Welcome to Gaia! ::

A friend of mine once said that you can tell volumes about a person's character by finding out what lines had to be crossed before they cast darker magic. Just so we're clear... If you are going to get a knee jerk reaction to the mention of darker magic. You can stop reading now and save yourself the headache.

For those of you still here. Wonderful!

Technically, when you bind someone even if it's for a good reason. It affects that person's free will. Hence, black magic. You can use black magic to do good and bad things. Call it black, white, grey, whatever... It's a force that you put towards a purpose.

So, logically people of various moral codes and ethics put this towards different purposes.

For me personally, I don't want people harassing my loved ones and I will return the favor. I really don't like bullies but on the other hand there is only so much you can do if a person isn't willing to stand up to themselves. I really am more of a misanthropist than I let on...

So, the line I draw is when people harm my loved ones or when someone means ill will towards me; and it's an actual threat not an empty one... See, I try to live by this simple philosophy. Allies, embrace differences, Enemies, force truths. Community, is everywhere. You, choose who to get involved with.

I have had better conversations with eclectic Christians who know I am technically a Satanist if you insist on using labels. Than I have Wiccans. How topsy turvy is that? I know why though. I just had a bit of bad luck running into Wiccans that thought their ways covered all of magic. I respect Wiccans. As long as they aren't cocky enough to think their way of magic covers all of Witchcraft? We're cool.

Enough rambling.

What lines would have to be crossed before you used darker magic on someone?

Considering I don't recognise magic as having a colour it would depend on the given circumstances of a situation as to what my actions would be. In my personal opinion all this crass about black white and grey magic is just that, it's crass, the 'colour' of the magic is not in the magic itself but the intention of the practioner. Magic has no colour.

Would I do something 'malign' for the sake of doing so, no. Would I do something 'malign' because it was an appropriate response to the circumstances, yes without a doubt.

Also on a side note, the title is misleading because playing with the dark implies shadow magic, a completely different discipline.

I am a Lokean I don't need to say much more than that, other than it would still be on a case by case basis.

I usually can't be bothered to get so worked up over something to want to attempt "dark" magic. I've done magic for personal gain and I've done magic that utilizes "dark" forces but I've never really cast a negative spell towards someone. Yet.

It mostly just depends on how much I'm feeling like Alhazred on any given day. I'm approaching a point in my life where I'll probably entertain the possibility again. Anniversaries have a way of dredging up the past.

You do realize that it's easier for some people to break up posts and response to each individual stance over replying to a large wall of text, right?

“Does this hurt? Of course it does, that’s why I’m going to keep doing it.”

A Lokean is a Heathen who's patron deity is Loki. Loki is a trickster deity who brings about change in not exactly the most orthodox methods. he is an embodiment of chaos. Likewise I bring needed changes in my life through not necessarily the most orthodox of ways, mostly chaotic ones. Without chaos you cannot have order, without order there cannot be chaos.

There is a Strega on Gaia. She and I have had some interesting discssions. If you are looking for information on Lucifer in Strega I'd suggest reading Aradia or the Gospel of the witches. Lucifer is an interesting charecter in Strega (short for Stregheria). I've read it many times and this is where my real concept of Lucifer comes from. I haven't really looked into much of the other Lucifer myths.

You know, I actually have that text and an article written by Raven Grimassi whom even the egocentric Michael Ford, founder of the "Luciferian" path. ... (Excuse me while I vomit at the mention of Michael Ford.) Admits that Raven Grimassi is worth looking into and for that tradition of Lucifer it is better to look into Stregheria. I have been meaning to get around to it but my studies keep taking me elsewhere.