Toward Ecosophy

RE: blowback

Sure, it exists. No one can ever be absolutely sure their magic won't have unintended consequences. And I do buy into the raspberry jam rule to some extent, especially when working magic to cause harm. Which is why I do not work magic to harm individuals, and discourage it. It's simply not my style or within my ethical beliefs, except in extremely rare cases of self-defense or in defense of my loved ones.

But the Trump binding spell was created to minimize that possibility. It is defensive magic, not malevolent, and explicitly binds Trump (and those who abet him) from doing *harm.*

I would ask you where, exactly, in the following text of the ritual, anyone is subject to harm:

--

I call upon you
To bind
Donald J. Trump
So that his malignant works may fail utterly
That he may do no harm
To any human soul
Nor any tree
Animal
Rock
Stream
or Sea

Bind him so that he shall not break our polity
Usurp our liberty
Or fill our minds with hate, confusion, fear, or despair

And bind, too,
All those who enable his wickedness
And those whose mouths speak his poisonous lies

I beseech thee, spirits, bind all of them
As with chains of iron
Bind their malicious tongues
Strike down their towers of vanity

I beseech thee in my name
In the name of all who walk
Crawl, swim, or fly
Of all the trees, the forests,
Streams, deserts,
Rivers and seas

In the name of Justice
And Liberty
And Love
And Equality
And Peace

Bind them in chains
Bind their tongues
Bind their works
Bind their wickedness

--

Please explain to me why that is likely to cause blowback, or why it is any different than a focused prayer to remove a harmful president and to protect immigrants, minorities, the environment, the rule of law, civil discourse, etc.

And, luck you, here is an excerpt from my upcoming book on the subject:

Binding is the magical equivalent of a cease-and-desist order, a straightjacket, or putting a toddler into time-out. Its goal is to restrain someone from particular actions to others or to themselves. In the Hellenistic world, binding was one of the most common uses of magic, as evidenced by the abundant curse tablets (defixiones) uncovered by archaeologists. The binding spell would be written on a piece of lead, folded, then pierced with a nail or other sharp object, before being buried (often in a graveyard) or thrown into a well or pool (please do not do this because lead poisoning is a thing). Human figures made of clay were frequently used as well, sometimes pierced with pins or nails.

If you do a binding spell, it is important to bind only the negative or harmful behaviors of your target, otherwise you are verging on more harmful magic with greater potential to generate psychic or karmic blowback. Many witches and magicians believe that malevolent magic is “sticky,” meaning it can leave unpleasant residue on the caster. Therefore, your binding should be very specific about the behaviors it targets. Let’s look at some of the language in the Trump binding spell, for example:

So that his malignant works may fail utterly
That he may do no harm
To any human soul
Nor any tree
Animal
Rock
Stream
or Sea

Note the careful language: not that his works may fail utterly, but his malignant works. If his policies turned out to be beneficial to citizens, the environment, liberty, the political system, and truth, the spell would have no effect. Aim for the same specificity in your bindings.

Just as importantly, always incorporate the ideals you are working for. Again, from the Trump binding spell:

In the name of Justice
And Liberty
And Love
And Equality
And Peace

Calling upon the highest ideals that drive your spell adds further focus, energy, and serves as a safety valve to guard against any “sticky” negative residue. You are, after all, doing your magic in service to important ideals and for the greater good. Be sure to always integrate that into any binding or hexing.
Another safeguard is to add a prayer to your preferred deity(s) before and after the working. Pray that your actions manifest the highest good, for all those concerned, and trust that divinity will bring the required balance and justice.



We cannot possibly know the ultimate outcomes of our actions, or potential unintended consequences. But inaction has its consequences, too. Those who fail to vote allow crooked politicians to rise to power and enact dangerous legislation. Those who failed to act as the Nazis rose to power enabled the unprecedented horrors of the Holocaust.

Magic has always been the tool of the oppressed, the downtrodden, and the persecuted. African American hoodoo, rootwork, and conjure are prime examples. They grew from enslaved people who had little agency in their daily lives and no recourse to justice. Their magic required curses, jinxing, and tying (binding) to fight injustice in their communities and to resist the oppressive slaver class. It arose from necessity.

White light magic is fine. Some people are naturally resistant to doing anything that could be seen as harmful or negative, and they should heed their instincts. Binding makes up a very small part of my magical practice. But refusing to use magic in self-defense or in the defense of the voiceless, marginalized, and oppressed because of a law invented by Gerald Gardner in the last century seems extremely foolish to me.

Magic is a tool for healing, and for defense against injustice.