The Oldest Magic in the Spell Book: Mal De Ojo 💙🪬🧿

Happy Holidays Bougie Brujas! It’s the most wonderful time of year ✨ Where magic is in the air, snow is on the ground, and miracles may happen all around us. All this talk of gifts and presents also has me thinking of the oldest spell of all time. This concept is universally accepted, and whether you believe in magic or not, I’m here to tell you that we’ve all casted this spell at one point or another. If you say you haven’t, that’s a lie, because we’ve all been jealous at some point and sent out the evil eye. Some people do it unintentionally— others know exactly what they’re doing. The evil eye is so critically acclaimed, there are even articles recognizing it in PubMed’s National Library of Medicine. With Christmas around the corner, I feel as if it’s important to talk about the evil eye. We all have haters whether you know it or not, and it’s imperative to always stay spiritually protected from them. When you’re on a high vibration, you don’t want people bringing you down to low levels. Some people actively practice mal de ojo magic and just don’t care. They know what they’re doing, and they’re purposefully praying on your downfall. I wrote this article to make sure you don’t become their prey. It’s even easier to cast in todays day and age because of technology. All it takes is a quick social media search of your username for people to pull up your profile picture and look at you with hate— with the evil eye. Other people don’t even realize they’re doing it. They can innocently be scrolling or walking by “joking” that they’re just “so jealous” about what you have or how you look. Regardless, to cast evil eye on someone is to be an “eye biter” and to be a recipient of evil eye is to be “eye bitten.”

Think of eye biters like energy vampires. They vant to suck your blood 🧛🏽‍♀️ or at least they want to suck the joy and fun out your life for their own miserable reasons. I know… batty isn’t it? According to author and medical doctor Edward S Gifford, Greek philosophers suggested that:

“visual rays were thrown out by the eye to strike external objects, from which the rays were reflected back to the eye.”

Gifford, E. S. (1957). The evil eye in medical history. Ophthalmic Pub. Co.

This was viewed as an exchange of energy. Some peoples eyes reflect purity and peace while others reflect hatred and perpetuate problems. If eyes absorb then reflect light, and light is energy, and energy is frequency, it makes sense that what we visualize internally can play out externally. It’s a form of bending frequency to your will. It’s a method of manifestation— magic if you will. That said, remember that eyes are the window to the soul, and some people are just plain soulless. They’re energy vampires.

Christmas especially can be a time of year where “eye biters” reveal themselves, and people’s true colors show. During this presumably “merry” time of year, you can really see who is and isn’t casting mal de ojo. It’s so ironic how the main colors of Christmas are red and green, because your happy and stable family or the cool gifts you receive on Christmas can have people seeing red in anger. And green eyed monsters are definitely real and are probably people you know. They may be a loved one you follow on social media such as a friend or family member, an acquaintance like a classmate or coworker, or they can even be strangers if you’re an influencer of some sort. Fact of the matter is, people want what they can’t have. And if you have it and they don’t, they don’t want you to have it either. Especially your biggest haters. And sometimes the people closest to you or the people you wouldn’t expect are your biggest haters. Or maybe they really do want to see you doing good— just not better than them. Whatever your case, this article will given you some tips to stay spiritually protected and at peace, and it will help you return any bad juju back to sender.

So grab your hot cocoa, cuddle with your pet baby on the couch next to your Christmas tree, and let’s go into a deep dive of the oldest magic in the spell book— mal de ojo.

What is the evil eye?

The evil eye can be defined as a “supernatural curse” brought on by a malevolent glare. The concept of evil eyes itself is said to date back to prehistory, however, the evil eye symbol, also known as the nazar, was first seen around 5,000 years ago. It’s possible the symbol was first seen in ancient Ugarit (a city located in modern day Syria). In the 6th century (BC), the nazar was also seen on Chalcidian drinking classes called “eye cups,” pictured above. People used these cups to make potions for protection magic.

The production of nazar glass amulets (pictured below) began in 1,500 BC. The top picture is of Ancient Islamic glass beads, and the bottom is a more modern nazar glass bead. The modern design has a cultural relevance mostly linked to Turkey. Prior to glass beads, nazar symbols were made of clay. The symbol was most popular with the Phoenicians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, and Ottomans in ancient times.

The concept of evil eye was widely accepted around the world and across multiple religions. As a matter of fact, there are 24 evil eye symbols in total, but the 4 most popular amulets are: the nazar, hamsa hand, ankh, and eye of Horus. There are so many ways different cultures and religions run off evil eye. Some are silly and some make sense, but the same thing rings true: predominantly every religious or cultural group believe in evil eye to some degree.

Ways people ward off evil eye around the world:

• In India, they burn dry red chili fruit to ward off or counter the effects of evil eye.

• In Punjab, they wear garlic necklaces to ward off evil eye (I told you, it’s sent by energy vampires!!).

• In Jewish culture, the evil eye is called ayin ha’ra. They ward off evil eye by make a spitting gesture 3 times after giving or receiving praise.

• In the West Indies, jumbie seeds are strung and worn as an amulet to ward off evil and attract wealth.

• In Tanzania, boswellia, securidaca longipedunculata, and Sativa herbs are mixed together to ward off evil eye.

• In Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, Nirgundi (Vitex negundo) and Vasaka (Adathoda vasica) leaves are placed in ones lap while transporting the young or sick bay from one place to another. These leaves are said to protect the body from evil spirits and evil eye.

Mind you, some of the information listed derives from the PubMed’s National Library of Medicine! Yes folks, you heard that right!! The evil eye is even researched, used as a resource, and archived in national biomedical literature databases. Evidence the scientific articles present on this site suggest that the concept of evil and evil eye should be psychoanalyzed, and that evil eye may have an influence on ophthalmology and modern medicine. But don’t just take my word for it! Poke around on the site and see for yourself. Links to those articles will be in the resource list below.

So anyway, if evil eye is medically acclaimed, does this mean that being an “eye biter” is a sickness? Or that being “eye bitten” can cause illness or even misfortune? Is the phrase “jealousy is a disease” a little more accurate than we’ve made it seem? Well, according to Gifford, he suggest that “The belief in the possibility of injury by vision is extremely ancient.” There’s also a 51/49 ancient law of assumption suggesting that if 51% of people wish for or envision something, it’s more likely to happen.

All that said, here are some of the sickness symptoms associated with mal de ojo:

• Lack of energy/exhaustion

• Headache/migraine

• Excessive belching/digestion issues

• Breakouts and bruising

• Fear or anxiety

• Mood swings and communication issues

• Heart palpitations

• Stagnation or hindered progress

• Foods rotting quickly

• Jewelry breaking

• Bad luck

• Immune deficiencies

• Inflation or soar muscles

• Skin itching so bad it burns

• A series of misfortunate events (No, not the movie— but your life may feel like one)

Are these just symptoms of a simple cold? Is it chronic illness? Is it it madness? Or did you catch a case of the old mal de ojo? I don’t know. Only you can answer that question for yourself (or a doctor, always consult a doctor for physical ailments first and foremost. Disclaimer I am NOT a doctor, just someone that likes to search the astral realm for alternative answers). However, I can tell you one thing— many cases of people that reportedly got “eye bitten” said that they felt no other cold or flu symptoms prior, nor do they recall being around anyone contagious. People also report being much more clumsy and having had inconvenient or unforeseen circumstances pop up much more frequently. Some even say your fruits, veggies, and potted plants will also rot much faster because they can feel the shift in energy. It’s usually a sign that something is off.

But don’t worry! The universe won’t give you anything that you can’t handle. For every evil eye, ill intention, or even illness, I believe there is an antidote. And to answer the question, yes, I definitely do think jealousy is a disease. It stores itself into our body like a trauma (which is what jealousy is— a trigger), the trauma turns into sickness and takes a physical or mental toll on our bodies, and sometimes, we can pass it along like a common cold. Energy is an exchange. Sometimes this so called sickness is metaphorical… but maybe.. just maybe… it can be a little literal too. I know it’s chilly season, Santa season, and flu season— but I don’t want y’all out here catching the evil eye too!

So Here are some tips to ward off the evil eye— the bougie bruja way 💅🏽🧙🏾‍♀️🧿

1) Poke ‘em in the evil eye

This one is for my beauty brujas! Put on a press on nail and file it so that it’s coffin shaped. Make it as sharp as it can possibly go, like a pointy pencil. Imagine the eye of someone that’s been sending you evil eye (it doesn’t have to be a specific person either, it can be a default eye). Imagine the cut, color, shape, and any other significant details you can recall (if there’s a beauty mark, scars, or tattoos by it). Raise your finger that has the sharp nail, and visualize yourself poking people in their evil eye. Bonus points if you the nail color you use correlates with whatever it is you’re trying to ward off. Here are some evil eye nazar color meanings:

2) Some salt for the salty

While you simultaneously manifest and cook your meals (check out my last article all about this here: https://www.bougiebrujas.com/2023/12/12/the-magic-in-making-meals-3-ways-to-conjure-with-cooking/), you may want to pour a little salt in your hand and throw it over your shoulder. Salt is a natural cleanser and a spiritual protectant. If anyone’s been salty towards you or even behind your back, this will hit them in the evil eye and turn them away. Back to sender biatch! 🧿

3) Chase it away

I think wine and alcohol, when not abused or overused, can be a very strong and divine spiritual and manifesting tool. That said, this method of removing evil eye is called “chase it away.” Pour yourself a shot of liquor (preferably something clear and something you don’t like), but have your favorite chaser right next to it. Before you take your shot, think of someone you know that’s been sending you evil eye. Look into the liquor and use it to scry. After you’ve thought of their name or envisioned their face, say you’re chasing away any ill intent they sent you and returning it to sender. Take the shot, then immediately chase it down with your favorite chaser: apple juice, lemonade, grape juice, etc. As you drink your chaser, imagine your ancestors, Gods/Goddesses, deities, Orishas, or spirit animals chasing this person away from your energy. Let the alcohol shot serve as the bad vibe and bad energy, and the juice serve as a cleanser and offering to your ancestors. Make sure you use a clear alcohol that you DON’T like so that you can remember the sour taste this person leaves in your mouth. It’s a reminder to steer clear.

4) Something borrowed, something blue

You’ve heard of the green eyed monster— but I’ve bet you never heard of the blue eyed mati. In Greece, the evil eye is referred to as “máti.”They believed that only blue eyes could pass and cast evil eye. That said, they also believed only the color blue could ward it off as well. This is where the old wedding tradition of “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue,” derives from! It was a way for new brides to ward off mati from their marriage. In Indian culture, kajal is another way to ward off evil eye. Kajal is an ancient eye cosmetic similar to that of the charcoal in mascara. Kajal means to captivate ones attention, and it means black substance. This method of warding off evil eye combines Greek and Hindu beliefs. Take the concept of doing a dark, heavy protective eye liner like kajal would recommend, but instead of going for a classic black look, consider a dark or royal blue eye shadow or liner. The belief is that the bad vibes will bounce right off the shadow and return the evil eye to sender. The liner/shadow will serve as a protective border around the eyes.

5) X ‘em out

This one is pretty simple. This spell is called “X em out.” This may best be used on exes or their new/old partners that may be sending you evil eye. Draw the eye of someone you think is sending you the evil eye: draw the cut, color, shape, and maybe even their eyebrow (again, it doesn’t have to be a specific person, it can be a default eye). Put their name and their zodiac sign underneath the eye you drew. Say aloud the kind of negative energy you think this person is sending your way, for example: evil eye towards your job, evil eye toward your family, evil eye towards your car/home, evil eye towards your new partner, etc. Afterward, says “I am crossing this person from out my life and returning this evil eye to sender.” Make a big X mark over the eye you drew, then dispose of this paper somewhere far. You can burn it in a fire safe bowl and burry the ashes, or you can rip it up into tiny pieces then toss it immediately in the trash outside. Whatever you do, you want the energy out your house. This spell is best done before or after an egg cleanse. If anyone is doing any spell work on you or trying to use psychic visions to peek into your life, this spell will block their abilities or blur them out.

6) Work on your 3rd eye

You work on your third eye, and let people focus on their evil one. Continue to develop your intuition by practicing tarot, doing snap judgement test, scrying, or using psychometry. However you do divination, do it! Just don’t give up. Keep developing your abilities for the betterment of yourself and even society. Let people stay sleep on you. Just wake up, smell the roses, and realize not everyone has your best intention at heart, that’s why you need your own intuition. It helps you be that little fly on the wall and know who’s wishing bad on you behind closed doors.

7) Limpia De Huevo (Egg cleansing)

Saving the best for last here because there’s nothing like a good old fashioned egg cleanse to boost your energy. There’s millions of different ways people can do an egg cleanse, and a simple Google or Tiktok search can tell you how. This Tiktok was the one I personally used: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8uSvBEy/

However, you ultimately just take an egg, roll it over your body so it absorbs your energy, crack the egg in a clear glass cup of water, and let it sit for 7 minutes. After the 7 minutes are up, you essentially observe the egg to see what kinds of signs and symbols may be inside of it. Write down your results in a notebook to look back on later. If the eggs breaks before you can finish rubbing it over your body, that means it absorbed a lot of negative energy. You would need to grab a new egg and try again. Sometimes there are circles and bubbles in the middle of the egg blatantly warning you that an evil eye may be on you. This Reddit thread here has some great interpretations of evil eye: https://www.reddit.com/r/elderwitches/comments/106v2s7/spellwork_sunday_egg_cleanse_i_dont_do_them_but/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

When you’re finished reading your results, sprinkle a little salt, red pepper flakes, garlic, and hot sauce inside the cup to return any evil eyes back to sender. This also seals off the spell with an added layer of protection. Make sure no matter what you do, DO NOT look directly at the egg from a birds-eye-view perspective. Make sure you look straight ahead only. You don’t want to reabsorb any bad energy you just released. When you’re done, flush the egg or toss it in the trash bin. Just make sure it’s far away from you and your house.

And then there are the given methods of protection such as where a nazar bracelet or to pray the evil away. But as bougie brujas, we like to think outside the box! So I hope these magical methods of protection from evil eye can come in handy for you. Remember, my Bougie Brujas: see no evil 🙈 Hear no evil 🙉 Speak no evil 🙊 Attract no evil 🪬

Thank you for reading! Check back next week for another article about how to have a Merry Christmas during mercury retrograde. Peace and blessed be.

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