The Evil Eye

The Evil Eye

Is there really such a thing as the Evil Eye? Is it a constant dire threat, a secret universal force or nothing but cliche, the worst use of magick 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 magick 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 meta-physical desire.

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 Evil Eye is the forced of envy, jealousy, and resentment that shoots out of the human soul like a heat-seeking missile.

The Eye reference may be understood in two ways which are not mutually exclusive.

1.   The Evil Eye as omnipresent destructive abstract force, somewhat similar to The Lord of the Rings', all-seeing Eye. Try as you may to hide happiness and good fortune, the Evil Eye is attracted, sees all and spoils it.
2. The Evil Eye is cast with the human eye, either intentionally by those who are jealous, destructive, and malicious by nature, or involuntarily in other circumstances.

There are also two methods of avoiding the Evil Eye:

1. Don't boast, brag or call undue attention to your good fortune.
2. Protection via the use of magickally empowered amulets and spells.

Because the secrets of other hearts are unknown, believers council discretion regarding personal matters. What you might never construe as bragging may still involve 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.

Exploiting the Evil Eye as a tool of discrimination by a dominant culture indicates, little true magickal knowledge, little understanding of the  Eye as a phenomenon, or else the complete degeneration of a magickal system. The Evil Eye either emanates from the universe and not from any individual, or else every individual potentially casts the Eye. Real magick makes discrimination and persecution unnecessary. It's a waste of time, only increasing tension and resentment within a society. Real magick has much more powerful means to avoid and remove 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.