The evil eye is probably one of the most well known curses out there, yet do we all know and understand what exactly the evil eyes is? In the book Psychic Self Defense by Dion Fortune she talks about many ways to counter the evil eye. A book I just picked up recently called A witches world of magick which covers many different folk magic methods of both casting the evil eye and of curing the evil eye.
The evil eye is a very real practice and a very real thing. This thread is going to discuss the Evil eye in different cultures and different ways to defend against the Evil eye,
Disclaimer:
This thread is going to discuss the casting of the Evil eye, in the context of being able to understand how it can happen and how to work against the Evil eye. The discussions of how the evil eye is cast is in no way meant to teach you to cast the evil eye, but to understand its origins, the effects it has, and how to protect yourself from it and how you may be able to help others who may have fallen under the "Evil eye."
So what is the "evil eye"?
The Evil eye is essentially ill will and misfortune cast and directed upon a single person by just a gaze. The idea is that the eye and the look itself carries the power. By looking at the target and by focusing their ill will towards the person they have ill will the eye can be cast.
The evil eye can be cast accidentally. By thinking envious thoughts of some one for a moment as they pass by or talk about something they have that you want you can unfortunately cast an evil eye through the way you look at a person. The evil eye is all in how the look is presented. The idea is that the air the eye looks through is so emotionally charged by feelings of envy or jealousy that without intending to the eye can be cast with out meaning to hex or curse a person.
The Effects of the Evil eye:
The way the evil eye is said to manifest is different in different cultures. Some cultures believe that it can cause physical illnesses and crop failures. Other cultures believe that depression, headaches, and nausea can result. Basically the evil eye is a curse and can manifest itself in different forms. If the curse was accidental it probably will manifest in a way directly related to what the caster was envious or jealous of.
Can we defend ourselves from the Evil eye:
According to the book A witches world of magick there was a method devised in the Rio Grande area where Mexican Americans lived to remove the curse if effected. They devised this method because they had such a belief in the power of the evil eye, something had to be done.
Source"Upon seeing a person or thing and admiring that person or thing, one must touch what he has seen and admired, else the person will become sick or the object will break"
In the end I think like any and all curses there are ways we can defend ourselves from them. How about every one else? Have you in your studies and practices of folklore and folk magic come across any ways to remove the evil eye, defend from the evil eye, and or the theories behind the evil eye?