Doing Magick For Your
Own Benefit:
Does It Mean You're a
Horrible Person?

Continuing the series that began here: Is Magick Selfish?, here’s the question: Is doing magick for yourself bad?

Well, let me ask you this...

Is it bad to use your intelligence to plan your financial future?

Is it bad to use your charm to get a better job?

Is it bad to use your special talents to build a home, or a bike, or anything else you need?

Is it bad to use your first aid training or homeopathy training to relieve the suffering of those around you?

Is it bad to exercise and eat well and take care of your body so you're healthier?

Is it bad to do self care and take time to rest?

Was That A Trick Question?

Plastic Woman – Charm, Perfect, Unreal © Wicca-Spirituality.com

Now, that last one might have triggered a little something in you, because we often feel — especially women, but everyone in this culture — we're made to feel that life is a linear straight line. And we should go go go go go go go go go, go go. And never stop. Never rest. Never give space for downtime, for the Yin half of the wheel. We don't rest in winter; we don't rest at nighttime. We should be like machines. We work. And when we're not working, we're striving in other ways. Go go go go go. That's what we're supposed to be doing, right? That's what we're trained to do.

But without that Yin half of the cycle, the Yang half of the cycle can't do its work properly.

Or maybe it's just that common belief particularly for women, who make up the vast majority of Witches, the idea that taking care of ourselves is somehow selfish and horridly greedy.

And we're bad if we do that, because we're supposed to be taking care of everyone else. We're supposed to be selflessly sacrificing ourselves for the good of everyone else, and being used up like a roll of toilet paper.

Which is insane. And just so “old paradigm” that it's hard to believe we could think that anymore... if it were conscious.

Martyrdom Or Magick?

I think that it’s happening on an subconscious level, though. Deep down, there's still this underlying programming that we've all received.

And you wouldn't say it out loud, because saying it out loud points out how ridiculous it is. But underneath it all, we kind of feel like there's something wrong if we’re trying to make life better for ourselves. “I should just be giving to everyone else instead, never receiving anything for myself.”

Truly, that martyrdom mindset is so dangerous. It's deadly — not only to individuals, but for the Earth.

Can you imagine how the world would be different if we all, including women, felt we had a right to be well? To take care of ourselves as much as we take care of everyone else?

For one thing, we wouldn't suffer as much from anxiety, stress, depression, fatigue, and burn-out!

What might we do for the planet then?! 😃

Think of it this way: If women received as much as we gave, or more (to the degree that men do)... if we had that permission to receive, we would have a lot more power in this world.

And that could only be a good thing. We've seen how far patriarchal power goes and what kind of dead-end it leads the world to. What we need now is more of the feminine power that looks out for everyone's best interests... that isn't facing all of life as a competition and a killing, but as cooperation and nurturing.

That would change the whole world!

So let's discard that old martyrdom, no-self-care BS right here.

And then let's look at this question again. Is it bad to do magick for yourself?

What do you think, so far?

One last part of this question to explore... check it out!

With Brightest Blessings,

erin Dragonsong