I see a lot of members here with clashing views and opinions several of which each have very valid points to make with very valid sources they are reading from.
I find the common reason for these clashing views is they are simply reading from two very different generations or versions of the same umbrella term.
I do not consider people to be wrong when they say black magic is that which is cast with ill intention, because at one point and to many people that is the accurate definition.
I also do not think people are wrong when they say that magic has no color and should not be labeled as such, because that's a younger, slightly more open minded version of the same general concept.
I myself am a bit old fashioned and I can be fairly conservative in my opinions and preferences but I strive to understand people regardless.
So something I've been curious about for a while now is what "generations" are your beliefs coming from?
My views are from a Next-Generation area. Science, religion, and magick combined. I seek the truth in each beleif. Catholocism has the largest piece of truth, science has a good amount, and magick is somewhat of a blend of the two, but still has a great deal of truth in it. But, since we, as long as we are on this Earth, can not ever fully understand how existance works, we will never have the full truth. After we die is a different story. I just strive to learn what I can here.
I think that it can be counter-productive to label beliefs. Simply because if you are truly a open-minded person, (and so long as you are young and forever experiencing) your beliefs and views will change in many different ways over the years.
If one finds the need to label magick in colors to help organize and categorize his/her spells, I think one should do so. If one finds it also wrong to do so, going against years of tradition, that also makes sense; but only to that certain individual.
When you start labeling right, wrong, mine, yours, you downgrade your existence to something that it is not. The only 'correct' answer is to live, to feel, to experience the energies around us, regardless of how you speak of them.
Thankyou for bringing these topics up, Amity. I always love reading the responses as well as the questions you pose.
I get my beliefs through observations, mistakes(mine and others), influences, history, patterns in the world, and just believing it what felt right to believe in.
Try this viewpoint : Magic is a 'knife', it can be used to 'cut, it can be used to 'hurt', it can be 'used' to KILL. How do you use it ? What is your 'intent' at the time of use ? There is no right or wrong, there is only the magic.......use it wisely or NOT you choose....
I hear all the time from the members who like to keep up with the trends here that they don't like labels because it brings stereotypes and so on...
I also hear people thinking they are more open minded because they don't like labels.
What part of what I was originally asking requires you to surmount your beliefs with this labels phobia I see so often these days?
Labels are not only used by the uneducated might I add for you. Labels are extremely useful for organization and when put to justified use do not deprive one of open-mindedness.
To be open minded is good, but to be too open minded, might I say from personal experience, can be one's downfall.
Now then, I take you both (Personified and OccultJosh) are very--contemporary, with your beliefs?
I wouldn't call the dislike of labelling a "phobia", that emplies a fear of being labeled. There is a great gap between fear, and resoluteness in ones conciously developed beliefs (especially when those beliefs go against the support of something), as it is not fear that drives the dislike of a thing once the mindset is established, but logical opposition.
I don't like labels for many reasons, but I see the use in them also for many reasons. When you name something by what it is in detail, you convey the meaning of what it actually is (it also helps keep up a certain level of intelligence). For instance, of every person who practiced magick was called a Wiccan, then we'd all disolve into one gray blob or generalized poop (and I'm not calling Wicca a pile of poop.) But when discussing matters on a broad scale, say the basis of what Wicca is, it is easier to just say "Wiccans paractice -insert some creed here-" instead of saying "Dianic Wiccans practice -insert some Dianic Wiccan practice- while -name some other sect of Wicca- practice -insert specific creed here-".
As with giving magick labels of "colors", I do this so that I may describe the general intent of a spell or ritual in one word instead of saying exactly what I want in a longer drawn out sentence. I.E. "I want a Green spell" instead of saying "I want a spell that is aligned in intent with nature, life, and growth."
Labels are helpful, but just like everything, they have their time and place. They are great for generalized conversation, but for in depth discussion it would be best to name things as they really are.
I'm not certain there is a 'generation' for the way I see and practice magic, though I'm much more of a spirit worker than an energy worker, which seems to be a less well-trod path these days. It may be because there are fewer people who subscribe to the view that deities and/or spirits are real and prefer to view the spiritual world as aspects of the self, thus all magical work comes from the self too. Energy work does appear to a more modern (100 years or so) concept as the vast majority of spells and charms in texts such as the PGM entreat various gods and spirits to perform the work rather than concentrating on building magical energy in the petitioner.
"I wouldn't call the dislike of labelling a "phobia", that emplies a fear of being labeled. There is a great gap between fear, and resoluteness in ones conciously developed beliefs (especially when those beliefs go against the support of something), as it is not fear that drives the dislike of a thing once the mindset is established, but logical opposition."
lol A phobia is anxiety, anxiety is not fear, it is nervous avoidance of something without logical reasoning.
Example: Arachnophobia is when someone is absolutely sure if they step outside the house a spider will magically appear just to make their day worse.
I have reasons for calling it a phobia.
Now if we're done with that the point in that reply was this post isn't about labels at all. I don't particularly care for opinions on this labeling issue going around.
What I was asking, had to do with a person's views relative to say new age, or if they prefer things traditional, etc...
If you believe this to be labeling and should then avoid the question all together I reassure you that the black magic portion of the original post was an example of the difference between newer and older views. That is not the only difference, in fact there are several aspects you can be coming from.
The original question:
"I myself am a bit old fashioned and I can be fairly conservative in my opinions and preferences but I strive to understand people regardless.
So something I've been curious about for a while now is what "generations" are your beliefs coming from?"
