If that’s not a curse, I don’t know what is.
Yet, that’s exactly what had happened to my client. And the fact that she’d invented this mess herself, didn’t make it any less viable. In this case perhaps, it was even more so, as it was fueled by the power of suggestion at the hands of someone who was supposed to know what she was doing. So, to help this woman, I had to give her the tools to break this self-imposed curse once and for all. Otherwise, she’d have never been able to get on with her life or live it with some semblance of happiness. And finding a way to retrieve that happiness was the real reason she’d come to see me in the first place.
A LITTLE LESSON IN ENERGY
Before we get into this fabulous hex-breaker of mine, we need to talk a little about energy: what it is, what it isn’t, and how to use it to its best advantage. You say you already know about energy? Well, before you skip ahead, I urge you to hear me out. Otherwise, the spell isn’t going to do you a bit of good, you’ll think I’ve given you a dud, and nothing could be further from the truth.
While we all think we know everything there is to know about energy, most of us are sadly mistaken. Oh, most of us know what it feels like. We even know when it’s shifted. And a good number of us know how to direct it. It’s just that most of today’s magical teachers are negligent when it comes to teaching the basics. If they weren’t, we’d never even consider returning negative energy to its sender. And since most of us are perfectly willing to go that route, it’s obvious that something’s missing. Something which no practitioner can do without. That something is, of course, a thorough understanding of energy and its most basic properties.
To start with, everything—whether it’s a doll, or a stone, or a building in your neighborhood—is entirely comprised of energy. And as magical practitioners, all we do is move and direct that substance. It’s pretty basic stuff which most of us already know.
It’s what many practitioners don’t know about this substance that seems to cause a problem. First of all, energy is just that. It’s energy. There’s nothing “good” or “bad” about it. It’s not dark or light, positive or negative. It’s simply a living, breathing force that vibrates to unlimited form and shape.
This isn’t to say, however, that some energies don’t feel different from others. They do. But it has nothing to do with the energy itself. Instead, it’s the practitioner directing the energy who flavors the way it feels.
A better way to explain this might be to take a look at the pixels in a computer graphic. They are only dots of color—nothing more, nothing less. But when an artist moves them together in a particular order and directs them into a proper measurement, an image forms. The pixels, themselves, have no control over whether the image is dreadful and gloomy, or bright and cheerful. They are, after all, just dots of color. It is the artist who brings the image to light—and evokes the desired feeling from those who view it—by moving and directing the pixels in a certain fashion. The same is true of energy and the practitioner.
The other important thing to understand about energy is that it never really goes away. It never dissolves. It never dissipates. In fact, energy is probably the only thing in this world which is truly boundless and everlasting. And that being the case, it only changes shape and form.
Having learned this early on, you can imagine my reaction when someone else’s teacher announced that negative energy should always be returned to the sender. I was stunned. Bewildered. And more than just a little appalled. In fact, try as I might, I just couldn’t keep my mouth shut.
“But that’s just an effort in futility,” I blurted out, “and it’s certainly not going to fix the problem!”
It was the teacher’s turn to be stunned, bewildered, and more than a little appalled.
“And just why not?” she retorted.
“Because if both practitioners have their shields in place—and they certainly should if they’re worth their salt—all this is going to do is cause a game of psychic volleyball. The energy’s just going to bounce back and forth until someone gets tired. And we can only hope that someone is the practitioner who returned the energy in the first place.”
Apparently, this had never occurred to the teacher. She’d simply been relaying information passed on from her teachers and truly hadn’t given the matter much thought. At any rate, her annoyance had now given way to interest, and she inquired about the solution.
I explained that all energy—regardless of how it feels—is a gift. It’s the very substance from which everything is created. And that being the case, it should never be sent back. Instead, it should be grabbed up, moved and directed, and formed and shaped into something entirely different—something wonderful—something that could be used for personal benefit.
A smile crossed the teacher’s lips, and then she began to laugh out loud. She wasn’t laughing at the solution, though. Instead, it was the irony of the situation. To take someone’s ill-will and transform it into something personally beneficial was just plain wicked—and she didn’t mind telling me so.
Having gotten her attention, I then let her in on another secret—a secret related to that great little hex-breaker of mine. Simply put, it’s this: That nasty-feeling energy that fuels the spell can come from anywhere—even from the magical practitioner casting it. What that means, of course, is that we can even use that slimy crap we douse ourselves with during periods of panic, anxiety, and paranoia. And what could be better than that?!
THE SWIFTING OF ENERGY
If you think you may be the victim of a hex or curse—or if you’re having a particularly nasty run of bad luck—then this is the spell for you. But before you perform it, there are a few things you should know. Not to worry. It’s nothing awful, and I’m not going to warn you about anything. It’s just that it’s best to field any possible questions at the onset. That way, there won’t be any confusion later.
To start with, this spell may be worked at any time. You don’t have to wait for a particular phase of the Moon. You don’t have to wait for a specific day of the week. And you certainly don’t have to bother with those annoying ceremonial calculations that involve figuring the proper hour, minute, and second. This spell works well no matter when it’s performed. And since you’re more than likely using it to remove some nasty crap from your life, waiting around for the planets to cooperate simply isn’t an option. That’s good news.
Another thing is that this spell is absolutely foolproof. There’s no way you can screw it up, and you don’t have to be a magical genius to get results. All you have to do is follow the directions, know that you’re going to get exactly what you asked for, and relax. That’s good news too.
Now then...I promised that I wouldn’t warn you about anything, and I’m as good as my word. However, I do have a few suggestions which, taken under consideration, will make things much easier for you. And since no author worth her salt would dare to omit information that might be of assistance to her readers, I feel obligated to pass these along to you:
While size usually doesn’t matter, it actually does here—but only as far as the candles go. Because they must burn until they extinguish themselves, it’s in your best interest to avoid using votive candles. Use small tapers instead. They burn quickly, and you won’t have to hang around all day just to make sure that your house doesn’t catch fire.
It’s not a good idea to perform this spell for someone else. There’s good reason for that. No matter how intimately you’re connected to the person you have in mind, there’s no way you can truly feel their angst and fury or the full impact of those emotions on their life. And since the power of the spell feeds upon those emotions and the specific way that they affect the person in question, the effects of the spell simply aren’t as strong when performed by someone else.
If you’re thinking of working this spell for multiple purposes all at the same time, you may want to reconsider. It’s not that it won’t work. But in order for it to work as planned, you’ll have to be able to
visualize every purpose on your list realistically, vividly, and in its entirety from start to finish. That’s not only going to take some time but will require switching mental gears on a constant basis until you get through the list. And because of that, it’s much easier to perform the swifting for one thing at a time.
With all of that out of the way, let’s get started. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is, how well it works, and how quickly your life returns to normal!
THE SWIFTING RITUAL
Materials:
1 black candle
1 brown candle (A yellow, gray, or lavender candle may be substituted.)
1 white candle
Table salt
Metal cookie sheet
Paper and pen
A large supply of “negative” energy
Place the cookie sheet horizontally on a flat surface. Beginning at the center left-hand side of the cookie sheet, arrange the candles—first black, then brown, then white—so they form a horizontal line. Then using the salt, draw a horizontal line from the white candle to a point approximately three-quarters of the way to the right-hand edge of the pan. Draw an arrow tip with the salt at the end of the line, then draw a salt circle around the arrow tip to encase it.
Write your desire on the paper in large block letters. In all actuality, this can be anything—money, a new job, love, protection, good health, religious tolerance, etc.—as long as it’s something for which you have a need. But since we’re breaking a curse here, simply write “GOOD FORTUNE.” Fold the paper into thirds, then into thirds again, and place it inside the salt circle directly on top of the arrow tip.
Ground and center. Light the black candle and focus on all the nasty energy coming your way. See the harm it’s done, the trouble it’s caused, and feel your personal misery. Then take it a step further and feel the anger. Don’t just become angry though. Let the fury consume you until you’re absolutely, positively, livid pissed. Throw a screaming, stomping, hissy fit if that’s what it takes to get you there. Then name the candle for negativity.
Light the brown candle. Take a deep breath and exhale slowly, releasing every particle of anger from your body. When detachment takes over—and it will—feel the weight of your personal burdens lighten. Then see the energy begin to transform into something neutral, and name the candle for transformation.
Light the white candle. See the energy transformation process as complete. There is nothing left but clear, bright, raw, pure energy now. Energy which you can use to manifest your desire. Name the candle for raw, untapped, pure energy.
With your eyes, follow the salt line from the candle to the circle, and focus on the paper with your intention. Visualization is very important here, for you not only need to see your desires coming to fruition—your luck changing, your life becoming yours again, living a life you want to live—but be able to feel them as if they’ve already manifested.
Let the candles burn until they extinguish themselves. It’s important to note that occasionally one or more will burn out prematurely. But if that should happen, do NOT relight it. Just leave it alone, know it’s not a problem, and don’t worry about it. It doesn’t mean that anything’s gone wrong or that the spell isn’t working. More than likely, it simply means that an air bubble was trapped during the pouring phase. Neither should you worry if one candle burns out before another. In this case, it has no magical significance.
When the candles extinguish themselves, light the paper, and leave it in the salt circle until it burns to ash. (It’s imperative that the paper is completely reduced to ash. If it’s not, just light the paper again and allow it to burn until it is.) Once the ashes are cool, gather them together with the salt and the remnants of the wicks and wax (if there are any), and bury the items outdoors. Alternatively, bury the leftovers in a potted plant. (Don’t worry about harming the plant, for it’s been my experience that once used as this spell’s receptacle even African violets grow more lushly than before.)
Burying the items is, perhaps, the most important part of this spell as it acts to ground the magic. And once it’s done, things begin to change immediately. There’s no waiting period as is normal for other spells. All that’s left is for you to decide precisely how you want to live that life you’ve taken back. And I’ve no doubt that you can manage that!
HOMELAND SECURITY THE WITCH’S WAY
Now that you’ve swifted the energy to put your life back on track, it’s probably a good idea to take some precautionary measures to keep it that way. And that means safe-guarding yourself, your home, and your property from the possibility of any future hexes or magical aggravation.
The first thing on the agenda requires a good house-cleaning. Please don’t groan, and whatever you do, don’t try to figure a way around this. I don’t like cleaning any better than the next person, but once you’ve been attacked, it’s imperative. Otherwise, you’re only going to seal that nasty stuff into your home with any protective measures you take. Even worse though, anything you do to protect your space is actually going to protect that crap as well. And once that happens, you’re going to have a hell of a time getting rid of it. It’s best to just buck up, follow the directions, and get this mess over and done with.
Here’s something that may make you feel better though. What’s required does not constitute that deep-down-polish-until-it-sparkles Spring cleaning. You won’t have to clean closets or cabinets, and you won’t have to rearrange your pantry. You won’t have to wash curtains, scrub blinds or polish the furniture. This is just a normal sort of house-cleaning with a few twists. And since you don’t have to do all that other stuff, it won’t take but an hour or two. Just use the checklist below and you’ll be done before you know it.
Open the windows. While fresh air is a good thing and always makes the house smell better, this has nothing to do with that. Instead, it’s a matter of providing an escape route for all that negative stuff living within its boundaries. The idea here is to force any unsavory energy to leave, and if you don’t provide a means by which it can do that, you’ve only served to keep it trapped inside with you. So even if it’s cold outside, raise the windows at least an inch.
Light a vanilla candle. There’s little that negative energy likes less than the scent of vanilla, so this will give it the impetus to leave.
Clear the air. To chase out unsavory energy, burn Fiery Wall of Protection Incense (see recipe in Chapter 5) on a charcoal block as you work. Place the censer or fire-proof dish on a heat-proof trivet in the middle of your home, and keep the incense going until you’ve finished cleaning.
Remove the clutter. This is important since negative energy thrives in this sort of mess. For the moment though, don’t bother to go through it all. (If you do, you’ll never get done.) Just toss it in a box for now and get it out of the way. You can go through it after you’ve completed the rest of the list.
Powder the carpets. Sprinkle Peaceful Home Powder (see recipe in Chapter 5) on carpets and rugs, then vacuum thoroughly.
Get rid of the dust and sweep the floors. Negative energy thrives in grit and grime too, and refusing to take care of this will only exacerbate your problem.
Mop the floors. Along with your cleaning solution, add one cup of your urine and a teaspoon of hot sauce to a gallon of water, and use the mixture to handle the job. While this may sound a little odd, the reasons are sound. Urine is not only natural ammonia, but using your own also saturates the living quarters with your personal power and safeguards your home from anything you don’t invite. But adding the hot sauce takes the protection process a step further. Because it acts like Hot Foot Powder, it handles unwanted guests by forcing them to leave. (NOTE: The combination of urine and hot sauce tends to leave a powdery residue. So once completely dry, sweep the floors again.)
Wipe down fixtures and counter tops. Nothing odd about this at all. Just use your favorite cleaning solution.
Clean the drains. For this task, you’ll need lemons. To determine how many, just count the drai
ns in your home—be sure to include the toilets and the dishwasher—and divide by two. Cut each lemon in half, squeeze the juice of one portion down each drain, and flush well with hot water. This will take care of any nasties living in your pipes.
Tend to your hairbrushes. Remove the hair and burn it, then clean your brushes with hot, soapy water and bleach. While this may sound strange, it actually handles several potential problems. First, the hairbrush is one of the places that nasty energy likes to live, so you’ll be uprooting it from one of its favorite hiding places. Second, burning the hair removes its connection to you. But third and just as important, getting rid of the hair also removes other possible connections to you. It prevents a visitor using the bathroom as a guise, grabbing some of the hair from your brush, and using it against you. And while you may think that sounds like paranoia at work, I assure you that’s not the case. It happens a lot more often than folks think, and there’s simply no point in taking that chance.
Clean the walls. Okay...at this point, I can almost see the wheels turning in your heads as you try to figure a way around this. Not to worry though. You won’t have to scrub. Just mix a handful of table salt into a spray bottle filled with hot water. Then give it a good shake and spritz the walls. Done deal.
Take out the trash. This removes any left over residue that might still be hanging around.
Shield with bay leaves. Place one leaf in each corner of every room in your home to protect from hexes, curses, and other magical annoyances. As an additional perk, bay leaf also draws money.
Utterly Wicked: Curses, Hexes & Other Unsavory Notions Page 12
