Course XLII - Teaching 1: Black Magic

Black magic is a power exercised by men to destroy that which still is enabled to exist.
On certain stages of life and according to certain laws in force among men, they can destroy that which has already fulfilled its mission, such as animal slaughter and death in war –following and applying in this sense the divine law contained in the Ten Commandments.
A characteristic of black magic is the application of the Commandments contrariwise.
Commentaries in this Teaching mainly refer to five Commandments.
First Commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me”.
This Commandment expresses an idea of unity. A black magician tends to destroy unity. Dividing is equal to reigning. It is separate elements in order to possess and control them.
Second Commandment: “You shall not take the name of God in vain”.
The word is Word, and the Word is vibrational power given to men and refused to less evolved monads. This power should be used to fulfill divine injunctions.
A black magician uses this power for his own purposes, along with insinuation, lie and deceit.
Third Commandment: “Keep festivities holy”.
Man should use God’s gifts with equity. He has to take hours and days necessary to living. Any excess is black magic. Any excessive possession, any unilateral effort tending to possession is black magic. Fourth Commandment: “Honor thy father and thy mother”.
Father and mother, teachers and guardians are continuously and personally giving and delivering. Man gets used to receive continuously.
His life around, which he is given through experience and sacrifices of his ancestors, is an inexhaustible fountain for the benefit of man. But the one who refuses to make up for these benefits and to give life back that which he received from life, particularly as for needs of those who are nearer to him and depend on him, breaks the retribution current: he makes black magic.
Fifth Commandment: “You shall not kill”.
In fact, man is always destroying something, that is, is killing; but this is in collective karma of Humanity.
A black magician is such because he kills for his own purposes, although he kills something whose cycle is over.
Hatred is black magic to the utmost because, in the event is not the direct weapon used by the black magician is a weapon that destroys Humanity.
A black magician is always motivated by excessive pride. Noble and pure souls, who are unable to humiliate themselves in due time, fell in this terrible practice. Practices of negative virtues are the best antidote against black magic.