Every animals has a means to defend itself and magick is our means. I always make sure the punishment fits the crime. If they want to take me out i take them out first. Thus is nature.
i do not like the three fold rule one bit because it victimizes people. If you turn the other cheek you just get punched again. If you just ignore it and put up a defense they will do a stronger spell. The problem doesn't go away until you address it. And as part of life there are problems you need to address with violence o r be lost.
I believe in justice and honor. Letting someone harm me and not doing anything about it is showing disrespect to myself. If we do not have honor, what are we worth to ourselves? If we let an injustice go, how "good" of people truly are we? If everyone had that mentality, we would have no judicial system and the murderers and rapists of the world would run around and do whatever they wanted. "We'll just wait around for spiritual beings to fix our problems for us...." I take my life into my own hands, I don't expect, nor want some spiritual power to hold my hand and baby me through life.
Of course, my philosophy is not just magick, but life in general. I don't separate life and magick, but I will act on something physically before using magick. If physical words or action does not work, only then will I use magick means.
As someone here wrote (forgot the name), only do with magick what you would be capable of physically. If you would punch them or otherwise ruin their day physically, it is the same exact thing. I think people forget that magick and life runs hand in hand. Those who believe in a three fold rule or any other form of cause and effect forget that it is also applied to anything malicious or destructive they may say or do in life. No one can live life and 100% harm none. I believe in cause and effect, but I believe that the harmer is the cause and my reaction is their effect =)
I am a bold person in real life, and I was raised that I should not tolerate disrespect or abuse against me. I was also raised to be very independent in both thought and action. Too many people in the world are meek and feel a need to follow others. Sure it leads to a peaceful...often boring life, but also one of emotional pain and mental upsets, because the person cannot express themselves or react as they truly feel or think deep within.
As you become wiser...more "enlightened" there is less of a desire for destruction simply because there is a wider perspective, that of seeing what is important and what is not. But that doesn't mean the side of them is lost or forgotten and will never be used. It just means it is only used when it is truly important (and life rarely gives us such circumstances, but rare doesn't mean never).
Defend yourself ? Is someone hurting you 'physically' ? Harming you 'magically' ? How would you know that ? These are things I need to know to help ......
