Opinions will differ between individuals but as a generalisation, followers of any path under the Pagan religion tend to be more accepting and less bigoted than followers of mainstream religions. Certainly my own views on homosexuality are very positive. I believe everybody has the right to express their sexuality in a manner that feels natural to them. Unlike followers of some other religions, I do not believe that the God or the Goddess would view homosexuality as a less acceptable sexual orientation than heterosexuality. The same would go for transgender, transsexual or transneutral individuals. To me, a person who finds and walks their own path is true to themselves. A person true to themselves is to be respected.

There are gay Wiccan/non Wiccan covens throughout the world who practise their faith in the secure environment of others who share their sexuality. These can provide positive interaction for witches who prefer to practise their faith with others of a similar orientation. However, as most witches tend to be open minded as to all aspects of sexuality, most covens will have members of diverse sexualities.

Also - why limit your fun to only 50% of the population? That's this witch's view!!

My instinct is very much to say no. You wouldn't like it if I cancelled your credit cards to save you from yourself and many people would see magic without consent as a similar type of imposition on a person.
But like most witches I frequently practise the very opposite of what I preach. Its tricky because sometimes a witch will find herself in a position where she may not wish to reveal to a person that she actually is a witch, so completing the magic in secret can seem the better option.  I also practise magic where it would not be appropriate to tell a person what I am doing.  This could be because I need them to be unaware of the spell I am casting. I recently cast a changing mind spell on another person for my own ends (worked like a charm!). Asking that person if I could cast a spell on her in order to change her mind would have rendered my magic futile.
However, an older and considerably wiser witch than myself believes absolutely in the necessity of consent. She gives
the example of secretly curing somebody of common cold symptoms. On the surface it looks a pretty harmless thing to do but she argues that firstly by removing the symptoms it may make a more serious health problem go undetected and secondly that person may need that cold to legtimately rest for a while. We do not know if three days off work would be spiritually beneficial to the individual and who are we to deny them that recourse? As we cannot fully know a person's full circumstances without their knowledge, her argument would be that we are not in a position to ethically use magic without discussing it with the person involved.
So there are very definite pitfalls involved in magic without consent and in answer to your question it would certainly go against the ethics of some witches. But speaking personally I do not believe it is possible to be a practitioner of magic in a world where consent is always needed, so yes the concept in principle does go against my ethics, but no I won't stop doing it!

Image ID: 10014514 renjith krishnan. Free digital photos.net

Lets break this down a bit. I get asked this question a LOT. Witchcraft is not all about study. Yes it is important to learn, to read and to expand your knowledge but being a witch is about more than simply being knowledgable. Being a witch is about being aware, having a connection to the world you live in, an awareness of your own power and the power of others. From a dictionary perspective, a witch is a practitioner of magic.
Becoming a witch is about gaining your own perspective on the world, creating your own path from your own views and bending the world very slightly to your will with the use of magic (and for religious witches - prayer). A witch feels her way through the world with instinct and intuition. All the books in the world can’t teach you to listen to your inner voice. You need to learn how to stop and listen. You will notice a lot of us witches are pretty forceful in our opinions. Don’t be afraid of defending your own conclusions and your own path. Chances are if it feels right, its right.
And can you call yourself a witch? Do you feel like a witch? Do you act like a witch? Do you believe like a witch?    
You’re a witch.

“Fluffy” or “Fluffy bunny” is a term that has been banded around Paganism folks for some time now and it doesn’t really have a strictly defined meaning. It is usually used as a bit of a derogatory term for someone who is primarily focused on the light aspects of magical practise and who denies their shadow side or the darker elements of magic. It can also mean someone who has little knowledge (think Wiccan who insists that the Wicca religion is hundreds of years old…..) or who claims knowledge and experience in areas where they patently have understanding.  I have even seen the term used for somebody who constantly keeps changing path…this week they’re a druid, last week they were a Wiccan…
Generally if someone calls you fluffy they are being a bit rude! Just remember that its fine to follow your path and embrace the light but don’t forget there is a darker side out there as well.

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The Devil is fundamentally a Christian construct. Christians believe God is primarily a being of absolute goodness and they see the Devil as encapsulating absolute evil. Generally a Pagan who worships the dual deities of God and Goddess (remembering of course that there are Pagans with different religious beliefs) sees the God and Goddess as incorporating both elements of light and dark. Because of this belief there is no need to visualise the dark/evil as present in a separate entity. Therefore there is no need to believe in the Devil



Image by Ferr Fikkers at Stock.schng.

Broadly speaking there are three types of love spell. 
1. Make me desirable so someone will fall in love with me. 
2. Make a specific person fall in love with me. 
3. Help me find the person who is right for me. 

Personally speaking I would only look at using magic for the third situation. The first type of love spell does not need magic. It is easy enough to make yourself desirable. Make the most of your looks, focus on your good points, look in the mirror and make the decision to like what you see. Confidence in yourself and who you are will make you more desirable than any spell ever could.

The second situation is more contentious as it aims to negate free will. The problem with this is even if you can cast a spell to generate love in another person you could never be confident their love was genuine. It would weaken your self esteem knowing that you were not loved for who you are but because the person had been magically compelled to love. And it would not be fair on the individual whose free will had been hijacked for your gratification. If you love and somebody who does not love you back, hurt, heal and seek somebody who can genuinely reciprocate your love. 

In the third situation a love spell is worth doing. But no spell works without some practical effort as well. Get out there and get to know people. Create opportunities, yes, even dating websites. If you meet more people you have a much better chance of finding someone to share your life with and I see nothing wrong in this instance in using a little magic to guide you on your way.. 

Its up to you. Yes, if you want a house full of all the fancy tools from the "witch shops" -it could cost you a small fortune... But a key element of being a witch is working with the world around you. So learn to improvise. A simple kitchen knife could become an atheme, a wine glass from a charity shop could make a nice chalice... Look at what you can find free or at reasonable cost , inbrue those tools your energy and intent and they will work as well for you as the fanciest purchase in the poshest shops...

Image 10016806 courtesy of Tina Phillips FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The primary danger of being a witch lies in the motivation of the individual for doing so. Like any practitioner of faith, Witchcraft opens the dangerous door to the belief that you are right and everybody else and their beliefs are wrong. The danger is that you start to believe "my way is the right way," and thus intolerance and disrespect are borne. Witchcraft is particularly vulnerable as it has the dual elements of glamour and esoteric knowledge to contend with. Beware those who turn to Witchcraft because they are on an ego trip and want power, glamour and the adoration of others. And guard against it in yourself. Keep your integrity. A witch serves others as well as herself. 

Simply speaking, magic is the direction of will and energy. There are many ways to achieve this, through the natural elements of the earth (crystals, herbs, oils), using the elements (lighting candles) or calling on spirits for assistance. But intrinsically magic is about the intention of what you do. Magic works by focusing your intent to shape outcome and result. The more powerful your focus, your intention and your will, the more productive your spells will be. 

So does magic really work? Well yes it does, but not necessarily in the simple way of deciding an outcome, casting your spell and getting what you want. To give an example , a spell to gain money will not result in a big wad of cash landing on your kitchen table. You may get the chance of a new job, you may inherit money or you may simply find a £5 note blowing in the wind. Also, magic is not a tool to be used in isolation. You need to do more than light a candle to get what you want. You need to put the effort into your solution as much as into your magic. No matter how many spells you cast to get a better job, you'll not get very far if you don't put the practical work into giving a good interview. Magic can open doors but hard work and effort will propel you through them. 

Think of magic as a generality not a specific - you put the intention out there but the actualisation of your magic will be shaped by opportunities, circumstance, the universe and the other people who inhabit the world alongside you.