~Elise~
August 6th, 2006, 10:28 PM
Magic spells which are placed upon people with the intention of harming them. The misfortune intended by curses can range from illness, and harm, to even death. Curses are declared to be the most dreaded form of magic, often called black magic, and are believed to be universally used. The principle purposes for them to be "laid" or "thrown" are for revenge, and also for protection of homes, treasures and grave sites. Curses can become effective immediately or may be dormant for years. Curses laid on families have been known to have plagued them for generations.
Just as many methods exist for breaking curses as there are for making them.
Traditionally, the most propitious time for laying on and breaking curses is during the waning of the moon. A person can cast a spell for himself, or direct it toward another person. A positive spell is called a blessing. A negative spell usually known as a hex or curse. Archaic terms for spells include bewitchment and enchantment.
A binding spell is on that is cast with the intention of preventing harm or disaster, or to stop someone from performing a particular act such as a murder or rape, or something as inoffensive as spreading gossip.
History of Curses:
The use of curse has been practiced by many cultures. The most universal method of laying on a curse is by effigy, which is an image or representation of the victim, or the person who is wished to be harmed. Waxed effigies were common in ancient India, Persia, Egypt, Africa and Europe, and currently are still used. Also, effigies can be made of clay, wood and stuffed cloth (poppets). Often the effigy is marked or painted to looked like the victim. It is thought that the closer the effigy resembles the victim, the more the victim will suffer when the effigy is harmed or destroyed. The theory behind the harming or destroying an effigy to do harm to a victim is pure sympathetic magic. As the effigy is harmed, so the victim is harmed. When the effigy is destroyed, so the victim dies.
The word hex is sometimes used synonymously with curse. Among the Pennsylvania Dutch Witches hex can designate either a good or bad spell. In neo-Pagan Witchcraft, some Witches use the term hex to designate a binding spell, which is different from a curse.
A curse is the expression of desire of harm to come to a particular person. Anyone can lay a curse on another person, but it is believed that the authority of the person who lays the curse on increases its potency and makes it more dangerous. Such persons are believed to be priests, priestesses or royalty; persons possessing magical skill, such as Witches, sorcerers and magicians; and persons who have no other recourse to justice, such as women in many societies, the poor, the destitute and the dying. Deathbed curses are the most potent, since all the curser’s vital energy goes into the curse.
There is a belief that if the victim knows that he has been cursed and believes that he is doomed, that the curse is all the more potent for the victim helps to cause his own demise. However, many Witches and sorcerers claim that curses can be just as effective without the victim’s knowledge of them. They further say that they would never let the victim know the curse had been laid on him because then he might go to another Witch seeking to get it removed.
In the various traditions of neo-Pagan Witchcraft it is against the ethics and laws of the Craft to lay curses. Most Witches abide by this, thinking that the curse will return to the curser in the same form as given. Although there are those that believe that cursing against one’s enemies is justified. Witches from ethnic cultures such as the Italian STRIGA, the Mexican BRUJA, and branches of the Pennsylvania Dutch also believe that cursing is justified.
An excerpt from this article, http://www.faerywolf.com/essay_beyondtoil.htm (http://www.faerywolf.com/essay_beyondtoil.htm) , is very appropriate, I believe:
It is my understanding that the Great Work of the Craft (and I believe of any true priest/esshood as well) is involved primarily with cultivating a deepened awareness of the Self, in order to allow one to become a vessel for Divine presence. A great deal of this, for me, has been in the observation and re-evaluation of the ego and its' place within the community of my Self. One of the things that I have learned, in my time studying the Craft, is that the ego is a tricky thing. It can lull you into thinking that you are doing something good, or righteous, while in reality you are just spreading more shit around. Take, for example, the religious right. In whatever they are doing, be it lobbying to remove human rights protections, picketing the funerals of gays & lesbians, or turning a blind eye to the violence caused by their views, they believe that they are the agents of righteousness. It is the absolute conviction that they are doing 'God's work' that causes them to be unaware that they are the cause of so much pain and suffering.
This is why righteousness is a dangerous state for the seeker of knowledge to be in. It can justify anything if the ego is aligned towards it. It can trap the seeker in a delirium of self-appreciating rationalization, preventing growth or true thought, leaving them blind to their actions and their results. When we are filled with righteous anger it is often too easy to allow it to flow into purely destructive forms such as tyranny and domination. With the conviction of righteousness coursing through our veins, we are too often inclined to use excessive force, especially if our reasons are justified. We must make certain that we are working responsibly or else we are not worthy of the powers and pleasures our Craft affords us. A spiritual system that intends to foster personal awareness and responsibility must certainly address this issue.
Also, an awesome article is this one: http://www.feritradition.org/witcheye/hex.html (http://www.feritradition.org/witcheye/hex.html)
In the past, this has been a signal that “big magic” was happening.. It’s different from all those little spells I do because I want something . Every now and then, the gods to whom I am devoted come a callin’ and usually it feels like a freight train rolling through. They inspire me to action. The shaking begins if I fight it, too many amps for someone in a body. And all I could hear as I watched this crime was a cold and chilling and quiet “ya basta...enough.” in a voice that was not mine.
I went to my keyboard and words flowed out of me, energy streaming from me. I was in an altered state, flying, not even reading what I was writing. What came out was something that terrified me. It was a curse, the text of which is included. It has not been edited.
Now let me tell you something, I do not curse lightly. Basically, I grew up in a tradition that saw cursing as an art form, and something that you did because you were pissed off at your neighbor. But my godfather taught me that the less you curse the more powerful they are. He told me not to be a bitchy little old grandma, and to use a curse only when you are willing to take someone out for good. I have only used curses on one or two occasions. And I have taken someone out for good. I know that cursing works if you actually can do it. You can really mess yourself up in the process if you are not careful. It requires cursing yourself in the process, and being willing to face your own destruction in an attempt to restore order. It takes commitment.
Both of these articles are from practioners of MY path of Feri, so you can see that I don’t have a ‘normal’ view of cursing--that is just isn’t done, yada, yada, yada. Another quote from the same article:
The problem with prohibiting cursing is that we think we’re not doing it if we don’t make a ritual out of it. But how many times when someone cuts you off on the freeway do you hurl a curse at them? “Yeah, well I hope you get in an accident.” Of course, we’re not on record with those kinds of curses. And we never have to see the results of our flinging our energy around like so many boogers on a finger. We spew negative energy around if we don’t know what it’s for. I was trained in cursing. I was taught how to curse and why to curse. For instance, I was told that I couldn’t be in a state of rage or anger when I curse, because the curse will implode. You need to know how to get out of the way of a curse. You also need to know that when you hurl a curse at a driver on the bridge, you have to make damn sure you aren’t doing the same thing. If you are, you’re screwed. If you know how to curse, you become more aware of your responsibility. You know that if you are whining about something, you need to either do something about it or shut up already. Knowing how to curse can considerably reduce the amount of cursing that you do. Cursing is a part of most diasporic traditions and is a tool of the oppressed. It is the tool we have to defend ourselves when we lack money and power.
Magic is real; after all to contact someone in reference to spell casting or to do spell casting, you must have some sort of belief in it, and even if you don’t believe, do not scoff at it, because a belief in magic is not required for it to have a negative impact on your life.
Alright, we know what curses are. How do we protect against them. There are herbs that can be used both to curse and to break curses. I HIGHLY recommend www.luckymojo.com (http://www.luckymojo.com/) for all things relating to this. Cat is a true wisewoman and root worker. She rocks, in my book.
Here is another site: http://www.mojomoon.net/herbsmag.html (http://www.mojomoon.net/herbsmag.html)
You can use candle magic, http://www.whywiccanssuck.com/learn8.html (http://www.whywiccanssuck.com/learn8.html) :
Candle magic is a staple for beginners of witchcraft, although few witches realize exactly how it works. The idea itself is very simple -- your intentions are programmed into the body of a candle so that your spell will be released gradually as it burns down.
Basically, the candle serves as battery power (psychic energy) for the astral loudspeaker (vibrating your program). In effect, it exudes your intent even when you're not around -- you just have to turn it on by lighting the wick. Anything can be a battery -- a charged crystal, for instance, could be carried around in your pocket as the battery for a personal psychic shield.
To create a battery, just paint your programmed intent energy into it, adding the parameters as to how long the energy should be stored and just how it should be released (for instance, by lighting the wick). If it makes you feel better to be more "witchy" by picking the perfect color of candle to use (green for money, etc) and carving symbols into it.
To keep your programming from fading away over time, it's a good idea to program your battery to link to a larger power source, such as the Earth, and refresh itself as needed. (Rechargeable batteries -- heh, who would've thought?) The only limits to this sort of innovation are your creativity.
One of my favorite ways is to use a Witches Bottle. Spell bottles, also known as "Witches Bottles", have been in use in England and the United States since at least the 1600's. Spell bottles were originally created to destroy the power of an evil magician or witch thought to have cast a spell against the bottle's creator. They were often ceramic vessels, filled with hair, nails, and even the victim's urine. They were also walled up into new homes as magical guardians.
Here are some different ways to make one:
http://www.faerywolf.com/spell_witchbottle.htm (http://www.faerywolf.com/spell_witchbottle.htm)
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Canopy/1956/witch-bottle.html (http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Canopy/1956/witch-bottle.html)
http://www.everythingunderthemoon.net/spells/witch_bottle.htm (http://www.everythingunderthemoon.net/spells/witch_bottle.htm)
That said--you can make a witches bottle for ANY purpose: Love, Creativity, Money, etc. It is all in the ingredients and the intent as you have seen from some of the previous links and some of these:
http://www.asiya.org/bos/creativebottle.html (http://www.asiya.org/bos/creativebottle.html)
http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/chaney/191/id80.htm (http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/chaney/191/id80.htm)
http://groups.msn.com/PaganHearthRecipes/jarbottle.msnw (http://groups.msn.com/PaganHearthRecipes/jarbottle.msnw)
Geez--do a google search and you’ll have more results than you can go through in a week. Then you can do a protection spell on yourself to break a curse, if you feel you need to. Here is just ONE example. Again, do a search and you’ll be inundated with option. JUST DON’T PAY ANYONE TO DO IT FOR YOU.
http://www.everythingunderthemoon.net/spells/purification_spell.htm (http://www.everythingunderthemoon.net/spells/purification_spell.htm)
www.luckymojo.com (http://www.luckymojo.com/) has uncrossing spells, supplies, etc.
Setting wards is another way to protect ourselves. So what are wards? Wards are magick raised and set into place to protect a space, object or person. The traditional Four Directions are warded, but one should ward "up" and "down" as well; "ooglies" and negative energies can "tunnel" over and under on the astral plane! For this reason, raise a sphere rather than a Circle.
Why ward? For the same reason you keep your car and your house doors locked: to protect yourself, your property, and your personal space.
The words reward, warden, steward, warn, wardrobe, warrant, wary and beware all come from the same Old English root "ward," that meant to guard, protect, or watch out for. "Setting the wards" is a magical technique for guarding and protecting an area or a person. We know that the Druids protected places from unwanted attention. The Roman poet Lucan wrote of a grove never violated over the ages, which people did not use for worship but left fallow for the gods. Guarding people and places is within our ability today and setting wards is one way to do it.
Stand outside the envisioned area to be protected and imagine a square around it. Begin in the front left corner; you'll be designating the corners as black-white-black-white. Call the first corner "black" and allow the polarity of blackness to be there. With strong intention, start some energy at that corner in order to ward off anything unwanted. Turn towards the next "white" corner and move your intention and protective energy here. Complete the third and fourth corners all the way back to the starting point. Two corners opposite each other will be black and two will be white; this will foster a dynamic tension between them. You have set a parameter and called in the balance of light and dark to work for you. Complete safety requires three-dimentional protection and this necessitates moving into the spheres of Above and Below. Envision the protected area extending down into the earth and up into the sky.
The next part of setting wards requires you to shift from sending out energy to receiving an image. Concentrate on the space or person that you are protecting and let an image come to you that arises naturally. You will simply be the conduit for the already existing spirit of the place or guardian of the person. Let the image emerge and move until it covers the entire space, above, below, and all around. The power that has chosen to be guardian knows what to do. In your mind, see and say clearly what the protective image is. You can leave now, in total confidence that the wards are set and the space or person is protected.
This is from Warding 101, http://realmagick.com/articles/68/2168.html
To ward an object (for instance, a trunk containing your magickal supplies), put a protective sign on it. The Elhaz (Algiz) rune (the fifteenth rune in the Elder Futhark) works just fine. To make one, get a peace sign, cut off the circle around the edge, and apply it upside down. It should look roughly like a three-pronged antler. Or, you can just draw or paint it on. Cover the object with a "chain link fence" of blue magick. Be sure some magick is in the spaces between the -links. Anchor the wards to the protective sign. Visualize them keeping others from touching the warded object Clean and maintain periodically (at least once a month) to avoid your wards dying and perhaps unpleasantly decaying. Also, don't let others touch the object so it won't give them a nasty psychic shock You can make your car "invisible" (not readily noticed) by putting magickal screens around it and willing that others not see it. Be careful, or you might have a hard time finding it yourself when you return, or find it's been hit by another car even though in plain sight!
The "chain link fence" technique will also ward your house or apartment. I advise homeowners to ward their homes around the walls, floors and ceilings facing the outside of the building (not interior walls between rooms or the floors/ceilings of multistory houses) and set up secondary wards around the property lines. You'll need something to anchor your wards to. I suggest driving charged railroad spikes with the Elhaz nine painted on them at the corners (of a square lot). White (clear) quartz crystal points work well for the corners of a home as anchors. By the way, white quartz is the best "generic" stone for general use, so don't panic if some book says only the rare and costly Atlantean Moonstone (available from the book's publisher, needless to say) will do for what you need to accomplish. White candles work well for most spells too. White light contains all colors. That's why sunshine can be broken up into a rainbow. Clean those stones first Try to get some that haven't been handled by a bajillion people before you bought them. White quartz picks up and holds the random charges of people who handle it. It picks up and holds a charge just fine. That's why you want it. My partner can't stand handling white quartz points in stores, so I get that job! I once pointed one at him and said "Zap!" It was a joke, but it zapped him anyway, much to his chagrin. If you are sensitive and need to handle, select and purchase them, try warding a pair of gloves for the purpose! When you get them home, soak them overnight in cold salt water. Take them out, rinse and dry them, send a wave of cleansing energy through each one, and charge them one by one. You'll need to do this periodically in your ward cleansing, and should try to put each one back in its proper corner each time. Then set your wards. Let them "jell" for an hour or so before you go out, at least when you are initially setting them up. You'll get an extra bit of "Oomph!" if you do you warding on the Full Moon (and the Full Moon will thereafter be a reminder to clean and recharge your wards). Be sure to take down and ground your wards if you move!
Here is another awesome article: http://astralhealer.com/wards.php (http://astralhealer.com/wards.php)
The first methods are the magical use of herbs. Herbs sprinkled around the house are effective and easy to do. You pick a protective herb. My favorites are Rosemary, Marjoram, mint, cloves, cinnamon, dill, thyme, and fenugreek. All of these by themselves and in combination will protect you from different influences. Rosemary repels demons and the people who are in bondage to demons. Marjoram absorbs all the negativity around the house and prevents arguments. It also defends the person who sprinkles it in the corners of their house. Mint is an activator and energizer. It can be used to set up a shield when sprinkled around the outside of the house. It is especially good against the effects of Psychic Vampires. Cloves are protective when sprinkled in the corners of the house or used as incense. It gets rid of entities and stubborn thought forms. Cinnamon is protective and brings luck into the house. It also can be used as incense to banish negative entities. Dill hinders others from casting their spells upon you. Thyme prevents magic from affecting you and your home. Fenugreek keeps all demons out of your house and brings good luck into your home.
To activate these herbs you say a heartfelt prayer over them mentioning what you want to prevent happening. You then sprinkle a little bit in the corner of every room in the house. You can also circle your home with the herbs to keep anything bad from entering your home. I prefer to use mint, fenugreek, and rosemary for encircling a home for protection of everyone and everything with in it.
The next step is magical symbols. You can draw magical symbols that are compatible with your beliefs and that bring protection into your home. This is your choice. I like the runes myself. Others might like the cross, Star of David, etc. You must pray over these symbols and ask for help from the forces that you are invoking to protect you. You visualize your walls being connected by a bright wall of force that will protect you. You should make these walls of force vibrate at a high pitch and hum to a high note. I would say the best demonstration of this is a tuning fork. You want them to hum and vibrate like a tuning fork at a pitch no one else can hear.
I also use stones set in the four corners of the yard to defend myself. You draw a protective symbol on them and pray over them. You then set them in the four corners of your yard. You visualize a wall of force connecting them that nothing that will cause harm can cross. You will again want them to vibrate and hum at a high pitch. You can also bury them. You can do this upon brick or wood fences. You just use a colored marker that will blend in with the color so no one will notice the symbols.
You can use hex-removing oil to seal all the doors and window. You do this by drawing a magical symbol on the frame of the door or window. You again visualize a wall of force preventing anything that would cause harm from entering. You can also use other oils if you can not find uncrossing or hex-removing. These are cypress oil, cedar oil, rosemary oil, or dragon’s blood oil. If you can not afford or find oils I suggest using an herb tea. The tea can be made with any of the protective herbs and strained. It can be a weak tea so it does not discolor any of the walls. You pray over it or the oils before you use it to make the symbols.
Personal wards can be a little trickier. You have to be able to visualize properly and link it to a symbol or crystal on your body that is good for protection. There are many lists of these types of stones. You again want them to hum and vibrate at a high pitch to keep anything nasty away. You can also visualize them as reflecting magic back at the person sending it. They also have talismans that you can make and energize to do this for you. Wearing it is not enough because you have to make it hum and vibrate so the field of force encloses you. I have found that most talismans or stones start to do this when you pray over them and state your purpose. You then should fill them with energy and that will start them vibrating and humming at the level of your purpose.
If you are being hexed then you should do this for your vehicles, and the people you love and care for because most magicians want to harm the person they are cursing. They really don't care what they have to do to accomplish this. You can use the same protective oils or teas as you did inside of your house. I also like to hang a dream catcher from the mirror with a piece of flint or turquoise tied into the dream catcher. Both of these stones protect people against accidents. I rub the oil upon the stones and pray over the dream catcher.
Sources:
http://www.themystica.com (http://www.themystica.com/)
http://www.malewitch.com/negative_magic.php (http://www.malewitch.com/negative_magic.php)
http://dwij.org/forum/cerritomni/r3_maya.html (http://dwij.org/forum/cerritomni/r3_maya.html)
Just as many methods exist for breaking curses as there are for making them.
Traditionally, the most propitious time for laying on and breaking curses is during the waning of the moon. A person can cast a spell for himself, or direct it toward another person. A positive spell is called a blessing. A negative spell usually known as a hex or curse. Archaic terms for spells include bewitchment and enchantment.
A binding spell is on that is cast with the intention of preventing harm or disaster, or to stop someone from performing a particular act such as a murder or rape, or something as inoffensive as spreading gossip.
History of Curses:
The use of curse has been practiced by many cultures. The most universal method of laying on a curse is by effigy, which is an image or representation of the victim, or the person who is wished to be harmed. Waxed effigies were common in ancient India, Persia, Egypt, Africa and Europe, and currently are still used. Also, effigies can be made of clay, wood and stuffed cloth (poppets). Often the effigy is marked or painted to looked like the victim. It is thought that the closer the effigy resembles the victim, the more the victim will suffer when the effigy is harmed or destroyed. The theory behind the harming or destroying an effigy to do harm to a victim is pure sympathetic magic. As the effigy is harmed, so the victim is harmed. When the effigy is destroyed, so the victim dies.
The word hex is sometimes used synonymously with curse. Among the Pennsylvania Dutch Witches hex can designate either a good or bad spell. In neo-Pagan Witchcraft, some Witches use the term hex to designate a binding spell, which is different from a curse.
A curse is the expression of desire of harm to come to a particular person. Anyone can lay a curse on another person, but it is believed that the authority of the person who lays the curse on increases its potency and makes it more dangerous. Such persons are believed to be priests, priestesses or royalty; persons possessing magical skill, such as Witches, sorcerers and magicians; and persons who have no other recourse to justice, such as women in many societies, the poor, the destitute and the dying. Deathbed curses are the most potent, since all the curser’s vital energy goes into the curse.
There is a belief that if the victim knows that he has been cursed and believes that he is doomed, that the curse is all the more potent for the victim helps to cause his own demise. However, many Witches and sorcerers claim that curses can be just as effective without the victim’s knowledge of them. They further say that they would never let the victim know the curse had been laid on him because then he might go to another Witch seeking to get it removed.
In the various traditions of neo-Pagan Witchcraft it is against the ethics and laws of the Craft to lay curses. Most Witches abide by this, thinking that the curse will return to the curser in the same form as given. Although there are those that believe that cursing against one’s enemies is justified. Witches from ethnic cultures such as the Italian STRIGA, the Mexican BRUJA, and branches of the Pennsylvania Dutch also believe that cursing is justified.
An excerpt from this article, http://www.faerywolf.com/essay_beyondtoil.htm (http://www.faerywolf.com/essay_beyondtoil.htm) , is very appropriate, I believe:
It is my understanding that the Great Work of the Craft (and I believe of any true priest/esshood as well) is involved primarily with cultivating a deepened awareness of the Self, in order to allow one to become a vessel for Divine presence. A great deal of this, for me, has been in the observation and re-evaluation of the ego and its' place within the community of my Self. One of the things that I have learned, in my time studying the Craft, is that the ego is a tricky thing. It can lull you into thinking that you are doing something good, or righteous, while in reality you are just spreading more shit around. Take, for example, the religious right. In whatever they are doing, be it lobbying to remove human rights protections, picketing the funerals of gays & lesbians, or turning a blind eye to the violence caused by their views, they believe that they are the agents of righteousness. It is the absolute conviction that they are doing 'God's work' that causes them to be unaware that they are the cause of so much pain and suffering.
This is why righteousness is a dangerous state for the seeker of knowledge to be in. It can justify anything if the ego is aligned towards it. It can trap the seeker in a delirium of self-appreciating rationalization, preventing growth or true thought, leaving them blind to their actions and their results. When we are filled with righteous anger it is often too easy to allow it to flow into purely destructive forms such as tyranny and domination. With the conviction of righteousness coursing through our veins, we are too often inclined to use excessive force, especially if our reasons are justified. We must make certain that we are working responsibly or else we are not worthy of the powers and pleasures our Craft affords us. A spiritual system that intends to foster personal awareness and responsibility must certainly address this issue.
Also, an awesome article is this one: http://www.feritradition.org/witcheye/hex.html (http://www.feritradition.org/witcheye/hex.html)
In the past, this has been a signal that “big magic” was happening.. It’s different from all those little spells I do because I want something . Every now and then, the gods to whom I am devoted come a callin’ and usually it feels like a freight train rolling through. They inspire me to action. The shaking begins if I fight it, too many amps for someone in a body. And all I could hear as I watched this crime was a cold and chilling and quiet “ya basta...enough.” in a voice that was not mine.
I went to my keyboard and words flowed out of me, energy streaming from me. I was in an altered state, flying, not even reading what I was writing. What came out was something that terrified me. It was a curse, the text of which is included. It has not been edited.
Now let me tell you something, I do not curse lightly. Basically, I grew up in a tradition that saw cursing as an art form, and something that you did because you were pissed off at your neighbor. But my godfather taught me that the less you curse the more powerful they are. He told me not to be a bitchy little old grandma, and to use a curse only when you are willing to take someone out for good. I have only used curses on one or two occasions. And I have taken someone out for good. I know that cursing works if you actually can do it. You can really mess yourself up in the process if you are not careful. It requires cursing yourself in the process, and being willing to face your own destruction in an attempt to restore order. It takes commitment.
Both of these articles are from practioners of MY path of Feri, so you can see that I don’t have a ‘normal’ view of cursing--that is just isn’t done, yada, yada, yada. Another quote from the same article:
The problem with prohibiting cursing is that we think we’re not doing it if we don’t make a ritual out of it. But how many times when someone cuts you off on the freeway do you hurl a curse at them? “Yeah, well I hope you get in an accident.” Of course, we’re not on record with those kinds of curses. And we never have to see the results of our flinging our energy around like so many boogers on a finger. We spew negative energy around if we don’t know what it’s for. I was trained in cursing. I was taught how to curse and why to curse. For instance, I was told that I couldn’t be in a state of rage or anger when I curse, because the curse will implode. You need to know how to get out of the way of a curse. You also need to know that when you hurl a curse at a driver on the bridge, you have to make damn sure you aren’t doing the same thing. If you are, you’re screwed. If you know how to curse, you become more aware of your responsibility. You know that if you are whining about something, you need to either do something about it or shut up already. Knowing how to curse can considerably reduce the amount of cursing that you do. Cursing is a part of most diasporic traditions and is a tool of the oppressed. It is the tool we have to defend ourselves when we lack money and power.
Magic is real; after all to contact someone in reference to spell casting or to do spell casting, you must have some sort of belief in it, and even if you don’t believe, do not scoff at it, because a belief in magic is not required for it to have a negative impact on your life.
Alright, we know what curses are. How do we protect against them. There are herbs that can be used both to curse and to break curses. I HIGHLY recommend www.luckymojo.com (http://www.luckymojo.com/) for all things relating to this. Cat is a true wisewoman and root worker. She rocks, in my book.
Here is another site: http://www.mojomoon.net/herbsmag.html (http://www.mojomoon.net/herbsmag.html)
You can use candle magic, http://www.whywiccanssuck.com/learn8.html (http://www.whywiccanssuck.com/learn8.html) :
Candle magic is a staple for beginners of witchcraft, although few witches realize exactly how it works. The idea itself is very simple -- your intentions are programmed into the body of a candle so that your spell will be released gradually as it burns down.
Basically, the candle serves as battery power (psychic energy) for the astral loudspeaker (vibrating your program). In effect, it exudes your intent even when you're not around -- you just have to turn it on by lighting the wick. Anything can be a battery -- a charged crystal, for instance, could be carried around in your pocket as the battery for a personal psychic shield.
To create a battery, just paint your programmed intent energy into it, adding the parameters as to how long the energy should be stored and just how it should be released (for instance, by lighting the wick). If it makes you feel better to be more "witchy" by picking the perfect color of candle to use (green for money, etc) and carving symbols into it.
To keep your programming from fading away over time, it's a good idea to program your battery to link to a larger power source, such as the Earth, and refresh itself as needed. (Rechargeable batteries -- heh, who would've thought?) The only limits to this sort of innovation are your creativity.
One of my favorite ways is to use a Witches Bottle. Spell bottles, also known as "Witches Bottles", have been in use in England and the United States since at least the 1600's. Spell bottles were originally created to destroy the power of an evil magician or witch thought to have cast a spell against the bottle's creator. They were often ceramic vessels, filled with hair, nails, and even the victim's urine. They were also walled up into new homes as magical guardians.
Here are some different ways to make one:
http://www.faerywolf.com/spell_witchbottle.htm (http://www.faerywolf.com/spell_witchbottle.htm)
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Canopy/1956/witch-bottle.html (http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Canopy/1956/witch-bottle.html)
http://www.everythingunderthemoon.net/spells/witch_bottle.htm (http://www.everythingunderthemoon.net/spells/witch_bottle.htm)
That said--you can make a witches bottle for ANY purpose: Love, Creativity, Money, etc. It is all in the ingredients and the intent as you have seen from some of the previous links and some of these:
http://www.asiya.org/bos/creativebottle.html (http://www.asiya.org/bos/creativebottle.html)
http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/chaney/191/id80.htm (http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/chaney/191/id80.htm)
http://groups.msn.com/PaganHearthRecipes/jarbottle.msnw (http://groups.msn.com/PaganHearthRecipes/jarbottle.msnw)
Geez--do a google search and you’ll have more results than you can go through in a week. Then you can do a protection spell on yourself to break a curse, if you feel you need to. Here is just ONE example. Again, do a search and you’ll be inundated with option. JUST DON’T PAY ANYONE TO DO IT FOR YOU.
http://www.everythingunderthemoon.net/spells/purification_spell.htm (http://www.everythingunderthemoon.net/spells/purification_spell.htm)
www.luckymojo.com (http://www.luckymojo.com/) has uncrossing spells, supplies, etc.
Setting wards is another way to protect ourselves. So what are wards? Wards are magick raised and set into place to protect a space, object or person. The traditional Four Directions are warded, but one should ward "up" and "down" as well; "ooglies" and negative energies can "tunnel" over and under on the astral plane! For this reason, raise a sphere rather than a Circle.
Why ward? For the same reason you keep your car and your house doors locked: to protect yourself, your property, and your personal space.
The words reward, warden, steward, warn, wardrobe, warrant, wary and beware all come from the same Old English root "ward," that meant to guard, protect, or watch out for. "Setting the wards" is a magical technique for guarding and protecting an area or a person. We know that the Druids protected places from unwanted attention. The Roman poet Lucan wrote of a grove never violated over the ages, which people did not use for worship but left fallow for the gods. Guarding people and places is within our ability today and setting wards is one way to do it.
Stand outside the envisioned area to be protected and imagine a square around it. Begin in the front left corner; you'll be designating the corners as black-white-black-white. Call the first corner "black" and allow the polarity of blackness to be there. With strong intention, start some energy at that corner in order to ward off anything unwanted. Turn towards the next "white" corner and move your intention and protective energy here. Complete the third and fourth corners all the way back to the starting point. Two corners opposite each other will be black and two will be white; this will foster a dynamic tension between them. You have set a parameter and called in the balance of light and dark to work for you. Complete safety requires three-dimentional protection and this necessitates moving into the spheres of Above and Below. Envision the protected area extending down into the earth and up into the sky.
The next part of setting wards requires you to shift from sending out energy to receiving an image. Concentrate on the space or person that you are protecting and let an image come to you that arises naturally. You will simply be the conduit for the already existing spirit of the place or guardian of the person. Let the image emerge and move until it covers the entire space, above, below, and all around. The power that has chosen to be guardian knows what to do. In your mind, see and say clearly what the protective image is. You can leave now, in total confidence that the wards are set and the space or person is protected.
This is from Warding 101, http://realmagick.com/articles/68/2168.html
To ward an object (for instance, a trunk containing your magickal supplies), put a protective sign on it. The Elhaz (Algiz) rune (the fifteenth rune in the Elder Futhark) works just fine. To make one, get a peace sign, cut off the circle around the edge, and apply it upside down. It should look roughly like a three-pronged antler. Or, you can just draw or paint it on. Cover the object with a "chain link fence" of blue magick. Be sure some magick is in the spaces between the -links. Anchor the wards to the protective sign. Visualize them keeping others from touching the warded object Clean and maintain periodically (at least once a month) to avoid your wards dying and perhaps unpleasantly decaying. Also, don't let others touch the object so it won't give them a nasty psychic shock You can make your car "invisible" (not readily noticed) by putting magickal screens around it and willing that others not see it. Be careful, or you might have a hard time finding it yourself when you return, or find it's been hit by another car even though in plain sight!
The "chain link fence" technique will also ward your house or apartment. I advise homeowners to ward their homes around the walls, floors and ceilings facing the outside of the building (not interior walls between rooms or the floors/ceilings of multistory houses) and set up secondary wards around the property lines. You'll need something to anchor your wards to. I suggest driving charged railroad spikes with the Elhaz nine painted on them at the corners (of a square lot). White (clear) quartz crystal points work well for the corners of a home as anchors. By the way, white quartz is the best "generic" stone for general use, so don't panic if some book says only the rare and costly Atlantean Moonstone (available from the book's publisher, needless to say) will do for what you need to accomplish. White candles work well for most spells too. White light contains all colors. That's why sunshine can be broken up into a rainbow. Clean those stones first Try to get some that haven't been handled by a bajillion people before you bought them. White quartz picks up and holds the random charges of people who handle it. It picks up and holds a charge just fine. That's why you want it. My partner can't stand handling white quartz points in stores, so I get that job! I once pointed one at him and said "Zap!" It was a joke, but it zapped him anyway, much to his chagrin. If you are sensitive and need to handle, select and purchase them, try warding a pair of gloves for the purpose! When you get them home, soak them overnight in cold salt water. Take them out, rinse and dry them, send a wave of cleansing energy through each one, and charge them one by one. You'll need to do this periodically in your ward cleansing, and should try to put each one back in its proper corner each time. Then set your wards. Let them "jell" for an hour or so before you go out, at least when you are initially setting them up. You'll get an extra bit of "Oomph!" if you do you warding on the Full Moon (and the Full Moon will thereafter be a reminder to clean and recharge your wards). Be sure to take down and ground your wards if you move!
Here is another awesome article: http://astralhealer.com/wards.php (http://astralhealer.com/wards.php)
The first methods are the magical use of herbs. Herbs sprinkled around the house are effective and easy to do. You pick a protective herb. My favorites are Rosemary, Marjoram, mint, cloves, cinnamon, dill, thyme, and fenugreek. All of these by themselves and in combination will protect you from different influences. Rosemary repels demons and the people who are in bondage to demons. Marjoram absorbs all the negativity around the house and prevents arguments. It also defends the person who sprinkles it in the corners of their house. Mint is an activator and energizer. It can be used to set up a shield when sprinkled around the outside of the house. It is especially good against the effects of Psychic Vampires. Cloves are protective when sprinkled in the corners of the house or used as incense. It gets rid of entities and stubborn thought forms. Cinnamon is protective and brings luck into the house. It also can be used as incense to banish negative entities. Dill hinders others from casting their spells upon you. Thyme prevents magic from affecting you and your home. Fenugreek keeps all demons out of your house and brings good luck into your home.
To activate these herbs you say a heartfelt prayer over them mentioning what you want to prevent happening. You then sprinkle a little bit in the corner of every room in the house. You can also circle your home with the herbs to keep anything bad from entering your home. I prefer to use mint, fenugreek, and rosemary for encircling a home for protection of everyone and everything with in it.
The next step is magical symbols. You can draw magical symbols that are compatible with your beliefs and that bring protection into your home. This is your choice. I like the runes myself. Others might like the cross, Star of David, etc. You must pray over these symbols and ask for help from the forces that you are invoking to protect you. You visualize your walls being connected by a bright wall of force that will protect you. You should make these walls of force vibrate at a high pitch and hum to a high note. I would say the best demonstration of this is a tuning fork. You want them to hum and vibrate like a tuning fork at a pitch no one else can hear.
I also use stones set in the four corners of the yard to defend myself. You draw a protective symbol on them and pray over them. You then set them in the four corners of your yard. You visualize a wall of force connecting them that nothing that will cause harm can cross. You will again want them to vibrate and hum at a high pitch. You can also bury them. You can do this upon brick or wood fences. You just use a colored marker that will blend in with the color so no one will notice the symbols.
You can use hex-removing oil to seal all the doors and window. You do this by drawing a magical symbol on the frame of the door or window. You again visualize a wall of force preventing anything that would cause harm from entering. You can also use other oils if you can not find uncrossing or hex-removing. These are cypress oil, cedar oil, rosemary oil, or dragon’s blood oil. If you can not afford or find oils I suggest using an herb tea. The tea can be made with any of the protective herbs and strained. It can be a weak tea so it does not discolor any of the walls. You pray over it or the oils before you use it to make the symbols.
Personal wards can be a little trickier. You have to be able to visualize properly and link it to a symbol or crystal on your body that is good for protection. There are many lists of these types of stones. You again want them to hum and vibrate at a high pitch to keep anything nasty away. You can also visualize them as reflecting magic back at the person sending it. They also have talismans that you can make and energize to do this for you. Wearing it is not enough because you have to make it hum and vibrate so the field of force encloses you. I have found that most talismans or stones start to do this when you pray over them and state your purpose. You then should fill them with energy and that will start them vibrating and humming at the level of your purpose.
If you are being hexed then you should do this for your vehicles, and the people you love and care for because most magicians want to harm the person they are cursing. They really don't care what they have to do to accomplish this. You can use the same protective oils or teas as you did inside of your house. I also like to hang a dream catcher from the mirror with a piece of flint or turquoise tied into the dream catcher. Both of these stones protect people against accidents. I rub the oil upon the stones and pray over the dream catcher.
Sources:
http://www.themystica.com (http://www.themystica.com/)
http://www.malewitch.com/negative_magic.php (http://www.malewitch.com/negative_magic.php)
http://dwij.org/forum/cerritomni/r3_maya.html (http://dwij.org/forum/cerritomni/r3_maya.html)