Satanism Today - An Encyclopedia of Religion, Folklore and Popular ...

Curses 57
Bag of ingredients for bad spells from South Carolina. It includes roots, graveyard dust, hair and nail clippings from the
intended victim, and the victim’s underclothing pierced with a pin (Fortean Picture Library)
Curses, sometimes referred to as hexes, are negative
magical spells made against other people.
They are meant to harm a person through ill luck,
sickness, or even death. Curses traditionally invoke
supernatural forces or entities to change
someone’s fate for the worse. In many different
cultures, sorcerers can be hired to place curses on
others. Sorcerers can also be hired to undo a curse.
As a group, entire families and their descendants
have been affected by curses. They can also
be used to protect temples, other kinds of spaces,
and treasures, as in the case of the famous
Tutankhamen tomb. A curse can remain dormant
for a long time, only hitting the victim later. Also,
once a curse comes into effect, its duration can
vary considerably. In some traditions, it is believed
that the most effective curses are executed on a
night during which the moon is waning.
Although associated primarily with Vodoun
(voodoo), a widely practiced approach to cursing
is to perform negative rituals over an effigy of the
intended victim. A doll-like figure meant to represent
the target of the spell is made out of wax, clay,
wood, cloth or some other material. A piece of
clothing, strand of hair, fingernail trimming, or
some other such item associated with the victim
are placed on or in the doll, which is then burned
or pierced, thereby causing suffering or death.
The use of an effigy to curse an enemy has been
incorporated into modern Satanism. In The
Satanic Bible, for example, Anton LaVey recommends
the following procedure “To Cause the
Destruction of An Enemy”:
Remain in the area of the altar [previously
described] unless imagery is more easily
obtained in another spot, such as in the
vicinity of the victim. Producing the image of
the victim, proceed to inflict the destruction
upon the effigy in the manner of your choice.
This can be done in the following ways:
the sticking of pins or nails into a doll
representing your victim; the doll may be
cloth, wax, wood, vegetable matter, etc.
the creation of graphic imagery depicting
the method of your victim’s