Hey everyone!
I wanted to share my latest video with you. Someone on YouTube asked me to share my thoughts on using magic for ‘personal gain’ so that’s what I did!
What do you think? Is using magic to get what you want or need a bad thing?
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“It is 2022- I don’t have to make myself palatable for anyone.”
YES 
You do you- this is such a powerful message 
No watering yourself down to make others comfortable!!!
This is a really great topic for a video- thank you so much for sharing it, and for always taking such an honest and openhearted approach. I love your videos, Megan! 
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Lovely video! I agree with you that people take the “an harm it none” thing too much. I think it’s because people put too much thought into it. Like if I ask for money, will I be harming someone else by taking it out of their pocket? I don’t think so but some do.
I agree though, sometimes you gotta take care of yourself first. If you’re not taking care of yourself, how can you take care of anyone else?
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Is using magic to get what you want or need a bad thing?
I’ve got to say no. But at the same time, I feel selfish and or greedy asking for more than the Lady has given so generously to me.
Blessed be
Garnet
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This is literally how I felt when those words were coming out of my mouth 
and then watching it back when editing?! Even better! 
This is exactly one of my thoughts behind it. If my cup is empty I can do nothing to help fill the cups of others.
I don’t think it’s selfish to want to live comfortably or happily. And the worst thing that will happen is your Lady will tell you no. I don’t think there’s any harm in asking but I can understand where that mindset comes from.
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Thanks so much Megan!
I really enjoyed this one, thanks for sharing
Love and magick always
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Is there a way to cast and not have personal gain? (Honest question). Even if you cast for the benefit of someone else, doesn’t that bring you joy? Isn’t that personal gain? Maybe that’s stretching the argument a bit… but I think healing the community and working for social justice still brings about some personal gain.
Great, thought provoking video @MeganB!
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@MeganB, if we were attending a witchcraft college all together, the ethics and philosophy professors would have full semesters on this content! 
Thanks for your perspective on it, I think a lot of practitioners are completely split 50/50 on the subject matter and there are many shades of grey weaved throughout. Ones own ethics are always at play for what you do or do not intend to practice and especially those of us who have the conviction of “do no harm” - or “an harm none”, if you’re Wiccan - all become challenged at some point when it collides with your desires or goddess forbid, yours or a loved one’s needs. This is when us overthinkers, and myself specifically tends to dwell on the true relationship we all have with each other and the infinite - to determine what the causal / effect or trickle down or butterfly effect if you will, could have on others and would that be negative or positive? How could we even know? I wouldn’t be quick to judge others that do things in their own interest, and I wouldn’t be quick to judge those who decide that they have a boundary that they are not comfortable with crossing, and the reason may not be to make others comfortable or happy. I love your videos so much!!! 
. Helps us all examine our world and each other! 
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@marsha – Thank you!
@AileyGrey – I think there’s definitely a way to not cast for personal gain. While the things you do for other people may bring you joy, monetary gain, or happiness, that isn’t usually the reasoning behind the casting. It could be stretching the argument a bit but ultimately it does boil down to the individual’s beliefs and reasoning. I can see how healing the community and working for social justice could be considered personal gain, but I think I see it more as doing magic for purely selfish reasons. Maybe they are one and the same but maybe not. 
Thank you for the thought provoking questions!
@jan_TheGreenWitch – I fully agree with you about the ethics and philosophy professors that would be quite the class! I do think a lot of practitioners are split because of either their own reasonings or because of societal conditioning. I used to be one of those overthinkers, honestly. I used to get so caught up in the “if I do this, then this or this can happen so I shouldn’t do it.” But for me, there is nothing in this world that you can do that does not somehow affect another person one way or another. There is no way of moving through the world with doing absolutely zero harm but there are ways to minimize the harm that’s done. You’re right, judgement is definitely something that we shouldn’t be doing because we may never know the circumstances of the person or people involved. Thanks for watching my video!
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IMHO personal gain is defined as that which encompasses all spell works to the detriment of of any other being.
Some examples of personal gain:
Promotion which would give power or superiority over others;
Controlling the winning numbers of a lottery draw
Any spell work specifically calls out to exclude named others;
Personal gain spells in a nut-shell are those that come to mind when you think of black magik.
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