by Bridget Webber

Created on: February 19, 2009   Last Updated: February 09, 2010

There's nothing wrong with engaging in fantasy, and daydreaming about someone you admire or love from afar. There's also nothing wrong in focusing on what you desire, and putting effort into achieving your goal. In the business world we admire these actions. But when it comes to manipulating another persons free will, could this be unethical?

The intention of a love spell is usually to get the individual on the receiving end, interested in the spell caster romantically. There are many other instances in life where people do this in other ways all of the time. If a woman or a man fancies someone they may dress to impress, laugh at each others jokes, even if they aren't really funny, and playfully flirt.

This behaviour, which is regarded as normal, has at it's heart the intention of grabbing the desired persons attention, and making them want to engage in romance. There are similarities between this, and a love spell. If the spell itself only has this intention then perhaps it isn't so unethical after all.

On the other hand, when women put on make-up and high heels with the express intention of impressing a male of the species, it's all done right out in the open. Or is it? Personally I don't want my make-up to be too visible. I want to look more attractive without anyone knowing that I seem this way only because I am wearing it. There-fore it's a secret, like a love spell.

When a woman wears high heels it lengthens her legs and makes her attractive to the opposite sex. When a man watches her wiggle past him, doe's he think, 'oh, there's a women who's attempting to manipulate me into thinking she's sexy and take away my free will''? I don't think so. He is far more likely to be thinking about how sexy she is. In a way, he's under her spell.

If we measure whether love spells are ethical or not by the ruler that we use for other parts of life, we can see they are not looking so bad after-all. We witness, and carry out, actions meant to help us get what we want all of the time. Often, to do so, we try to persuade others to come around to our way of thinking. Sometimes we do this without them even noticing, and give ourselves a pat on the back when we get what we want.

Perhaps what bothers people most, about the ethics of love spells, is the fact that they are a form of magic. The very idea there may be an easier way to manipulate a potential lover into falling into your arms, other than by sheer hard work, may upset others too. It's a bit like doing an exam when you have studied hard, and seeing someone else waltz in, wave their magic wand, and automatically get all of the answers in front of you.

When it comes to reality, even if you have cast a love spell, and have your love by your side, it's then up to you to lay the foundation for a relationship. A love spell doesn't usually go that far. In the end, only true love wins the day, as if you and your beloved are a mismatch the relationship won't last.

Even the most flexible of white witches wouldn't usually cast a love spell that shackles one person to another for life. That's because they have personal rules and ethics about their work, and how to treat others. So are love spells unethical? I'm sure you can make up your own mind.

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