- Wicca and riches. Big question asked. Please contribute.

[Jenny Crow]

Originally Posted by Nettles

Financial gain is not the goal of a true witch

Nothing was said here about greed.

Witches are like anyone else - they need to make money (is that not classed as "financial gain?) to pay the rent/mortgage and feed themselves and their families. Financial gain is part of life (unless you were born into money or at the other end of the scale expect society to support you). Money is not evil. Using magic to help yourself, and through yourself -your family, is not a bad thing. Using magic - a specific sigil, certain stones and herbs and oils, planetary influences etc. to attract work that you will enjoy and do well at or perhaps to get out of the poverty syndrome is not, to my mind, anything to do with greed.

But yes, greed for anything - money, possessions etc. is not a good thing because I think eventually one is taken over by it, much like being possessed.

Correct, in the original statement nothing was said about greed, that is why I clarified.
And of course, everyone needs to make money, I hope I never implied otherwise, I certainly didn't intend to. Hmmm...I can try and be more clear, Financial gain beyond providing for oneself and ones family...financial gain in excess, meaning for the purposes of being greedy and self-serving without thought to others...I suppose any general statement made here could have a counterpoint, I've just been at this for so long that often I think just because something is obvious for me, it's obvious for others too. My apologies for that.
As to money being evil, I know I never suggested that, money is just pieces of paper, it is what people do with it and how they regard it that shape how they see it. I have never suggested that making money is a bad thing either. Nor have I ever implied that using magic to increase prosperity is a bad thing.
What I thought was a simple and easily understood statement clearly was not, again, for that I apologize. The implication was that self-serving greedy intent is generally not the goal of a Witch. However, upon the reflection I have put into it at this point I suppose that isn't necessarily true. I'm sure there a lot of witches out there who are greedy and use all manner of magical workings to be self serving and greedy and even to maliciously attack others or take away their free will. I suppose there are all kinds out there. People, witches included, aren't perfect.

[norseman]

Books - bit of a bugbear with me. There are charlatans around, offering "profit" of one kind or another [ riches, success in romance etc ]. These books are designed to inflate the authors wealth, that's it. You can generally pick them out as having ridiculous, made-up names, you know who I am talking about !
The only books on pagan issues, including witchcraft, that I bother with are the books written by academics in British Universities - peer reviewed. Again, you all know who I am talking about. These are books not written for personal gain, although many do achieve wide sales internationally. Before buying any book in this subject area, my first action is to check academic credentials.

[Jenny Crow]

Originally Posted by Nettles

..........................
The implication was that self-serving greedy intent is generally not the goal of a Witch. However, upon the reflection I have put into it at this point I suppose that isn't necessarily true. I'm sure there a lot of witches out there who are greedy and use all manner of magical workings to be self serving and greedy and even to maliciously attack others or take away their free will. I suppose there are all kinds out there. People, witches included, aren't perfect.

Hi Nettles,
You said "that self-serving greedy intent is generally not the goal of a Witch" - Yes, I totally agree on this. Maybe I was not "getting" what you were saying before, lol. AND I quite agree with the rest of your statement. I've been lucky through the years - I've met many Witches in the country I live in (Canada) and also the U.S. and most of them have been knowledgeable, wise, kind and even fun to be with and a pleasure to know. But, like you say, there are all kinds out there, lol.

[Jenny Crow]

Hi Norseman,

I know you don't like books, lol. But there ARE some books out there on our subject that are worth reading. But, as you say, those written by academics are probably better. I have a good sized library on Witchcraft, paganism, Cunning craft etc. etc. and the books I purchased earlier on are vastly different to the books that I would buy these days. We change and grow (at least, hopefully) as we move along our spiritual journey and become more discerning.

[Clover]

Hello,

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