What is black, white, red, grey, etc. magic?

It is not uncommon to hear people refer to “white” or “black” magic. When these terms are used, terms that refer to the color of a magic genre or spell, they can refer to a few things. This might refer to the intended outcome of the spell, the magical tradition the spell originates from, or the actual energies and components used in casting the spell. Most commonly, black and white magic is used to refer to harmful and helpful spells respectively, but this is not always the case.

The most common use of the term “black magic” is to refer to harmful, destructive, or evil spells. For example, curses, hexes, and jinxes might all fall into the category of black magic. Conversely, spells used to heal, help, or otherwise would fall into the category of white magic. Spells that are somewhere in between might be labeled according to their nature; money spells, for example, have been called grey or green magic, while love spells have also been referred to as red magic.

However, it is important to remember that these are just labels of categorization. The energy involved in casting a spell has no actual color. Additionally, the results of the spell, as well as the intentions, are very important when deciding if a spell should be placed into one of these categorical labels. For example, if you placed a curse upon someone in order to prevent them from harming an innocent, would this still be considered black magic? Most people would say no, as the intention and end result would be more positive than negative.

A second interpretation of black and white magic is that of the actual components of the spell. For example, ritual items in black magic spells might involve things traditionally considered to be violent, destructive, or reminiscent of death. This might or might not include the sacrifice of animals. However, it is important to note that all of these components – including animal sacrifice – are used in various magical traditions for positive spells, such as healing spells, as well. So, once again the line between “black” and “white” magics is vague and obscured. (As a side note – I do not engage in any types spells that involve animal sacrifice in my practice. Casters from other cultures may or may not.)

Rather than associating black magic with evil, and shying away from any type of spell labeled such, I encourage everyone to consider their own intentions when having a spell cast. This is true for any spell. Do you have good, pure intentions when you are looking to have a spell cast? This is the single most important thing in determining not only the ethical quality of the spell, but also in how the results will manifest. I have never seen an individual with pure, positive intentions reap anything negative from a spell.