is there such a thing as Gray Path witchcraft?, just wondering Options

So, i have been doing some research and i have found lots of stuff on Right hand or Left hand path witches, ie, light or dark. Is there such a thing as a middle hand path or a Gray path? i don't feel like a left hand, they seem to be into alot of the goth, vampire thing, which just isn't me. But the white witches just seem to be lacking something in the balance and passion department. Anyway, anyone have any thoughts on the subject?

There has been alot of "gray" practioners, no doubt. For example a good one is a revenge type spell. Instead of going "F YOU! I'm gonna make your face rot off for doing what you did to me!", or taking the passive approach and going "Karma will catch up to him...ooooo", you can simply do a reflection spell. Send the negative energy back. It keeps you karmically safe for the white witch in you, and satisfies the black witch by letting the arse get what he deserves!

Hope that kinda helps, yo.

Namaste

Balance in all things is sort of my philosiphy in life. It is the guiding tenent of everything i do. So, what i am trying to do is set up a Grey Tradition, for myself. Something with a little structure so that if someone asks me about my Craft i can explain it clearly and concisely. i can find mentions of Grey witches on the internet but nothing that has real info. nor any groups of practicing Grey witches, pagans or wiccans that i could get in touch with. its really frustrating so i thought i would ask you guys if you have any advice on getting this kind of Tradition started. Thanks for the imput.

Well, the only thing that I've kept in mind, is balance. See things from every angle, and be creative to seek magickal balance. It's alot easier than most suspect.

I can't really give much else for help beyond this, unless you ask specific questions about certain spells or rites, etc....and all that I can offer for that is wide perspective of views. Choosing the middle path is something that can't really be taught, it's learned from the self. At least that's just how I see it.

So, i have been doing some research and i have found lots of stuff on Right hand or Left hand path witches, ie, light or dark

First off, the LHP/RHP dichotomy is not one of light vs dark. The most common (and perhaps over-used) means of explaining them is that the LHP is "my will be done," while the RHP is "thy will be done." This is a rather trite means of summarizing the two paths.

Perhaps the LHP would better be defined as fortifying and isolating the ego to the point that the self continues to exist, both immortal and independent, separate from diety. The RHP, in the other hand, seeks to merge the self with deity.

Is there such a thing as a middle hand path or a Gray path?

Considering the end goals of each path, there can be no "middle path." One can, however, make use of both "black" and "white" magic. This should not be confused with either the LHP or RHP, respectively.

i don't feel like a left hand, they seem to be into alot of the goth, vampire thing

That is not LHP, that is called being into the goth and vampire thing. Two different creatures, really.

the white witches just seem to be lacking something in the balance and passion department

Now you're talking about "white" witchcraft, which is a separate subject from the idea of the RHP.

So, i have been doing some research and i have found lots of stuff on Right hand or Left hand path witches, ie, light or dark

First off, the LHP/RHP dichotomy is not one of light vs dark. The most common (and perhaps over-used) means of explaining them is that the LHP is "my will be done," while the RHP is "thy will be done." This is a rather trite means of summarizing the two paths.

Perhaps the LHP would better be defined as fortifying and isolating the ego to the point that the self continues to exist, both immortal and independent, separate from diety. The RHP, in the other hand, seeks to merge the self with deity.

Is there such a thing as a middle hand path or a Gray path?

Considering the end goals of each path, there can be no "middle path." One can, however, make use of both "black" and "white" magic. This should not be confused with either the LHP or RHP, respectively.

i don't feel like a left hand, they seem to be into alot of the goth, vampire thing

That is not LHP, that is called being into the goth and vampire thing. Two different creatures, really.

the white witches just seem to be lacking something in the balance and passion department

Now you're talking about "white" witchcraft, which is a separate subject from the idea of the RHP.

I find the tree of life to be quite suitable to explain white and grey magic, left hand path and right hand path. Just look at it. Grey magic corresponds to the pillar of mercy, for the simple reason that chokmah is grey in the queen scale. White magic is thus the middle pillar. The right hand path is netzach, chesed and chokmah, and the left hand path is hod, geburah and binah. Makes perfect sense to me.


-thief

I find the tree of life to be quite suitable to explain white and grey magic, left hand path and right hand path

The ToL itself is RHP by default, as the model of Adam Qadmon, which is an open circuit link between En Sof and the world. There are two ways a person could transform the ToL into anything indicative of the LHP. First, one could take the Lourianic model (from which the Hermetic model is derived), and raise Malkhuth to the Abyss of Daath - this would require one to first master the Qelifoth and reconstruct certain things that were lost during the Breaking. The second option, which I'm unsure of at the moment (because this model is still essentialy RHP) is some means of utilizing the diagram of the Gaon of Vilna, which is slightly different from the Lourianic diagram. While this one appears to be a closed circuit model, it may not actually be so (on the other hand, raisign Malkhuth to the Abyss of Daath is a wilful closing of the circuit, and thus more fitting of the LHP).

Grey magic corresponds to the pillar of mercy, for the simple reason that chokmah is grey in the queen scale. White magic is thus the middle pillar.

The "colour" of magic and the "colour" of a Sefirah are unrelated. White and black magic are generally defined based on their intent and their results. The all expansive and "selfless love" by which white magic finds itself most often classified by is more indicative of Hessed than anything else, and thus should be represented by the Pillar of Mercy. Likewise, the restrictions placed on Hessed by Gevurah (e.g. egocentrism and the idea that "love should not be wasted in ingrates") indicates that black magic is best represented by the Pillar of Severity. "Grey" magic, as teh balance between the two should only logically be classified by the Pillar of Clemency, of which Tifereth (resulting from the tension between Hessed and Gevurah) is the centre.

The right hand path is netzach, chesed and chokmah, and the left hand path is hod, geburah and binah

This results from a misunderstanding of what the RHP and LHP are, in a metaphysical sense. As a psycho-spiritual model of man, yes, one can say that Netzah, Hessed, and Hokhmah represent one way of living, and that Hod, Gevurah, and Binah represent another. In this case, speaking from a psycho-spiritual standpoint, rather than one of magical or metaphyiscal philosophy, the best way to walk is the path of Malkuth, Yesod, Tifereth, and Kether - you'll find this advice toward the beginning of Yesod Yesodei HaTorah, from Maimonides' Mishneh Torah.

However, as a map of magical philosophy, the ToL stands as a means of attaining the goal of the RHP. Only with serious work and transformation (which in and of itself is Qabbalistic antinomianism) can the ToL become the image of man turned Isolate Intelligence.

I find al this ceremonial theory rather interesting.
The tree of life can be seen in so many ways, the sephiroth can even be used as tools to balance yourself, the left pillar and right pillar can be seen as strings to be used to balance yourself on the centre pillar.

Nero claimed that the centre pillar is white magick, this is not so i think.
The wise centre pillar is in fact the position of grey magick, the gray path, the middle path.
The pillar of severety is the path of the 'dark' wizard, the 'evil' one if you will. However, the pillar of mercy is the other extreme, the path of the monk, the renunciate. Both paths can provide strenght and insight, both are valid paths to follow, however the pillar of mercy is morally acceptable in this society and the pillar of severety is not. And both are far to extreme to be true acceptable paths for the true will.

Magick is not about moral feelings and laws.
That is why the wise wizard or witch follows the middle path.

This gray path is not closely bordered, grey goes from black to white in many gradations. These make the borderline with black and wite almost invisible.
This grey zone is very wide and it is not easily understood by others, or even yourself. If you find yourself leaning towards one side you should try to steer yourself back into the middle.


But all this goes against my own view on life. All this defining and outlining the rules makes me so very tired. Why can't we just be ourselves, the true self does not need steering towards some defined middle, only the ego does. So very tiring, i am going to bed now.

Grey magic is often used to represent when a ritual goes right but in the wrong way. For example you do a spell ofr money and a favortie aunt dies and leaves you money. You got what you wanted but not the way you wanted it. As for Wiccans referring to themselves as Grey Wiccans, I have never met any. Wiccans by definition believe in Karma and spiritual growth Grey just doesn't cut it here. Black witchcraft is Satanic and not at all related to Wicca. White is using one abilitie for the common good making you Karma positive. Grey would be a negetive or at the best neutral Karma. The term Grey seems contradictory to me.

For those who want to do a work based on Kabbala all this dividing is actually counterproductive exept for as a means to keep track of things.
The goal being union of all oposites (Kether).

I for one never even use the terms Black and white.
There is energy. The energy gets affected by you (and in a sence IS you).

Kabbala is by nature Dualistic/Emanationistic in world view.
A Wiccan doesent have to be though, in fact quite a few Pagans are Pantheists.

Still, i would (as a RHP:er i guess) love to hear more about LHP from Hermetic and Kabbalistic view points.
One of the "traps" for a RHP Magician is to get his head all tangeled up in Daath (knowledge) thus wearing a false crown so to speak.
How technically does a LHP Magician go about his work?

Are there any sources of LHP Magicians of a Kabbalistic/ Hermetic type (not counting Yezidees and so on, though valid ofcourse)?

Btw, the oposite of Karma is Dharma (right action).
There is no such thing as a positive Karma.

Some say there is some say there isnt, if you want to follow a path like that my advise to you would be - sod what they say and do it -