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The Evil
A supposed power
bestowed on a person whereby his/her glance brings sickness, bad luck,
calamity or death.
In
witchcraft
and black magic it is said that certain individuals have
the power to cast evil spells or to project evil thought
forms simply by looking at another person. The idea of this evil power is
practically universal, and there exists in virtually every language an
comparable term the boser Blick in German, malocchio in Italian, mauvais
veil in French; and from the Latin fascinum, which was originally
associated with the idea of binding, is derived the English 'fascinate',
which was originally connected with such ideas as binding by means of
diabolical powers or pact.
The fact of the evil
eye has given rise to numerous protecting devices against it. These
incorporate a wide range of
magical signs and
amulets, reflective surfaces, and, in particular, a number of
obscene or phallic figures and amulets which are intended to ward off
evil such as the corno, a curved horn, and the peculiar gesture involving a
clenched hand with the thumb stuck through the middle and fourth fingers.
Images of eyes are also used to avoid evil (see
eye of horus),
on the grounds of
sympathetic magic, and many of the more
ancient gems and symbols are designed with this in mind.
The Evil Eye has been around since the
beginning of time. It simply means sending someone a thought that seems
intrusive or invasive or has the power to hurt him or her. The bad fortune
that results is considered to have been caused by envy. The evil eye is
not necessarily considered to be intentional or associated with witchcraft
Oddly because we as witches are always being blamed for something or
another, this thought form could actually be complimentary in nature. The
origins of the Evil Eye are Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean. The concept
was introduced into the Americas, South Pacific Islands, Asia, Africa and
Australia by European explorers.
Sending someone the evil eye comes from the concept that we all have a
Third Eye, located in the center of our forehead. Blinding, fogging or
obscuring the third eye is often the intent of the energy’s sender. Most
of us have experienced the weird power of the phenomenon. All it takes is
a gaze that seems to be unfriendly, indifferent or blank and seems to a
couple of seconds too long. We think about it for a few minutes afterwards
or perhaps an image of the person staring at us preoccupies our thoughts
occasionally for the rest of the day. Perhaps that is why the British and
Scottish term for the “evil eye” is “overlooking.” It implies that a gaze
has remained too long upon the coveted object, person or animal.
The evil eye is also known as the envious or invidious eye. In
Italian it is called the malocchio and
in Spanish the malojo (loosely
translated as the bad eye) The evil eye is known as ayin horeh in Hebrew;
ayin harsha in Arabic, droch shuil in Scotland,
mauvais oeil in France,
bösen Blick in Germany, and was known as
oculus malus among the classical Romans.
The original belief is that any person can harm your children, livestock,
fruit trees or any other evidence of prosperity just by looking at the
spoils of all your good will and hard work with envy. Ironically, the
curse of the evil eye is thought to be provoked by inappropriate displays
of spiritual pride or excessive beauty. There is a theory that very famous
people and celebrities suffer more personal misfortune than others simply
because they are subjected to more “overlooking” and envy than others.
This superstition might have some grounding in evolutionary psychology as
usually one animal is thought to dominate or be aggressive to another
simply by staring at it for too long. Psychologically speaking, staring or
glaring at someone is officially considered an intrusion into your
affairs. Apparently, there is a fine line between casting a glance to
casting a spell. In these post Celestine Prophecy times, this kind of
stare could be compared to a kind of etheric laser beam or amoebic arm
that rips open your aura. Others would describe the infliction of the evil
eye as the projection of an image (such as the image of the person you
have offended or hurt) so that you see only that to the exclusion of all
other sight. In other words, you see that person wherever you go or feel
that your life’s events are always colored by your dealing with that
person. Another symptom is the inability to proceed with ordinary, daily
events without feeling somehow compelled to make things right with the
person you have often unknowingly offended with your grandiosity.
It is common folklore that the evil eye has a dehydrating effect on its
victim. It is thought to cause vomiting, diarrhea, the drying up of the
milk of nursing mothers and livestock, problems with the blood, eyesight
lack of rain, the drying up of wells, the withering of fruit and impotence
in men. Clumsiness, stomachaches, dry coughs, diarrhea, itching, hair
loss, dry skin are all thought to be physical symptoms of an evil eye
attack e. On the astral level it is thought to cause the drying up of
prana, chi, life force and the easy flow of prosperity in life. Part of
this image might derive from the idea also, of muddy, murky or poisoned
vision that is somehow attached to the victim’s third eye.
Almost everywhere that the evil eye belief exists, it is said to be caused
accidentally by envy or praise. Thus the phrase “Pride Goeth Before a
Fall” In certain Mediterranean and eastern cultures, one is careful not to
praise a child too much, lest it invite the subconscious balancing effect
of the evil eye. A classic situation would be the barren woman who praises
the newborn baby of a new child. Such praise would be considered
inappropriate and thought to bring the evil child. One of the remedies for
this would be for the mother to spit, to symbolically “rehydrate” the
situation. Also, she may speak ill of the child OT counteract the effects
of the praise, which might have malefic effects on the child later.
The belief that individuals have the power to cast the evil eye on
purpose is more idiosyncratic to Sicily and Southern Italy, although the
belief has certainly spread elsewhere – to the Southern United States and
the Latin Americas. Such people are known as jettatore (projectors). They
are not necessarily considered evil or envious, just born with an
unfortunate embarrassing talent that causes others to avoid them. In
ancient cultures, if you were thought to be the possessor of an evil eye,
you were often negated by the rest of society and went unrecognized on the
street without meeting anyone’s eyes.
Perhaps one of the most familiar preventative measures against the evil
eye is the hand gesture. The Mano Cornufo or “Horned Hand” involves
extending the first and index fingers from a fist. The Mano Fico or “Fig
hand” involves placing the thumb in between first and second fingers.
Historically there have been many cures for the evil eye:
In Italy, the evil eye is diagnosed by dripping olive oil into a vessel
filled with water. If the oil conglomerates into the shape of an eye than
the victim is considered officially cursed. Prayers are recited until the
droplets of oil no longer create an eye shape.
In Eastern Europe charcoal, coal or burnt match heads are dropped into a
pan of water/. If the items float then the person is considered to be the
victim of a curse.
In the Ukraine, a form of ceromancy or candle reading is used to diagnose
the curse. Melted wax is dripped from a candle into a pan of water. If the
wax spits, splatters, or sticks to the side of the bowl then the “patient”
is considered to be under the influence of the malefic eye. Usually the
patient is cleansed with Holy Water. He or she is pronounced cured when
the dripped wax sinks the bottom of the bowl in a round ball.
In Greece Mexico and other places, the official cure is to invite the
culprit responsible for the evil eye to spit in a vessel of the holy water
that is consumed by the victim.
In Mexico, rolling a raw egg over the body of the victim is the antidote.
Afterwards, it is cracked open and if the metaphysician or healer divines
the shape of an eye in the yolks then the person is considered to be
cursed. Several eggs may be repeatedly rolled over the person’s body until
an egg without an eye if found. Sometimes the egg is placed underneath the
person’s bed overnight and cracked open in the morning.
In China the remedy for the evil eye is the Pa Kua mirror, a six-sided
mirror that is hung on the front door or placed in the front window to
reverse bad energy back to the sender. Some of these mirrors are convex to
reflect back the bad “poison darts” or “arrows” of multiple ill wishers
and some are concave to reflect energy in a definite direction back at,
for instance, a nosy neighbor, whose gaze may have lingered on your garden
of tulips for too long. In Feng Shui, mirrors are often used as a cure all
to reflect negative energy back at all kinds of things – people, bad
architecture, traffic, neighbors, physical obstructions such as trees or
rocks or anything else that might considered to be a conductor of Har Shui
(negative vibrations).
In India the mirroring back of the evil eye takes the form of small
mirrors that are sewn, braided or crocheted into clothing. This mirroring
back of bad energy is also familiar to practitioners of Wicca and Lukumi
or Santeria. In India, the human eye is also considered to be a mirror of
the soul. Indian women wear kohl or heavy black makeup to emphasize their
eyes not only to shield themselves from evil eye but also to prevent
themselves from accidentally inflicting it on others. In India cords
strung with blue beads are placed on newborn babies. When the cord breaks
and the beads are lost the child is considered to have a strong enough
aura to protect him or herself from the evil eye. Red cords worn upon the
wrist or neck are thought to have a powerful effect against ocular
malevolence. A silver charm called Eye of Buddha which references the
Gautama Buddha is also worn against astral attack.
In Italy, gold, silver or gems carved or cast into the shape of the Mano
Fica or Mano Cornufa are used to repel the evil. The most coveted ones are
made of red coral, but many versions exist today made of gemstones and
plastic. They are worn by men to protect against the withering of the
genitals thought to be caused by the bad eye. Also Italian in origin is
the Corno or horn or devil’s horn amulet that is thought to protect
against the same dysfunction. The women’s version is made from a twig of
red coral.
In Arab cultures, superstitious types wear an eye in the form of a stone
cast in the center of a hand shaped bone or metal charm A common Egyptian
charm is the Buckle of Isis which represents the menstrual pad of the
Goddess Isis who was the Mother of all living things. Stuffing a little
prayer or spell inside a locket that is hung around the neck is the common
European custom for protecting oneself against deadly gazes.
A Strega High Priestess such as myself might advise you to protect
yourself in the following contemporary ways:
Always maintain the belief that nobody has the power to hurt you with a
look. This in itself is a very powerful thought form. Before you go out,
imagine that your third eye is actually covered by something that looks
like a small pocket mirror. If you are a psychic or a healer then simply
close your third eye and don’t open it unless you want to look.
If you are feeling haunted or upset as the result of a “look”, press your
thumb hard into the center of your forehead and imagine your third eye
quickly flipping. Flick the energy away with your thumb and snap your
fingers. Also in Italy under our Breath ( baci il mio asino) please don’t
be offended by these words (kiss my ass) using your
index finger and baby finger make a fist tightly point the two fingers
down and say the for mentioned words
Always remember that what you resist often persists. The phrase “Oh, so
what!” is one of the most
powerful chemicals in the universe that you can use to dissolve negative
energy.
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