Regarding “binding” the Troglodyte-in-Chief:
I’m not saying this is or isn’t a good idea, but I understand both sides and feel like I need to chime in as a – well, I don’t want to say “Devil’s Advocate”, because that’s the problem.
But forget who we’re talking about for a minute, I have a really hard time seeing his image or reading his name, it’s a visceral, gut reaction.
Just for a moment think about the binding itself. Most Wiccans and Lightworkers have the Rule of Three (or Ten) ingrained in them very deeply, so that they have the knee-jerk reaction of ‘no that’s BAD!’, and ‘just send light to the situation’. I’m not saying that’s wrong, I’m saying LOOK DEEPER.
I know that some believe that reflecting bad intentions back at the sender is bad for your own karma, that one should simply protect yourself and ground ill will, because it’s not up to you what happens to the sender. And that’s not wrong, if it’s right for them.
For myself, I reflect. If they sent it, they should expect it back. It’s *not* up to me, I didn’t make them send me shit. But as for the Rule of Three? I don’t know. In a funny way, I’m more of a ‘do unto others’ kinda Witch. I’m not into dispensing justice, but maybe a little just desserts.
And isn’t all that Rule of Three (or whatever number) just another kind of dogma? I know it’s trying to protect from unhappy consequences of unconsidered actions, but blind obedience and reflex reactions aren’t helping the personal evolution of the protected.
And if you did want to bind someone heinous from doing something horrible, or even curse them, isn’t that their karma anyway? Or is it worse to do nothing when you could have done something? It kinda comes back to that question, if you could go back in time and kill (whoever) and potentially save millions of lives, would you? Is it even up to you? If you had the power, would you feel a responsibility? Who gave you the omniscience to understand Karma?
But other Pagans and non-Wiccan Witches have a different take. Karma isn’t what most people think it is, a simple tit-for-tat, wherein if you do something ‘bad’ it comes right back at you. Karma is more personal than that, it’s a set of lessons written into your own story that you need to learn. An unlearned lesson is “bad” karma and you have to redo the lesson. A lesson learned is “good” karma and you can move in to the next, even if it’s an unpleasant lesson.
The “Devil” that most Wiccan’s and Pagans (that I know) don’t believe in anyway, is just being replaced by “Karma”, and responsibility for actions good and bad are placed firmly outside of the self. If it’s the “Devil” or Karma, or whatever, then you can pass off responsibility to an outside and uncontrollable force and never have to deal with your own shit!
“As goes personal responsibility, so goes personal freedom.” – Fireheart
Personal responsibility and personal power are not just related or entwined, they are different facets of the SAME THING.
This is a HUGE pet peeve of mine, people who get into “alternative” religion (Wicca, Witchcraft, paganism in general) looking for a more powerful “god”.
Paganism isn’t about the power of the Gods and Goddesses, it’s about finding and activating the power in YOU. It’s not about trading one god for another, it’s about finding the God/Goddess INSIDE you!
It’s not somebody give me a spell, or give me a symbol or somebody heal me, it’s SELF EMPOWERMENT.
When learning, it’s not learning a “thing”, it’s learning HOW to do a thing.
When people leave one religion for a (pagan) one, the problem is that they have been programmed to learn/act in a certain way. They’re just trading one set of dogma for another. The thing is to learn HOW, not WHAT.
I am absolutely not advocating that one should do whatever they want because it’s their karma, there are certainly things that one should not do in civilized society. Sure, you have free will, but you don’t have freedom from consequences. I’m just saying, don’t swallow whole everything you’re fed. Know what you think, and why.
And I’m not saying the Rule of Three is wrong, not by any stretch, I’m just saying that if you are going to believe something that deeply, know why you believe it. Question everything, especially your own thoughts.
Cristine
X’s and O’s to 3MoonGoddess for the read
So hey, if it strikes you, I mean only if you want to, hit up my webbie, maybe get a reading: The Essence of Spirit
Cristine Fireheart 