Casting a Curse

This article was originally posted on 10/19/2006 on the original version of this blog. It also alludes to the Ananael site, my other ritual magick site that is also currently down. Putting it online again gives me a new link to send out to folks who want to know how to cast curses. Let me emphasize that I am in no way encouraging anyone to start going around cursing people just because I am publishing this method - often it's a very bad idea.

Every so often I get an e-mail from someone who wants to know how to cast a curse against an enemy or somebody who has wronged them in some way. I had a pretty good Collection of Curses compiled by the alt.magick community years ago on my Ananael site, but what was missing from that collection is a formal ceremonial cursing spell. A while back I decided to write one, so that I would have something to send people who asked how I would go about doing it. Most of the people I have sent this to have found it to be "too difficult." I have a couple of responses to that.

Use a simpler curse. If the ceremonial system doesn't appeal to you or seems too complex, try using a different spell. Some of the curses in the collection are pretty simple and it is not necessarily true that a more complex ritual will be more powerful. In fact, a simple curse that you completely understand will usually be more effective than a complex one read haltingly from a script.

Did you think real magick would work anything like it does in Harry Potter? In the Harry Potter books and movies, you become a magician by (1) finding the right wand and (2) learning how to make a simple hand motion as you say one or two magick words. I've practiced for more than 20 years and I will say that I can often make magical effects work like that - now. It took a lot of years of practice to get there, though, and I still find that rituals using the proper forms are significantly more effective than the "quickie" magick that I can do without them.

Did you think you could do this without any work at all on your part? One of the common misconceptions about magick is that it is an easy way to solve problems. It isn't. Magick is like a martial art for your mind. It requires concentration, discipline, and dedication. If a mundane solution to a problem exists, that solution is usually easier than doing any kind of magick. Magick is more properly used when a simple mundane solution does not present itself, or when mundane solutions have already failed to resolve the problem.

These people usually respond by asking if they can pay me to cast the spell. Anyone considering this should consult the Ananael FAQ. I'm not in the business of casting spells for other people - at present I make plenty of money as a software developer, and I'm not interesting in involving myself in drama or conflict that doesn't concern me. Anyone who is determined to hire someone could try contacting Moloch at http://www.molochsorcery.com/. He advertises spell services on his web site and from his essays appears to be pretty knowledgeable about practical magick.

That being said, there are two basic ways to cast a curse and both are planetary in nature - Mars and Saturn. The magical power for Mars is "works of wrath and vengeance" while that for Saturn is "works of malediction and death." Malediction simply refers to any sort of negative influence, so Saturn can be used for a death spell or just to make someone unlucky for a day or two. It all depends on the charge given to the spirit - though as with all other magical effects, less likely outcomes are more difficult. A bad luck spell is pretty easy, while a death spell is rather difficult

I prefer to use Saturn for curses, simply because Mars is more violent and more concerned with making the target suffer. I don't personally really care if the target of a curse suffers - I'm casting the curse to resolve a problem and I just want it to go away. If I cast a curse so that an evil boss will no longer work for my company, it makes little difference to me whether that individual is fired over some traumatic scandal or gets a better job offer elsewhere and takes it. Either way, I no longer have to deal with them and that's what I care about.

The following ritual evokes the energy of Saturn for the purpose of sending a curse to a specific external target. The magical power associated with Saturn is “Works of Malediction and Death.” Thus, depending on the charge given to the spirit, this ritual can be used to send anything ranging from general bad luck up to and including death.

0. Basic Rituals

This ritual is written using standard Golden Dawn forms. There are three basic rituals that should ideally be committed to memory prior to attempting the entire rite. Ritual magick works by aligning the microcosm (your mind) with the macrocosm (the universe). Once the two are aligned, changes in the mind of the magician will influence whatever aspect of the universe is targeted by the magical operation. The three basic rituals used here are the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (microcosmic), the Lesser Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram (macrocosmic), and the Greater Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram for Saturn, which tunes the energy of the ritual to that of the planet. The Lesser rituals should be practiced daily for a week or so leading up to the actual rite. A curse of this nature should be performed on a Saturday, and if you possible during the hour of Saturn. I use ChronosXP to calculate planetary hours - it is a very nice program and even sits on your desktop, announcing each planetary hour as it arrives.

00. Temple Setup

When casting a curse it is important to pay attention to the setup of the temple. You will need a black circle on the floor large enough for you to stand in and extend your arms without crossing the edge. The traditional grimoires recommend nine feet in diameter, which is perfect if you have the space. If not, it can be smaller, but you want to make sure that every part of your body stays inside it for the duration of the ritual. You will also need a black equilateral triangle three feet or so on a side which is placed to the east of the circle with one of the points facing due east. It is vital that the circle and triangle are used in a ritual of this sort. A good way to make a temporary circle and triangle is to go to a party store and get a couple of rolls of black crepe paper. Then get some duck tape and tape the paper to the floor in the proper shape. This takes a little while but the effect is nice. When you’re done with the ritual, you can burn the paper, which is not strictly necessary (it can be thrown away too) but gives a stronger sense of closure to a rite.

There is only one way you can be hurt by a curse that you are summoning – if you try to cast it without the circle and triangle. Wiccans teach that magick follows something called the Threefold Law. They believe that if you cast something into the world it will “rebound” and affect you in the same manner as it affects the target. They also believe that it will affect you three times as severely. The “threefold” part of this is superstitious nonsense, but if you just use a circle without the triangle you can be affected in the same manner and to the same degree as the target.

Wiccans don’t generally use triangles in their rituals, so this effect is probably the origin of the Threefold Law doctrine. The problem is not that the spell rebounds or bounces, but that if you just use a circle you are putting yourself in the same “magical space” as the target and will be hit by the same current of energy. The triangle serves to put you and the target in separate magical spaces, so you can summon energy into the triangle without it affecting you in the circle. That’s a technical explanation, but the upshot of it is that you should make sure you use the circle and triangle, because otherwise bad things can happen to you.

When performing the ritual you will be standing in the circle. You will need to place a Magical Link in the triangle. This should be something that has a close connection to the target of the spell. A photograph works well, but make sure it’s a photograph of just the target and not anyone else. If necessary, cut the figure of the target out of a photograph of multiple people with a razor blade or x-acto knife and use that as your link. You can also use things like hair or fingernail clippings, but those are often hard to obtain. A photograph has the added advantage that you can draw the Characters for Saturn and the Intelligence and Spirit you will be summoning over the image of the target. You can also use a black candle placed in the triangle - it makes a nice focus for the conjuration.

I. Opening

Stand in the center of the circle, facing east.

Perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.
Perform the Lesser Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram.

Combining these two rituals opens the Operant Field.

II. The Preliminary Invocation

Make the Sign of Apophis and Typhon (raise your arms above your head, forming a “V”). Say:

Thee I invoke, who art universe.Thee I invoke, who art in nature formed.Thee I invoke, the vast and the mighty.Source of darkness, source of light.

Then make the Sign of Silence. This sign is made by dropping your arms and placing your right index finger to your lips. Pause for a moment.

Then say:

Peh Resh Kaph Tau. The word is PAROKETH, which is the veil of the sanctuary. In and by that word (Make the Sign of Rending the Veil – put your arms in front of you with the backs of your hands touching, and then draw them apart as if opening a heavy curtain), I open the veil.

Pause for a moment, then vibrate:

ABRAHADABRA!

Make the Sign of Osiris Risen, crossing your arms over your chest like an Egyptian mummy. Visualize yourself and the entire circle permeated with glowing, golden light.

III. The Conjuration

Perform the Greater Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram for Saturn.
As you conclude with "Let the divine light descend!", visualize a column of dark purple light, almost black descending into the triangle and permeating the magical link. The circle remains bathed in golden light. You then begin to conjure the Spirit of Saturn. Vibrate the capitalized words.

ELOHIM, ELOHIM, ELOHIM. (el-oh-HEEM) Come unto me, God in BINAH (bee-NAH), the sphere of SHABBATAI (shah-bah-TYE). Send unto me TZAPHKIEL (tzaf-kee-EL), that great Archangel of thine, that he may answer my behest.

Pause until the presence of Elohim is perceived. If you don’t feel anything or see anything, wait three minutes or so before continuing.

TZAPHKIEL, TZAPHKIEL, TZAPHKIEL. (tzaf-kee-EL) Come unto me, great and mighty Archangel of BINAH (bee-NAH), the sphere of SHABBATAI (shah-bah-TYE). by the name of the great god ELOHIM (el-oh-HEEM). Send unto me AGIEL (ah-ghee-EL), that great intelligence of thine, that he may answer my behest.

Pause until the presence of Tzaphkiel is perceived. If you don’t feel anything or see anything, wait three minutes or so before continuing.

AGIEL, AGIEL, AGIEL. (ah-ghee-EL) Come unto me, thou bright intelligence of SHABBATAI (shah-bah-TYE), and answer my behest. In the name of TZAPHKIEL (tzaf-kee-EL) thy lord, compel the spirit ZAZEL (zah-ZEL) who is under thy dominion to manifest within this Triangle of Art.

Pause until the presence of Agiel is perceived. If you don’t feel anything or see anything, wait three minutes or so before continuing.

ZAZEL, ZAZEL, ZAZEL. (zah-ZEL) Come unto me, mighty spirit of SHABBATAI (shah-bah-TYE), and make manifest my behest. In the name of AGIEL (ah-ghee-EL) thy lord, come forth within this Triangle of Art that thou mayst wield the powers of the path of TAU (pronounced like it looks), the path of the planet Saturn.

Pause until the presence of Zazel is perceived. If you don’t feel anything or see anything, wait three minutes or so before continuing.

At this point, you deliver the charge to the spirit. Address it to Zazel. This is what you want the spirit to do. You need to write this part yourself, because it’s very personal. You should state what you want simply so that the spirit can’t twist your words around.

After the charge, pause for a moment before closing the temple.

IV. Closing

You then give the license to depart.

O thou ELOHIM (el-oh-HEEM) and thy ministers TZAPHKIEL (tzaf-kee-EL), AGIEL (ah-ghee-EL), and ZAZEL (zah-ZEL), because thou hast-diligently answered unto my demands, and hast been very ready and willing to come at my call, I do here license thee to depart unto thy proper place; without causing harm or danger unto man or beast. I charge thee to withdraw peaceably and quietly, and peace be ever continued between us. So mote it be!

Pause for a moment to give the spirits time to depart. Visualize the dark purple light in the triangle sinking into the magical link and vanishing.

Peh Resh Kaph Tau. The word is PAROKETH. In and by that word (Make the Sign of Closing the Veil – bring your hands together in front of you as though closing a curtain), I close the veil.

Give the Sign of Silence by putting your right index finger to your lip and visualize the golden light in the circle fading away.

Perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. You’re done.