Magickal Theory in Practice - 2: Light Workers, Black Magicians and Shadow Work

"In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present." - Sir Francis Bacon

Throughout my studies of Magick, Paganism and "New Age" spirituality, I have regularly come across the phrase "Light worker" and/or "Light barer". There appears to be much debate surrounding this terminology, primarily focusing on what truly constitutes being a Light worker, as well as whether or not there is such thing as "Bad Witches". I endeavour to shed some light (no pun intended) of my own upon this issue based on my own experiences and research.

To begin, we looked at definition of Magick in my previous article of the same title, and defined it as the direction of Will and intention to manifest change in the physical world. It is this subject of intention which will serve as the crux of my opinions regarding what constitutes Light and Dark Magick. The way I see it, there is both good and evil and by extension good or evil Magick. The major thorn in the side of most moralists is the simple fact that 90% of all morality is entirely subjective to the individual, and perception of good and bad, right or wrong, constantly shifts with each new contextual application. This serves to consolidate the arguments of some people in favour of ultimate free Will to do whatever one pleases without fear of consequence, which leads to the common misunderstanding of the first Law laid down by Nuit to Aleister Crowley in Liber Al Vel Legis, "Do what thou will shall be the whole of the Law". Some Magicians see fit to enact their Will in the world without considering the potential harmful effects it may have on other people, and beyond that, have a disregard bordering on contempt for any system of moral guidance. But such people forget two very important points; the first is that 10% of our morality is not down to interpretation or personal opinion, but is rather entirely Objective, applying universally in all matters. The second point is that enacting Will without consequence is to wield power without responsibility (and I don't even need to quote Spiderman to get that point across). Power without responsibility is the definition of foolishness, and foolishness being the antithesis of Wisdom is, by the same virtue the antithesis of Power. Those who operate devoid of moral Law find themselves with the illusion of Power, which eventually will be broken resulting in the individual's inevitable and inexorable destruction.

Let us look at examples of subjective and object morality. That which is subjective would be a person stealing a loaf of bread. This is of course morally acceptable to the individual because their need is so great that stealing the bread is a necessity and is of little real consequence to the person selling the bread; in contrast it is subjectively immoral from the perspective of the bread seller, for they are losing out on a sale and therefore have less money. It could of course be counter argued that the seller already sells their bread at a much higher price than it costs to make/buy in, so they don't really need the money thus making them the immoral one due to their own greed. If we add another dimension to this, it could be argued that the act of stealing the bread creates a situation in which it is unavailable to another person who needs it, and is therefore negatively affecting more than one person while only benefiting the individual. The game of naughts and crosses continues, for even if the thief was able to pay for the bread and did so, then the bread would still be unavailable to the other person, rendering the very act of acquiring the bread, by whatever means, subjectively immoral.

Objective morality applies in extreme cases, such as murder, rape etc. If a person molests a child, then they are committing an act which benefits no one but themselves. An act such as this has no positive outcome, because even the one committing the act gains nothing other than momentary relief for some psychological malady which plagues their every waking hour. As a result, the victim is mentally and emotionally damaged for the rest of their life, and the perpetrator becomes dependent upon such an act to experience that momentary relief, which eventually degenerates further causing more harm to the individual and others. In instances such as these, there is no positive outcome, and therefore is objectively immoral, though I would go as far as saying objectively evil. I will discuss true good and true evil in depth in a later article.

Let me be transparently clear; there is such thing as evil Magick and Black Magicians. If a Magician is performing a spell to bring misfortune or harm to another person out of spite or hatred for them, then this is an act of Black Magick, for it serves no higher good and benefits no one but the caster. This should not be done even as a means of revenge for some past ill done by the person, for combating subjective evil with objective evil does not solve the problem and only amplifies the Karmic repercussions on both sides causing more harm than good. However, if the Magician is casting a spell for someone to miss out on an opportunity so that another person who needs the opportunity more can have a greater chance, then this has some positive outcome for someone other than the caster. This may be seen as wrong by some practitioners, but it is my belief that no matter what we do in life, and no matter how hard we try to make things work out for everyone equally, there will always be someone at a disadvantage even if we never see the negative result of our actions. The ripple effect created by every choice we make travels further around the world than we could ever hope to traverse physically, and there is no realistic way in which we  as third dimensional beings trapped in linear space and time can predict every possible outcome of every possible choice, otherwise we would find that anything and everything we do is wrong to somebody out there. All that we can hope to achieve is to benefit as many people in the immediate sphere of influence as possible, without such an aim being to the detriment of the self. Perhaps my opinion on this issue is short sighted, but I feel that any Witch who claims that Magick for personal gain or the gain of another is wrong, should seriously think rationally about the butterfly effect which all thought and action creates; besides, why were systems of  Magick originally developed if not for the purpose of personal gain and self betterment to achieve Oneness with the creator (the self)? So long as your practice is not specifically geared towards the downfall of another person - unless of course said person is enacting evil in the world and cannot be stopped by conventional means, in which instance such action should be encouraged to maintain universal order through Karmic Justice - then you're doing nothing wrong.

Now on to this talk of Light Workers and Light Bearers. From what I have come to understand, a Light worker is someone who engages in Magickal practice for no other purpose than to do good for others, communing only with high vibratory energy, or "Light beings" and channeling universal energy to benefit others, never the self. These souls seem to be on a mission to save the world one person at a time by healing the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual ailments of everyone they meet.  my wife spent many years as a "designated Light worker", focusing all of her energy on helping other people deal with their problems, resolving their issues, reconciling their differences, pacifying their inner demons, and all the while she was unable to do all of these things for herself because she had given everything in service to others. As a result, her family broke down, her friendships faltered, she became depressed and uncertain of her purpose in life, began to doubt if she was on the right path and even began to doubt if anything she had come to believe was true. She was eventually forced to move away from home to start anew on her own (or at least with me). Through my observation of her experiences I came to a threefold understanding; 1. You cannot save everyone no matter how hard you try, and you will always beat yourself up over the ones that slip through your fingers. 2. Not everyone wants to be saved; some people revel in their drama and instability because they crave the attention of others, and Light workers are easy prey. 3. Everyone has the capacity to help themselves if they choose to. You should focus on healing yourself before seeking to heal others, because otherwise your own negative personality will only attract others of the same disposition to you. Buddha said that "To heal the world you must first learn to heal the self", and Rumi stated "when your inner world comes into order, so too does your outer world come into order". One thing that Light workers seem to miss is that there are some bad people in the world, people who like to feed on the energy of others, and deliberately create situations in which you are obligated to help, but there is no way of resolving the issue, so more energy is required to try to make a change, all the while the "vampire" gets stronger in Will as you get weaker. Attempting to see the good in everyone is admirable but misguided and will only result in you being manipulated and used. This is where the difference between Light workers and Light Bearers arises.

Hecate, The Light bearer. Artwork by Jimmy Manton from Goddesses and Sirens Oracle cards.

While Light Workers seek to heal others by giving them their time, energy and attention in an attempt to somehow transmute their negativity into something positive, Light Bearers seek to heal the world through leading by example, staying in their power, holding the torch aloft to be followed by those who genuinely seek the Light. The typical demeanor of a Light barer is one of aloofness, a degree of passivity or apathy for the problems of others. Light Bearers will give advice, but if that advice is not followed they move on and leave the afflicted person to wallow in their own mistakes. This may seem uncaring or even cruel, but it is in fact the more effective approach to helping others to help themselves. In the case of my wife, after she moved away she vowed to focus only on herself, and as a result she rediscovered her own feminine power and took the path of the Light bearer. She is now rebuilding her family with a whole new relationship dynamic, she has made new and more genuine friends and has more general prosperity and happiness than she ever had in the two decades before she decided to change her life. Again, every person in existence is a part of the Unified Field of the creating consciousness of God, and therefore has the innate potential to live and behave in accordance with the divine principles of the Universe. If the individual is out of harmony with their world, then it up to them to make the conscious decision to change it. This is the first step in transmuting the self into a divine vessel. Light Bearers are those who have already taken that first step, or rather leap of faith into the unknown, and in doing so they demonstrate to all those trapped in prisons of their own making that it is safe to drop everything and move, it is okay to let go of objects, situations and people who do not serve your best interests, it is right for you to seek your own life free from interference from others. Light Bearers show the way through the dark Labyrinth of human existence so that we may finally break free into the light of our true potential. This, I hope, presents a clear distinction between being a Light Worker and a Light bearer, so that no one can misappropriate the two consequently have a greater understanding of the life path that they are on and how to change it if they so desire.

Finally I would like to once and for all dispel any and all misconceptions of "Shadow Work" as something to be feared, avoided or rejected. So many people confuse Shadow Work with Black Magick, resulting in a large number of talented and admirable practitioners being marginalised due to the ignorance of others. Shadow Work encompasses self empowerment, banishing negativity from a space, guarding against and reflecting the negative intentions of others, connecting to the Dark God/Goddess, harnessing one's subconscious and base energies, healing the self via the purging of vices, experiencing mystic death, and the most misunderstood practice of all, Hexing. I will get to the issue of Hexing last, for I feel that the other Shadow practices get too much criticism and not enough serious thought. I will start with banishing rituals; yes, Shadow Magick is used for banishing negativity. Straight away this seems paradoxical, but Shadow Work is not about using negative of destructive forces, it is about using feminine energy, connecting with the Divine Feminine within the self and the Universe to manifest positive change. Part of the misunderstanding and judgement of pagan practices in general is that it centers predominantly around the Mother Goddess, an idea which is alien to many Monotheists who associate the creator as being masculine in nature. In truth, the creator is both masculine and feminine, so veneration of both the God and Goddess are equally valid, equally powerful and most importantly, intrinsic to maintaining balance within the self for both man and women. Banishing rituals are usually conducted at night under a new moon and involve the use of black candles, strong, pungent incense, dense, dark stones and often a pentacle or other Protective symbols. Often the pentacle is wrongly associated with devil worship, but this is the product of Hollywood sensationalism based upon fear perpetuated by Presbyterian America. The same can be said of the Goat of Mendez or inverted pentacle, but this will be covered in another article specifically aimed at symbology. Connecting to the Dark God/Goddess has also received the same ill treatment by popular culture, for most people wrongly associate the word Dark with evil. In truth, the Dark God/Goddess is associated with life and death, as well as rebirth and journeying through the underworld. This Shamanic journey has its earliest roots in the mystery schools of pre-dynastic Egypt and Mesopotamia, and tells of a hero/heroine (normally the latter) entering the realm of the dead, either against their Will as in the story of Persephone and Hades, or to retrieve something that was lost to them as with Ishtar in Babylonian mythology, and in so doing discover their true divinity by traversing the boundaries between life and death. This divinity acts as a torch or guiding light so that other souls lost in darkness can find their way back to the light, the archetypal Light Barer. The Dark God/Goddess is the means by which we can venture into the darkest reaches of our own souls to retrieve the spark of divinity which was lost to us, and by connecting to the Dark One, the magician gains insight into the subconscious mind and acquires advice and guidance on how to proceed through unknown territory; they learn to see the unseen and overcome obstacles in their life path. Connecting to the Dark One aids in purging the self because in death we are presented with our own weaknesses, our sins, our vices and our innermost evils and forced by the Dark One to remove these attributes from with ourselves. From this comes self empowerment, for the individual is no longer shackled by doubt, fear, insecurity, ignorance, hatred or any other self-defeating affliction. It is precisely this self empowerment which was feared by religious and political Elites for centuries resulting in the systematic suppression and eventual annihilation of the Goddess cults and Pagan covens across western Europe, the Americas and finally the rest of the known world.

The Moon in the Tarot represents inner knowing and the dark subconscious. Artwork by Chris Butler from Quantum Tarot 2.0.

Finally, Hexing. It has always been a taboo in Witchcraft to intentionally Hex another for any reason. Common belief is that if you perform an act of harmful Magick towards anyone then that energy that you emit will come back to you having gained momentum and strength, and will affect the caster in a far worse manner than the original act would have. This is in parallel with the idea of Karma in Hindu and Buddhist teachings, and is again echoed in the Bible, "Whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." - (Gen., 4:15). Of course it is easy to ascertain the reasons as to why such a 'law' would be written into the traditions of almost every culture on Earth, to prevent people from doing harm to one another even in retaliation, "You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth'. But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also." - (Luke, 6:38). But when it comes to other people upsetting the balance of good and evil, right and wrong, they need to have a kick in the arse from Karma sometimes to show them what they're doing wrong. Hexing is just that, directing Karma. In the words of Aragorn at Helm's Deep, "Show them no mercy, for you shall receive none." By allowing evil people to commit evil deeds, we open ourselves up to being used, downtrodden and oppressed, for Edmund Burke said "All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men [or women] to do nothing." As previously stated, if the Magician is casting a Hex out of jealousy or spite or unjustifiable hatred, then their actions create an undisturbed ripple of negativity which will eventually find its way back to them while affecting innumerable innocent people along the way. However, if the Hex is directed with pure intentions towards a person who themselves is creating waves of bad mojo, then the retaliatory wave of Hex Magick will interfere with and counteract the target's negative output, neutralizing it and possibly even transmuting it into something positive. When casting a Hex, the magician usually calls upon principle deities associated with war and justice, beseeching those energies to align with their Will and strike down the object of their anger. By calling upon a God/Goddess of justice, the caster is automatically submitting their Will to that of the divine principalities of the creator and should thus understand that if their anger is misplaced or unfounded then justice will instead be enacted upon them for desiring to cast the Hex in the first place. Of course, one might wonder why this doesn't seem to affect the person committing evil, for there are some people in the world who use destructive Magick to influence people and situations in their favour, Hexing for unneeded personal gain, or even worse, for amusement which, as outlined earlier, is objectively evil. The loophole which allows such people to act with relative impunity is that they align themselves with destructive energy sources and consciously agree to accept any and all consequences of their actions upon their death, and until such time that person is to be unaffected by their own Karma; this is why bad guys always seem to get what they want while good people get screwed over so much. Again, this can be counteracted and nullified by directing positive or creative forces to usher in Karmic justice promptly and prevent further evil from being perpetrated; I intend to write a full length discourse on the forces of Good and Evil, as well as the deities associated with each and the 'hierarchies of heaven and hell' in another post.

A prime example of this happening on a large scale occurred back in July 2016 when Pagans and practitioners around the world cast curses and Hexes against the Militant Extremist group, Daesh. until that time, Daesh were expanding their 'Caliphate' across Syria and Iraq with little success by neighbouring military forces in stopping them, but within days of the worldwide Pagan community issuing their curses upon the group, Russia made a snap decision to contribute air support to the Syrian regime's efforts to combat the threat, resulting in supply lines being destroyed, bases being wiped off the map, and the would-be Caliphate shrinking into isolated pockets of land to be surrounded by security forces on the ground. Many call this coincidence, others call it divine providence. I am inclined to agree with the latter, for I too contributed my prayer for the downfall of Daesh and was overjoyed to hear of their subsequent dissolution. Of course the threat is still present and fighting back, but this simply indicates that one wave of Hexes isn't enough to stem the tide of evil, just as one volley of arrows would not defeat an advancing army of Uruk-Hai. By planning a Hex carefully and executing the spell with true intentions and a pure heart, the caster becomes the weapon of the Gods, an instrument of Karmic justice to be directed into the world to negate any and all acts of faithlessness and atrocity. This is why Hexing is regarded as Shadow work, for it acts in tandem with the wrath of the Gods, and the wrath of the Gods if frightening. Shadow work in its entirety consists of that which frightens us, darkness, death, the unseen and unknown, our inner demons, our weaknesses, and most frightening of all, our true power and Godly potential, for with great power comes great responsibility, and that is something which many of us feel unready to take on. The worst thing one can do is live in fear, I should know. We as a species must overcome our fears and break free of our convenient lexis cages to experience the fullness of our existence, warts and all; for to shirk away from our power and responsibility is to refuse our birthright and reject the creator, and in doing so reject our own existence. Would it not be better, then, to not exist at all? Of course not. so why fight so hard to continue living and reproducing and populating the Universe if we will not do anything with it all? Do not fear your darkness, for it embraces the light lovingly and keeps it in place, enveloping all creation to be illuminated by itself. become one with it, use it, let it balance your light so that you may traverse the barriers between all worlds and see all creation in its full glory; let your chariot of ascension be drawn by two horses, one black, one white.

"If you are afraid of the darkness, you are afraid of your own soul." - Anonymous.

Peace and love to all. Namaste.

Enki Endymion. O(