The Two Paths
LetÂ’s start off with some basic information on both paths. The left hand path is about the self, its development, and the training of the mind. Most of the work you do on the left hand path will be in your head.
However, the focus is not just on self-enlightenment and evolution. Working on the left hand path is about growth of the self within society both as a microcosm and macrocosm.
The right hand path is outside the Self and about service. We could say that the right hand path is more about the body and using it to do your good deeds. In other words, to start out, think of the left hand path as encompassing your thoughts and private affairs, while the right hand path focuses on your external life and your actions within the community.
When people say that they just follow the right hand path or only the left hand path, there is a problem. It is hard to fully function without use of both the mind and the body.
All the psychoanalysis in the world will not cure a stomach ulcer. Applying bandages will not ease an anxiety disorder. If you pay attention to just the mind or the body, you are imbalanced and less efficient. You still will have a possibly unhealthy individual. Mind needs body and body needs mind. A person with a stomach ulcer, however, will do much better with a positive attitude and healthy self-esteem. An individual with an anxiety disorder will also overcome this challenge more easily with a healthy body.
Some individuals will tell you that it depends on your perspective. They will give you an example such as sports and say that the body is more important than the mind. This approach is illogical. The best athlete in the world will not make it to the Olympics without the best visualization techniques and self-esteem. He will need to learn about his sport, how to play the game, and understand the rules. The winner prepares himself physically and mentally for whatever he is working to achieve.
Some individuals will talk to you about black magic versus white magic and good versus evil. Raia, in her Correllian course, The Basics of Voudou, states:
Once a priest/priestess begins to practice black magic, they are known as a boÂ’ko Â… BoÂ’ko are said to serve the lwa with both hands because they practice both black and white magic.
It is important to note that Raia refers to black magic more as “selfish magic.” Voudou priests and priestesses, like Wiccans and most pagans, also vow to not cause harm to others.
As pagans, we accept the importance of polarities in our work. We know how important the interplay between God and Goddess, yin and yang, male and female and matter and spirit can be.
The fact is that with polarities, it is hard to explain or define one without the other. Pagans often talk about darkness and light. Here is a simple truth: You cannot know darkness without light or light without darkness.
When talking about magic, magic is magic. You cannot assign it a color. It is all about intent – why and how you use it - as we talked about above.