Free Will and Choice

Recent conduct on this group has convinced me that I have to put forward my thoughts and feelings about free will and choice. I do not consider my beliefs to be superior to those of anyone else, but they are mine and what I live by and conduct myself in accord with.

I do not believe in good and evil. The concept of a force that can cause or motivate positive or negative actions that originates outside of the human mind is foreign and abrasive to me. I rather believe in the choice of the individual. In every instance, no matter how simple or complex, a person will always exercise choice. The choices that a person makes define that person. The ability of the individual to choose is directly in concert with that person's free will. Witchcraft, per se, is based almost completely upon choices motivated by will, and witchcraft with this defining essence is the basis of my personal spirituality. If I believe in the mandate of choice and free will for myself, I cannot and will not violate the choices and free will of another.

When I am asked to read tarot for a querrent, that person is asking me to enter into the realm of their personal free will and look at the choices that will be encountered. The beauty of tarot is that it defines different possible outcomes based upon choices made, before those choices are made. The best querrents will pose a question based upon what will happen if they take a specific course of action based on a choice. The tarot will also define points in a querrent's life where a choice will need to be made, giving advance notice that such a crux is approaching and therefore allowing the querrent to invest time in thinking about how to choose.

If a querrent asks me to read another person for them, they are asking me to violate the tennets of free will and choice of that other person. If I were to read that other person, I would be giving the querrent advanced information that could be used to shape the circumstances under which a choice would be made, thus violating that other person's free will. I will not give someone information that can be used to force a choice or obscure the circumstances of choice of another. Reading a third party is unethical and just plain wrong.

I have been asked by several people on this group to do readings that I consider to be unethical. One such reading was based wholly upon a lie, others were attempts to gain information about the feelings and actions of a third party. I find these lines of request to be distasteful and abusive. Every choice that we make will have consequences and will effect self and others, and some of these choices shape what would be considered to be good and evil, right and wrong. Some chooices effect others to the point of ruin, and that power should never be given lightly without trust and love...

From now on, if I am asked to do a third party reading on the chat or in IM, I will do my best to embarrass the person making the request on the public forum and in chat. If such requests persist even after I have publicly humiliated the requesters, I will cease reading for those people and possibly for the group.

I completely agree with you and find it rather disheartening that people would ask you to cross such a personal and moral boundary

As someone that believes in free will so strongly that I reject the concept of fate and destany, I can see where you are comming from Ari. I think that some of the reason that you are getting these questions is due to the fact that a lot of people see all forms of divination as a game or a pastime. The rest of it though, I would sadly say, is caused by immaturity. I forgot if you did, or didn't, but you should actually post the things that you will and/or will not read about. And also put in the fact that although you won't repeat anything about your readings, that some personal issues might show up. I guess that sometimes, being as skiled as you are, does have it's downside. But that should save you some headachs that you currently are having. Once I deside to start reading for other people, that's what I plan to do at least.

I do agree with Free Will and the choices we make are ours - yet I have found myself in positions where I had to make the wrong choice and kew it was wrong - but it was for the good of others - or simply because I could not see any other choice - or I could not make another choice - considering the place I was in at the time -
Also I think we are influenced by our surroundings and the People we either just know or even love - and my Choices do turn out okay most of the time whether I made them of Free Will or with trepedation.

I do not believe that I could have ever changed my life or the things that happened to me - I really do not believe in Karma - but I have always felt like I did something when I was very young - I gave a promise to someone that would cash in on it one day - and that's what happened -

I no longer feel like I have totally Free Will - I am bound by my financial situation - and also by age - I believe that often I can make my own choices - but often I can not.

JMHO -

The circumstances in which we live today are a direct result of the choices we have made in the past. Each of us is a creation of our past choices and if this is not karma, I am not sure what is.

We do have the choice as to whether we are willing to impose our will upon others. We have arrived at our present juncture by choice and should allow others to make the choices that will inevitably bring them also to their own destiny.

If you were ever to have a gun pointed at your head and a demand was made for money or sex or power in exchange for your life, you still have a choice. Even age is a direct reflection of the choices we have made in the past. Many chose other courses of action and have moved beyond this plane without the experience of advanced years.

You always have a choice, even if you feel that you don't. Sometimes, the opions may be somewhat limited (relitivly speaking), but you still have a choice. You can chose to think about a course of action, or not. You can chose to act, or not. Granted, sometimes your choice can be the "lesser of two evils", or all of the choices can have the same outcome. But you still hace a choice in the matter.

One of the things that are drilled into all witches heads as we start on our training, is that we must be mindfull of ALL possable outcomes of our actions, or lack thereof. In other words, our choices. And not shy away from them. To say "yes, I did (or didn't) do that. And I will take responsability for said actions (or lack theirof)".