The
Belief in the Evil Eye
The evil eye is a curse put on a person, livestock or
crops by someone who is said to have the "evil eye". Some people seem to be born
with it, although the curse itself is often said to be unintentional. In areas
that are dependent on farming for sustenance, getting a curse can mean famine,
starvation and death. So the evil eye is taken very seriously. The curse can be
put on someone merely by looking jealously at the victim. In some Mediterranean
countries it is believed that some people deliberately cast "the eye" on others
just to wish them harm.
The curse is cloaked in a blessing. If someone admires something that you own,
and comments on it, their jealousy can put the curse on you. Pope Pius IX was
said to have an evil eye because it seemed that wherever he went, disasters
arrived to the people and places he blessed.
This belief in goes back a long way and is widespread amongst many countries. No
one really knows of the origins, but it may have roots in the fear of outsiders.
One theory is that it originated in Ancient Babylon where King Nimrod insisted
when he died he would become the Sun God and look down on his people after his
death.
The single eye is featured on the back of the US $1 bill. It is called the Eye
of Providence and it is said to be a protective charm that was common through
the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
People through the ages have tried a number of things to counteract the evil
eye. One way is to avert the gaze of strangers, another is to pray or recite
verses from the Bible or Koran. In more recent years, however, people choose to
wear amulets or talismans that will protect the wearer.
The evil eye is known as ayin horeh in Hebrew, ayin harsha in Arabic, droch
shuil in Scotland, mauvais oeil in France, bösen Blick in Germany, mal occhio in
Italy and was known as oculus malus among the classical Romans.
The Evil Eye Jewelry worn today varies a lot, but usually it is blue, and
occasionally has yellow or gold in it. It is worn as a bracelet or necklace, or
sometimes earrings. Often, it is worn on a red string bracelet. Even though
today many people don't believe in superstitions and religion, wearing this type
of jewelry is still very popular.
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What
is the Evil Eye Syndrome?
Has this happened to you?
You were looking for this beautiful piece of jewelry for ages - let's say a
necklace, and suddenly you find it while window shopping. You save and scrimp in
order to purchase it and one fine day you eventually acquire it! But you notice
that every time you wear it you feel uneasy, you get rashes on your throat, you
have a bad day, and nothing goes right for you when you wear that necklace you
love so much! Ever wondered why it happens?
According to the science of Spirituality 'word, touch, form, taste, odor and
its associated energy coexist'. According to this rule, the Energy of Will in
the envious person is transmitted to the person about whom he is envious of.
This thought being negative, the associated negative energy is also transmitted
to that person and affects the concerned thing, organ or person.
When a person with strong will power gets negative thoughts about an
individual, animal or object; or feels envious of the success of a person
continuously, these negative thoughts create negative vibrations. These negative
thoughts are then fortified by negative energies and they adversely affect the
individual about whom these thoughts have occurred by their will power. It also
affects the concerned object or organ.
One does not need to be a practitioner of black magic, even if it is an
average person who has strong repeated thoughts about harming someone, they act
like laser beams because all his energy gets concentrated on these thoughts.
How does one know that he is affected by the evil eye?
If a person suffers unexplained distress in any dimension of life one of the
reasons could be being affected by the evil eye. One cannot ascertain whether
one is affected by the evil eye through the medium of the five senses, mind and
intellect. Only a spiritually evolved person i.e. a person whose spiritual level
is above 70% can ascertain this. The other option is to perform the ritual to
cast off the Evil Eye and find out.
The
Devastating Effects of The Evil Eye
Have you ever had a series of mess-ups or a bad run of events, when
everything went against you? If the answer is 'yes', think hard and try to
recall any one giving you an envious look, or may be you remember being
complimented by someone rather superficially, as that may be the answer to
your unexplained reason of the bad time you had. The look that causes harm
to any one is called the evil eye.
The evil eye is believed to be a certain "look or gaze" which can bring
bad luck for the person at whom it is directed. The evil eye bringing ill
fate has known to originate both intentionally or unintentionally. A simple
envious look could cause the same damage as the evil eye casted by someone
with certain mystical powers and ability to do so.
Different cultures seem to have addressed the issue in their own way, but
the most effective and commonly used practice is known as 'hamsa'.
The name hamsa has been derived from the Hebrew word "hamesh," which
literally means five. This can be termed most befitted in regards to its
origin as "hamsa" is symbolized by a hand with five fingers. Jews believe it
to be associated with the five books of the Torah. Some relate it to the
Hand of Miriam, sister of Moses'. Some Jews relate hamsa to the fifth letter
of the Hebrew alphabet 'He', a term mostly used in referring to God.
The most common feature among all the hamsa symbols is the appearance of
identical "three extended middle fingers." The variation in these symbols
comes by the way the two outer fingers "the thumb and the pinky finger"
appear. Sometimes these appear to be slightly curved, pointing outwards,
while at other times these can appear as straight but a little shorter than
the middle fingers. Regardless of the variation the two outer most fingers
always appear to be symmetrical.
As basically hamsas are believed to provide protection against the "evil
eye" sometimes an eye would be displayed in the palm of the hand. Fish are
also believed to be unaffected by the evil eye so images of fish also often
appear on the hamsas. Some times even the combination of both the eye and
the fish are displayed on a hamsa together. The combination is believed to
better avert the ill effects of the 'evil eye.'
Either unintentional or using some mystical way, no matter how the evil
eye is casted, it can bring injury, misfortune and bad luck to you and your
loved ones. The devastation of evil eye can be diverse in magnitude and
nature, ranging from a bad day at work to more serious consequences like
sickness, poverty or even death.
What
is the Evil Eye?
The Evil Eye has been around since the beginning of time. It simply means
sending someone a thought that seems intrusive or invasive or has the power to
hurt him or her. The bad fortune that results is considered to have been caused
by envy. The evil eye is not necessarily considered to be intentional or
associated with witchcraft or sorcery. Oddly enough, this thought form could
actually be complimentary in nature. The origins of the Evil Eye are
Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean. The concept was introduced into the Americas,
South Pacific Islands, Asia, Africa and Australia by European explorers.
Sending someone the evil eye comes from the concept that we all have a Third
Eye, located in the center of our forehead. Blinding, fogging or obscuring the
third eye is often the intent of the energy's sender. Most of us have
experienced the weird power of the phenomenon. All it takes is a gaze that seems
to be unfriendly, indifferent or blank and seems to a couple of seconds too
long. We think about it for a few minutes afterwards or perhaps an image of the
person staring at us preoccupies our thoughts occasionally for the rest of the
day. Perhaps that is why the British and Scottish term for the "evil eye" is
"overlooking." It implies that a gaze has remained too long upon the coveted
object, person or animal.
The evil eye is also known as the envious or invidious eye. In Italian it is
called the malocchio and in Spanish the malojo (loosely translated as the bad
eye) The evil eye is known as ayin horeh in Hebrew; ayin harsha in Arabic, droch
shuil in Scotland, mauvais oeil in France, bösen Blick in Germany, and was known
as oculus malus among the classical Romans.
The original belief is that any person can harm your children, livestock,
fruit trees or any other evidence of prosperity just by looking at the spoils of
all your good will and hard work with envy. Ironically, the curse of the evil
eye is thought to be provoked by inappropriate displays of spiritual pride or
excessive beauty. There is a theory that very famous people and celebrities
suffer more personal misfortune than others simply because they are subjected to
more "overlooking" and envy than others.
This superstition might have some grounding in evolutionary psychology as
usually one animal is thought to dominate or be aggressive to another simply by
staring at it for too long. Psychologically speaking, staring or glaring at
someone is officially considered an intrusion into your affairs. Apparently,
there is a fine line between casting a glance to casting a spell. In these post
Celestine Prophecy times, this kind of stare could be compared to a kind of
etheric laser beam or amoebic arm that rips open your aura. Others would
describe the infliction of the evil eye as the projection of an image (such as
the image of the person you have offended or hurt) so that you see only that to
the exclusion of all other sight. In other words, you see that person wherever
you go or feel that your life's events are always colored by your dealing with
that person. Another symptom is the inability to proceed with ordinary, daily
events without feeling somehow compelled to make things right with the person
you have often unknowingly offended with your grandiosity.
It is common folklore that the evil eye has a dehydrating effect on its
victim. It is thought to cause vomiting, diarrhea, the drying up of the milk of
nursing mothers and livestock, problems with the blood, eyesight lack of rain,
the drying up of wells, the withering of fruit and impotence in men. Clumsiness,
stomachaches, dry coughs, diarrhea, itching, hair loss, dry skin are all
hought to be physical symptoms of an evil eye attack e. On the astral level
it is thought to cause the drying up of prana, chi, life force and the easy flow
of prosperity in life. Part of this image might derive from the idea also, of
muddy, murky or poisoned vision that is somehow attached to the victim's third
eye.
Almost everywhere that the evil eye belief exists, it is said to be caused
accidentally by envy or praise. Thus the phrase "Pride Goeth Before a Fall" In
certain Mediterranean and eastern cultures, one is careful not to praise a child
too much, lest it invite the subconscious balancing effect of the evil eye. A
classic situation would be the barren woman who praises the newborn baby of a
new child. Such praise would be considered inappropriate and thought to bring
the evil child. One of the remedies for this would be for the mother to spit, to
symbolically "rehydrate" the situation. Also, she may speak ill of the child OT
counteract the effects of the praise, which might have malefic effects on the
child later.
The belief that individuals have the power to cast the evil eye on purpose is
more idiosyncratic to Sicily and Southern Italy, although the belief has
certainly spread elsewhere - to the Southern United States and the Latin
Americas. Such people are known as jettatore (projectors). They are not
necessarily considered evil or envious, just born with an unfortunate
embarrassing talent that causes others to avoid them. In ancient cultures, if
you were thought to be the possessor of an evil eye, you were often negated by
the rest of society and went unrecognized on the street without meeting anyone's
eyes.
Perhaps one of the most familiar preventative measures against the evil eye
is the hand gesture. The Mano Cornufo or "Horned Hand" involves extending the
first and index fingers from a fist. The Mano Fico or "Fig hand" involves
placing the thumb in between first and second fingers.
Historically there have been many cures for the evil eye:
In Italy, the evil eye is diagnosed by dripping olive oil into a vessel
filled with water. If the oil conglomerates into the shape of an eye than the
victim is considered officially cursed. Prayers are recited until the droplets
of oil no longer create an eye shape.
In Eastern Europe charcoal, coal or burnt match heads are dropped into a pan
of water/. If the items float then the person is considered to be the victim of
a curse.
In the Ukraine, a form of ceromancy or candle reading is used to diagnose the
curse. Melted wax is dripped from a candle into a pan of water. If the wax
spits, splatters, or sticks to the side of the bowl then the "patient" is
considered to be under the influence of the malefic eye. Usually the patient is
cleansed with Holy Water. He or she is pronounced cured when the dripped wax
sinks the bottom of the bowl in a round ball.
In Greece Mexico and other places, the official cure is to invite the culprit
responsible for the evil eye to spit in a vessel of the holy water that is
consumed by the victim.
In Mexico, rolling a raw egg over the body of the victim is the antidote.
Afterwards, it is cracked open and if the metaphysician or healer divines the
shape of an eye in the yolks then the person is considered to be cursed. Several
eggs may be repeatedly rolled over the person's body until an egg without an eye
if found. Sometimes the egg is placed underneath the person's bed overnight and
cracked open in the morning.
In China the remedy for the evil eye is the Pa Kua mirror, a six-sided mirror
that is hung on the front door or placed in the front window to reverse bad
energy back to the sender. Some of these mirrors are convex to reflect back the
bad "poison darts" or "arrows" of multiple ill wishers and some are concave to
reflect energy in a definite direction back at, for instance, a nosy neighbor,
whose gaze may have lingered on your garden of tulips for too long. In Feng
Shui, mirrors are often used as a cure all to reflect negative energy back at
all kinds of things - people, bad architecture, traffic, neighbors, physical
obstructions such as trees or rocks or anything else that might considered to be
a conductor of Har Shui (negative vibrations).
In India the mirroring back of the evil eye takes the form of small mirrors
that are sewn, braided or crocheted into clothing. This mirroring back of bad
energy is also familiar to practitioners of Wicca and Lukumi or Santeria. In
India, the human eye is also considered to be a mirror of the soul. Indian women
wear kohl or heavy black makeup to emphasize their eyes not only to shield
themselves from evil eye but also to prevent themselves from accidentally
inflicting it on others. In India cords strung with blue beads are placed on
newborn babies. When the cord breaks and the beads are lost the child is
considered to have a strong enough aura to protect him or herself from the evil
eye. Red cords worn upon the wrist or neck are thought to have a powerful effect
against ocular malevolence. A silver charm called Eye of Buddha which references
the Gautama Buddha is also worn against astral attack.
In Italy, gold, silver or gems carved or cast into the shape of the Mano Fica
or Mano Cornufa are used to repel the evil. The most coveted ones are made of
red coral, but many versions exist today made of gemstones and plastic. They are
worn by men to protect against the withering of the genitals thought to be
caused by the bad eye. Also Italian in origin is the Corno or horn or devil's
horn amulet that is thought to protect against the same dysfunction. The women's
version is made from a twig of red coral.
In Arab cultures, superstitious types wear an eye in the form of a stone cast
in the center of a hand shaped bone or metal charm A common Egyptian charm is
the Buckle of Isis which represents the menstrual pad of the Goddess Isis who
was the Mother of all living things. Stuffing a little prayer or spell inside a
locket that is hung around the neck is the common European custom for protecting
oneself against deadly gazes.
A light worker such as myself might advise you to protect yourself in the
following contemporary ways:
Always maintain the belief that nobody has the power to hurt you with a look.
This in itself is a very powerful thought form.
Before you go out, imagine that your third eye is actually covered by
something that looks like a small pocket mirror. If you are a psychic or a
healer then simply close your third eye and don't open it unless you want to
look.
If you are feeling haunted or upset as the result of a "look", press your
thumb hard into the center of your forehead and imagine your third eye quickly
flipping. Flick the energy away with your thumb and snap your fingers.
Always remember that what you resist often persists. The phrase "Oh, so
what!" is one of the most powerful chemicals in the universe that you can use to
dissolve negative energy.