A supposed power bestowed on a person whereby his/her glance brings sickness, bad luck, calamity or death. In witchcraft and black magic it is said that certain individuals have the power to cast evil spells or to project evil thought forms simply by looking at another person. The idea of this evil power is practically universal, and there exists in virtually every language an comparable term the boser Blick in German, malocchio in Italian, mauvais veil in French; and from the Latin fascinum, which was originally associated with the idea of binding, is derived the English 'fascinate', which was originally connected with such ideas as binding by means of diabolical powers or pact. The fact of the evil eye has given rise to numerous protecting devices against it. These incorporate a wide range of magical signs and amulets, reflective surfaces, and, in particular, a number of obscene or phallic figures and amulets which are intended to ward off evil such as the corno, a curved horn, and the peculiar gesture involving a clenched hand with the thumb stuck through the middle and fourth fingers. Images of eyes are also used to avoid evil (see eye of horus), on the grounds of sympathetic magic, and many of the more ancient gems and symbols are designed with this in mind. http://www.evileyeweb.com/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Sat, 14 Jan 2006 09:39:12 +0200 Sat, 14 Jan 2006 09:30:40 +0200 FeedForAll v1.0 (1.0.2.0) unlicensed version From the Old English wiccian (meaning to practice sorcery), it is sorcery as practiced by witch or witches. Sorcery denotes the pursuit of a certain end through magic, which might be harnessed through such varied means as simple herbalism, the use of waxen images or more elaborate spell-making. Common to all folklore traditions and to virtually all eras, sorcery relies upon the intervention of good and bad spirits but does not necessarily involve any deeper specifically anti Christian purpose. A sorcerer might call on the assistance of demons, but in so doing there is no automatic presumption that he or she thereby denies the supremacy of God. In the modern world witchcraft is a form of nature religion, also called 'wicca', that emphasizes the healing arts. The term is also applied to various kinds of magic practiced in Asian, African, and Latin American communities. Witchcraft, sorcery and simple spell casting are as ancient as humankind: there is some evidence from cave markings that Paleolithic man indulged in it. It is also universal. African tribesmen chanted much the same invocations as the witches in Shakespeare's Macbeth. We may not fully realize the extent to which ancient magical ideas have colored our culture. Many of the customs of Western people who may not be in the least interested in magic derive from ancient beliefs. They also survive in children's rhymes. The mother who croons "Sing a song of sixpence" to her child has no idea that she is recalling the legend of the Celtic spirits of the Underworld to whom Rhiannon sent 24 blackbirds to announce the death of Man. Many of us, when children, were told how to cure warts perhaps by rubbing them with a piece of meat and then burying it: as the meat rotted, the warts would disappear. These are small examples of ritual folklore, or domestic magic. Real witchcraft, seen as far more attractive or repulsive, is something different. What little is known about the history of witchcraft in Europe comes from hostile sources. In traditional European society witchcraft was associated with the worship of Satan, a doctrine formulated in the late Middle Ages. Just how many of the beliefs about witches were based on reality and how many on delusion will never be known. The punishment of supposed witches by the death penalty did not become common until the fifteenth century. The first major witch-hunt occurred in Switzerland in 1427, and the first important book on the subject, the Malleus Maleficarum appeared in Germany in 1486. The persecution of witches reached its height between 1580 and 1660, when witch trials became almost universal throughout western Europe. Geographically, the center of witch- burning lay in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, but few areas were left untouched by it. No one knows the total number of victims. In southwestern Germany alone, however, more than 3,000 witches were executed between 1560 and 1680. Not all witch trials ended in deaths. In England, where torture was prohibited, only about 20 percent of accused witches were executed (by hanging); in Scotland, where torture was used, nearly half of all those put on trial were burned at the stake, and almost three times as many witches (1,350) were killed as in England. Some places had fewer trials than others. In the Dutch republic, no witches were executed after 1600, and none were tried after 1610. In Spain and Italy accusations of witchcraft were handled by the Inquisition, and although torture was legal, only a dozen witches were burned out of 5,000 put on trial. Ireland seems to have escaped witch trials altogether. Many witch trials were provoked, not by hysterical authorities or fanatical clergy, but by village quarrels among neighbors. About 80% of all accused witches were women. Traditional theology assumed that women were weaker than men and more likely to succumb to the Devil. It may in fact be true that, having few legal rights, they were more inclined to settle quarrels by resorting to magic rather than law. All these aspects of witchcraft crossed over to the Americas with European colonists. In the Spanish and French territories cases of witchcraft were under the jurisdiction of church courts, and no one suffered death on this charge. In the English colonies about 40 people were executed for witchcraft between 1650 and 1710, half of them in the famous Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Witch trials declined in most parts of Europe after 1680; in England the death penalty for witchcraft was abolished in 1736. In the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries one last wave of witch persecution afflicted Poland and other areas of eastern Europe, but that ended by about 1740. The last legal execution of a witch occurred in Switzerland in 1782. Beginning in the 1920s, witchcraft was revived in Europe and the United States by groups that considered it a survival of pre-Christian religious practices. Some forms of modern witchcraft follow the traditions of medieval herbalists and lay healers; the supreme law of the 'Craft' is called the Wiccan Rede; 'An' If harm none, do what ye will'. Witches do not worship the Devil and blood sacrifice is forbidden. http://www.evileyeweb.com/witchcraft.htm Sat, 14 Jan 2006 09:30:40 +0200 Religious beliefs and practices, African in origin and also held by certain Caribbean peoples, particularly in Haiti, where voodoo was granted official religious status in 2003. Similar observances are found in Jamaica, under the name pocomania, and in parts of the United States and in the Guianas. A highly developed voodooistic religion known as candomblé is found in Brazil. Although the magical aspects of voodoo are related to beliefs and practices found throughout the world, the basic features of voodoo were brought by slaves from W Africa (particularly those from what is now Benin), where the name originated and where the religion is still practiced. Voodoo contends that all of nature is controlled by spiritual forces which must be placated through offerings and animal sacrifice; ecstatic trances and magical practices play an important role in its ritual. In the New World, Christian elements were introduced, and the African deities became identified with various saints. At various time attempts have been made to suppress voodoo, but voodoo survived and continues to flourish. http://www.evileyeweb.com/vampire.htm Sat, 14 Jan 2006 09:30:40 +0200 In folklore, animated corpse that sucks the blood of humans. Belief in vampires has existed from the earliest times and has given rise to an amalgam of legends and superstitions. They were most commonly thought of as spirits or demons that left their graves at night to seek and enslave their victims; it was thought that the victims themselves became vampires. The vampire could be warded off with a variety of charms, amulets, and herbs and could finally be killed by driving a stake through its heart or by cremation. Sometimes the vampire assumed a nonhuman shape, such as that of a bat or wolf. Probably the most famous vampire in literature is Count Dracula in the novel Dracula. http://www.evileyeweb.com/vampire.htm Sat, 14 Jan 2006 09:30:40 +0200 Prohibition of an act or the use of an object or word under pain of punishment. Originally a Polynesian word, taboo can apply to the sacred or consecrated or to the dangerous, unclean, and forbidden. A taboo can be placed on an object, person, place, or word that is believed to have inherent power above the ordinary. This power, called mana, can only be approached by special priests. To give distinction to special moments in the life cycle, taboos are often declared at births, deaths, initiations, and marriages. Taboos are commonly placed on a clan's ancestral guardian, called the totem . The breaking of a taboo usually requires extermination of the offender or some sort of ceremonial purification in order to remove the taint from the community. Often the mana of a taboo is so great that the offender will suffer punishment, even death, merely through fear of its powers. http://www.evileyeweb.com/taboo.htm Sat, 14 Jan 2006 09:30:40 +0200 Type of magic where any action inflicted upon a representation of a person, animal or thing, it is simultaneously experienced by the real person, animal or thing. It is best exemplified by the myth of the voodoo doll. http://www.evileyeweb.com/sympatheticmagic.htm Sat, 14 Jan 2006 09:30:40 +0200 An irrational belief or practice resulting from ignorance or fear of the unknown. The validity of superstitions is based on belief in the power of magic and witchcraft and in such invisible forces as spirits and demons. A common superstition in the Middle Ages was that the devil could enter a person during that unguarded moment when that person was sneezing; this could be avoided if anyone present immediately appealed to the name of God. The tradition of saying “God bless you” when someone sneezes still remains today. http://www.evileyeweb.com/superstition.htm Sat, 14 Jan 2006 09:30:40 +0200 The use of a certain ritual action to bring about the intervention of a supernatural force, either in human affairs or in the natural environment, for a specific purpose. Magic has existed universally since ancient times, and varies in form from primary rituals involving the well-being of an entire community, to minor, peripheral, private acts of magic. All forms of magic are traditionally secret arts taught only to initiates, although in some cultures magical knowledge can sometimes be bought and sold or can be passed on through inheritance. A distinction is usually made between black magic, used destructively to bring misfortune or death, and white magic, which is used to ward off such attacks as well as to prevent natural calamities. In itself magic is not good or evil, it is the magician's intentions that make the difference. The very earliest forms of magic were designed to produce some desired effect, such as rituals for successful hunting. This simple magic, also called sorcery, involved practices such as tying and untying knots, blood sacrifices, and sticking pins in wax images or little dolls or poppets. Sorcery is also called sympathetic magic by imitating the desired result, it will happen in reality. Harmful sympathetic magic usually requires some personal effect of the victim, such as a lock of hair, a fingernail or article of clothing; it is also important that the victim be aware of the spell, which increases the likelihood of a successful result. Magical acts may be performed by individuals on their own behalf, or a magician with specialized knowledge of the rites that may be consulted. In some societies, associations of magical specialists exist. Magical practitioners may be called witch doctors, wizards, sorcerers, diviners, witches, warlocks, wise women, cunning women, and so on. By the Middle Ages in Europe magical arts had become divided between low magic, such as sorcery, and high magic, which meant exploring the esoteric traditions of the kabbalah and hermetica, often through elaborate ceremonial magic (see Freemasonry, Order of the Knights Templar, Rosicrucians). In ceremonial magic the aim of the ritual is to commune with God or a deity to achieve a higher consciousness. The spiritual and mystical elements of hermetic knowledge and the Jewish kabbalah were aimed at facilitating the communication between human beings, spirits and the Divine at different levels of spiritual consciousness. Magic was discredited by the Scientific Revolution in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but interest revived in the nineteenth century, and various occult societies and magical fraternities were established (see Crowley, Aleister). Modern neo-pagan witchcraft (or wicca), includes both low sorcery (but not black magic or blood sacrifice) and high ceremonial magic. http://www.evileyeweb.com/magic.htm Sat, 14 Jan 2006 09:30:40 +0200 Inanimate object believed to possess some magical power. The fetish may be a natural thing, such as a stone, a feather, a shell, or the claw of an animal, or it may be artificial, such as carvings in wood. The power of the fetish is thought to derive its efficacy from one of two sources. In some cases the object is said to have a will of its own; in others the source of power comes from the belief that a god dwells within the object and has transformed it into an instrument of his desires. Closely related to the idea of the power of a fetish is the notion of taboo . Here the power within the fetish is thought to be so strong that it is extremely dangerous and may be handled only by special individuals, if at all. Any object of irrational or superstitious devotion may be called a fetish. http://www.evileyeweb.com/fetish.htm Sat, 14 Jan 2006 09:30:40 +0200 The highly stylized eye of the falcon-headed solar and sky god Horus (the Latin version of Her), which is associated with regeneration, health, and prosperity. It was very common as an amulet in ancient Egypt. Horus, the son of Osiris and Isis was called 'Horus who rules with two eyes'. His right eye was white and represented the sun; his left eye was black and represented the moon. According to myth Horus lost his left eye to his evil brother, Seth, whom he fought to avenge Seth's murder of Osiris. Seth tore out the eye but lost the fight. The eye was reassembled by magic by Thoth, the god of' writing, the moon, and magic. Horus presented his eye to Osiris, who experienced rebirth in the underworld. As an amulet, the Eye of Horus has three versions: a left eye, a right eye, and two eyes. The eye is constructed in fractional parts, with 1/64 missing, a piece Thoth added by magic. The Egyptians used the eye as a funerary amulet for protection against evil and rebirth in the underworld, and decorated mummies, coffins, and tombs with it. The Book of the Dead instructs that funerary eye amulets be made out of lapis lazuli or a stone called mak. Some were gold- plated. Worn as jewelry fashioned of gold, silver, lapis, wood, porcelain, or carnelian, the eye served http://www.evileyeweb.com/eyeofhorus.htm Sat, 14 Jan 2006 09:30:40 +0200 The opposite of good. What hinders the realization of the good. Wickedness; wicked; arising from or caused by real or supposed wickedness. What is very harmful. A source of wickedness, sorrow and distress; someone or something set on doing wicked things or whose actions are extremely wicked, harmful and/or destructive. The sum of everything that is bad, wrong, wicked and immoral. http://www.evileyeweb.com/evil.htm Sat, 14 Jan 2006 09:30:40 +0200 Specially prepared objects of stone, metal, wood, parchment and so on inscribed with magical signs, characters or drawings. Once endowed with magical properties, the object is believed to bring the owner good luck, success, health and virility. The power of a talisman can derive from nature, directly from God, or from a magical ritual, such as those described in the grimoires, textbooks of ceremonial magic. http://www.evileyeweb.com/talisman.htm Sat, 14 Jan 2006 09:30:40 +0200 Magical formula used by the Gnostics to invoke the aid of benevolent spirits to ward off disease and affliction. It is supposed to be derived from the abraxas, a word that was engraved on gems and amulets or was variously worn as a protective charm. Handed down through the Middle Ages, the abracadabra gradually lost its occult significance, and its meaning was extended to cover any hocus-pocus. http://www.evileyeweb.com/abracadabra.htm Sat, 14 Jan 2006 09:30:40 +0200 The horseshoe is considered very lucky and used to be hung in many homes to protect and attract good fortune for the family residing inside. As with many superstitions, there are contradictions to be found with the beliefs associated with the horseshoe. For instance, many believe that to hang it with the ends pointing upwards is good luck as it acts as a storage container of sorts for any good luck that happens to be floating by, whereas to hang it with the ends pointing down, is bad luck as all the good luck will fall out. Others believe that no matter which way you hang the horseshoe, good luck will come. According to this superstition, the ends-pointing-down display simply means that the good luck is able to flow out and surround the home. If the horseshoe is hung over a doorway, ends up will catch good luck and ends down will let the good luck spill over the door and stop evil from entering. Perhaps a combination of the two was used so that after a few days, when the horseshoe was filled with good luck, it would then need to be emptied so that residents could benefit from that luck and the process would be repeated until the end of time. Horseshoes were also considered lucky because they were made by blacksmiths, which is also considered a very lucky trade. Because they worked with elemental fire and magical iron, they were thought to have special powers. It was believed that a blacksmith could heal the sick and if a couple was married by a blacksmith, their marriage would be a happy one. Their work with horses also brought them much power and prestige, not just because they made the lucky horseshoe but also because they were the keepers of the Horseman's Word (the basis for the movie, The Horse Whisperer.) Horseshoes were originally made from iron, which may also account for the superstitions that are associated with this object. Iron was considered magical because it was able to withstand fire and was much stronger than other metals. The superstitions for iron are thought to originate in prehistoric times. It was used as a charm to ward off evil spirits. Another aspect of the horseshoe that added to it's good luck was the fact that it was commonly held in place by seven iron nails. Since ancient times, the number seven was considered very important. Life was divided into seven ages; a rainbow has seven colors; astrology once held that seven planets made up the universe; there are seven deadly sins; a seventh child was thought to have special powers; there are seven days in a week; the moon changes from one phase to another every seven days; and a long-held belief states that the body goes through a radical change every seven years. http://www.evileyeweb.com/horseshoes.htm Sat, 14 Jan 2006 09:30:40 +0200 Magical formula or incantation , spoken or sung, for the purpose of securing blessing, good fortune, or immunity from evil. It presupposes a belief in demons or malignant spirits. The formula was frequently inscribed upon an amulet, talisman, or trinket to be worn for protection. http://www.evileyeweb.com/charm.htm Sat, 14 Jan 2006 09:30:40 +0200 A belief in the Evil Eye is practically universal : it exists on nearly every (if not every) continent of the world. The belief's pervasiveness is evident by the number of different names used to describe it. Author Tobin Siebers offers a few: In Greek, the evil eye is called baskania, from which the Latin words for the evil eye, fascinum and fascinatio, are said to derive. The Latin form recurs in the English word, "fascination," which directly referred to the evil eye until the seventeenth century. In the Spanish-speaking countries of South America, the evil eye is called mal de ojo, mal ojo, or simply ojo. In France, the term is mauvais oeil; in Haiti, mauvais jé, in Holland, booz blick; in Germany, böse Blick; in Poland, zte oko, in Corsica, innocchiatura; in Norway, skørtunge; in Ireland, droch-shuil; in Scotland, bad Ee, in Persian aghashi; in Arabic, 'ayn; in Hebrew, ayin hara, in Tunisia, 'ayn harsha; in Armenian, achk, gabuyt achk, pasternak; in China, ok ngan; and in Turkey, nazar. In Italy, the evil eye possess many names. It is generally called malocchio, but in Tuscany and southern Italy it may be referred to as affascinamento or jettatura. Apotropaic amulet for the evil eye (aesthetically speaking, of course) is the hand symbol common to Jewish and Muslim belief. "Mashallah" which is translated as an Arabic term meaning "may God preserve you from the evil eye". The symbol is known as the hamsa hand or hand of Fatima in Arabic/Muslim culture, the hamesh hand or hand of Miriam in Hebrew Jewish culture. I take a certain wry hope from the fact that the two cultures turn to the same source for protection from evil, as a trope of their many underlying similarities. http://www.evileyeweb.com/abeliefintheevileye.htm Sat, 14 Jan 2006 09:30:40 +0200 The conscious use of supernatural powers for the exercise of evil, the perversion of white magic. In occult lore white magic is concerned with expanding consciousness and improving the common good. Black magic is the selfish and squalid perversion of magical arts to destroy others, or for personal gain. The black magician is, quite simply, a person who wants power for him/herself, or self-aggrandizement. They want to be able to vent their spite on enemies and to satisfy all of their desires. A magician may summon the Devil or one of his demons and remain a white magician, so long as the purpose for the summoning is benevolent. Black magicians are usually defined as those who made a pact with the Devil. They invoke diabolic and infernal powers for their personal use and gain; in short, a perversion of legitimate mystic science. "In Black Magic human perversity found the means of ministering to its most terrible demands and the possible attainment of its darkest imaginings. To gain limitless power over god, demon and man; for personal aggrandizement and glorification; to cheat, trick and mock; to gratify base appetites; to aid religious bigotry and jealousies; to satisfy public and private enmities; to further political intrigue; to encompass disease, calamity and death these were the ends and aims of Black Magic and its followers." http://www.evileyeweb.com/blackmagic.htm Sat, 14 Jan 2006 09:30:40 +0200 An object, image, drawing or inscription imbued with magical properties to ward off the evil eye or evil; also worn to bring good luck as a kind of mascot or lucky charm. Simple amulets are objects which have an odd shape or color that catches the eye, or are very rare, such as a four leaf clover. Amulets are often worn around the neck or as rings, especially in the form of jewelry. Virtually anything can become an amulet, depending on the different beliefs in different cultures. Some are designs or symbols on buildings, holy places and tombs. Semiprecious stones were particularly common as amulets, as were eyes; the best- known eye amulet being the ancient Egyptian Eye of Horus. Organic amulets, such as fruit, vegetables, berries, nuts and plants are also common in certain parts of the world, as in the use of garlic to ward off vampires. Various metals are also commonly ascribed amuletic powers against evil, for instance, iron is universally believed to guard against demons and witches. http://www.evileyeweb.com/amulet.htm Sat, 14 Jan 2006 09:30:40 +0200 Turkish Talisman, (Evil Eyes), is an object which you believe has magic powers to protect you or bring you luck. Turkish people believe that it absorbs bad energy coming from evil eyes. Usually, no one leaves Turkey without purchasing a blue and white evil eye charm. No place of business or home is without one. They come in many styles, from simple to ornate. Usually, they are made of glass but also can be made of plastic. Legend has it that it protects you from "bad luck". "Bad luck" translates into evil or harm wished upon you from another. When a child is born, an evil eye is pinned to the garment on his or her right back shoulder for protection from other people's evil wishes. http://www.evileyeweb.com/turkishtalisman.htm Sat, 14 Jan 2006 09:30:40 +0200