Ethics IV: Practical Responsibility
Enough Theory. Let’s Talk Practice.
We’ve torn down the shallow binaries, exposed the slogans, and admitted that interference and harm are inevitable. Now comes the hard part: how do we actually live ethics in our practice?
This is where philosophy meets altar. Where ideals either shape behavior or collapse into hypocrisy. The measure of a Witch’s ethics is not what they preach, it’s what they do.
Preparation: Before the Spell
A responsible Witch prepares. Not because they’re afraid of backlash, but because they respect the current.
Divination: Always check. Will this spell land? Should it wait? Is there a hidden consequence?
Protection: Wards, circles, offerings to allies. Enter the working shielded.
Supplies: Have what you need, chosen with care. Don’t cut corners if you don’t understand the substitution.
Timing: Moon phase, planetary hour, the rhythm of your life, they all matter.
Preparation is not weakness. It’s competence.
Execution: During the Spell
Ethics lives in how you cast.
Focus: No split attention, no half-hearted gestures. If you’re not in it fully, don’t do it.
Respect: Treat your spirits, ancestors, and gods as co-workers, not vending machines. Offerings are payment, not bribes.
Consent: With spirits especially, don’t assume. Ask, listen, and heed.
A Witch who slings magic carelessly is like a surgeon working drunk. That’s not power. That’s negligence.
Aftermath: Following the Spell
The work doesn’t end when the candle burns out.
Cleansing: Wash your tools, your body, your space. Remove residue before it festers.
Offerings & Thanks: Pay the ones who stood with you. Gratitude maintains alliances.
Observation: Note omens, dreams, synchronicities in the days after. Magic ripples outward.
Adjustment: If the work misfires, recalibrate. If the spell is too slow, reinforce. If it fails, study why.
Follow-through is where maturity shows. Dabblers stop at the spark. Witches tend the flame until the work is complete.
Curses and Baneful Work
This is where ethics gets loudest. People panic about curses, about “sending out negativity.” But here’s the truth: baneful magic is neither inherently evil nor inherently reckless.
The responsible Witch:
Divines first.
Protects before, cleanses after.
Knows why they’re cursing and what outcome they’re binding themselves to.
Accepts the price.
This is ethics: not denial, but deliberation.
On Charging for Your Work
Another ethical snare: money. Should witches charge for services? Is it “unethical” to ask for payment?
The answer: reciprocity matters.
Witchcraft is labor. It is time, training, energy, materials, and risk. A Witch who always gives for free will burn out, and when they do, the community loses them. Charging does not corrupt the work. It honors it.
Those who sneer at witches charging are often the same ones who think nothing of paying doctors, therapists, or mechanics. Your work has value. Own it.
Accountability: Living With Consequences
The bottom line of ethics is not purity, it’s accountability.
Did your spell harm someone? Own that.
Did it help someone? Honor the cost.
Did it fail? Learn and record why.
Every spell you cast writes a ledger. Pretending otherwise doesn’t erase the entries.
The Daily Code
Here’s a practical ethical checklist. Ask yourself before any significant working:
Do I know why I’m doing this?
Am I prepared to handle the consequence?
Have I checked with my spirits, guides, or tools?
Have I prepared protections?
Am I committed to follow through — cleansing, offerings, observation, adjustment?
If you can say yes to these, then your ethics are not just ideas. They are embodied.
Don’t measure your ethics by slogans. Measure them by your practice.
By your preparation.
By your follow-through.
By the way you pay your spirits.
By how you handle the aftermath.
Responsibility is not glamorous. But it is the bedrock of power.
A Witch who refuses responsibility is a danger to themselves and others. A Witch who embraces it becomes unstoppable.
So, what kind of Witch will you be?
