Are there such things as White Witches?
Users of magic, (specifically witches) are traditionally viewed as being either white - loving and gentle healers, or black - the evil bad guys. There is a significant question over why white is automatically associated with 'good' and black associated with 'bad', but I will save that for another article. Within the context of this article, I will simply accept the associations on face value. But are witches really split into 2 camps - good versus evil?
Of course not. In truth, all witches are probably varying shades of grey. But I think that people who call themselves 'grey witches' are probably being overly wordy and a just a tad 'pc'. Surely the statement, I'm a witch is enough? It needs to be understood that all users of magic (I will refer to all users of magic collectively as witches from here on) work with energy. Energy is a neutral force. It is not good, but equally it is not bad. It just is. The way in which this energy is then used it entirely dependent on the witch using it. If the witch chooses to use the energy for a good cause, then the energy takes on the properties of the good intention. However, if the witch chooses to shape the energy with ill intent, then the energy becomes a malignant force.
There is a saying that a witch who can't curse can't cure. I tend to agree with the sentiment. If you are a capable witch, who can raise, shape and direct energy, then you should be able to put that energy to any purpose you choose - including effective cursing. You can either work with energy or you can't. If you can, then you can curse as easily as cure, and if you can't then to my mind you have no business calling yourself a witch. Simple.
But its not quite as simple as it appears. For some reason, the vast majority of witches that I have met tend to totally disassociate themselves from the darker side of magical work. They vehemently deny that they are anything less than totally pure, and full of love and light (not to mention their liking of glitter and all things pink, oh yes, and their fondness for attempting to 'cleanse your aura'). But how can that be so? A key tenet of Pagan, and indeed Witchcraft and Wiccan philosophy is balance. How can totally denying the darker side of human nature be seen as a good thing? Surely it is better to look deeply within, searching out the darker sides of your soul that you may try to hide (even from yourself) acknowledge their presence and then consciously choose to not act upon them? That surely leads to a better sense of balance, than to simply deny their existence in the first place.
So, on the one hand we have the 'love & light fluffies'. On the other hand we have those who revel in the dark side. They seem to relish dwelling in the shadows. Threats of hexes for the slightest irritation are their stock in trade. They delight in scoffing at the 'lightweight fluffies'. They think that they are more balanced. But are they really any better? Of course not. Every accusation that they could possibly level at the 'fluffies' could equally be inverted and then levelled at them. They are at the opposite ends of the same spectrum. Where is their balance?
I cannot see why anyone would be proud to be on the outer extreme of magical work. The pendulum has swung too far in either direction. Yes, I admit, I find the 'fluffies' a bit immature and tedious, but I find the 'dark ones' equally so. Surely it is time that people realised that there is a middle way.
As I've stated above, balance is critical. No individual is completely good or completely bad. Everyone has their own unique combination of both, which makes them the person that they are. I truly believe that if people were more willing to face that simple fact, much of the extreme silliness found within the pagan community would disappear overnight.
Witches, more specifically Wiccans who abide by the Rede, often claim emphatically that they would never, even consider cursing or hexing. I sincerely hope that they are never in a situation to put that emphatic belief to the test. I do not place such constraints upon myself. I fully acknowledge, that under certain circumstances, I would intentionally set out to cause harm. It is not an aspect of my character than I am particularly proud of, but I accept it as being a part of me nonetheless. The circumstances which could provoke such an act would have to be very extreme.
Obviously, that kind of action would require some very serious thought and consideration, but I am not prepared to rule it out entirely. I would not enter into it lightly, but then I believe that that applies to any magical act. This kind of situation also raises the interesting point of what is more important - your motivation/intention for an act or the act itself? In despatching a hex to protect my daughter, I am acting out of motherly love and protectiveness. But, doubtless, the hex itself is not a 'good' thing to do. So what is the net effect of such an action? Things are not always as black and white as they seem, regardless of what the fairytales would have you believe. And human beings can frequently surprise themselves with just what they are capable of when backed into a corner. I don't like surprises and would rather know ahead of time, the kind of action I would be likely to take.
Clearly, as a general rule of thumb, it is preferable for all members of civilised society to err on the side of light rather than dark. It enables us to get along so much easier. And if push came to shove, I would rather be known as a little too nice, rather than as a little too nasty.
In summary, I would have to say that, 'No' there are no such thing as white witches. Equally there are no such thing as black
by Dobunni (who is a nice shade of mid-grey)
Of course not. In truth, all witches are probably varying shades of grey. But I think that people who call themselves 'grey witches' are probably being overly wordy and a just a tad 'pc'. Surely the statement, I'm a witch is enough? It needs to be understood that all users of magic (I will refer to all users of magic collectively as witches from here on) work with energy. Energy is a neutral force. It is not good, but equally it is not bad. It just is. The way in which this energy is then used it entirely dependent on the witch using it. If the witch chooses to use the energy for a good cause, then the energy takes on the properties of the good intention. However, if the witch chooses to shape the energy with ill intent, then the energy becomes a malignant force.
There is a saying that a witch who can't curse can't cure. I tend to agree with the sentiment. If you are a capable witch, who can raise, shape and direct energy, then you should be able to put that energy to any purpose you choose - including effective cursing. You can either work with energy or you can't. If you can, then you can curse as easily as cure, and if you can't then to my mind you have no business calling yourself a witch. Simple.
But its not quite as simple as it appears. For some reason, the vast majority of witches that I have met tend to totally disassociate themselves from the darker side of magical work. They vehemently deny that they are anything less than totally pure, and full of love and light (not to mention their liking of glitter and all things pink, oh yes, and their fondness for attempting to 'cleanse your aura'). But how can that be so? A key tenet of Pagan, and indeed Witchcraft and Wiccan philosophy is balance. How can totally denying the darker side of human nature be seen as a good thing? Surely it is better to look deeply within, searching out the darker sides of your soul that you may try to hide (even from yourself) acknowledge their presence and then consciously choose to not act upon them? That surely leads to a better sense of balance, than to simply deny their existence in the first place.
So, on the one hand we have the 'love & light fluffies'. On the other hand we have those who revel in the dark side. They seem to relish dwelling in the shadows. Threats of hexes for the slightest irritation are their stock in trade. They delight in scoffing at the 'lightweight fluffies'. They think that they are more balanced. But are they really any better? Of course not. Every accusation that they could possibly level at the 'fluffies' could equally be inverted and then levelled at them. They are at the opposite ends of the same spectrum. Where is their balance?
I cannot see why anyone would be proud to be on the outer extreme of magical work. The pendulum has swung too far in either direction. Yes, I admit, I find the 'fluffies' a bit immature and tedious, but I find the 'dark ones' equally so. Surely it is time that people realised that there is a middle way.
As I've stated above, balance is critical. No individual is completely good or completely bad. Everyone has their own unique combination of both, which makes them the person that they are. I truly believe that if people were more willing to face that simple fact, much of the extreme silliness found within the pagan community would disappear overnight.
Witches, more specifically Wiccans who abide by the Rede, often claim emphatically that they would never, even consider cursing or hexing. I sincerely hope that they are never in a situation to put that emphatic belief to the test. I do not place such constraints upon myself. I fully acknowledge, that under certain circumstances, I would intentionally set out to cause harm. It is not an aspect of my character than I am particularly proud of, but I accept it as being a part of me nonetheless. The circumstances which could provoke such an act would have to be very extreme.
Obviously, that kind of action would require some very serious thought and consideration, but I am not prepared to rule it out entirely. I would not enter into it lightly, but then I believe that that applies to any magical act. This kind of situation also raises the interesting point of what is more important - your motivation/intention for an act or the act itself? In despatching a hex to protect my daughter, I am acting out of motherly love and protectiveness. But, doubtless, the hex itself is not a 'good' thing to do. So what is the net effect of such an action? Things are not always as black and white as they seem, regardless of what the fairytales would have you believe. And human beings can frequently surprise themselves with just what they are capable of when backed into a corner. I don't like surprises and would rather know ahead of time, the kind of action I would be likely to take.
Clearly, as a general rule of thumb, it is preferable for all members of civilised society to err on the side of light rather than dark. It enables us to get along so much easier. And if push came to shove, I would rather be known as a little too nice, rather than as a little too nasty.
In summary, I would have to say that, 'No' there are no such thing as white witches. Equally there are no such thing as black
by Dobunni (who is a nice shade of mid-grey)
Replies are closed for this discussion.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by d'Arqstar on -
Okay...there ARE no such things as white witches and no such things as black...but there ARE extremes in both "camps" and balance is good. Is that pretty much what the author is saying? Am I missing something here?
So, we're refuting that there ARE white and black yet admitting it at the same time by a simple shift of terminology.
Okay...I've been working all day and my mind's a bit fershimmeled. I'm going to come back and reread this when my head's clearer! LOL! (maybe I skimmed without realizing it!)
Interesting article!
BB
d'Arqstar
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Permalink Reply by Seachain Aroon on -
In my tradition, there ARE white witches and black witches. The main difference is how they practise the craft. Has nothing to do with the "fluff bunny" Western definition, and we're way far from being "gentle and loving". If you look at the video I have posted on my blog about a Romanian gypsy white witch, you will see that, even if she considers herself a Christian and is a white one, she still does blood sacrifices to the ancient fairies. The Old Ways have another set of definitions than the New ones, and they come from times in which there was no talk of Christianity and Satan.
In the hope that it can explain better, I will quote from an article I have posted on my website.
"NOTE: The “white witch” confusion
Due to the pagan market being practically “inundated” by all kinds of “become a witch overnight” books, I noticed that generally the term “white witch” is more or less equal to “fluff-bunny”.
Never make that mistake when it comes to the “whites” of the South Eastern Europe.
They aren’t as “innocent” and “good” and “nice” as they might seem. It’s just a different principle of using the magic.
A “white” will never initiate anything besides an “undoing” or a healing, cleansing, banishing. But beware of that “undoing”, uncrossing or un-jinxing.
The “white” spells are all based on “if… then” factors, so no innocent will be harmed in the process, only the ones who have casted anything harmful will receive back what they did, only… don’t think of the “three-fold” rule because in this case it doesn’t apply. Usually the “sending back” grows more or less exponentially, feeding off the negativity of the initial caster like a prairie fire feeds on dry grass. More often than not, the “uncrossings” are worse than curses, as they also ask for visible signs as to whom has done the harm.
The “white” doesn’t really spend much effort besides putting this whole process in motion. The whole force of the “undoing” comes from the one who had initiated the magic attack - the stronger the attack, and the more he/she is at it, the worse it will come back to them. For reasons easy to understand (I hope) I will not post online any of these types of works."
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Permalink Reply by Nautonnier on -
AND....this was the WHOLE maelstrom that got Aleister Crowley into such a lot of BOTHER!!!!LOL!
SO...
can we just call it Regional Variations.....???
because equally as there are THOSE who would Call themselves "White" or "black"...
there are EQUALLY as Many who Choose to have NO specific LIMITS..
so why NOT...just Practise as YOU see fit Rather than Everyone Constantly arguing over whether Black..or white or Grey or BLUE..
and Who am I and WHO are YOU..
am I a Magician or a sorceror...
QUESTION..
does IT MATTER????
TRUTH:
IF you Become Bogged Down in ALL these Labels...
YOUR Intention Becomes Something OTHER than what you think IT is!
and You will FIND that things are Not always what they SEEM...
I have observed Variations of This DISCUSSION...for 22 years...
ON and OFF line...
Surely IT has BEEN debated enough at this stage..
apologies for the RANT...
but This has BEEN covered HERE on Paganspace at least Three or Four Times already in various Shapes or Forms...
WE...should BE Unifying...not Dividing
BUT
do as you will!
Blessings,
Daniel Nautonnier
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Permalink Reply by Black Diamond on -
"just Practise as YOU see fit Rather than Everyone Constantly arguing over whether Black..or white or Grey or BLUE"
I totally agree with this statement. It is totally up to the individual to view themselves in a way that is comfortable for them. I myself have no problems with so called "darkness" as I have come look beyond the Christian idea of dark and light. I find this remarkable to be honest as I was raised a Christian and completely adhered to it for so long. But since doing study and finding my Dark Mother Hecate, I have come to realise that darkness and light both contain elements of value. No evil or things to fear unless *I* put it there.
As to whether I am a black or a white witch, I'd have to say I'm grey :)
Blessings All.
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Permalink Reply by Kaellanna on -
This made me think of one of the things I am notorious for doing to people who are being poodoo heads about using magic and energies against me--I put them in a bubble. Think of a perfectly spherical mirror 9reflective surface on the inside) and put the person in it. Any thing they send out bounces about and reflects back at them. When I put them there I ask that they stay there until they learn their lesson about doing naughty things to people.
Seems to work quite well.
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Permalink Reply by Gelidia & The Greenman on -
Greetings Gentle Rains
In my little theory, there is no such item as Black or white magic, or Black, white witch.
It’s a concept used when one or the other has to elaborate the own use of the ego the said person wishes to be viewed in the eyes of another
Let me try and explain*~
Black*~ in nature, things that are black, dark, isolating, shadowy, mysterious or cloaked, in more cases than not lead to growth.
Seeds planted in the ground grow from darkness.
In the cave of darkness you can see your own spirit and grow
Black takes all unto its self a power store, a reflective time.
It is none interfering but magnetic magic.
The dark is where we rest.
Black will absorb all the light and rejecting none, but gives back warmth.
In the dark you begin to get in touch with your centre, your source.
White*~It reflects energies back.
It is the mirror, for all the other energies.
You can not have one without the other, and there is no gray between.
To be just on one tone, negates the Balance and without Balance how can you see the beauty in both.
Awen/|\
Free flowing spirit
Gelidia
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Permalink Reply by Gentle Rains on -
Thank you everyone for your opinions and replies. In my opinion there is no white witches or black witches, you can not be one without the other. And ... I like the "Regional Variations" as you said Nautialchemist.
Personally I practice as I see fit, so I could have to say I'm a nice shade of grey myself.
Blessings~
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Permalink Reply by Celticlass on -
AYE!!!!!!!!!!
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Permalink Reply by CelticDao on -
Hah!
I'm white.
I'm a witch.
There you have it!
And given enough provocation, I would probably call down lightning upon you, and flash fry you to a crackly crisp, so I must be a "black" witch, too. It's soooo confusing.
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Permalink Reply by Celticlass on
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MM ALL
It depends on what your roots are in Witchcraft. The olde ways have neither and both,in other words a good white witch can be that on Monday and hex someone on wed if it';s justified and be called a black,bad witch. The olde ways includes both in each person. what some would consider Bad witchcraft,would NOT be for others. The same coin has two sides,aye? I believe that TRYING to excerice the Harm None makes one a WISE witch,but not always necissarily a good witch.from every point of view. Each circumstance,spellwork,magick has its own unique set of issues.As a Witch,I am both White and Black. MP Heather
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Permalink Reply by Dave S. on -
I am not a practicionare of magic, but my opinion would be that it would all depend on the perspective of those affected by the spell... With everything that happens and the changing of energy there will be those that negatively and positively affected by that (Even in situations that appear to be overwhelmingly 'good').
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Permalink Reply by Peter (Stone Warlock) on -
In SA there is a definite, identifiable difference between white and black Witches.
The black Witches are called Sangomas - the white Witches are called Mother-in laws.
JUST KIDDING GUYS!!!
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