Black Magick: Expectation vs Reality

Hi, hi, hi fellow Witches and Witchlets! Today’s post in our Expectation vs Reality Series, we’re discussing black magick, the common misconceptions and the actual reality of the practice. As always, I aim to write from a place of neutrality to really give you, the reader, a solid picture of these magickal paths. Having said that, let’s get started.

PREFACE

Before we get into this post, I want to clarify my personal stance on the “colorization” of magick – magick is magick. White, black, or grey are all ways to categorize the intention behind the magick. Admittedly, it does lend a certain ease when exploring or discussing witchcraft with a noninitiate; however, as an active practitioner I believe magick is neutral.

WHAT IS BLACK MAGICK?

The idea behind black magick is that it utilizes supernatural powers only for evil and/or selfish purposes. Sometimes black magick is referred to as devil magick, the ‘left-hand path’ or any other magickal practice having to do with evil spirits.

WHO PRACTICES IT?

Those who practice black magick and aim to use magick intended for the benefit of themselves and/or to cause harm to others are known as Black Witches, Black Magicians, Sorceress or Sorcerer, Daayan, Ḍāin or Ḍāini Diana depending on the region.

WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

Black magick origins can be traced back to primitive and ritualistic worship of entities and spirits. While these first efforts correspond to those of white magick, the practices that can be categorized into modern black magick were fashioned to invoke the exact same entities to bring about beneficial results for the practitioner – not for others and the community,

WHAT IS IT USED FOR?

Any kind of magick with the intention of “selfish” purposes can technically be considered black magick. Some believe that hexes, vexes, jinxes, curses, and all other forms of malevolent magick all fall within the confines of this path.

EXPECTATION VS REALITY

1. Expectation: Black magick is bad
   Reality: Energy is energy without moral coloring

When we think of energy as a blank canvas, it simply is. It is neither good or bad and can be made an angel or a devil out of it. For instance, if we see energy as electricity it’s angelic when it provides light but of the devil when used to electrocute someone to death. It all comes down to intention.

In the same vein, if we see black magick used to curse another, we need to ask what the motivation behind said action is. Did the recipient of the vex rape or seriously injure the other party? Do they deserve to be the object of the practitioner’s ill will? Again, intention is what is truly behind action.

There’s no moral coloring to magick until it is assigned.

2. Expectation: Black magick has no place in the magickal community
   Reality: Every facet of magick has a home amongst practitioners

The segregation of paths in the magickal community is kind of like ostracizing the other ‘weirdos’ from the fringe outskirts. All witches were once the evil outcasts from society, so to believe that black magick practitioners have no home amongst other mystics is ridiculous.

This kind of whitewashed point of view is in partial result of a lot of new age thinking where ‘all love and light’ beliefs have no room for anything but. This can result in a lot infighting in the magickal community, causing a rift where there should be none. After all, as practitioners we already have so much bias going against us already.

3. Expectation: Practicing black magick makes the practitioner lesser than
   Reality: There’s no superiority or hierarchy in magick

That ‘all light and love’ thinking we touched on briefly in expectation number two can be rather toxic. It lends to hierarchical thinking, putting other mystics down who explore alternative practices contrary to those who follow other paths.

I believe it takes quite a good bit of courage and bravery to practice magick to begin with. So to pile on the belief that one has to cast spellwork in a certain way or they’ll be shunned or considered ‘evil’, ‘bad’, or ‘lesser than’ is preposterous.

For the practice of magick and witchcraft in general, there is no hierarchy. That’s not to say that there isn’t hierarchy in specific paths or belief systems, like those with a High Priest or High Priestess or any other coven-based structure. In the sense of one witch compared to another witch, there really is no comparison outside of the fact that they’re both witches.

IN CONCLUSION…

Again, these expectation versus reality posts are meant to get you thinking. Let’s challenge the status quo, the stereotypes, the current belief systems that are in place about witchcraft. Comment below how you feel about black magick. Do you believe in it? Do you practice it? And as always, Bright Blessings and Happy Crafting!