Casting Spells: The Spell that Heals is the Spell that also Destroys
My body is harnessing a current of power I had not yet touched. Not simply the generative force of Wood feeding Fire, Fire turning to Earth through its ashes, and so on, but the degenerative cycle—the one that reaches across the pentacle rather than moving along it. Fire melting Metal. Metal severing Wood. My voice and body, in the context of my magic, are not just constructing; they are deconstructing in the same breath.
The spell that heals is the spell that destroys. The invocation that calls something into being is the same that banishes what was. (An example - if we are sick, the virus must die for us to heal). There is no birthwork without deathwork.
Check Your Head Before You Cast: The Ethics & Mechanics of Offensive Magic
Hexes and bindings are not light undertakings. They require a clear understanding of consequence and responsibility, and even more so, self-awareness. (In a recent study published in Harvard Business Review, a team of researchers revealed two types of self-awareness: internal self-awareness, which involves understanding our values, passions, aspirations, reactions, and impact on others—linked to greater satisfaction, happiness, and reduced stress; and external self-awareness, which reflects how others perceive us. Those who align their self-perception with others’ views foster stronger relationships and greater effectiveness in life).
There’s real risk when fragile, self-absorbed individuals, driven by vengeance, engage in workings that take on a darker hue—just as there is with overly emotional practitioners who find themselves remorsefully googling “how to remove a hex” the next day.
I can’t help but reference the Beastie Boys (I was a teen in the 90s). There’s a fundamental need to Check Your Head before one can proceed with the idea of Licensed to Ill.