How do curses happen

Catholic priests were still extraordinarily plentiful, with as many as 1 to every members of the laity in Partly this was because the church hierarchy was now firmly in control. With these responsibilities, ecclesiastical leaders could no longer permit their priests to use such terrible language.

In any case, there were fewer reasons for clerics to curse. Widows were certainly plentiful and needful of power. The emigration and land consolidation following the Great Famine meant that female farmers most of whom were widows made up a growing proportion of tenants, from 4 per cent in , to 15 per cent by As well as publicly uttering maledictions, Irish women used modern means to advertise the dark forces they had unleashed.

Eviction Scene , Daniel MacDonald c. A kneeling woman, perhaps a widow, calls down a curse on the landlords evicting her family. Source: Crawford Art Gallery, Cork. Reproduced with permission. Curses have been left out of accounts of Irish land conflict, but there is no doubt that they played an important role. From an emotional perspective, evicted tenants consoled themselves with the thought that dire supernatural punishments awaited the new occupants. At Tully in County Mayo, farmland owned by Miss Pringle remained unoccupied for at least fifteen years during the s and s, because the old tenant had been evicted.

A Scotsman named Patrick Dowd, for example, who in bought a distressed farm in Sligo. With curses, Irish women complained, agitated, denounced, denigrated and fought back. This may explain why, despite growing anxieties amongst Irish elites about the unruly conduct of verbally abusive females, Irish women continued to curse until the era of the Second World War and beyond.

Cursing, with its traditional resonances, was a powerful tool for conventionally demure women to loudly and forcefully object. Cursing dwindled, in Ireland, as its major uses disappeared and the networks that transmitted knowledge about it atrophied. But we should not exaggerate the extent of its decline, or imagine that it disappeared. At the mid-twentieth century, cursing was not just the province of aged farmers in the Gaeltacht — western Ireland, where Gaelic was strongest.

Maledictions were uttered across Ireland, North and South, Protestant and Catholic districts, even in towns and cities. The curse was known in Scotland too, and may have been brought to Ireland centuries ago by Presbyterian settlers though the transmission could have been the other way. Cinema, radio and television all diminished popular knowledge of cursing.

The decline was partially compensated for by the increasing popularity of folklore books and pamphlets, where malediction stories were told and racy curses listed. Perhaps that was overstating it: some people still knew bloodcurdling tales. Michael Rooney of Blacklion, for instance, who was interviewed for the Irish Folklore Commission in He talked volubly about dozens of topics, but when curses were broached, Michael went quiet.

Had he ever heard about them? It all came out. Curses sprung from bitter passions at trying times. They expressed fear, loathing, hate and yearning for pitiless vengeance, for punishments exceeding anything one could mete out physically. It was terrifyingly brutal, mustering dark feelings that marked people who had seen or maybe just heard about the events in question. In Northern Ireland, as sectarian violence flared during the dark days of the Troubles, curses were sporadically revived.

It was simpler, informed more by biblical imagery than oral tradition, yet it did have elements of public performance. Although not really an art, it seems to have nurtured determination and vengeance, amongst people experiencing terrible loss.

Whether or not the residents really credited the curse, it was politically counterproductive. Cursing was largely ignored during the late s and early s occult revival in Ireland. Writers like W. Even so, cursing was not dead. Defeats in football, hurling and even stock market losses were occasionally blamed on old curses. Ellen Collins of Ballina, for instance, who thought a curse killed her mother, made her child disabled and gave her depression.

In November , Ellen tried to stab the woman she held responsible for uttering it. There was another difference, between turn of the twenty-first-century curses and the maledictions of the s. The emphasis on justice, on curses befalling evildoers, had waned.

With the legal system generally trusted to provide fair outcomes, perhaps there was little need for a justice-based supernatural punishment. Maybe, too, cursing was weakened by the decline of Catholicism and the idea of a supervisory God, with the weekly church-going rate in the Republic collapsing from 91 per cent in to 43 per cent in Fairies, rural remedies, stone circles and holy wells have made a modest comeback, in early twenty-first-century Ireland.

The art of cursing, on the other hand, is little cultivated. This is striking because, up to about the s, cursing was probably the most valuable magic in a land where all sorts of mystic forces were treated with respect, from Marian apparitions to banshees. These clever formulas were the basis for the unnerving art of real cursing, a scary but widespread occult attack that Irish folk used in their struggles over vital areas of life, from land and food to politics, religion, gender and family disputes.

It also reminds us that not all types of magic share the same chronology of rise and fall, growth and decline, enchantment and disenchantment. Irish cursing persisted partly because of its value, use and functions. With fearsome curses, needy Irish people did indeed demand food, land, and family and religious loyalty, with some success. Yet cursing did not always work that way. Cursing was not only an intimidating magical weapon, but also a dark therapy. Nor was it employed exclusively by the weak and powerless.

Cursing was rife in nineteenth-century Ireland because many people valued it, not only poor peasants and beggars, but priests, parents, and others needful of influence and consolation. To be intimidating and cathartic, cursing required knowledge, practice, wit, skill and composure.

In this respect, it was an art. Recognizing this challenges us to reconsider our wider ideas about the history of magic. Concepts like belief, ritual, tradition, symbolism, mentality and discourse undoubtedly illuminate key aspects of historic Irish maledictions. Overall though, cursing is best conceived of as an art because of the cultivation it required and the strength of the reactions it elicited.

The same is likely to be true, though perhaps to a lesser degree, of other magical techniques. Magic is a potent force in the world, not supernaturally but psychologically.

Psychosomatically, it can heal, injure and even kill; intimidate, haunt and terrify; or invigorate, inspire and empower. If we want to appreciate how magic can move people in these ways, we need to better appreciate how accomplished, skilful and imposing it is.

It is time we acknowledged the polish and power of the art of magic. Many thanks to the librarians and archivists who helped me locate sources for this article. Exceptions include: Patrick C.

College Dublin M. Biagini and Mary E. Once you have a list of questions, start by filling out the answers you know. There is not a right or wrong way to do this, so choose a method that makes the most sense for you. Keep in mind as you do the genogram exercise, many more things may come to the light than you expected—so be patient with yourself and your family. This process can be healing, but before you can break those curses, you may endure a period of grief or even anger because of the brokenness in your family.

This is normal and natural. But remember that no family is perfect, and there are families hiding much more difficult truths than the ones you discover about yours. Once you have a better understanding of your family history, evaluate how those life events impacted you indirectly or directly and have honest conversations with the people you are closest with.

Let your community come around you to listen and help you process your emotions, and invite them to keep you accountable to breaking bad habits and curses in your life. Hearing from you will give them more context for some of the habits you struggle with. Maybe you struggle with anger or trust issues—whatever it is, your loved ones will be more inclined to offer grace and patience as you process through your family history and work to end those curses.

But talking with your loved ones is just the beginning. Reflect on the existing generational curses in your life; how do they manifest in you and your family? Investigate your own life; do your behaviors reflect bad patterns? What destructive actions have you learned from older generations in your family? A counselor can help you process your thoughts and emotions in a healthy way and help you identify generational curses manifesting in your life.

Thankfully, there are professionals available to fit every person, budget, and schedule. Click the button below to request a minute appointment with The Source today! She is an executive assistant and operations manager at The Source. If you continue browsing, we assume that you consent to our use of cookies. More information can be found in our Legal Notices.

But with time and life experiences beating us silly, we all learn how to eventually. Before making contact with an experienced enchanter, it makes total sense to get wind of correct information about casting revenge spells. With information on how to cast a revenge spell, voodoo hexes can become safer to cast. Knowing how to initiate black magic spells for revenge is crucial to getting your desired results. Voodoo revenge magic has the potential to support all your desires in multiple ways.

People who decide to use a powerful voodoo revenge spell may have the power to forcibly dismantle a romantic affair. Some exes could be annoying enough to make a very strong spell very necessary. Apart from hypnosis and other attack spells, a revenge enchantment could come in handy too. An experienced spell caster will be able to provide concrete advice and support to help you handle that nagging individual.

If partners in a relationship are currently having a falling out, it makes complete sense to capitalize on such moments. Voodoo revenge spells can be effective to ensure those quarreling partners never come back together. Ensure you consult an esoteric before settling to use revenge spells. If your action is disproportionate, the universe will most likely not sit idle and watch you do whatever you want.

But with the experience of an esoteric behind you, accelerating your spells while maxing out avoiding consequences is less-hassling. Infidelity is something that must be dealt with in a decisive manner. But you may need extra help from your enchanter for these spells to become fully effective. First, you can decide to target the black magic for revenge on your partner directly.

Intense hatred could be pivotal to the success of several revenge enchantments. And it can all be done subtly. With black candle spells for revenge, you can stimulate a higher sense of hatred, dissolve friendships, and always have your way without hassle. Whenever you need answers to questions, trust the best revenge spell casters to guide you. Expert casters will provide everything required to cast a revenge spell on someone and get maximum results.

Using hex spells for revenge helps you max out paying back for all the wrong doled out to you for long. Potent curses and spells for revenge against enemies can be planned and executed almost instantly. Do you have it in you to put powerful curses and spells for revenge on ice for months, or even years? These curse spells can be powerful enough to wreak havoc on your enemies without hassle.

If you place a curse on someone, you might suffer psychological stresses that you can't even imagine at this point. Consider forgiving and moving on. Think about why you want to take revenge, and if it's really worth your time and energy to do so. Chances are, your time and energy are better spent moving your life forward instead of dwelling on negative emotions that will only make you feel worse.

When you take time out of your life to seek vengeance instead of moving on, you're wasting valuable moments in which you could be bettering your life. The person who hurt you might very well deserve to have something bad happen to them, but they certainly don't deserve to take up any more of your time. Studies have shown that getting revenge can actually make us feel worse.

Experts believe this might be because taking vengeance can make the event seem bigger than it actually was, whereas the failure to take vengeance can make the event seem more trivial in the long run. Set your intention. If you decide that you want to move forward with the curse, sit down and carefully think about what you want to happen. Having a clear sense of what you want to happen as you work through every stage of your curse will make it more effective.

Protect yourself. If the person you're cursing also practises magic, it's possible that your curse will bounce back to you. Part 2. Obtain a glass jar. A large, wide pickle jar is excellent, but any other glass jar of a similar size will suffice. Obtain a poppet. A poppet is commonly understood as a doll that bears a resemblance to the target of the curse.

If you collect hair or nail clippings from your target, be sure that you do this without being noticed — preferably by taking them from a trash receptacle — otherwise, you could risk getting into trouble not only with your target but the authorities. If you use a photograph of your target, write their name on it legibly in red or black ink. Also use red or black ink for writing your target's name on a piece of paper.

If you choose to write your target's name down and include it in the jar, use the name that they identify with as opposed to their full name. You can even use someone's online username if that's how you know them. Collect objects to use as mediums. Any of the following items will serve as strong mediums: Rusty nails, thumb tacks, or other sharp items can be added to the jar to generally hurt your target. Just be sure to wear protective gear e. Urine your own may be added to the jar to help you gain domination over your target.

Avoid using urine and blood that are not your own, as these are biohazards and could cause you to become ill. Graveyard soil can be used to drive someone away or drive two people apart. Soil from a fresh grave is the most potent, but taking it may be considered defilement by authorities. If you do decide to remove soil from a new grave, ask permission from the departed's soul and leave an offering — alcohol e. Note that you needn't use all of these items in your jar. One or two of them is fine!

Part 3. Clean the jar thoroughly. Do this with hot, soapy water, being sure to remove the label and any residual adhesive. To avoid streaks or debris moving from the drying cloth to the jar, you can let the jar air dry. Remind yourself of your intention.

As you add things to your curse jar, stay focused on your target and what you want to happen to them. Place the poppet into the jar. If you are using a doll and have the victim's hair, you may choose to wind it around the neck of the doll. Add the medium to the jar on top of the poppet.

Remember to focus on your intentions as you do this. If you do not have any specific desires, just think about how angry you are and what the target did to you to deserve your ire. Seal the jar tightly. Before sealing the jar, make sure that there is nothing else you want to add to it.

After it's closed, you should not reopen it as, at the very least, it will lose its power. Seal the lid with wax optional. If you have a black or red candle, you may choose to light it and drip the wax all over the edge of the lid to ensure a fully air-tight seal.

To make it extra powerful, you can use a pin or other sharp point to carve your target's name into the candle before melting it.

Shake the jar.