Curses are what the negative intentions of people performing magic can do to others. Essentially, there is no good or bad magic; it is the intention of the magic practitioner that makes spells, rituals, prayers and magical ceremonies a blessing or a curse. If there is the intention to harm or ill will, then a spell, a natural force, or even a supernatural force helping the magic practitioner can manifest itself into a curse that can be in the form of illness, accidents, bad luck, negative feelings and even death for the person to whom the spell is cast. Curses are used for the purposes of protection for homes, treasures or any important item or location. A curse can also be referred to as black magic.

History of the Curse

Historically, curses have been used throughout the world. In ancient times, witches would mold wax into a person’s figure and this wax figure acted as a representation of the person who is wished to be harmed. In the history of Egypt, Persia, Africa, India and Europe, wax figures for the person to be cursed have been used and they are still widely used today. These figures that resemble the victim can also be made out of wood and clay or stuffed cloth like puppets. It is thought that this figure once destroyed or damaged will do harm to the victim as well. The figures are either melted, stuck with pins or thorns, slashed with knives putting the person the figure represents in pain or in sickness.

The quality of magic that curses use in this sense is sympathetic magic. In other parts of the world, sorcerers and witches perform curses with the help of a supernatural power. The supernatural power, a god or a spirit guide will effect change toward the person who is cursed. In other places like Egypt, curses were carved onto pharaohs’ caskets or on tablets found in burial chambers to protect the resting place and possessions of these pharaohs. Curses in old Europe usually took the form of death to the heirs of aristocracy or women being barren so that the family lineage dies out.

Curses and Hex

A hex is also what a curse is called in today’s world. Taking its power from just the desire to cause harm to another person or maybe exact revenge, a curse can actually be laid by anyone. But if a priestess or a skilled magician lays a curse, it is more powerful and dangerous. Curses are also strong if they are deathbed curses meaning that while at death’s door, a person will lay a curse on somebody. This curse is very potent because most of the energies of the dying person are put into the curse. In different traditions of magic or witchcraft though, the Golden Rule or even karma applies. A witch abides by the Wiccan Rede which states that no harm should be done to anyone and anything that is performed, be it spell, prayer, ritual or curse will return to the spell caster times three.

Casting a Curse

So before you cast a curse, think about the returns that you will get. You have to ask yourself if it is really worth it to put a curse on the person and if you are ready to accept the returns of the curse to you. Since the returns of the curse to the spell caster are times three, sometimes placing a curse just for revenge is not even worth it to the spell caster. If you do however feel the need to perform a curse, make sure that you also perform a protection spell for yourself or at least know how to reverse the curse when it comes back to you.