Posts Tagged With: Book of Shadows

TO CURSE OR NOT TO CURSE: THAT IS THE QUESTION

Over the course of your magickal practice, this is a question that’s eventually going to pop up. So, maybe some exploration is in order:  Just exactly what warrants a curse and what doesn’t?

The fact that Joe got the job you wanted probably doesn’t warrant anything other than crossing off that place of employment and sending out resumes to the next ten on your list. And if you want to work a little magick to get one of those positions, so be it.

But what if the situation isn’t that simple? What if the job in question was an inner company promotion, and you happen to know that Joe willfully sabotaged you? Maybe he took credit for some of your work–work that may have either qualified you for the position or caused the department head to take special notice of your application. Perhaps he even lied about you, saying that you were difficult to work with, that you weren’t a team player, or that you had an attitude problem. Is that any reason to curse him?

Maybe. Maybe not. It just depends on the circumstances. And to come to a rational decision, you’re going to have to look at the whole picture.

First, review the job description again, and really scrutinize the duties involved. If they’re vague, Joe may have done you a favor, even if unwittingly. It might be that the job in question would take up more time than you’re willing to give: time that would be best enjoyed somewhere else or even spent with your family. It could also be that the extra money involved is not worth what it’s going to take to earn it. And if either is likely, then curses should be the furthest thing from your mind. In fact, you should probably think seriously about sending Joe a congratulatory gift.

But what if neither of those scenarios is true? What if Joe simply set out to ruin your reputation with the company—a company you’ve given your all to—and is now doing his dead level best to get you fired?

While none of that is good by any stretch of the imagination. I’m not sure such action truly deserves a curse either. Why? Because you definitely have other options. You could work magick to protect your job. You could work magick to shed light on Joe’s behavior and show him to all concerned for the jackass that he really is. And if you’re suddenly feeling magnanimous–which is doubtful at this point–you could even go so far as to work magick so that Joe find a position more to his liking outside of the company. Any of those options will take care of the situation nicely–and without the need of a curse.

But now, let’s change the scenario a bit. Let’s say that you’ve been the victim of Joe’s sexual harassment for a very long time and that the promotion was your ticket out of that mess. Let’s say that when he found out you’d decided to apply for the job, he not only lead you to believe that the problems with him would get much worse than you ever dreamed if you went through with it, but he promised to ruin you with the company. That’s not all. He also promised to personally squelch any chance of your getting alternative employment in the area. You’ve already seen how he works, so there’s no doubt he can make good on all of this.

Now do you have good reason for a curse? You bet you do.

Of course, if you’d just turned Joe in to his superiors when he made his first lascivious move–if you’d decided to fight instead of flee back then–he wouldn’t be in any position to bother you. In fact, he probably wouldn’t even still be with the company. You could have avoided this whole mess, you might be sitting pretty in your new corner office, and there would be no reason for any sort of magick at all.

While playing the would’ve should’ve-could be game is normally a complete waste of time, it definitely bears some thought here. For one thing, we need to learn from our mistakes. But perhaps more importantly, this sort of self-examination helps us to figure out what else is necessary to keep us from ever having to curse someone again. And if often takes some mighty deep digging to get to the root of the problem and yank it from our lives forever.

So why didn’t you report Joe’s inappropriate behavior when he first got out of line? Chances are, you were afraid. But since precisely what you were afraid of holds the key here, that’s what we need examine. Was it that you thought reporting him wouldn’t solve the problem and that his superiors wouldn’t take you seriously? Were you afraid that Joe would twist things around in such a way that you’d lose your job? Or were you simply afraid of that sick feeling that makes your stomach churn every time you’re faced with confrontation?

Since such is usually the case when folks won’t stand up for themselves, I’m betting on the latter. And for all practical purposes, let’s say I’m right. What you need now–before you even think of performing that curse– is something to keep you from ever being in that position again. You need some gumption.

Dorothy Morrison has given “The Gimme Gumption Spell” to go along with this article. The spell will following right behind this article.

References:

Excerpt from:

~Magickal Graphics~