Bindings and Hexings 1

Bindings and Hexings, Handle With Care: (part one)

(warning, there is a political statement in this post, but it’s germane to the topic, I promise)

Witches in the 1970s – 80s were very much against using any type of hex or curse, because they wanted to distance themselves from the media’s negative image of witchcraft, as well as from the practice of diabolism. Authors and clergy were quick to proclaim “We are not Satanists!” Which is true, we’re not.

Wiccans from that era looked to “the threefold law,” which proclaims “an it harm none, do as you will.”

The first part, the Threefold Law, means that energy or intent sent out three times will come back to the sender in the same amount, or enhanced three times. For example, if a Witch curses someone with Covid, they might themselves die of the illness. This is also called rebound energy or a reversal, and in folk-magick, a bounce-back or a swing-around. Some modern folks equate it with the Hindu religious concept of Karma, which is rather different – yet it’s still used in popular lexicon. Think of John Lennon’s song about Instant Karma.

The second part, the Harm None, means that as long as no person or entity will be caused any pain, difficulty, or other harm, we can pretty much do as we please.

There are many interpretations of those tenets. It’s impossible to do NO harm – every time we breathe, we kill certain microbes. And what kind of harm? Is it okay to hurt someone in the short term, for long-term benefit? For example, getting stabbed with a needle hurts, but not getting tetanus is worth it. Breaking up someone from an abusive partner might cause them temporary angst, but it’s worth it in that they are no longer being abused.

Yet nowadays, there are all kinds of debates about the ethics of binding someone, or downright cursing them.
There’s even proscriptions against “curse-shaming,” which means chiding someone for sending baneful energies to a bona-fide enemy.

I tend to be in this camp, reason one – because I have seen that the “three-fold law” is not just a witchcraft religious tenet, but an actual LAW, like the Law of Gravity. I’ve seen some serious bounce-backs, some really immediate and painful reversals happen. Someone does something awful – cursing someone to steal their boyfriend, zapping a rival to get their job – then the person who sent the baleful magic drops dead. No, I am not exaggerating.

Reason two – because it’s not our place to cause harm, ourselves, any more than I can smash my snowplow into someone who taps my fender in traffic. That’s the job of the Gods and the courts, respectively.
We can petition the greater Law and say, “Hey, Jimmy is doing XX harmful action, please make him stop.” We can appeal to deities who represent justice, like Taranis or Hekate, and ask for the individual to be given lessons, awareness, or even punishment.

Reason three – because I personally tend to go too far in retribution, which is a character flaw that I’m working on. Just because the restaurant worker forgot my salad fork is no reason to get them fired. Or make them fall down the stairs and break a leg. Just next time, please remember that I don’t want to eat my cole slaw with my fingers, okay?

Binding means stopping someone from doing something. As with any magick, finesse and subtlety must be employed. Binding someone from, say, causing you problems at work must be expressed in such a way that the individual actually stops doing harm, but is not harmed, themselves. Not getting canned. Not having their child get sick, so they have to stay home.

Some of the bindings and hexes I’ve mentioned are actually symptoms of borderline personality disorder. Being a psychopath. Not caring how you affect others. Which is just awful. It puts the witch who sent the curse on the level with someone who shoots a gun into a crowd.

Now for the political stuff: Okay, I do not like president Trump. I think he is senile, and not a nice person to begin with. I think many of his policies are whack. Anyway. During his first term, some Witches did a mass spell, a nationwide working, to bind and /or curse Trump. Their reasoning was fairly pure – they wanted him to not be able to harm anyone. However, their execution was pretty terrible. I find it not to be a coincidence that right after these Witches did their working to hex Trump, Covid-19 happened. Businesses were shut down, and many small businesses went under. The economy tanked. Thousands of people became homeless. The government was moribund. And, well, a million people died. Yes, Trump was stopped, and didn’t get reelected. But at what cost?

Then, Trump came back, and now is even worse. Wouldn’t it have been better to do a mass working for “the good of the country and all its people”??? Maybe add that Marian Weinstein caveat, “this working is to do no harm and be for the good of all”. Yeah.

Bindings can also stick a person / situation in the same place, rather then preventing them from doing further harm. So if you want the bully to stop hurting your kid, a binding might stick him in the same classroom, doing the same behavior. You want your spells to manifest for the best possible outcome, right? So be careful how you word them.
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