When A Curse Isn't a Curse

[covenrochester]

The earliest entries of The Hexopedia are comprised of a substantial collection of spells called The Book of Ancient Curses. The other day I mentioned that The Hagstone Curse is not a curse, per se, and that got me to thinking about other spells from The Book of Ancient of Curses. Many of them are not curses at all, but are more like protection spells. The purposes of ancient book curses is so that the book will not be stolen or defaced. We have more recent spells for that, but we use the language of protection, instead ("Safe From Harm" comes to mind). Being cheated, getting framed or blackmailed, having your stuff stolen, your family unjustly withholding from you your mother's bequest in her will, woodchucks eating your whole garden, the supercilious and oppressing arrogance of so-called noble persons. All of these situations were handled by spells that the ancients called "curses," although we probably would not use that same word today. Those spells still work today, ancient though they be.

I started recommending use of ancient spells---not curses---many years ago. The methods still work. About 10 years ago, a very sensible, reasonable person, but in a strange bout of ill health, came to me complaining that she believed she had been cursed, but did not know by whom. There are several spells to uncover a bewitching enemy. The Hagstone Curse could be used. There is a spell for such, too, in the class of spells "This Knot I Tie, This Knot I Knit" (a bunch of string and knot spells starting with those lines, but which have many different purposes). But the one that is reputed to be the quickest (in 24 hours) is the boiling of one's first morning urine (and a couple of other ingredients) in a pan on the hearth. This may also be used to summon the bewitcher of one's cattle, but the morning milk is boiled, instead. The woman was game to try, and I gave her instructions written up in the 17th century.

And that summoning spell worked. That day, unexpectedly, two women---coworkers she knew---came "to visit to see how she was doing." The two women came at separate times, with each visit unbeknownst to the other. The meaning, of course, was that the two women had worked a spell together. This was later confirmed by a third coworker who, several days later, overheard the two women talking to each other about the spell victim, with one saying to the other: "I can't believe it worked."

That spell now holds a pride of place in my heart and in my spellbook, and I often include it in spellbooks I write for other people, under the title: "To Unbewitch Men and Cattle: From the 17th Century"

I will leave for another time how the curse was dismantled and sent back. That had to be done in this case. If the spellcaster is not admitted to the house, the curse will be broken as soon as the spellcaster is turned away from the door. In this instance, the afflicted woman let in both coworkers for a short visit of a few minutes. And so, the spellcasters were found out immediately, but the curse had to be broken another way.

This is the great danger of published material on spells and whatnot to be accessed by unsworn cowans and fakes. Their danger is only increased, too, if they come up against a real Witch, who will boomerang their work right back to them. Sorry, not sorry.

Anyway, wasn't that a lovely break from your day?

*** Blessed be to those who serve the Great Mother and the Horned Father.

* Copyright to Coven Rochester