“Fair is foul, and foul is fair.”
This literary device shows up in the opening scene of Macbeth, and it reminds the viewer that sometimes not all is what it seems. What can seem trustworthy, might not be; and what seems bad, might actually be good. The three witches are symbolic of “foul” but give “fair” advice - they foretell the treachery of Macbeth, who will commit treason by killing the King. Macbeth slides from being a good man to evil; fair becomes foul.
The phrase serves to remind us that we should always look much deeper than what we can see on the surface. It applies to people, situations, events. How often have we got caught up in the emotion of a situation, our own biases, the things we want to believe or the things that people have told us, completely failing to take a measured, reasoned and objective approach, and consequently failing to attain a deeper understanding of a situation?
Appearances are often deceptive, and as witches we have to practise discernment. When is it right to employ magick? How will we replace the energy used for a spell or working? When is a sign a sign? At what stage should we step into a situation to help? Is a person trustworthy? Are we seeing a situation for what it really is?
Remember, especially in your practice, that “fair is foul, and foul is fair” and always look for deeper understanding - not all may be as it seems.
Image photographed at the Museum of Witchcraft & Magick, Boscastle, Cornwall.
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