My Wiccan Guide

Black Magick Versus White Magick

                “Black magick is whatever works, white magick is anything else,” seems to be a common saying amongst some contemporary Pagans. This comes from the misconception that black equals bad while white equals good, and that there are no gray areas in between. Nothing, however could be farther from the truth.

                Let’s look at the word black. Why does it connote evil? A lot of the misconception is due to pop culture. For example, shows like Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer show that the good guys are the “white light” people, whereas the bad guys are always surrounded by darkness. Then again, there are those who can’t separate themselves from their Christian upbringing: Those who are righteous are surrounded by the light of God and those who are damned will dwell in eternal darkness.

                The problem with this train of thought is that darkness in and of itself doesn’t have to be bad at all. Think of those beautiful nights in the country, away from the city lights. Without the darkness, you can’t enjoy the beauty of the night sky. Darkness is what lies in the soil below the earth before a plant grows in the spring. It is the inside of a mother’s womb, warm and nurturing to the life growing inside. Even the darkness of a grave, symbolizing death, may be seen as welcoming.

                Once we accept that dark is not inherently bad, it’s easier to look at the concept of “black magick” versus “white magick.” Even if we were to replace the words “black” with “negative” and “white” with “positive,” we’re still in a bit of a pickle. Why? Because it is the intent that matters as much as the action. In other words, if someone were to perform magick that others believe to be “negative,” but does it for what they to believe to be an honest and just reason, then is it really negative?

                To do magick is to say that you want to bring about change in the Universe – after all, if everything were perfect, there wouldn’t be a need for magick at all. Any magick capable of causing change is also magick that can harm, simply by its very nature. Magick isn't some Super Spooky Power that we have, it's a tool we can use to precipitate changes. Any tool can be used for helping or harming; If I have a hammer, I can use it to build a house. I can also use it to whack people in the head. It's not the hammer that's "negative", but what I choose to do with it.