What Is The Evil Eye?
Pictured above is a Hamsa - an ancient symbol believed to detour the evil eye.
According to Illes, Judika. Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells (Witchcraft & Spells) (p. 395). HarperCollins.:
Oh, that Evil Eye! Is there really such a thing? Is it a constant dire threat, a secret universal force or nothing but cliché, the worst use of magic and superstition as a repressive force? And is there really an eye involved? The answer is a qualified yes to all of the above. Although it may be delivered by people, the Evil Eye is not the same thing as a malevolent spell. A malevolent spell is targeted deliberately and intentionally: the spell must actually be cast. The Evil Eye is not a spell at all, although there are many spells to oppose it. Instead the Evil Eye is an ill-defined, somewhat nebulous, but entirely malefic force naturally present in the universe—a different kind of magic power. Although there is general agreement on what constitutes the Evil Eye, who is vulnerable and the nature of its destructive effects, exactly where the Eye emanates from is subject to heated metaphysical debate.
Some perceive the Evil Eye as an abstract destructive force, like an infectious cloud that one must attempt to avoid, ward off, repel, minimize, or remove. Many other traditions, however, believe that people deliver the Evil Eye, sometimes knowingly, sometimes completely innocently and unintentionally. Sometimes they just can’t help it. From that perspective, the Evil Eye is a destructive force that emanates from certain or potentially all people. Every one of us, according to some theories, is able to cast the Eye. It is the human ability to scorch with a glance. The Evil Eye is the force of envy, jealousy, and resentment that shoots out of the human soul like a heat-seeking missile.
Because the secrets of other hearts are unknown, believers council discretion regarding personal matters. What you might never construe as bragging may still invoke the Eye from another. The bereft, lonely, heartbroken woman, overhearing another complain that there are just too many men in her life, may involuntarily shoot her with the Evil Eye. The person unable to conceive or whose children have died, overhearing someone complaining about how hard life is because her babies won’t sleep at night, may be unable to resist casting that Evil Eye. It just shoots out. Although anyone may be struck by the Evil Eye, not everyone is equally vulnerable. Some are more at risk than others: Brides, babies, pregnant women, children, and horses are all exceptionally vulnerable. Men are not inherently vulnerable to the Evil Eye, but their sperm, genitals, and capacity for fertility are.
The connection with eyes is not limited to the English language. In Italian, this force is called “mal d’occhio.” In Hebrew, it’s “ayin hara” literally “evil eye.” In Arabic it’s just “ayin” or “the eye.” Anti-Evil Eye amulets invariably take the form of eyes, usually, in Mediterranean lands, blue eyes. These blue eyes indicate something else about the Evil Eye. People’s abstract conception of the Evil Eye, the concept of its existence rather than the Evil Eye itself, has historically been used to target minorities and individuals who are different from what is perceived as mass culture, although one could say that the persecutors are manifesting the destructive force of the Eye even as they accuse others. Thus in the Mediterranean, blue eyes are suspect. In Northern Europe, dark skin is suspect. Redheads, frequently a minority, are often targeted as possessing the Evil Eye. Exploiting the Evil Eye as a tool of discrimination by a dominant culture indicates little true magical knowledge, little understanding of the Eye as a phenomenon, or else the complete degeneration of a magical system.
The Evil Eye either emanates from the universe and not from any individual, or else every individual potentially casts the Eye. Real magic makes discrimination and persecution unnecessary. It’s a waste of time, only increasing tension and resentment within a society. Real magic has much more powerful means to avoid and remove the Evil Eye.
There is some belief that the Tenth Commandment that forbids coveting actually refers to deliberate casting of the Evil Eye.
Traditional signs of attack by the Evil Eye include: Sudden disaster. Everything was going really well and then, all of a sudden … a major problem or series of problems hits like a bolt of lightning. A perfectly normal pregnancy suddenly isn’t normal any longer. A perfectly healthy child suddenly has a health crisis. Not all manifestations are so sudden: the Evil Eye also manifests as malaise, characterized by consistent lack of energy and lack of interest, and by wasting illnesses that resist conventional diagnosis and/or treatment Stubborn, persistent head or body lice. Sudden, excessive biting of the lips, especially while sleeping. The Evil Eye can also block fertility, although it is but one of many other potential metaphysical reasons given for the inability to conceive or deliver a healthy, living child. There are several issues involved when dealing with the Evil Eye: prevention, so that the Eye cannot be cast; repelling, so that even if cast it bounces off the target without causing harm; and the removal of the Eye and its effects. There are many methods employed to prevent being a victim of the Evil Eye, probably the most common being the carrying of charms and amulets.
Many Evil Eye amulets also ward off other dangers: malevolent magic, spiritual attack, etc. Each type of disaster leaves you vulnerable to others. Because one can never be sure when the Eye will be cast and from what direction, many magical anti-Evil Eye spells take the form of amulets that, once charged, will repel the Eye independently without further action from the spell-caster. Anyone (babies, brides) or anything (new cars, new houses) perceived as exceptionally vulnerable to the Evil Eye may be protected before the Eye falls upon them.
Illes, Judika. Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells (Witchcraft & Spells) (p. 396). HarperCollins.
Casting cleansing and protection spells monthly during the proper moon phases, keeping enchanted crystals, spell jars, charm bags, amulets, bracelets, and house plants can all work together to create a powerful protection against all energies that are not in alignment with your best intended path regardless of if they’re truly evil or if there is such a thing as ‘The Evil Eye.’
There is a whole section of protection spells in this {virtual, searchable} spellbook.
Best moon phases: ANY
