Dark vs Light

[Tylluan]

On my travels along this path I've met people who think that darker magic is stronger and that you can be even more powerful if you dabble with the dark. I've heard about having to experience the dark to experience the light. Do you agree with this? Personally I don't, I think in our lives we all experience the dark enough and to rise above it and treat everyone with love and respect is actually a lot more powerful than cursing, and blasting people.

The ulimate power of self worth and whole comes from acceptance and love. I know people can't be love and light all the time but i truely believe that is what we should be aiming for. I've been around people who let the dark into their life in am attempt to taste power, but it does no good. They become shells of themselves and depressed.

What's your take on it?

[Twine]

I believe that in the study of the Craft, one should not be one sided. I'm not saying to practice the dark side, nor am I advocating the use of it, but I think it is equally important to understanding the Craft fully. In Journalism, you're taught that while you have an opinion, it basically doesn't matter. The point is not to decide what is right or wrong, it is to bring forth information, representing both sides, so that the general public may choose for themselves, based on their own beliefs, and their own morals. The same can be said for almost anything.

As far as whether or not I think the dark is stronger, no, I don't. Some people may feel that to be true, based solely on their ability to feel darker things over love and joy. There are those people out there, let us not kid ourselves. The strength of the Magic rests within yourself. If you believe that Darker magics are stronger, then obviously you will find that you feel more powerful, and may even come up with greater results. But some of the folks here, the 'Albinos' of the Magic world, will believe the exact opposite. The power doesn't lie in the type, it lies in the person performing it and their intentions and their confidence in themself.

I favor none. While I try to stay on the brighter side, I feel that occasionally, to get what is best for all, that people must be manipulated. Oh no, I said it! "Manipulate!? EGAD! Quick! To the stake with the w-!" The what? The witch? Occasionally, being of no affiliation, I feel like I am being witch-hunted for not believing in 'no manipulation,' in 'no harm,' and Wiccan beliefs. Magic predates Wicca by what? Thousands of years? Since there were humans, there was magic, and it can feel a little one sided here. An interesting place to get persecuted for being a REAL witch, isn't it?

[Tylluan]

ha I hope you won't get persecuted for being a Real Witch. I agree with your post too, its very reasoned and I am not Wiccan either so I understand your Traditional Witchcraft views. There used to be a great website for Traditional Witchcraft but its sadly gone now. I don't mean getting even with someone though, or the small run in's people have on a daily basis. I mean going down the darker route like talking to darker spirits, working curses, hexes and affecting people's lifes in ways that shouldn't be tried. My Nan was a nasty character and would curse at the drop of a hat. I never understood it. I believe her need for vengeance stemmed from her own insecurity. She found forgiveness the hardest thing of all. For her the darker things were more powerful and she ended up living in a creepy house with no friends and no life. She brought dark entities into her home and they used her. She thought she was powerful but infact she was just used.

I pity the people who live in her house now.

[Twine]

ha I hope you won't get persecuted for being a Real Witch. I agree with your post too, its very reasoned and I am not Wiccan either so I understand your Traditional Witchcraft views. There used to be a great website for Traditional Witchcraft but its sadly gone now. I don't mean getting even with someone though, or the small run in's people have on a daily basis. I mean going down the darker route like talking to darker spirits, working curses, hexes and affecting people's lifes in ways that shouldn't be tried. My Nan was a nasty character and would curse at the drop of a hat. I never understood it. I believe her need for vengeance stemmed from her own insecurity. She found forgiveness the hardest thing of all. For her the darker things were more powerful and she ended up living in a creepy house with no friends and no life. She brought dark entities into her home and they used her. She thought she was powerful but in fact she was just used.

I pity the people who live in her house now.

I know what you mean. And yes, there are those out there. Just as you said about your grandmother, the darkness does tend to find a way to control you, especially when you invite the darkness in. I try to avoid dark spirits as much as possible, but I have had my fair share of run ins. I try not to deal in the dead, anymore, as it can be very complicated and drain a lot of energy. I help them whenever I can, and make a point to ask if I can aid any of the spirits residing in the nearby cemeteries (which are plentiful). I'm also not a believer in karma, as I believe everything happens for a reason. If a person is intended to be a certain way, say on the dark side and cause damage for someone, I believe that that damage is meant to happen and that there are things to be learned by both parties because of it. For instance, say your great aunt dies. You were very close to her, and while you'' miss her, the loss of her will teach you to cope with loss and how to deal with grief. Perhaps she'll even leave you an inheritance to fix your car, or buy a meal and appreciate the family you still have, etc. I believe the universe has it's balance, and no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, you're not going to be able to tamper with that.

[Tylluan]

Thanks Twine, I like your replies they are always reasoned and well thought through.

Can I ask do you believe in Fate? or do you view it as same as Karma?

[Twine]

I'm much more Fate based. As I think the entire reason we are here is to learn certain lessons, that we have planned out ahead of time. So there's really no say as to what happens to us, not once we are here, at least. That also includes all the bad things we will do, which may have 'ill' effects on others. But those effects are planned, as well, by them. You never learn when things are easy, I think we all know this. Therefore, I feel that that belief nullifies karma in my realm. I mean, you should strive to be the best you can be, and not hurt others, but I don't believe it will come back at you, unless it will help you learn.

[Ula]

I don't think "dark" magic has to be bad magic. Some gods and goddesses are very dark, are war oriented and can still do good things. I think if someone is going to hurt you or your family in some way then you should protect yourself and it you can do that with magic more power to you. A great Traditional Witch site is http://www.traditionalwitch.net. There are discussions on dark magic there that isn't necessary evil or bad and even if you choose not to practice it I think any witch should have a healthy knowledge of it so if the need arose you could fight it off if used against you.

[Release.the.bats]

I agree wholeheartedly with Ula.
Dark only means "Evil" because of the Western culture many of us are raised in.
In fact, in many Asian ceremonies of death white was the color to symbolize mourning, not black many of us are familiar with.
Our ideas of dark meaning evil is conditioned from growing up in a Christian/monotheistic biased society.

There is NOTHING within darkness that should be equated with evil, there are plenty of people with light or angelic energies that are compulsive liars and deceitful manipulators.
Energy doesn't determine whether someone is a good person or a bad person, the persons actions/decisions determine that.

[Symandinome]

I agree with Twine in everything that was said.

You will often hear me say that I believe you must first know how to kill in order to truly heal.

I say and believe this because in order to be able to heal you you have to understand its opposite and what makes it its opposite. So we can use measures thoughtfully to obtain a desired outcome. This is echoed in knowing which herbs you can take to feel better and which ones will kill you. We have to find a balance in all things. I personally strive to stay on the "lighter" side of things but I am equiped with the knowlege of its opposite. I do not feel that either has more power than the next but I do feel that for certain situations some things require an energy that is best represented by one above the other.

[Victoria Mnemosyne]

You will often hear me say that I believe you must first know how to kill in order to truly heal.

I say and believe this because in order to be able to heal you you have to understand its opposite and what makes it its opposite. So we can use measures thoughtfully to obtain a desired outcome. This is echoed in knowing which herbs you can take to feel better and which ones will kill you. We have to find a balance in all things. I personally strive to stay on the "lighter" side of things but I am equiped with the knowlege of its opposite. I do not feel that either has more power than the next but I do feel that for certain situations some things require an energy that is best represented by one above the other.

I agree completely. I think that it is important to understand darkness to have knowledge of the light. I cannot put it any better than Symandinome and Twine, but I would like to add some thoughts.
There is a lack of information about this subject on the web, and it is not very acessible to people for whom this is their primary means of learning. I understand the dangers of dark magic, but is that not doing eachother a disservice? Lack of knowlege breeds ignorance only. Each person's magical practice is their own responsibility, magic is a tool that can hurt or harm. If you educate someone about what a knife can do, and you educate them about the good and bad uses of it, it is THEIR responsibility to use it for say, cutting an apple or eating a steak, as opposed to stabbing someone.

[Symandinome]

thats very true Victoria and I am all for putting informaton on to the darker side of things BUT not without a precursor to it to be stumbled upon first that explains what is what and why.

[Victoria Mnemosyne]

Absolutely. I would also advocate educating before instructing on how to practice.

[FireQueen]

Dark is not necessarily more powerful than light, but humans are vengeful by nature and sometimes dark can be more gratifying. The thing that you need to keep in mind is that light is fueled by love and joy, while dark is fueled by hate and anger. Do you really want to have enough hate and anger in your life to be powerful with the dark? If I were you, I'd steer clear of the dark if I could avoid it.

I couldn't have said this better myself.

Brightest blessings.

[SouthernBelle]

Dark and Light are like yin and yang, two opposites required for balance. In my opinion Dark is about as evil as a dark moon. Dark and Light are (in Freudian terms) Id and Ego. One raw and based on instincts and passion before logic, the other a more contained tranquil energy. Both are needed to make a good person and a good witch. Unless we're in a galaxy far far away there is no need to fear the "dark side".

[Victoria Mnemosyne]

There is a website I frequent that discusses dark and light magic, if anyone is interested in a link message me privately.