I have been wondering for some time now...what exactly is "gray magic?" and what are YOUR perspective on this topic?? I would love to hear from all of you!
Grey Magick is a way to define the intention of all magickal workings (such as Black magick, or White magick). The color Grey signifies Neutrality and therefore grey magick is believed to either protect the balance of nature, or work neither for, or against nature.
So from what you're telling me is that it's a mixture of black and white magic?? I am kinda curious about gray magic but I am a bit too chicken to try out any black magic spells since it will hit me 10x fold. : I guess its my decision,eh??
Some what. A lot of practitioners would argue that all magick is grey, because it is never fully evil, or fully righteous. The difference between black and white magick depends on the intention of the spell; white being posotive emotions/intentions, and black being negative emotions/intentions. Therefore, grey would be intentions that generally are neutral.
Do not be afraid to try certain types of magick, but consequences are always a part of what you do (even if it is not magickal).
Oddly enough, many Wiccan's would put love spells under the category of black magick because it toys with the free will of others, which can be debated as harming that person (against the rede).
I also would like to add a couple things. 1) spells you practice that are black magick may not necessarily come back on you (10x i.e.). To be honest that's a idea. A belief. Superstition. It's only as true as you believe it to be. So if you believe it "karma" can hit you. If not then no worries. 2) some cultures and beliefs and religions claim that binding spells no matter what they are for are black magic spells.
I totally agree on the love spells being under black magic from experience and with binding spells too so I guess you can say I did experience some white and black magic! Therefor,would be gray magic. Haha! Cool. I solved my problem. Any suggestions on any good websites to look on gray magic?? If so,thanks again!!
Walking a grey path myself, I can say the above is correct.
It is a balance. I don't look at it as the color of magick more so the side of life it reflects. Grey is a path of balance internally and externally. There is no "holy" and "evil" in life. But rather grey is looking at the world through a scale, seeing both sides and understanding that without one side, the other side would not exist. They are dependent on one another.
People on a "white" path focus only on the positive aspects of life. Life, creation, preservation, peace, virtues...the commonly considered "beautiful" side of life.
Those who walk a "black" path focus on the less socially accepted aspects of nature. Death, destruction, sacrifice (literal, emotional/mental and figurative), war, carnal nature...the more commonly considered "unpleasant" side of nature.
This could also be seen in the neo pagan concept of the "maid, mother, and crone" triple goddess archetype. The old woman is the darker side of nature and the young beauty would be the lighter side of nature.
I've never found a true "maid, mother and crone" deity. This is a modern concept, unless someone can prove differently. Anyone?
Usually seperate deities are put together to form the triple faces. True triple goddesses like Brigit are not with one young, one middle aged, and one elderly. They are usually the same age, showing the many aspects of one goddess.
Morrigan would definitely fit what modern pagans would view as the "crone".
Morrigan flying across battlefields. She is the banshee queen who sits on the river side and washes the bloody clothes of the men who would die wailing and screaming. This is the "dark" side of nature I use. The description alone may seem frightful to some. But I love this archetype.
Brigit on the other hand is a lighter side of nature. She would be viewed as a "maiden/mother". Creativity, healing, protection, motherhood, poetry. She has a rougher side to her as a blacksmith and warrior, but she is usually seen as a symbol of beauty, protection, and blessings. This is the lovely side of nature that is "nice" and "happy". I like Brigit and feel I relate to her a lot, being a mother, writer, metalsmith (artist in general) and favoring the element fire. So I use this archetype once in a while.
How it is used, and the personality of the magick user is what makes them, not the magick, good or bad. There is a time and place for all things. Many people make rash decisions and go overboard or don't do enough and get hurt for it. It takes life experience, observance of nature, and a bit of wisdom to get it right.
I have heard people say "grey is for people who want to do whatever they want and get away with it". Although mean spirited people may do this with any path, it is untrue for those kind hearted of any path. Again it is the person not the magick or style. Grey is probably one of the most difficult paths because it focuses on the good of all, not just oneself or an individual. We are all interconnected. What we do is a ripple on the water that effects much more than we can imagine. If the scales are tipped too far, we decide what will tip them back into balance and do what we can in word, deed, or spell.
this is very deep and i'll keep this all in mind about what you and the others have said. i've heard of those goddesses but never had the time to sit down and read which ill take to consideration! i agree with the balance in life which is why the yin-yang symbol is there to remind us that without darkness there will be no light. so from experience,i think ill look into this more further,to see if this magic is for me.
With a grey path it holds no bounds for what "type" of magick you choose. It is only the way you use it and the philosophy you choose to live by. Traditional witchcraft is very much "grey". So is nearly every ancient art. Only the new age or neopagans create a clear definition between "white", "black", and "grey". I chose this path before I sought the terminology for it. People now need this terminology. Before I used the term "grey" I was misunderstood. I first came upon this misunderstanding among Wiccans I spoke with. They thought I was wrong for not being against "black magick". So I did a little research and discovered that my ways were defined as "grey". I believe in neither "do what you will" or "harm to none". I believe basically, do what is in your heart, and what is for the better good.
Many people have fought and died for what they believed in. Wars fought to defend their homeland, their children. In nature, two separate packs of wolves will fight. A mother, whether animal or human will fight for their young, risking their lives for the safety of their children. Is "harm none" natural? Hardly. This is what they felt in their hearts to be right. It is intention that is important in nature and in magick. This is why I originally thought myself to be "white" because if "white" magick was truly based off not influencing free will and harming none, not one person would be able to say they are 100% "white". But if "intention" for the better good makes one white, then many casters would be such. But that is not the case, so that is why I have observed what people view as "white" and "black" and made note that it comes down the majority vote of beautiful vs unpleasant.
Many people try to make themselves believe something is right because they are emotionally overwhelmed with anger, fear, lust, or sadness. They justify what they are doing because its what they want. We can't try to fool ourselves into thinking something is "right". If we feel guilt afterward, we obviously knew it was wrong. If we don't feel guilt or have second thoughts, we are acting true to what we know. Right and wrong is in the mind and heart of the beholder. There is no set "truths" besides what we can view in nature. If it is indeed wrong (even through nature) and we have some twisted view, we have yet to learn an important lesson in life. Some people who "wrong" us, are unaware.
Physically we have far more limitation than with magick. Although we should always try to approach something through words or actions, sometimes this doesn't work out as we planned. We have choices in magick and someone looking toward the better good has to use wisdom to decide what is the best course of action.
Lessons should be taught instead of pointless harm. If someone is harming you, then they have harmed others, and will harm more in the future. Will revenge stop it? No. Is binding fair? That is like handcuffing someone or imprisoning them. They won't learn, they'll find a way around it, an escape. To some death would be more merciful than being imprisoned. But death would only be justified for someone like Hitler. Protecting yourself is good no matter what, but what about their next victim? You can't protect the world from them. Do you see the logic in grey?
Furthermore you can use "black" magick to heal, protect by reflecting (backlash is a form of harm but a lesson in its own), and the list goes on.
I am a practioner of grey magic, as it is said above, it is of balance. As we are composed of the elements within the periodic table, remember universal understanding shows all else is derived of these fundamentally. Within all material structure lies the atom, and suspended protons and neutrons randomly orbit the nucleus. So we are composed majority wise of empty space at the core of what binds the elements constructing our existence.
We are constructed in whole from opposed spectrums of matter, and this is also said the same for our universe. Truly belief and practice of grey magic is respecting free will of other people. Just as you have the right of free will, so must you not violate free will of others. If someone attempts inhibiting your free will, all logic says to prevent being victim to another's whim . The preservation of this mutual respect brings balance and harmony, and the loss of such results in imbalance and confliction. The divine is part of the Collective we are sepperate yet connected to
