Do you remember when witches banded together in 2016 to collectively hex Donald Trump? Or maybe you remember that scene in The Craft (1996) when Sarah wraps a red ribbon around a picture of Nancy in order to “bind her from doing harm”? Whether in real life or in fiction, hexing is an integral part of witchcraft. While some warn of the dangers of hexing, others practice proudly. To hex or not to hex is up to the practitioner, but here’s your beginners guide to hexing!
What is a Hex?
A hex is a type of magick meant to cause harm to another person or entity through affecting their free will. A hex can be a spoken incantation or an enchantment placed upon an object. Hexes can cause bad luck or illness to the intended target, but mainly they are used to protect other people from the harmful ways of said target.
Why Would You Hex Someone?
Maybe your ex is threatening you or a fellow witch has sent you the evil eye? In times like that hexing may be your best bet.
Hexing, at its core, is protection magick. It’s like an energetic boundary. For the average witch, hexing is often a last resort or a retaliation tactic to be used against someone who wishes you harm. Basically any time you fear for your safety and security, a hex can be a handy tool in your witches tool belt.
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Is Hexing Ever OK?
Think of a time when your safety was threatened. What was your reaction? Most people do one of four things: fight, flight, freeze or fawn. There’s no right or wrong answer; there’s no choice that’s superior to the others since it is your natural response to stress and danger.
Hexing is your fight response; both useful and sometimes necessary. You can also think of hexing like magickal boundary setting. When someone crosses over a boundary you have the right to protect yourself and reinforce your boundary. In this sense, it’s more of like defense than an offensive attack.
Will Hexing Others Bring Me Bad Luck?
You may be familiar with the Wiccan rede, “an’ it harms none, do what thou wilt.” Or perhaps you’ve heard of the Rule of Three–any magick done will return to you times three–but there is reason to believe that these ideologies are less magickal and more Christian in nature.
Western magickal traditions do not have deep roots, mostly due to the fact that Christianity both wiped out and strategically assimilated aspects of folk magick to help turn the tides towards the church centuries ago. The Western magickal tradition as we know it now is really a Frankensteinian mish mash of folk traditions, served with a spoonful of Christianity (to help the medicine go down).
So, in the 70+ years of Western reclamation of witchcraft, modern witches have been parsing out the residual stitches of Christian influence that were woven into it many moons ago. The belief that harming others is a sin–one that is punishable by unseen forces–is a Christian fairytale. It is incorrect to believe that one is rewarded for doing “good” and punished for doing “bad,” all you need to do to affirm this is look around you; good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people every day. In conclusion, witchcraft, like life, is neither black nor white but grey. You choose what kinds of spells you perform, so do what thou wilt.
How Do You Perform a Hex?
Step One: Protect Thy Self
When doing any kind of magick it’s important to first protect yourself. To do this, sit in a meditative position with your eyes closed or relaxed. Then, create a protective bubble around yourself. Choose a color that feels protective to you—traditionally, witches wear black because it symbolizes protection. Use that color to shape your bubble.
Step Two: Choose Your Hex
There are a number of hexes to choose from but we’ll talk about binding, freezing, and banishing.
A binding hex, like the one mentioned in The Craft, will cause the recipient to be limited in their energetic ability to perform magick, especially malevolent magick. This is usually performed with twine, thread or ribbon wrapped around a picture of the recipient or an object that represents them.
Freezing spells work in a similar way but have a slightly different flavor. It’s the difference between tying someone’s hands behind their back and locking them in the walk-in freezer. Both will limit the recipient’s freewill and ability to cause harm. These are, quite literally, freezer spells, meaning that you will need the use of a kitchen freezer. So, be sure to let your roommates know not to worry about that strange jar with nails in it in the freezer, but also that their ex-boyfriend will no longer be a problem.
The most common banishing spell is used often by school children: “I’m rubber and you’re glue, whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you!” This makes it so that the person in question gets their harmful magick or energy sent back to them like a boomerang. A charmed amulet worn daily can be used as banishing boomerang spell.
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Step Three: Kill ‘Em With Kindness
After you’ve performed your chosen hex, send them some healing energy. Whether it comes from genuine compassion or as a subtle jab is up to you. While they’re bound by your retaliation magick, they might as well take a moment to reflect on their actions.
Sending a healing spell after a hex is the ultimate move. If done properly, your work is complete. The hurt in their heart, the bruise to their ego, or whatever else afflicted them can begin to heal—with a little help from you. And in the end, the world might just be better off for it.
The post To Hex or Not to Hex: A beginner’s guide to hexing appeared first on askAstrology.
