Ritual for Justice

[John]

This is a ritual for magic: for the cursing and binding of the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. It is ethically composed and ruthless in its goal, for Justice.

I wrote it to be worked on the first New Moon after the attacks (17 September 2001) AND for use as needed thereafter.

I designed it to be used by the widest possible range of Pagans as possible: by using a particular pantheon (Hindu) that can be easily substituted with other Pagan pantheons and language (mostly from the Atharva Veda) that is universal.

The address for the website is http://wiccans.com/host/john_littlew/index.htm

The website isn't pretty in terms of web design, but it does contain the ritual. Later, I may update it and refine the site.

--John

[Illuminatus]

Welcome Home John. Thanks... I think.

- Ill

[Myst]

Interesting, I'll give it that. Lots of reading, I'll give it that too. But don't think I'd want to tie myself up in the karma of that one.

[Lilu]

Hi John,

I found the ritual interesting, but like Willow, I think the karma thing is a little too dicey for me. My understanding of bindings is that your energy ties in with that of the person you are binding, so it is always linked after that until the binding is released, so that's not where I want to focus my energy.

Another thing I would like to put forward, is that maybe instead of tying these souls into some sort of negative place, we release them to the higher good of the Universe and let the Universe take care of their karma, which they will surely get whether we do a ritual or not.

BB,
Lilu

[talamh]

i am concerned that motivations for justice are slipping across the line into vengence.... bb talamh

[Emy]

Originally posted by Lilu

Another thing I would like to put forward, is that maybe instead of tying these souls into some sort of negative place, we release them to the higher good of the Universe and let the Universe take care of their karma, which they will surely get whether we do a ritual or not.

BB,
Lilu

Well put Lilu!

I found the ritual interesting too, but I too wouldn't want to try it out... I think we should always be very careful when we do a ritual like that, it is sooo easy to let vengeance get a head of justice, all too easy... I trust in the God and Goddess to do what is apropriate, for them to make sure justice is done, for we all get in return what we send out, threefold...

B*B

[John]

Tuesday, 18 September 2001



"A Pagan's Perspective of this War and the Use of Negative Magic to Help Fight It."


Yesterday, I created a website (http://wiccans.com/host/john_littlew/index.htm) and posted to it a ritual to curse and to bind the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. I also posted a link to that site on various internet locations and through email.

The website was not pretty in terms of website design; later (today perhaps?) I'll refine so it is more aesthetically pleasing.

And as I expected, I received less than complimentary responses from some (though I also received praise and thanks from others). And the negative responses were not for the website design but instead were against the entire concept: cursing and binding.

And that is what I want to respond to here: the view that magic shouldn't be used to curse and to bind. Some were opposed because of the consequences of karma. Others were opposed on principle.

As for karma -consequences-from actions, I say Yes: there are consequences, from any action (and inaction). That fact isn't a prohibition; it is an observation: whatever we choose to do produces consequences, so choose well.

And thus I devote the rest of this essay to why cursing and binding in this instance is choosing well.

As one person wrote to me, "Whatever happened to 'ham none'?" I say: the same thing that happens with any such principle, regardless of religion, such as 'turn the other cheek' (from Christianity) or 'ahimsa' (nonviolence, from Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism), etc. These are maxims and these are goals, but they are not always the appropriate *means.* Sometimes, as contradictory as this may sound, sometimes violence is the only *means* to achieve peace.

It's as basic as a common illustration from our era: personal violence. If a person (for example, if you will, an old woman or a small child) is being beaten or worse, it's all well and good to hope that the attacker realizes one day that his evil is evil and atones. But, at the moment of attack, the attack must be stopped. That means the *attacker* must be stopped - to prevent any further attack and to punish him for the evil he already caused. And doing that will probably require violence - done by you, the witness, or by a policeman-as the only practical thing to do.

In other words, harm can be caused to prevent and to punish a greater harm. That is not immoral; indeed, it is the only moral thing to do in those circumstances. Refusing to do that -and thus allowing a greater evil to occur and go unpunished-would be the immoral response . . . like standing around and saying a prayer when you could jump in and stop an evil from occurring.

Extrapolating from that, we face the issue of war. And this is an old issue as far as Paganism is concerned. It was addressed squarely in the ancient Pagan scripture from Hinduism, called The Bhagavad Gita. Amidst thousands of utterly sublime and utterly practical verses on love, truth, living a Divine life of Truth fully as a human being and so on, there is the setting: God, in the person of the avatar Krishna, telling a general (Arjuna) who lost his nerve to recover himself and to fight the war. Arjuna lost his nerve because - well, because of all the standard reasons any soldier might be tempted to do so: the massive killing and massive destruction, plus the fact that it was a civil war and thus the enemy was literally (not metaphysically, but *physically*) his kith and his kin and his former comrades and friends. And in all of this, God reminded Arjuna --and us-that human life must be lived, even Divinely, in terms of human life and thus in terms of human duty, that it is a soldier's duty to fight, and that there is no higher duty for a soldier than to fight a war against evil.

Now, I am not a soldier. I wish I were, now and for the last week, but I'm not. Nevertheless, this principle (as the others in the Bhagavad Gita) applies to all people, not just soldiers: human life, even Divinely lived human life, must be lived through human realities, including human duties. And when it comes to war and violence, it is a duty of the good to *fight* evil.

Again, harm can be caused to stop and to punish a greater harm. That isn't pretty -killing, destruction, violence in general never is pretty-but it is true. It *is* moral. Indeed, it is *immoral* to not use violence in situations when it is necessary to stop and to punish a greater violence. Prayers, maxims and whatnot for peace --peace in the evildoers' souls, peace overall-- sometimes must be manifested first through violence to stop evil.

That, by the way, is why this is about justice, not vengeance. That also is why negative magic -violent magic, magic to thwart and to kill and to bind souls in the afterlife-is neither evil nor vengeance; instead, in this instance, it is morally good and a tool for helping Justice to manifest.

Some, though, might still wonder why we should craft *magic* for Justice? After all, aren't there soldiers to do our killing and destroying for us?

My response is this: we are all in this together.

Let me first explore this in terms of context, and then in terms of practical application.

Contextually, for the last 200-300 years a new civilization has been arising. Call it "Modern" call it whatever, its hallmarks are roughly these: explaining Nature in terms of Itself (science), the applications of that (technology) the economics of this (industrialization, the information economy, etc.), and so on.

But this new civilization also has a new matrix: freedom and opportunity. And that new matrix has ramifications: democracy, free enterprise, the rule of law, the recognition of the individual and the individuals rights, and so on. It can first be seen dramatically taking shape in the American and French Revolutions, and its progress is marked by many of the wars and conflicts of 1800s and 1900s. And, it certainly hasn't perfectly manifested. But, where this new matrix of freedom and opportunity enterprise has manifested, there have generally been millions of people living freer, richer and overall happier.

But not everyone has been happy with this new matrix of freedom and opportunity. In less than 100 years, those who were threatened by freedom and opportunity have already provoked three titanic struggles to determine whether this new civilization can survive. They were World War 1 (against autocracy); World War 2 (against fascism); and the Cold War (against totalitarianism).

Now, as of Tuesday, 11 September 2001, this new civilization of freedom and opportunity -us-is faced with another titanic struggle. And this one is a new type of war in that it is not against nations and their armies. Yet, it is also familiar: it is another version of the struggles of the last 100 years: those who are threatened by freedom and opportunity versus those who cherish freedom and opportunity.

And, the motives of the opponents of freedom and opportunity have never been as clearly seen as in this war. This is a war against terrorism. Their motive -their "reason" for wanting us and our civilization of freedom and opportunity to die-is terror. They are afraid.

They, our opponents, are afraid of us. They are afraid of freedom and opportunity. They are afraid because it threatens their power. They are afraid that it threatens their ways - because people will be free to choose their ways or other ways. They are afraid, in short, because it means change.

And thus they attack us. From their position of being terrified, they attack us with terror: terrorism. They seek to manifest what is already within them: terror.

This is one of the most magical wars I have ever heard of, whether or not they formally work magic.

If our enemy wins, it will mean this: we, our posterity, our entire civilization, will be afraid. We will be afraid to be free. We will be afraid to do anything that is not someone else's idea of what is tried-and-true. We will, in short, become slaves. And our master will be fear.

If we win, it mean this: freedom and opportunity, and all that those words connote. It will be imperfect over all, good mostly, bad in some ways. But it will mean that people will *have the chance* to make things better, as they --the people-- choose.

Again, this is one of the magical wars I have heard of, regardless of whether magic is consciously or formally being worked. Each side has a matrix that they already are, and each is trying to impose its matrix. But there is one difference: our matrix (freedom and opportunity) allows as part of itself the ability to opt out, to say no, in part or in whole; our opponents' matrix allows no freedom nor opportunity but instead insists on one way and one way only for everyone. Call that one way a tyrant, a totalitarian party, or terror but it basically means this: slavery, to a master of fear, fear of change, change that can and does come from allowing people to be free.

That is what this is about.

Thus for the context; now for the practicalities.

Some people might wince or whatnot at the idea of supporting the soldiers who will be fighting for us by working negative magic. Yet, these same people probably have no problem paying taxes, working in an economy that overall produces wealth to support these soldiers, and even saying prayers and working magic for Justice in general.

But what does that *mean* ? It means that (physically or metaphysically) that we are helping our soldiers to kill and destroy on our behalf, to win this war and thus to save our principles (not to contradict them) and thus to save and to further the manifestation of those principles, freedom and opportunity.

It means: We are all in this together.

And just like I would have no problem directly jumping in to stop an attacker from beating some defenseless person in the street, and just like I would have no problem if I were a soldier in shooting the enemy, so too I have no problem jumping in magically and cursing and binding the people who are waging this new war against us. Indeed: my response in all of those situations would be my moral *duty.*

Put another way, I am directing energy to win this war. If I were a soldier, I would do so with a physical weapon. But, I am a Witch, and I do so with a magical weapon: a curse-and-binding.

Regardless of what kind of magic-user you are (Pagan, of whatever variety, or non-Pagan), this is something you can do. Regardless of whether you are a soldier or a civilian, this is a harm you can cause to stop and to punish a greater harm. No, magic won't substitute for a full clip of ammo. But, magic can help the ammunition and everything else to come together for the purpose of vanquishing our enemies -enemies of freedom and opportunity, enemies who are servants of fear, of terror, of terrorism.

And *that* is why last night I cursed and bound our enemies; and that is why I shall work that magic again as necessary; and that is why I invite magic users of all varieties to do likewise.

--John

[Myst]

Just a comment - being a Pagan but not a Wiccan, I don't subscribe to the Rede et cetera. However, I still believe in cause and effect and how actions have equal, opposite reactions. Personally I don't have a problem with using such negative magick in certain circumstances, and I can understand that you have good intentions.

However, first of all I'm working for peace for this, not more war. Binding people binds their energy to whoever is doing the binding, not to mention what implications cursing has. Karmic repercussions are important here, and I don't want to be involved with helping kill innocent people or binding people instead of sending positive energy to our leaders and theirs that an agreeable end can be reached WITHOUT violence.

At this point I'd rather find positive ways to end the violence instead of sending more negative energy that will just perpetuate it. We can really make a difference at this point and prevent many more deaths.

Negative magick, regardless of the intention, is STILL negative magick. Personally I'd rather find positive answers if at all possible before attempting to implicate my karma in such negativity. If we can send positive energy to help instead of negative to bind I'm all for it, and that was my point when I responded.

It's just my personal opinion.

[Illuminatus]

Interesting.

So you think that Karma can be enforced by men, and not nature. Most hardcore karma believers take the extreme lassiez-faire approach, chosing to let the karmic process happen on its own, in it's own sweet time, even if that means waiting a lifetime or three. But you feel the need to jump in, and "help". Justice in our own time, not a lifetime from now.

Interesting.

I have to say, I agree. After all, Pagans are the workers of the will, no? The purpose of power is to be used (and abused)... so why not.

- Ill

[MammaStar]

John, I found the ritual and your essay thereafter, interesting. Now, I wouldn't use the ritual, only because I don't think I am strong enough as a magic user to control it. Yes, Karma, the REde and whatnot are all factors. While I don't agree with everything said, I do agree that us as magic users should try and help to do something. Be it positive or negative.

JMO :D

[Margie]

John, I agree with just about everyone here that your ritual/essay is intersting however I would never preform it myself. My question to you is have you ever done it or are you planning to. Just curious.

[Myst]

Originally posted by Illuminatus
So you think that Karma can be enforced by men, and not nature. Most hardcore karma believers take the extreme lassiez-faire approach, chosing to let the karmic process happen on its own, in it's own sweet time, even if that means waiting a lifetime or three. But you feel the need to jump in, and "help". Justice in our own time, not a lifetime from now.


A bit OT but to me karma can't be enforced by anyone. It is a natural law - when you send out more negative energy there's more negative in the universe and thus you're more likely to get some back in the face. It can't be tampered with by humans or anyone else - you can't just destroy energy. However, you send out positive energy and there's more positive energy in the universe, therefore you're more likely to get positive energy. By trying to interfere you can send out more negative energy and thus affect your own karma, even if you do succeed in what you were doing.

It is *not* someone punishing someone else, or some odd points system, but the effects of a reaction to anyone's actions. What goes up must come down...

Just some thoughts.

[Lilu]

Wow, John, that's quite a response! I don't think I'm going to try to respond to everything because I'd be here all day, but I will quote a few things I found interesting:


Originally posted by John
It's as basic as a common illustration from our era: personal violence. If a person (for example, if you will, an old woman or a small child) is being beaten or worse, it's all well and good to hope that the attacker realizes one day that his evil is evil and atones. But, at the moment of attack, the attack must be stopped. That means the *attacker* must be stopped - to prevent any further attack and to punish him for the evil he already caused. And doing that will probably require violence - done by you, the witness, or by a policeman-as the only practical thing to do.

I believe this is called self-defense, and I see it as an appropriate action if you are being attacked. I agree with you, the *attacker* must be stopped, but you can't bind an entire nation of people just because they "might" attack.


Now, I am not a soldier. I wish I were, now and for the last week, but I'm not. Nevertheless, this principle (as the others in the Bhagavad Gita) applies to all people, not just soldiers: human life, even Divinely lived human life, must be lived through human realities, including human duties. And when it comes to war and violence, it is a duty of the good to *fight* evil.

Just to point out that "this principle" ONLY applies if you feel it applies. Some feel that "harm none" applies to ALL PEOPLE too, but you disagree with that obviously, so in effect, one principle doesn't have to apply to all people - we choose our path. And good & evil are not so easily defined (imo).


That, by the way, is why this is about justice, not vengeance. That also is why negative magic -violent magic, magic to thwart and to kill and to bind souls in the afterlife-is neither evil nor vengeance; instead, in this instance, it is morally good and a tool for helping Justice to manifest.

I still stand by the belief that if you perform a binding you BIND your own energy in with the person's you are binding. I thought it well considered that your ritual was written to bind these people until they atone (not necessarily forever) - but I don't know that I would want MY karma and energy tied in with theirs for the two or three LIVES (if ever) that it takes for them to reach this "atonement".

And - to throw in a different way of looking at things -

One thing I also believe in is that, regardless of how people feel about the hijackers, and the people who financed them, trained them, etc. They are ALL STILL CHILDREN of the Divine. We ALL come from the same place. And yes, some of us are NOT as far along the "enlightened path" as others, some of us are still coming from a place of fear, anger and despair. And it is (imo) the place of those who ARE further along this path to uplift and send energy to HEAL these people that they begin to see the best way for them to act and move on - WE TOO probably did horrid things in our past lives - should we be damned for them too? Or do we ask for guidance and enlightenment along our path - I know I do.

The ritual, I felt, didn't give these people that option. It tied them into a negative situation/place, and WHO is going to learn to atone or "see the light" if they are surrounded by negativity and darkness? And I think we should be careful not to use OUR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS against "the enemy" - remember - they are also acting from THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS... the line between right and wrong is very thin, and as is often stated, is usually only defined by the "winner" - regardless of whether it is truly right.


My response is this: we are all in this together.

Yes, we are in this all together - but that doesn't mean we have to agree on how to handle the situation.


They, our opponents, are afraid of us. They are afraid of freedom and opportunity. They are afraid because it threatens their power. They are afraid that it threatens their ways - because people will be free to choose their ways or other ways. They are afraid, in short, because it means change.

And thus they attack us. From their position of being terrified, they attack us with terror: terrorism. They seek to manifest what is already within them: terror.

Which is why I feel that we must be ALL THE MORE careful to analyse our own feelings carefully. Is this ritual coming from a place of justice, or a place of terror? Are you scared? Are WE as a nation/world letting the terror of further attacks lead us blindly, or are we capable of standing back and viewing the situation from another standpoint OTHER than fear and terror? Because a lot of the people I am seeing, hearing and reading are still in that place of fear and terror - and they are the ones who I see talking most about vengeance.



And *that* is why last night I cursed and bound our enemies; and that is why I shall work that magic again as necessary; and that is why I invite magic users of all varieties to do likewise.

And that is why I spent my night praying and sending energy to all involved in this "war" to see the light, to seek guidance of the highest nature, and for the good of all, and for miracles (for Goddess knows we could use some right now) and for protection, and healing, and love, and for INTEGRITY in justice.

Now, this is getting rather long too... I bid you well in the path you choose to walk even though I walk a different one. At least we can be assured of one thing - with all this energy flying about - it will hopefully go where it's needed most.

Bright Blessings
Lilu

PS. For the record, I am not Wiccan, and I don't subscribe to the Rede.

[flar7]

Some beilieve that energy cannot be created, negative or positive. It already exists and cannot be destroyed. It can be used and reused as it changes in form.

If a soldier is willing to suffer the consequences of combat, death and maiming and such.

I applaud someone who, if they believe in the rule of three or karma, is willing to risk it the same as a soldier, in order to work magic to combat evil. Violence doesnt solve anything is a myth.

I personally dont know whether it is the right response, but making a stand and sticking to it has to be respected. Let the brave lead the way. History will decide who is right.

If I had the money, I suppose that I would hire a Cherokee medicine man to "smoke" those responsible.

Whichever path you may follow, I wish you success and the least amount of harm possible.

[Oridian]

As was mentioned before, inaction can be as harmful as being the one causing the harm. Yes, sometimes it takes violence and "negative" energy to limit or reduce a greater harm.

What kind of justice can there be if we always just let things happen and depend on karma to right it in the distant future? Yes, this is a short sighted veiw.

I think my point is that we should be willing to take action and responsibility for that action. As a former infantry soldier I understand that in times of war inaction can often cause a far greater harm. Sadly, in our world violence is nescessary for protection.

If I will have bad karma for harming those who would harm me and my loved ones, and my home, so be it. I would willingly take that karma on myself to spare others the burden.

I don't know much about magic and rituals but IMO just that kind of selfsacrifice and willingness to accept the negative consequences of actions would also add positive energy to the mix.

A bit of rambling... hope some of it made sense.

[John]

Hi, Everybody!

It's the O.P., and Im apologize for the delay. Between everything else, I ave also been working on revising my website (see below), mostly by thinking through various issues.

Thank you all who read my posts/website and who responded.

Generally:

I apologize for giving the impression in my posts and my original edition of my website that a curse and binding are the only means to respond to the attacks of 11 Septmeber 2001. Obviously they are not. Equally obviously, for those who *want* to curse and/or bind the terrorists, my ritual is not the only way to do so.

As for the karma issue, I wrote about that at my revised edition of my website. For here, I'll just say briefly: There is karma for any action; thus the issue is which karma am I Willing to accept? I dread the karma of not working magic to support this war against the terrorists (whether it be conventional or otherwise fought), so I work magic to support the war --yes, even to the extent of cursing and binding-- and I accept the consequences (karma) of that.

As for the entangling or blending of energies by binding someone, I'm not sure if I understand this so I'll try both possible ways I see it. If the issue is about karma, then see above. If the issue is about being entangled with the vicitim now, well, I don't care. If I could, I would entangle myself and my energy quite phsycially with the terrorists so as to physcially kill them. But, I can't do that, so I do what I can: I work magic to kill them.

As for whether I actually worked the cursing and binding ritual I originally posted, the answer is yes. I did so on the first New Moon after the attack (17 September, if memory serves me); I shall likely do so again on the next Full Moon (2 October).

OK, it's well after bedtime, so I'll close here. Following is my general announcement that I'm tacking up over the internet: that I've revised my wesbite.

BB

--John


* * *


Sunday, 30 September 2001


Hi!

I updated my website tonight. (http://wiccans.com/host/john_littlew/index.htm)

At it, you will find tools to help Pagans in responding to the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 and their aftermath. They include rituals, resources and essays, to wit:

Statement of Purpose
Sources for the Rituals Offered Here
A Ritual of Magic for the Safe Passage of the Souls of the Dead
A Ritual of Magic for Helping and Healing
A Ritual of Magic for Justice through Cursing and Binding
Otherwise Helping, Besides Working Magic
A Word about Muslims and Brown People -- people who are not the enemy
A Pagan's Perspective: Introduction
A Pagan's Perspective On the Question of Evil
A Pagan's Perspective On War
A Pagan's Perspective On the Use of Magic in War
A Pagan's Perspective On This War Against Terrorism
Isha Upanishad -- preface verse and first verse


If you know anyone who might be interested, please forward this message to them. Thank you, and have a good esbat this week.

Blessed Be.

--John