Understanding the real Black Mage

Black magick almost never misuses anything. Black magick is self-serving magick...which there isn’t anything wrong with, since we are all divine in our own rights.

However, it’s especially important for black magicians—even more so than for white magicians—to be very mindful of how they work their magick. Mess up a white magic blessing and there’s no harm done. Mess up a love spell and you’re probably gonna get bitten in some way or another. Mess up a curse and shit’s gonna hit the fan. You get the picture.

That’s why black magick isn’t a misuse of magick. The magician can’t afford it.

One must always keep in mind the Hermetic principles of rhythm and cause/effect. If you throw curses around freely, there will be consequences. It’s not karma. It’s just cause and effect. But if someone harms you grievously, perhaps they deserve some harm back. That’s rhythm, that’s in keeping with cause and effect. The magician must always be mindful, always.

I used the terms black magick and white magick, but really, it’s all moot. Black and white exist along the same polarity. It’s just magick. And magick is nothing but thought imbued with will, something that every living being does every moment of their existence.

There is no harm in learning about black magic if you wish to enlarge your knowledge in a general way, but my advice is not to try any spells, rites or invocations you may find in books or on the Internet under any circumstances, no matter how tempted you may be to do so. If you do you may place yourself in great danger by invoking these dark powers, or you may draw towards you evil men and women who may influence your life and Higher Self in a most undesirable manner. You may feel very strong and confident NOW and quite certain of your powers of resistance, but the traps and wiles of these people are so dangerous, and they are so full of malign cunning that it is possible to find yourself in their net before you realize it.

Black magic can be dangerous. To dive a little further, we need to define both what magic is and what black magic is. Magic is simply the exercise of the will and imagination in the employment of natural laws. To me, "black magick" is simply the act of utilizing one's will in a way that affects observable reality, be it for selfish or altruistic reasons. An obvious example is material wealth, status, etc. Where my opinion tends to differ with others is that I also consider magick done for the help of others in a "worldly" aspect is equally to be considered "black." This includes, but is not limited to, providing a friend or relative with financial or health-related assistance.

That being said, what do I consider "white magick?" Any act that advances oneself in ways beyond that of the material plane: the quest for knowledge, spiritual advancement, or any act which serves to change emotion, mindset, or outlook. In other words, I differentiate black/white in regard to objective/subjective. As such, I see no inherent "danger" existing in black magick than exists within its counterpart. Both possess the capacity for positive or negative outcomes, yet I consider both to be equally worthy pursuits.

LVX - Patrick Gaffiero