The Evil Eye: What It Is, What It Isn't and How to Avert It

You can not study folk magic without discussing the phenomenon the Italians call Malacchio, the Evil Eye. And while much has been said about this subversive spell online, I find it's been over generalized into a "look of envy." In my time as a student of traditional Stregheria, I've experienced this hex and tossed over a few rocks to discover Malacchio's wormy history. What I've taken away from this search is that the English, Wikipedia rehashing of the curse loses a few key notes in translation.

The Evil Eye is a harmful look of projection. It results in fatigue, dehydration, skin irritation and general misfortune. In rare cases, the Eye can result in death.  Generally speaking, the Evil Eye is believed to derive from envy, but it can also be transmitted through any feeling projected by its caster.  Often times, the person transmitting the Eye is doing so unconsciously.  It's also believed that the Eye is drawn by excessive pride.  Whether or not this is true, it is unethical to project.  It reminds me of court case defenses you hear now and then that when a woman is dressing provocatively she is somehow "asking" to be raped, or inviting that kind of behavior. In theory, a person casting the Evil Eye is doing so because they feel the overly proud person is eliciting attention.

Is the Evil Eye a result of the person casting it's sensitivity and/or insecurities? It may not honestly matter. Jealousy, insecurity and piety will always be a part of our nature in a, "Let he among you who is without sin cast the first stone," kind of way. The best thing to do is to shield yourself from the Evil Eye's nature in the traditional ways our ancestors employed.

When it comes to Italians, the following amulets were applied:

The Cornuto or corno is better known as the Italian Horn.  It is a popular charm worn by Italian Americans in coral, silver and gold.  There are a variety of reasons attributed to its presence, each rooted in tradition.  In its coral form it is used to repel the Evil Eye.  The gold and silver forms are (as usual) speculated to date back to pagan times and the veneration of the lunar spirit Luna (the horns signifying those of the moon).  In later times (if you're subscribing to that theory), it them would have been reintegrated into the adoration of Mary who is intimately linked with lunar iconagrapy.  In my experience the gold form is worn by Italian Americans along with the cross.

And then, there is the Chimaruta. What  can I say about the Chimaruta? It is a mystery.  Scholars believe it is a totemic amulet intended to ward off witchcract and it's association, the Evil Eye.  Neo Pagan author Raven Grimassi believes (with what basis I wonder?) that it represents the spirit Diana Triformis.  The name Chimaruta literally means, "Sprig of rue," and the charm itself is cast in silver.  Three branches, bearing totems, have the potential to break into smaller sub-branches.  The truth probably lies closer to the scholarly theory, as the branching charms do seem to generate an external effect.  What this effect is probably depends on the family or practicioner who wore it.  Rue is a protective plant, and is also an herb applied intimately in Italian spells and rituals.  The intended use most likely depends on the assortment of trinkets or totems mentioned earlier.   Without historical basis, furthermore, we can not assume it had anything to do with Diana Triformis. The Chimatuta most likely belongs to the realm of family secrets and folk magic, not a suppressed Pagan cult.

I Work With: Legba

What can I say about Legba? He approached me before I knew his name. The bulk of the story is too personal for the Internet. It was a teacher of mine, a mentor skilled in Goetia, Vodou and folk magic who confirmed the drifter's identity when I related the encounter, that of a black man wearing white who looked like a "twisted preacher," making the sign of the cross with a bottle of rum. My mentor laughed. "You just ran into one of the most popular spirits in Vodou, Papa Legba."

I'd never read a book on Vodou. I'd never known a Haitian person. But here was this spirit visiting me when I slept and when I tried to meditate on external issues. He stood behind a fence in one vision, his face hidden by a white bandana. I told my teacher. "A revelation is coming," was his answer, before my world utterly changed. Yes, Papa Legba, the ancient spirit of the crossroads, who jokes and smokes and opens the ways, synonymous with Elegua and St. Peter of the Christian faith.

What have I learned from four years of praying to him? I've learned that the spirits, the lwa, animism--all of it--is real. I learned that they do not need for us to believe in them to exist. I've learned that these are not allegories we are working with, but personalities! This is one of the ways Legba has opened the door to the spirit world for me. I've also learned that spirits have none of the borders we set for ourselves. I did not have to be initiated into Vodou for Legba to approach me. I could also believe in Jesus and Hera and St. Michael. It makes no difference, really. Spirit, as I've often said, is spirit. 

If Legba has visited you or you feel a connection to this seasoned spirit, I recommend dedicating a permanent altar to him in your home. Like Hecate, I always feel more comfortable addressing him near a door. Keep the altar minimal at first. Keep a statue, a cross, a lock and key or a white candle in his name. Because it is such a worthwhile experience, I would let Legba tell you about Legba. If you know folk magicians, rootworkers or individuals involved in any kind of Diaspora, ask them about, what he likes, how he works, et cetera. Avoid Wikipedia or over analytic, mundane sources. Forge an organic path to Legba by simply encouraging him, when you're ready.

I Work With: Bast

We live in a vast universe. The spirits of Ancient Egypt, skilled in Shamanism, are perfectly equipped to navigate it. Their anthropomorphic natures give them inherent skills and highly evolved senses human beings lack. The Egyptians, who were excellent observers of nature, witnessed these spirits in an animistic universe. The Egyptian pantheon as we call it, offered their services as protectors, farmers, embalming experts and artisans. Bast, like many a spirit named the Eye of Ra, was regarded as the avenging, offensive hand of the imperial sun. Her protection extended to Lower Egypt, as the northern counterpart of Sekhemet. She was not, as SD Cass attests in his award winning essay, a less feral, sated version of the aforementioned lioness. It was Artemis, after all, cunning,  solitary, huntress Artemis, who the Greeks associated with Bast (and by extension, the Italio-Roman witch queen Diana, I suppose).

Bast seems to me a keenly realized deity whose bright eyes are always observing me. She is clear and crisp as peppermint. Though I don't mean this in an amorous context (Bast is , after all, not a spirit of sexual or romantic love), there is a romantic side to Bast. It's in her refined, displaced nature, like the aloof desert cat or strays I met in Albuquerque. She also has the ability to change her shape as the Egyptians early on depicted her with the face of a lioness. Even after she became represented as a woman with a cat's face, she held in her hands an aegis bearing the face of an angry lioness.

It should be noted that Bast is still a mystery to us in the modern day. What little information survives from the ancient world comes from pyramid and wall texts. There are no prayers from these bygone days preserved to her. Much of her activities relate to her relationship with the pharaoh, the state and Ra. We do know that the Egyptian people prayed to her and that countless cat statues were offered to her by everyday people. She and Sekhemet were similar in prominence to Uadjet and Nekhebet, the transcendent bird /snake goddesses found in innumerable artistic scenes and the pharaoh's crown. For my part, I felt Bast's presence gradually, but when I finally acknowledged her, she produced some vivid actions in nature. In the end, only Bast can teach you about Bast.

 Bast can help us travail new Shamanic depths. If you feel endangered or that an enemy intends some sort of wrongdoing, Bast can deflect or defend you from these actions. If you feel you've been cursed, if you lack good fortune, Bast may be of help to you. She can rip away negative energy and associations. Hexes are no match for her. Bast is also a provider who can teach you how to access the universe's abundant nature. I have known Bast to attend and save her totem animals, to return them if they've wandered off from home, though she is not strictly the "Goddess of Cats." She responds favorably to chanting and drumming, like the lwa of Vodou and African Diaspora. Offer Bast fresh water, flowers, exotic incense, bars of chocolate and jewelry. She is the kind of spirit who needs communication from her followers. It is best, when you're ready, to create a shrine or space on your altar for Bast and to pray by candlelight with incense or another gift during petitions. Try not to attend this skilled spirit empty handed. Remember, as a teacher of mine once said, honor should be given simply for the sake of giving honor.