Good Evening My Witchy Readers,
Tonight's discussion is a very serious one and most people tend to disregard karma as something that happens to the other guy. The one who has 'done them wrong', the bad guy, the thief, the abuser, the murderer, the adulterer, the person who embezzles from your business or tries to steal your clients or business prospects. People feel anyone who says or does anything to them that they do not like will somehow cause karma to boomerang back on the person who hurt them.
But will it? Let's look at this carefully, breaking it down. One definition of karma is simply "effect from cause". Well that doesn't seem to have good or bad associated with it, does it? It really doesn't. When you look at karma, there needs to be a specific intent or energy associated with the action for there to be karmic feedback.
Karma works both ways. Both positive and negative. if you go out of your way to bring happiness to the elderly at a convalescent home or to sick children at a hospital, to read to children at a local library or to volunteer at a pet adoption event because you wish to give of the love in your heart, that energy will return to you in a form of karmic feedback.
The same is true if you 'deliberately' go out with intent to hurt or harm another. You put effort into stealing your boss' funds, or you steal his computerized list of company clients, with the intention of taking business away from his company. Or, this is an obvious one, you go out with the intent to take the life of a person, or you deliberately harm a person, child or animal. These actions will most certainly cause severe karmic feedback to visit you.
Yet, there are subtle areas that people often mistake as 'karmic' actions when in truth they really are not. Say you are driving down the road, and suddenly a strong rainstorm starts and you are not able to pull over and before you can do anything you are involved in a car accident, where in the aftermath a person in the other car dies as a result. You were completely sober, driving properly and doing all of the correct things, but the accident could not be avoided, and the other person was not at fault either. You survived, they passed away due to their injuries. Now we are not discussing what would be determined in a court of law, but karmic law. Would karmic feedback come back on you? No. You did not do anything with deliberate intent to hurt the other person, and accidents can be just that, accidents.
Perhaps you did something, you fill in the blank, that was never meant to hurt another. You did what you chose to do for yourself, to fulfill your desires or needs or expectations. Perhaps you went out with some friends for drinks and didn't ask another friend to go, and this was found out and hurt feelings ensued. Or you went out for lunch or dinner with a friend and a new girlfriend or boyfriend came in the restaurant and saw you and misinterpreted what they were seeing and got all upset and angry. Now, with misunderstandings, overly sensitive feelings, maybe you forgot a friends birthday or plans you had made with them, will any of these things cause karmic feedback? No, or very little.
But, here is where it gets tricky. The 'wronged' person may decide to take it upon themselves to act as the Goddess of Karma and this is a huge mistake.
Once that wronged person starts on a path of retribution it is too late to pull it back, and what happens is karma turns on them, because the other person did not do anything directed at them intending to hurt them or harm them or wrong them in anyway. Now the wronged person may have all sorts of ways of rationalizing and twisting and confounding the situation and feeling that "if you loved me" then you would have, or wouldn't have or . . . as humans we can try to rationalize anything.
Except karma is not human. Karma is an energy that is like a stretched rubber band. Once that deliberate action fueled by an energy to hurt or to help, to harm or to heal, to send out punishment or to send out love, is drawn back and then released at its intended target then karma will be directed at the person who released the 'rubber band' of action.
Many people who are hurt or feel wrong set upon a path of punishment or retribution in a vain attempt to try to gain a sense of solace for their pain and hurt, but as we know from gospel right up to new age gurus and inspirational speakers those actions never give the desired results. What I do know from understanding the science and energy of karmic action and feedback is that it will return back to the person who sent it out pretty much exactly to them what they had hoped would be delivered to the one who hurt them. The other person may feel bad to have unintentionally hurt the other person but karma will not be delivered to them. In this case the other person often tried to be the bearer of that karma by in someway punishing them. Not speaking to them, being 'mad' at them, distancing themselves from the friendship or even worse, as in the case of divorce or break ups, speaking poorly about them to offspring or family members and former friends to ensure that hard feelings are directed towards the wrong doer.
If this makes sense to you up to this point, then you have a deeper understanding of the metaphysical world than many, and your understanding of working in the world is often fulfilling and profound. It does not mean we do not have bad days or weeks and we are not affected by the actions or lack of actions by others, but we do not seek vengeance or payback, because the Pagan/witch knows it will only come back upon them the same as would a curse.
Unfortunately if you recognize yourself in the one who has sent out vengeance and punishment for being 'wronged' there is nothing to do to change it. Karma cannot be negotiated with, reasoned with or paid off to change it's course. One must take what one has wrought and then deal with the results no matter how painful, unfortunate and final.
I know, there are many reading this that are scoffing because they do recognize themselves but are filled with righteous indignation and refuse to believe anything I have written and I respect that. I only speak from over 40 years of close observation and experience and learning and training. I like to learn my lessons quickly and without having to re-live them again and again, but others choose to relive that cyclical loop. To each their own life experience.
There are those who look at others and say, "Hey! How come they do this and that and all of these 'bad' things and nothing ever bad happens to them? They never have to pay? Karma never visits them!" Well, truthfully you really do not know this. One never knows the pain, and suffering within a person's soul. But perhaps you are seeing the 'wrongful' situation in one light and in actuality it came from another place without any deliberate harmful intent.
There is also another level I will touch on briefly because this level can get very deep and be discussed in great detail. For everything that happens to us, for every action, word, behavior we encounter in our day to day we have a choice. A choice on how we will react to that action. For instance someone could cut us off in traffic and yell obscenities at us and we could get all upset and yell back and exchange finger gestures or we could smile and send out blessings to them, knowing that it is quite possible that they may be going through some things much more painful in that moment than you. That you could easily brush off the experience as a non issue and go on your way to have an amazing day and keep your karma clean. Read the top poster again. It really is true.
How people treat you is their karma, remember how they deliberately treat you, is their karma. How you react is your karma. I choose as often as I can, to love that person, to try to understand where they are coming from, to walk away when things get tense and if I get upset I go out of my way to speak with them and let them know how I care and that I understand they are going through some things and that I am there for them. Always. If it is someone I do not know or am not close to, I walk away and wish them well, as their karma is not my concern and I really am not invested in their spiritual growth but my own.
What I do not do, is try to change another person. That is not my job in this lifetime. I will advise, and discuss and give my opinion if asked or if it comes up in a conversation, but after that I respect that the person I was discussing with will do what works best for them and the most important thing? I respect their choice! Even if I would make a different choice.
That can be hard for some people, to allow someone to have their own choice, their own decision, their own path, even if the other would choose differently. I find it is easier for people to feel this way for those distant from them. Acquaintances for instance. Yet it is surprising to me that the closer one is to a person, the more 'loved' as it is, the more some people feel compelled to change, control and even demand that a person act and behave a certain way. Parents of course get into this rut when children are little, they have to, but it will last at time long into a child's adulthood, when their choices must be their own.
Spouses and significant others are also in the group of people who often cross the line and feel they have a right to demand how the other must act, behave and live their lives when in truth we are each walking our spiritual path alone. At times we walk along with another by our side, but that is just as companionship, a friendly traveler traveling alongside for just a moment in time, and never does it confer ownership, an entitlement to control or to demand a person act or respond in anyway you desire. In this area is where most people have issues, because it is their expectations, desires and wants that they put upon the other when it should be given as a gift.
As far as karma is concerned, when a gift is given, it is accepted or refused, and no karma is attached. When a gift is demanded, well it is not really a gift is it? And so the Karmic cycle starts and the wheel turns until the karmic feedback has been delivered.
As all of my discussions are understood to be, if this makes sense and resonates within you, then it is meant for you, if it does not, then leave it aside, as it is not meant for you at this time.
I do have to say at this time, hahahha as with some of my blog discussions, I can think of a dozen or more people who may read this discussion and be absolutely sure I am writing about them. I believe Carly Simon sang it best "If you think this song is about you, you're so vain" ♫ ♪ ♫ Please let me assure you, it is not, but isn't it interesting that you went there, Hmmmm? Giggle
Live, Laugh and Always Love, Ms.Faith
© 2010-2017 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited.
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