So as you can see, there may be more to magical ethics than you think. It isn't always so "black and white" when it comes to which magic we can and can't use (if you'll excuse the pun lol).
It is a fact that this darker type of magick is part of the Witch�s repertoire. From the Gospel of Aradia to more modern Witches, cursing and coercion have always been a part of the Craft. Life has taught me that a curse can be justified, and that in rare instances it can be down right compassionate. It is the use of knowledge that determines whether it is good or bad, not the knowledge itself. a little bit of utilitarian ethics in there lol. in other words, the ends justify the means: the outcome is what matters
The Craft teaches personal responsibility, and no area of magick is more effective at this than this one.
However, in some types of Witchcraft, such as Wicca, there are firm rules about using such magic. The Three Fold Law is very clear on magickal acts coming back to the caster, and it is for this reason that magick which can be potentially harmful must be handled in a responsible and just manner. You may suffer as a result of casting harmful magick if there was no just reason for it to be done. However, for non-Wiccan Witches, if it was truly needed at a time when it would be the lesser of two evils, then there is no unfortunate consequence for the caster. I even venture to say that sometimes when harmful magick is done for selfish needs, then there aren�t always consequences, the universe doesn�t tend to be strict in little matters such as ours.
If, however, the Witch in question is Wiccan, then he or she must abide by the Wiccan law of harm none, and so wouldn�t recommend curses or bindings of any kind.
In Witchcraft, there are no set rules or codes of conduct. You must create your own set of rules to live by and stick to them. As long as they reflect modern social standards and uphold the law, you should be ok with whatever rules you set yourself.
There are however, certain values that a lot of Witches tend to stick by in order to help them come closer to nature. Make sure that you do not in anyway harm Nature on purpose. Harm to the Earth is seen as harm to the Gods themselves if you have polytheistic/pantheistic beliefs. Damage will be seen as a sign of disrespect and will probably affect how effective your spells and magickal workings are. You are not living one to one with Nature if you are dropping your sweet wrappers on the floor, and so you will not be able to gain the full power from nature. Many Witches find ways to deal with the unavoidable damage of nature, such as when harvesting of plants and flowers. Many even ask permission of the plants or apologise to it for harvesting it, and they always leave the roots so the plant can grow again. Whenever picking plants or herbs or flowers, Witches always make sure that they can grow again. If, for example, a Witch removes wood from a tree for a wand, they make sure that they ask permission first and leave a gift for the tree spirit. I did this when finding a branch for my wand. It was already broken and on the ground, but I still thanked it.
