Post by Esmeralda on Jul 27, 2016 22:30:21 GMT -5
Saw this at another site and found it fascinating especially because the Original Poster (OP) has stated elsewhere on the site that he *is* a wiccan.
The OP wrote:
Another member replied:
The OP replied:
And the other member replied:
Not sure if I agree with all of this, but as I said, I find it totally fascinating. What about you?
The OP wrote:
I had never seen this series when it was on TV, but I recently decided to watch it on Netflix (I'm a few episodes into season 5). Here's something that really irritates me: the prohibition on using their powers for personal gain (or else there will be "consequences"). They're constantly bringing it up. It actually runs contrary to Wicca, which states "An it harm none, do as you will." Basically, yes, you're allowed to cast spells for personal gain (love/romance, career, etc.), just as long as you're not seeking to harm anyone in the process. You set your intention, do a little ritual, send your intention out into the universe, and then (ideally) put it out of your mind and let the Goddess do Her thing.
Another member replied:
Later, we see them casting spells as they please more and more. This is because a.) they have a better understanding of what they can get away with that won't cause too much harm and b.) the show stops caring about continuity as much. Think of the "personal gain effect" as a Butterfly Effect more so than anything. In some instances, the effect can be seen very quickly. But, in others, its more subtle and FAR worse. Remember when Prue and Piper used their powers to gt revenge on the guy who let his dog poop on their sidewalk? No, there was no instant effect but the later down the line, that act started the Witch Hunts.
There are other ways using magick for personal gain can go wrong. For instance, let's say Phoebe casts a love spell. Harmless, right?? Except now a guy that falls for her may not get to meet his TRUE love. Phoebe and this guy have a failed relationship but his true future wife is now marry a different guy because he chose to settle. Or, lets say Piper casts a spell to make her food taste better at Quake. Harmless unless you consider that she's attracting more customers who are not going to other businesses that truly deserved the clientele. Because the other restaurant down the street isn't getting as much business, it goes bankrupt. Let's say Prue casts a spell to make her better at work. Cool...except she just got a promotion that Jack should have gotten.
Funny thing about magick...it always has consequences. Especially when done for the betterment of yourself. You just may not see the effect right away or it may not be a big consequence for you or those closest to you. Go ahead and cast that fertility spell. Congrats, you got preggers instantly. But, what you didn't know is the child you were actually meant to get pregnant with after months of trying has lost his shot at being born. So, the guy who was meant to be the next president doesn't even get a chance to take his first breath. And where's the problem in casting a spell for monetary gain? Except the extra food and clothes you bought were meant to get donated to a homeless shelter. Remember the restaurant you bankrupted? Well, the owner and his family are homeless and now don't get to eat because you bought their food. What's the problem with casting a spell to make your garden grow more flowers than ever? Oh, you didn't know your neighbor is highly allergic to bees and the extra flowers just happened to attract the one bee that stung him and ended his life?
The magicks can be used as you will. BUT, to truly be a good witch, you gotta take into account what even the smallest spell can do, if failed or successful. You set your intention but understand that the road to Hell is paved with good intention. Thus....at least for in Charmed...we get personal gain penalties which backfire the consequences back unto the caster. Because, if not, the world would have to deal with the Butterfly Effect of a misguided spell.
There are other ways using magick for personal gain can go wrong. For instance, let's say Phoebe casts a love spell. Harmless, right?? Except now a guy that falls for her may not get to meet his TRUE love. Phoebe and this guy have a failed relationship but his true future wife is now marry a different guy because he chose to settle. Or, lets say Piper casts a spell to make her food taste better at Quake. Harmless unless you consider that she's attracting more customers who are not going to other businesses that truly deserved the clientele. Because the other restaurant down the street isn't getting as much business, it goes bankrupt. Let's say Prue casts a spell to make her better at work. Cool...except she just got a promotion that Jack should have gotten.
Funny thing about magick...it always has consequences. Especially when done for the betterment of yourself. You just may not see the effect right away or it may not be a big consequence for you or those closest to you. Go ahead and cast that fertility spell. Congrats, you got preggers instantly. But, what you didn't know is the child you were actually meant to get pregnant with after months of trying has lost his shot at being born. So, the guy who was meant to be the next president doesn't even get a chance to take his first breath. And where's the problem in casting a spell for monetary gain? Except the extra food and clothes you bought were meant to get donated to a homeless shelter. Remember the restaurant you bankrupted? Well, the owner and his family are homeless and now don't get to eat because you bought their food. What's the problem with casting a spell to make your garden grow more flowers than ever? Oh, you didn't know your neighbor is highly allergic to bees and the extra flowers just happened to attract the one bee that stung him and ended his life?
The magicks can be used as you will. BUT, to truly be a good witch, you gotta take into account what even the smallest spell can do, if failed or successful. You set your intention but understand that the road to Hell is paved with good intention. Thus....at least for in Charmed...we get personal gain penalties which backfire the consequences back unto the caster. Because, if not, the world would have to deal with the Butterfly Effect of a misguided spell.
The OP replied:
Well, everything that you just said holds true for time-travel as well. They elders altered future history by sending the girls to the future and bringing them back, which allowed them to make all sorts of changes. Prue altered history when she got Leo to get Tempest to reset time, so Piper lives. Piper alters history by going back in time and letting Phoebe's boyfriend die, which prevents Phoebe and Paige's deaths. By this point, their immediate "destinies" are FUBAR, and the butterfly effect has spread throughout the world. Somehow, though, all of this goes unaddressed, but "Personal gain mmm-mmm don' mess wit dat juju!"
And the other member replied:
True, but I think in those instances, the excuse of "everything happens for a reason" and "it's for the greater good" or something or other applies. In those cases, it could be argued that the alternatives of NOT using time travel would have given us worse outcomes. So, in sense, using magical means there yields a good Butterfly Effect.
Like how personal gain was more significant in earlier seasons, I think the personal gain-based consequences are more like "training wheels" for witches. At first, it's like their own magick is teaching them a lesson in "Look, you can't just use magick all willy-nilly and NOT think about how the outcomes will effect others." Meanwhile, later, we see Piper and Phoebe use magick (and their powers) as they please while Paige still suffers penalties.
I think it's because Piper and Phoebe's (and Prue, before death) magick kinda..."trusted" them to think before they acted. They proved themselves to know the difference between casting a spell to clean the house and casting a spell to bring in more customers to P3. One is personal gain that honestly hurts no one. An even if it did, the effects would be VERY minor. The other however could potential give them money not truly earned, affect other clubs and easily snowball into a number of issues. But, more importantly, Piper and Phoebe's magick trusted them NOT to use spells, potions, or their powers to harm innocents out of spite. (Mind you, you'll notice how quickly THAT goes out the window, but you get the point.)
Paige, on the other hand, was new to the craft so her "training wheels" still needed to come off. Her stunts in the start of Season 4 proved that. Yes, she had good intentions with the spells she cast, but she never even considered the consequences of her actions. So, those pesky personal gain rules bounced back its own brand of consequences onto her to teach her a lesson. Not sure how far you've gotten in the show so far but this proves to be VERY useful for her as she turns out to be the one to respect the magicks the most. While Piper and Phoebe more than revert back to their earlier ways and never expect the consequences to strike despite innocents being constantly effected, Paige never uses her magick outside helping others and proves to be a better witch than they ever were.
Like how personal gain was more significant in earlier seasons, I think the personal gain-based consequences are more like "training wheels" for witches. At first, it's like their own magick is teaching them a lesson in "Look, you can't just use magick all willy-nilly and NOT think about how the outcomes will effect others." Meanwhile, later, we see Piper and Phoebe use magick (and their powers) as they please while Paige still suffers penalties.
I think it's because Piper and Phoebe's (and Prue, before death) magick kinda..."trusted" them to think before they acted. They proved themselves to know the difference between casting a spell to clean the house and casting a spell to bring in more customers to P3. One is personal gain that honestly hurts no one. An even if it did, the effects would be VERY minor. The other however could potential give them money not truly earned, affect other clubs and easily snowball into a number of issues. But, more importantly, Piper and Phoebe's magick trusted them NOT to use spells, potions, or their powers to harm innocents out of spite. (Mind you, you'll notice how quickly THAT goes out the window, but you get the point.)
Paige, on the other hand, was new to the craft so her "training wheels" still needed to come off. Her stunts in the start of Season 4 proved that. Yes, she had good intentions with the spells she cast, but she never even considered the consequences of her actions. So, those pesky personal gain rules bounced back its own brand of consequences onto her to teach her a lesson. Not sure how far you've gotten in the show so far but this proves to be VERY useful for her as she turns out to be the one to respect the magicks the most. While Piper and Phoebe more than revert back to their earlier ways and never expect the consequences to strike despite innocents being constantly effected, Paige never uses her magick outside helping others and proves to be a better witch than they ever were.
Not sure if I agree with all of this, but as I said, I find it totally fascinating. What about you?
