by Jonte Rhodes

Created on: September 26, 2008   Last Updated: March 27, 2009

The use of love spells remains one of the most hotly debated issues in not only Wicca, but many other Pagan and Earth based religions. In short the debate is centered around whether the use of love spells is entirely ethical, due to the fact that some of them are intended to force the target to fall in love. What many people don't know however is that there are in fact many different types of love spell, and that most of them aren't actually like that.

There are in fact two main types of love spell, those directed towards the spell caster and those targeted towards a different subject. Those targeted at someone else are usually what are known as direct love spells, in that their aim is to make that person fall in love with the caster. The love spells directed at the caster themselves are usually more along the lines of asking for more love to enter their lives. They are also sometimes used to make them more attractive, and to increase their confidence with the opposite sex.

Most spells aren't thought of as having a direct effect that can be quantified and measured when it comes to Wicca or modern paganism. The effect being that direct love spells aren't the type of spells that can be successfully cast anyway. Most people don't believe in the idea of any spells working at all, but spells directed towards the caster themselves are usually more effective. The basis of this kind of magic is that they work gradually and that they are in some ways more about the power of positive thinking for the caster.

Indirect love spells work in the same way as many other spells in that they have a gradual effect and are more about the mood and emotions of the caster. The focus being on giving the caster the appropriate confidence and charisma to achieve their goals and aims for themselves. In this way some spells are thought of as something of a placebo by some people, although of course whether this is the case or not is difficult to determine with any certainty.

The main criticism of direct love spells is that the subject is forced to fall in love where they might not have otherwise. Whether the spells actually work or not, the aim being to take away someone's free will is generally not thought of a as a good thing. After all if you can remove someone's free will and modify their behavior, then you are really only a short step away from being able to make them into your slave. This is obviously unethical, and goes against the Wiccan Rede, which acts as a guide for Wicca practitioner's

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