Magic: Defense and Offence

Since the very beginning of my practice as a witch, it's been very important to me that my witchery does not affect the will of those around me. I don't push my practice on people, I don't do spells on behalf of others (unless I'm outright asked to do one, and it was entirely their idea), and I don't even attempt to manipulate the will or actions of others for my benefit (or for any other reason). While I don't follow a predetermined set of rules that govern my practice (like the Wiccan Rede, for example), I do have personal ethics that are very important to me.

However, there are always going to be situations that test your limits and boundaries. Someone may be blatantly trying to hurt you and your family, and in a manner that is sneaky and hard to counter by any mundane means. At some point you may find yourself caught in a real bind, with not much else to do about it besides some defensive magic. You may end up walking a fine line, but when it's either them or you (or your family), then you do what you have to do.

Whether or not you follow an established Rede, you have the right to defend yourself. There are infinite rituals and spells set up for defense, protection, warding, and the like. Are we supposed to shut those up in our Grimoires and never use them? I struggled with it for quite some time when I encountered the situation, but I eventually realized that I practice witchcraft for a reason. I couldn't just sit back and let my power lay dormant while someone was actively trying to take what little I had right out from under me. I did a shielding spell against any ill-intentions that may come my way. Within a week, everything was righted and my life was restored to normal. The offender had some serious karma to deal with shortly afterward.

But what happens when your defensive magic starts to cross the line into offensive magic? Where is the line drawn?

I have a neighbor who is not a good sort to live around. He lives in the apartment directly above me, and lets just say he makes his money in less than legal ways. His "clients" are rude, loud, and messy. Random traffic comes and goes during all hours of the night and day. Yet I chose to ignore him for almost a year because he mainly kept to himself and never said a word to me.

...Until I had to put my dog on allergy medication because of the constant marijuana smoke that wafts into my apartment. Not to mention the fact that my employer had asked me about why I smelled like weed one morning. And one of his friends removed a side mirror from my car to replace the one that was missing from his own, nearly identical car. This prompted me to start calling the cops, and reporting him to private security and management.

Well, he started retaliating against me for reporting him. Although he can't prove that it was me, he came banging on my door late one night and threatened me (if you're interested, there's more about this incident in this post). I put up shields and wards after that, but those only go so far. One of his frequent customers came to my front door one day and tried to get in. They make indecent comments to me when I pass them on the way to my car. I don't feel safe living here, and neither does anyone else in my building. Calling the cops, making reports, and any wards or shields I've put up clearly aren't enough.

I don't feel that everyone in my building should move out in order to feel safe and comfortable in their own homes. This one guy is a problem for everyone around him, so what's a witch to do?

It's times like these where I believe that a little offensive magic is permissible. My solution? A little hot foot powder on his front door step. I made the powder myself, so I can be sure of what it does and doesn't do. I designed it so that whomever walks over it feels uncomfortable being in that apartment. They'll want to leave, and not come back.

Since I began using the hot foot powder, the usual crowd hasn't been around. Things are pretty quiet here, and I've noticed he's had to venture out to the front of the complex or the street (where he's more likely to get caught) to make his deals. I was so worried about making sure the recipe was mild enough not to cause any real harm, that it seems it didn't have much effect on him. However, it definitely worked on his clientele.

*Update: The day after I published this post, I found out that my neighbor had put in his notice to move out.*

Now, you can argue that I did a really big no-no by using the hot foot powder. I used magic to alter the feelings and/or behavior of others. But I see it like this: I used magic in a kind of nasty way against a kind of nasty man to protect those in the area who are innocent. Karma may bite me in the ass for this, and I'll accept that if it happens.

What do you think? Would you have done the same thing? I'd love to hear opinions!