Black and White Magic

Many are always asking for the actual difference between the two, or at least the up to date and valid definitions.

I think there are multiple ways to define them both, some more questionable than others but in the end I'd say it's a matter best left to personal belief. However, aside from how people personally define there is how people personally understand it and then explain it. I believe just as with many other concepts even the people who answer the questions tend to not understand it themselves.
Sad, but true.

Well there are some misconceptions I'd like to clear up to assist you in developing your own definition.

First Off:
Person- "Magic does not have colors."
Me- "Are you drunk?"
If and when we refer to magic with the colors black or white we are not saying in any way at all that magic is actually colorful.
No, just get that retarded idea out of your head.
Color is given to magick simply for categorizing it. Not saying that it has color, for categorizing it.
Read that last sentence very carefully!

Secondly:
Person- "Black or dark usually means evil. White or light usually means good."
Me- "Have you met the two women many call Hera and Nyx?"
Black does not mean evil magic that is used to harm other beings.
White does not mean good magic used to help other beings.
Magic is never evil nor good. It is all in the intent of the user.

Something Else:
Person- "One way to look at it is black magic is what is used for personal benefit and white magic is what helps others."
Me- "Weren't you going on about Karma a moment ago?"
All magic is cast with some kind of personal gain, pretty much no exceptions. Any kind of magic may be cast and have the effect of benefiting someone else, even a curse. You have something called consequences, everything you do including with magic has consequences. There is no way to measure how much something might backfire and there is no way to completely measure how much effect something might have on the rest of the world. Magic is manipulation of natural energy, to use it is to affect reality outside the manner it was naturally carrying on. If you cast a healing spell, that is still black magic by this definition because you have the personal satisfaction of helping someone even if by some chance they don't want to be helped. If you cast a healing spell it may still be considered white magic by this definition even if the person them self doesn't want to be healed, but perhaps someone else does and they become satisfied.
You never know who you are really truly pleasing except for yourself.

Last:
Person- "Categories in magic don't exist."
Me- "Now I know you're retarded or something."
Categories have and probably always will be used in magic, it just helps make things easier to understand. I see people here all the time trying to work against traditional ways of doing things because they feel their methods are best. I strongly suggest against listening to these people because they are most certainly not right all the time and do not know everything.
Categories can be confusing though, because the definitions or classification of those categories can differ greatly between individuals so often times there's some misunderstanding.
This should not make it wrong to use categories, it should only provide you with initiative to do proper research and decide on your own, valid method of definition.
Oh and it helps to specify what you mean when speaking to other people. ;)

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Before you fuss at me saying that you don't like to use labels and such let me explain my personal stance on the matter.

I've noticed that with more experience people tend to turn away from the use of such categories and personally I don't use them either. A curse is a curse to me, it can be classified as love magic, healing, herbology, etc... either way it has personal gain and very well might benefit someone else.

I find that these generalized categories really are used most by beginners, and I don't hold it against them to use broad categories because honestly, how are they supposed know the details that we do? I myself just try to explain the above as quickly as possible so they understand more of what they're saying. I never enjoyed yelling at kids, "White magic doesn't exist." or "Magic doesn't have color."
They don't understand, not to mention it's deceptively inaccurate to say so.

Seeing that I don't even believe in evil -- or even immoral aka "bad" because they are all societal created concepts, not natural -- I still stand by that magick is neither black nor white. The only true opposites are what the Asians call Yin Yang--dominate manifesting male and unseen hidden female. In the original meaning (not the twisted western idea of it), the Taoists don't see the opposites of existence as good and evil/bad. Dark and light are literal, the absence of light and the presence of light.

It has been my experience and observation (not any religious teaching) that has caused me to believe this. Trust me, I've observed and felt things that were malicious and cold hearted beyond belief, but such needs to exist, to balance those who are self sacrificing and extremely loving. Nature is all about balance, that I can see with my own eyes and through science's understanding of the way the world works.

Its good to have knowledge on the way the world works magicaly for it can be mysterious.and you can gain knowledge.

I definitely agree with you WhiteRav3n which is why I posted this. I know a lot of people hold on to those categories, even though most of them are beginners, they insist upon such labels. I think with time they learn better ways to talk about magic, but for the time being hopefully they'll take what I've said seriously.

May I ask what you think of Crowley's three-school approach to this?

For what I read of the essay I'd say it hasn't a lot to do with the typical definitions. I have a hard considering the concepts in the same ball game, as you might say.

To be honest though, it seems to really play on the color idea though not very close to the same perception. It would appear to categorize magic through intention and not origin as most people would suggest.

Well I've always seen the logic in classifying things, it helps tremendously when referring to said practices. Like many traits in life however magic can never be divided successfully into distinctly cut groups because it exists on a far more graduated scale than categories allows for. Despite this though we classify everything we come across for reference purposes and we simply need to have cut off somewhere along the line. How much I agree with classifying the intent of black/white however is another matter. In my opinion that inherently requires the presence of good/evil which very rarely if ever exists, as you quite rightly said all magic, and pretty much all life actually, is focused on personal gain, even things that are considered selfless are often committed for the feeling that accompanies it, which in a way is personal gain.

As for Crowley's three schools I only have a basic understanding of them but I believe that a slightly better classification method (provided my interpretation was correct) To classify on the style of intervention seems more appropriate than intent purely due to the continual scale of motives behind intervention. As I say though my understanding is a little limited and i may have misinterpreted them a little.

Only Categories I use is based on what the Spell does

Curses go into the Curse Box
Blessings go into the Blessings Box

And Vice Versa

Same here Iisbach.