Before you mess up your karma by cursing or hexing someone, try one of these safer, more elegant options instead.
If you just searched “How to curse someone,” or “How to hex someone,” read this first.
I mean, I get it. Someone hurt you. Someone did you wrong, and it is so, so, so infuriating and unfair.
It seems your options for doing something about it in the physical world are so painfully limited, you feel almost irresistibly compelled to direct your considerable personal power toward causing them harm.
Believe me, I’ve been there. And I’ve even done that. And I don’t recommend it.
In my regrettable experience, karmic backlash in response to curses and hexes is a real thing. And it’s just not worth it.
But, hey listen: you have options. Whether you want to hex your ex, a neighborhood bully, your boss, or anyone else, the five alternatives below will provide valuable magical recourse without endangering your own energy, sanity, and general wellbeing.
Each and every one of them is spiritually and karmically safe.
Hex/Curse Alternative #1: Reflect All Energy Back to Its Source
A traditional feng shui cure for dealing with challenging neighbors involves nothing but a mirror. It can be any mirror, of any size. Even a postage stamp-sized mirrored tile will do.
The idea is to place the mirror so that the reflective side is facing the neighbor’s house, and then simply set the (completely neutral) intention that the mirror reflect all energy – good, bad, or in between – directly back to its source.
Sending negative energy right back to its source is quite a bit tidier and more efficient than a hex or a curse. And karmically, it couldn’t be safer.
Usually the mirror is placed outside of the house, but apartment dwellers can place the reflective side against the wall, and hide it behind a picture or a sofa. If your issue is with your downstairs neighbors, you can place it reflective-side down on the floor, perhaps under a piece of furniture. If the upstairs folks are bothering you (and you want to employ this tactic), you would need to figure out a way to attach it to the ceiling, reflective-side up.
This same practice can be adapted for the workplace, or you can even wear a mirror pendant and set the intention that it reflect all energy back to a specific source.
The important thing is the intention. It doesn’t matter what size or shape the mirror is. It can be as big as an entire wall or – like I said – as tiny as a mirrored tile.
Hex/Curse Alternative #2: Cast a Protection Spell
When it comes right down to it, you are the one you most want to take care of in this situation.
And a hex or curse can have the unfortunate side effect of tying your energy to the person or people you most want to protect yourself from.
Luckily, there are plenty of spells that work wonderfully for protecting your physical and energetic wellbeing, without spiritually yoking you to someone you’d rather be rid of. (Although, as a common sense warming, let me remind you that it’s still important to take safety precautions in the physical world, such as locking your door and not getting in the car with strangers.)
Here’s a simple and effective spell for protecting your energy without taking on any energy from the person or group you’d like to protect yourself from:
Ingredients:
An Archangel Michael candle
Dragonsblood incense and incense holder
A lighter or matches
Essential oil of frankincense
Sunflower oil
A small bowl, shot glass, or saucer
Light the candle and incense. Say:
Archangel Michael, I call on you and invoke your protection. Please keep me completely safe in all ways, at all times. Please surround me in your fiery divine light through which no negativity may enter. Thank you.
Feel gratitude for Archangel Michael’s sure and steadfast protection as you place a tablespoon or so of sunflower oil in the small dish. Add one drop of frankincense essential oil and combine. Then lightly anoint your forehead, throat, heart, belly, and wrists with the oil.
Envision blindingly bright, fiery light completely surrounding your energy field and keeping all negativity at bay.
Finish by picking up the incense and holder and safely wafting the smoke around your body (and home if applicable).
Place the incense back near the candle and allow it to burn all the way out. Extinguish and re-light the candle when you can attend to it properly (as needed for fire safety purposes) until it’s burned all the way down.
Hex/Curse Alternative #3: Neutralize Someone’s Power Over You
In truth, no one has the power to cause you harm: legal, physical, financial, or otherwise. If it seems like they do, I want you to remember that it’s only an illusion.
Even if they’re your landlord, your boss, your ex, or your mother-in-law, once you remember how powerful you actually are, the other person’s seeming power over you will fall away.
Think of it like waking from a nightmare. This spell will act as your alarm clock.
Ingredients:
Sea salt or Himalayan pink salt
The other person’s business card, photo, or full name written on paper
A jar with a tightly-fitting lid
Fill the jar part way with sea salt. Hold the identifying paper in both hands and say,
[Name of person], you have no power over me.
What once seemed like power is now erased.
It’s erased yesterday, it’s erased today, it’s erased tomorrow.
It is null and void. It was never even there in the first place.
It now completely dissolves, dissipates, disappears, and returns to its native nothingness, now and forever, in all directions of time.
Place the card, photo, or name in the jar and completely surround it with sea salt by pouring it over the top and filling the remainder of the jar. Seal the lid. Feel your own power returning and remember how magical you actually are.
Keep the jar on a shelf or in a cupboard until you feel you no longer need the magical reminder.
Hex/Curse Alternative # 4: Bind Someone from Causing Harm
In addition to being spiritually and karmically safer, a binding spell is often much more appropriate than a hex or a curse anyway.
This is especially true if someone is behaving like a bully (in any sense of the word), and you simply want to stop them from causing harm. Here’s a blog post I wrote featuring three ways to bind a bully without harming your karma in the least.
Hex/Curse Alternative #5: Activate Swift Justice
Perhaps the person you wish you could hex or curse is actually doing something illegal, or has done something illegal. Lucky for us, there are divine helpers who just love enforcing swift and appropriate justice. The Norse god Forseti is a personal favorite to call on for the purpose.
Here’s a spell from my book, Holistic Energy Magic, to be used when you’re in a legal situation and you’re entirely in the right:
Call on Forseti. When you feel his powerful presence, send him gratitude in the form of visualized light. With or without words, show him the situation. You might picture the whole thing as if you’re picturing the storyline and emotions of a movie. Be sure to feel your feelings and project them to him as well. Imagine that you are illuminating the dark spaces and shining light on the true situation. Then ask Forseti to intervene on your behalf and bring you the justice that you deserve by saying:
Forseti, the presiding one,
Please stay with me till this thing’s done
Bring justice from your golden hall
Swiftly and once and for all.
I honor you with love and light
And thank you for your wisdom bright!
Feel even more gratitude, and be sure to heartily thank Forseti once justice has been served.
Don’t compound the problem by hexing or cursing someone! Take care of yourself safely and elegantly with one of these more karma-conscious options instead.
And for lasting protection against negativity of all varieties, check out my book, Little Guide to Protection Magic: Everything You Need to Know, Including Protection Spells.
You may also like The Good Witch’s Guide to Binding a Bully.
Do you plan to do one of these karma-friendly spells instead of a hex or a curse? Please share in the comments below.
Teresa says
How many times do you need to say the words to certain Angels ? Like 3, 5 ..times or do you stop once you begin to feel grateful ..
Tess Whitehurst says
Do you mean the words in the protection spell? Just once is fine!
Celeste says
Can I do this on someone else’s behalf or does it have to be personal? My partner is having issues and its starting to effect me and our relationship.
Tess Whitehurst says
Celeste, I would feel totally fine about doing any one of these on someone else’s behalf EXCEPT a binding spell. So with the other 4 options, you’re cool.
Virginia says
My daughter husband is being a bully toward her name calling and down right mean said to her that he was trying to break it up with her before they had kids and he said he never wanted to marry her they been together for 13 years don’t get it why now he being abusive towards her
Feather says
Maybe you could give your daughter that reflecting mirror pendant.
Arisha says
God bless you
Nadia says
Thank you for this reminder…. I was considering placing a hex’s on a mean, racist person but you are right not worth the Karmic backlash
Tess Whitehurst says
Glad the post was helpful, Nadia. Thanks for reading.
Dee says
Thanks, I appreciate it. People basically teach you how to do things, but not the fine points. So this is good!
Tess Whitehurst says
So glad it’s helpful, Dee!
Robin McDonald says
Thank you for sharing this with me..I’m loving this..
Tess Whitehurst says
So glad to hear it! Thanks for reading. 🙂
Sabrine Lakbail says
I have a question do all withches have to follow the Wiccan religon ?
Tess Whitehurst says
Hi Sabrine! No, they don’t. You can be a witch and also any other type of religion you’d like. Here’s a video I made that touches on this subject. Don’t be misled by the title – it is applicable to all religions, not just Christianity: https://tesswhitehurst.com/are-spells-safe-can-i-do-magic-if-im-a-christian/
Sabrine Lakbail says
Thanks so much!Your the best!
Whispering Raven says
Is there any harm to myself if I were to use the gentle curse of putting someone in the right direction?
Tess Whitehurst says
I’d say it depends on what you mean by that exactly, and what exactly you choose to do.
Whispering Raven says
I’ve succumbed myself to feel numb and apathetic towards someone I loved a lot. We were friends for 8 years and realized she was not who I blinded myself to see. Everyone saw it/her for who she is; I see that now and see who she really is. I want to place the “Gentle Curse” on her to let her see what she has done. She doesn’t acknowledge her damage and focuses everything on blaming me for the demise of our friendship.
Allen Kunard says
Help my soul has been cursed
Tess Whitehurst says
Did you try any of the suggestions in this blog post?
SS says
In #3 what do I do with the jar and the contents after I feel empowered and rid of the negative?
Tess Whitehurst says
Appropriately dispose – compost, recycle, etc.
Meja says
Hi Tess!
I love the idea of HEX/CURSE ALTERNATIVE #3: NEUTRALIZE SOMEONE’S POWER OVER YOU…. How can I use this to neutralize the power a manipulative EX has over my husband. They have a child together and uses that relationship to attempt to control my husband.
Tess Whitehurst says
Hi! Yes.
Meja says
Thank you!
How would I go about doing that if I may ask? This neutralizing spell is of course written from a personal perspective. Do I just need to insert the ex’s name somewhere?
Tess Whitehurst says
Oh! Good question. I would replace “You have no power over me” with “You have no power over us.”