#eclipse exclaims

(I hope I'm doing this right)

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[Red Hands: A Curse for Thieves by therootwitch (deactivated)]

Excerpt:

This spell can go 1 of 2 ways: to return an item that has been stolen, or to curse the one who stole it if you know you won’t be getting it back.

In many spells I've encountered, the color red is used to align the working to the energies of Fire and Mars - it invokes force, aggression, and passion (often of the sexual sort). It's the color of blood spilled - a very powerful and attention-grabbing color for sure. So it finds much use in more aggressive protection spells, cursing, curse-breaking, bindings, lust spells, and the like.

The spell I chose is no different in that regard. It's a curse for thieves, so it fits the usual Mars uses. But what what caught my attention was how the color red was used in the spell.

The name "Red Hands" immediately brings to mind the idiom "caught red-handed", ie being seen in the midst of doing the (often criminal) act. While the spell's goal isn't to catch criminals as they are performing a crime, it is using this cultural connection and image to curse a criminal, the thief, using chili powder, red paint and a hand-shaped object.

Part of the spell includes speaking out some words, which I'll copy a portion of:

Thief, thief! You burn with guilt. You are red with shame.

From the spoken words, two more imagery using red are given. The first is "burning with guilt". Red is related to fire, which in turn is related to a negative emotion that, like fire, "eats" one up from the inside. Mixing in chili powder to red paint reinforces this emotional/symbolic burning with the physical sensation of it. The second is "red with shame". Shame is another emotion that can "eat" one up from the inside, like a fire hollowing one out. Flushing red is a common reaction to strong emotions, such as embarrassment or anger. To continue the fire metaphor, things like coals can become "red-hot" from the heat of a fire. The red paint stains the thief's hands for all to see. So apart from just making the thief feel strong guilt and shame, the spell is also makes the thief's discomfort and suffering visible to other people, fulfilling the idiom the spell is named for.

(Skipping "Tape" for now as I can't seem to find a spell that actually incorporates tape as a part of it, and not just as a quick adhesive)

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I'll just go ahead and link to what the author refers to as a "cyberspace book" that outlines an entire method of using a chessboard in all kinds of spells:

Magic for Squares by Tony Perez

To summarize the setup:

The chessboard is placed as a diamond, with the four corners pointing at the four cardinal directions (black tiles pointed at the north-south axis). The center four squares are the "starting point", where the pieces selected for the spell (or other relevant objects) are placed. On the corners are the unused chess pieces, still grouped according to their color (black occupying north and west), acting as Witnesses to the scene unfolding at the center.

The arrangement is then charged by placing items symbolic to the elements in their places along the four cardinal corners, and then vibrating their names. The book uses "Integra (N - earth), Renevator (E - air), Igne (S - fire), Natura (W - water)". The same can then be done to "reset" the board to a neutral state.

To use the magical chessboard, the relevant chess pieces and other props are placed at the central square of the board, and arranged in ways that reflect the spell's goals. The author provides several different arrangement ideas, such as elevating chess pieces, making figures face each other or away from each other, and even interacting with them as if they are the person they represent.

A chessboard is a very interesting choice of tool - the first thing it reminds me of is that characterization trope where a character is shown to be good at chess to signify that they're Smart(tm) and/or Manipulative(tm). Using a chessboard as the... setting? of a spell places the caster as the chess master of the situation, manipulating its pieces to suit their goals. As the author is a playwright, and has mentioned their experiences in stage-blocking as an inspiration for this method, playing chess master may not be far-off.

With the addition of the elements and cardinal points though, it seems that the chessboard is acting similarly to a specific kind of altar, or even a circle...? I don't think I have the vocabulary for this lol. It's not something I use, but I see whole rituals of setting up an altar and calling the four elements from the four cardinal points and leaving the ritual objects inside it a lot, and the way the chessboard utilizes the elements and the Witnesses give me the same impression.

I quite like the idea of using the center cross, the point where the two opposing sides meet, as the focal point. I think it's similar to the idea of using the crossroads or a liminal space as a location of power, to make changing the direction of things easier.

The charging and resetting of the chessboard is an interesting bit - the author uses an alternative meaning for INRI. As the Philippines is mainly Roman Catholic, it makes sense that magic practicioners here find power in Catholic Christian imagery and verses - the number 3, Catholic saints, and Catholic holidays feature a lot in local magic beliefs. Google tells me that the "igne natura renovatur integra" meaning allegedly came from the Rosicrucians, and translates to "by fire, nature renews itself". It's a very fitting phrase to use when you're changing the nature and function of a chessboard from a board game to a magical tool.

My Latin isn't Latin-ing well, so I don't have much of an opinion on the translation and the assignation of the words to the elements. I do know that assignment of cardinal directions to the elements varies by tradition, but not enough to know why the difference in what seems to be closely related / commonly syncretized traditions exists.

As for the chess pieces themselves, the author assigns the white pieces as Yang, and its King and Queen pieces as a 'protagonists' (the playwright influences coming in), while the black pieces are Yin, and its King and Queen are the 'antagonists'. Personally, this seems unnecessarily gendered (and perhaps has some unfortunate implications regarding the colors), but it seems the author works with a system that treats "male" and "female" objects differently .(I'm not quite sure why yang is the Default Protagonist here, though.) Following the yin-yang associations, the white pieces are also used to attract influences, while the black pieces repel them.

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Curse with Kanjis

Itens: A paper. Black or red ink. Pen. Write the name of the person you want to curse (can be in any language, preferably japanese.) After that, rewrite her name on the sheet of paper, but with the first letter of her name with this kanji (呪) which means "curse" in Japanese. Rewrite her name by replacing the letters in her name with this kanji. Do this until their entire name contains this kanji (the person's name will literally be "curse" in japanese.) Fill in the rest of the paper with black or red ink. Burn the paper.

I couldn't find much that did anything more than 'write with pen' or 'consecrate this pen' (usually through some combination of spoken charm / candle flame / deity / elements). Nothing wrong with those, I just can't find a specific thing about them to talk about.

The spell reminds me of reductive and increasing written charms, such as the ABRACADABRA charm for reducing fevers. Or two particular charms in Valerie Worth's Crone's Book of Magical Words. In one charm for increasing power, a syllable of a barbarous word is whispered, then additional syllables are other as it's spoken louder and louder, until the word is shouted once it's completed. The second, which diminishes another's power, the reverse is done. The full word is spoken normally, then diminished both in volume and syllable to diminish power.

The concept of 'diminishing' someone or something by slowly reducing their name works by aligning their name to the whole person or thing. And this spell works similarly, except instead of just reducing the name, it is slowly replaced with 'curse', until their whole being has been overrun by the curse. Simple, straightforward, but pretty creative and has vivid visuals.

Red ink stands out - it reminds me of both being judged for mistakes (eg quiz corrections) and of blood, making it a good color for this use. Black seems to just be a generic ink color - as far as I know, black generally doesn't have associations with death or misfortune in Japanese culture, which I assume is what the spell is borrowing from, given the use of Japanese kanji and the suggestion to rewrite the target's name in a Japanese alphabet. But as far as I know red doesn't, either, so that means I probably need to learn more about Japanese culture and folklore.

The spell might have a stronger imagery when used with Japanese names. Those can be written in kanji, and each kanji can represent a whole word by itself. This spell would be replacing not just the letters or sounds of a name, but the very meaning behind it.

While I love the image and the concept behind the spell... I find the instructions a bit vague. Are the pen and ink supposed to be different implements, or can we just use the ink inside the pen for everything, including filling the entire paper for the last part? Because... I can see using two different inks in both red and black. One - let's say the black ink, because it's an everyday mundane color - to write the name and its normal characters, and the other to write 'curse' and cover the paper. And I really like that step if one ink is to be the 'curse' - not only is the target buried underneath by the curse, the curse has also steeped into everything around them, giving them no escape.

Burning the paper in the end I suppose just 'releases' the spell out into the world. And doubles as a way to dispose of evidence that the target has been cursed.

Some adjustments I could make to the spell:

The two-color thing mentioned above.

Enchanting the ink used to cover the paper to further match the specific kind of curse I want to cast.

Creating my own cursing ink.

Using paper that the target owns or has written on.

Starting with a name that the target has written themselves.

Creating my own enchanted/cursed paper.

Using a different symbol for 'curse' instead of the Japanese kanji.

Starting not at the first letter but at the center, especially if the target is a group or organization, to "split" them apart.

Not burning the paper and instead leaving it somewhere close to the target.

Not burning the paper, and instead drowning it in a bottle of the enchanted ink used.

Sprinkling the ashes on the target's belongings.

And also: using the same template not to curse, but instead make something grow inside the target by replacing the 'curse' symbol with a symbol of what I want to grow. Instead of covering it with ink, I'll cover the remaining spaces with it with relevant symbols and images, then "plant" the resulting paper somewhere.

Figured I could do the @2024-grimoire-challenge more consistently if I answer the prompts in batches instead of daily.

arroz caldo-inspired powder for strength, energy, health, healing, and vitality. (rice grains, ginger, safflower, pepper, kalamansi rinds, garlic, eggshell)

sinigang-inspired powder for heavy-duty empowerment.

tinola?? kare-kare??

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From Witches' Potions and Spells by Kathryn Paulsen

I am stretching the definition of "draw" quite a bit to make this one fit - since an arrow is shot from a bow in the spell, the bowstring has to be "drawn" at some point.

I am also aware that this can be a coercive love spell. This is not an endorsement for it or a preaching against it. That is a very different conversation, and it's not the one I'll be having here.

The spell seems fairly straightforward. The figure becomes the target through sympathetic magic. The connection could be strengthened by incorporating the parts of the target like their hair, fingernails, by naming them the same, by dressing the figure up in clothes they wore and perspired in, etc.

The heart is usually considered as the seat of emotions and a symbol for all sorts of love, so it's a good target as any. If there's a different kind of emotion being pursued here, the mark could be moved somewhere else. From what I know, the liver and the guts were also considered the seat of emotions and reason. The crotch area could inspire lust, while targeting the head could cause obsession.

Using a bow and arrow to dominate or capture that target reminds me of both Cupid and his arrows, and of a hunter in pursuit of a prey. The spell places you in the role of either of them and gives you the power to assert your desires over the target.

The interesting part here is that there are not much limitations to the spell. You could craft an incredibly large figure to make aiming easier. You could shoot from a short distance. You could use more than one arrow and shoot several times until one eventually hits.

I may be overthinking it, and these are mostly baseless, but this gives me the impression that there are more layers to this spell, like it's not just about coercing love. It could be part of some love divination, similar to the flower petals one ("they love me, they love me not"), or perhaps some method to choose between different suitors.

It could even be some old witch's cunning trick. For example, there's one love spell I read some time ago that instructs the person to give their target an enchanted apple repeatedly until the target reciprocates their feelings. And consistently meeting up with a person, creating more opportunities to talk and get to know each other? All while giving them food? That's just normal socializing, and potentially a courting. Even without magic, doing that can lead to the other person feeling fond of you.

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From Crone's Book of Charms & Spells by Valerie Worth