White magic and its uses

White magic branches off from the practice of Magick, which involves occult rituals to transmute the metaphysical into the physical. White magic is the opposite of black magic. It seeks to use the powers of the occult for selfless purposes and is largely associated with healer witches and wizards.

Black magic, on the other hand, uses these powers for selfish and evil purposes. White magic is also similar to green magic, though it isn’t strictly bound, by definition, to nature itself. Rather they share similarities based on the natural laws of the universe and obeying the boundaries of these laws. Moreover, green and white magic share origins in ancient paganism and polytheism. 

How white magic came to be what we know it as

People known as the ‘cunning folk’ practiced folk traditions which are similar to common white magic practices today. They were a people that came from different areas in Europe including countries like : Britain, France and Germany. Their systems ran from the early 15th century and continue today in their modern adaptations, however were depopularized around the 20th century with the onset of industrialization.Towards the end of the 15th century, the presence of the occult and existence of spirits was accepted as real.

This was challenged by the age of enlightenment that dawned around the 17th century. An italian renaissance philosopher by the name of Marsilio Ficino proposed the existence of paranormal entities and the catholic church agreed with him, to an extent. They disagreed with him that there existed a ‘purer form’ of witchery, that used the same practices of the occult- just on the opposite side of the spectrum. 

Examples of its use

One of the principle practices is purification. Purification involves cleansing the mind and body of evil thought and spiritual ‘dirt’. A basic ritual, for example, uses salt in cleansing. A partaker would place bowls of salt around his or her dwelling to purify the space. Alternatively, as in the case of direct rituals, they might place the salt around them to purify the energy of the ritual.

The use of certain objects or substances is commonplace in ritual practising and spell casting. Herbs and plant oils are used, candles of certain colours are burnt and symbolic totems take part in all of these endeavours. These examples are limited to physical aids in ritual performances but using the body is equally important, with or without these aids. Focus on energy, thought and intention and learning how to transport this mentalized energy so that it can surface in the material, are all aspects of Magick practice- including white magic.

Spell casting is a good example of a combination of instrumentalizing the body and objects to achieve an outcome. One would have to focus their intent on crafting words that exemplify the will, embody the feeling of the words and vocalise them in a way that reflects that emergence. Object use would then act as a conduit to heighten and maximize these energies. There are many established spells and rituals in white magic, but a skilled witch would be trained to the extent of being able to craft their own, with more effect due to personalization. 

Modern controversiality in white magic practices

Capitalism has taken over the world more than we know. It’s subtly or overtly displayed in almost every aspect of our lives. Take for instance how spirituality is sellable and religious redemption, purchasable. It has even influenced our societal norms and perspectives. These days, perseverance and hard work is treasured and struggling classes are indoctrinated by the american dream of chasing material success to the death. ‘If you fail, try, try again…’ is an expression that we parrot, seemingly unaware of it being the gas to power the cog (that is you) in the machinery.

False positivity and a total obliteration of negativity is a symptom of this disease and direly effects the true spirit and practice of white magic. Capitalistic white magic tends to focus on ‘self-liberation’ and ‘self-empowerment’, when in its essence- white magic seeks to abandon the ‘self’ so that space is made for others. Furthermore, this fixation of ignoring negativity in light of gaining positivity is highly counterintuitive in proper white magic.

White magic adorns good, undoubtedly, but it doesn’t ignore the bad. Practitioners know that suppression is double-fold manifestation. The more you refuse to look at something; the more it haunts you, in other words. A white magician understands that one must sit with one’s darkness and really face its cries. A skilled magician knows that it is merely a side of the same coin and if taught well, is entirely able to transfigure bad into good.