall. So is witchcraft evil? You can use it for something evil, like stabbing someone. The tool itself isn’t bad or good, it’s the person using the tool who gets to decide. So, it all comes down to free will and a matter of personal ethics. If you want to use the screwdriver for good, you can. If you want to use it for evil, you can. The same holds true for witchcraft. If you want to do spells to shape reality in a positive way, you can. If you want to use it for evil, it’s up to you.
My personal spiritual path is one where I have strong ethical boundaries about doing only positive work, so the magic I do is in no way evil. Every spell that I do is meant to help, heal, enlighten and move people toward their happiness.
What Are Your Ethical Standards? Is witchcraft evil to you?
So, if you are thinking of doing some magick yourself, it’s a good idea to establish what your own ethical standards are. Ask yourself what you want to bring into the world and then do your work in a way that absolutely sits right with your heart and soul.
This article was written by Madame Pamita and was published on YourTango and Medium.
Want to learn more about witchcraft? Check out these easy How To videos.