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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask you if you believe in black magic or getting jynxed by someone with an evil eye?

131 replies

WonderingHead · 23/08/2011 11:50

This is a serious question, but I know I will get a few joke type answers, so I am asking in advance if we can have a serious discussion about this.

I know to some people it may seem like something out of Harry Potter, but I do believe in black magic. Without going into too much detail, I have met many people who have had bad luck in their life, where people in their family have suddenly died, or died after a bad illness (which seems normal), but then they have had other strange things happen to them, like blood splatters on their clothes out of the blue, or finding strange charms with pins in them under their bed or chairs in their house or finding balls of hair in their rooms or where they work. I have also had a few problems in my life, that I believe were the work of someone in my family cursing me out of jealousy. This is not in England.

I know a family member, who fell ill on his wedding day. He'd get pains all over his body and high fever and the doctors couldn't understand what was wrong. After a few weeks, his wife found a round ball made out of fabric with pins in it under his office chair in their house. It was found that it was a bad luck charm and the day it was thrown away, the man became better again.

I am just wondering if any of you believe that you could be harmed by someone through black magic or even get jynxed by someone who is jealous of your good fortune. I know it sounds unreal, but in some countries, such as Nigeria, black magic is a normal occurrence.

What do you all think?

Ready to be ridiculed.

OP posts:
TheMagnificentBathykolpian · 23/08/2011 13:10

That's true. If someone who is convinced they are cursed so much as stubs their toe - it's because of the curse. If I stub my toe - I swear and then forget all about it.

Things have as much or as little power as you are willing to give them.

aquashiv · 23/08/2011 13:11

Nope I think its all bollox.

Original poster
WonderingHead · 23/08/2011 13:12

garlicbutter I would imagine, seeing 1 magpie would fall into the same category as the chain emails!

OP posts:
TheMagnificentBathykolpian · 23/08/2011 13:13

x-post. what? I don't understand what you are saying.

Someone went to some bloke and asked him what her husband really thought of her. This bloke told her something? Well, he could have said anything, couldn't he? Your husband secretly hates your hair but will never tell you. How can anyone disprove what someone claims is someone else's real thoughts that they'll never tell?

See something like what with your own eyes? Give an example.

Original poster
WonderingHead · 23/08/2011 13:13

Sorry just adding on to the top comment: Or does that just make me paranoid of the woman?

OP posts:
garlicbutter · 23/08/2011 13:14

WonderingHead, I find it terribly sad that you feel you need to protect yourself from black magic, by prayer or any other means. You must feel as if you're living in a world that's constantly trying to attack you :(

garlicbutter · 23/08/2011 13:18

OP, I think you should watch the re-runs of all Derren Brown's shows. He demonstrates how to make people "see things with their own eyes".

Also, I was once possessed by a 'voodoo' spirit during a ritual dance. It was good fun, but I am aware it was the result of drinking cane spirit while dancing for hours in a very hot room, to very loud drums Grin

Original poster
WonderingHead · 23/08/2011 13:20

If I tell you, you will think I am totally stupid for believing this. But I will tell you anyway.

This man claimed to hold "spirits" who he sent to listen in on to conversations of people. This woman would know everything that was happening in her husband's life, as he worked in another country through these "spirits".
Now, alot of this can be attributed to coincidence, but I wanted to suprise my sister on a suprise visit to the country where she lives, and my husband and I didn't tell anyone. However, this woman told my brother I was going a month before I went. No one knew, but my husband and I, and my husband has no contact with this woman. Unless she hacked my computer.

garlicbutter I have always been a superstitous person. I don't feel I am constantly battling to save myself, but I do have moments where I will pray for myself and my family out of the blue for a few seconds.

OP posts:
Witchofthenorth · 23/08/2011 13:20

I am also pagan, but I don't believe in black magic. For me there is only magic, it's my intent with it that determines whether or not the outcome will be good or bad.

I do understand though, or rather accept that different cultures may have practice black magic.

Jinxing? I think it's more a play on words when someone does you wrong, I dont believe there is actual power behind it, other than what the recipient can conjure up with their own imagination.

AMumInScotland · 23/08/2011 13:21

I don't get your explanation of why you think you were cursed - could you explain it again please. You seem to be saying "this is an unpleasant woman" which is fair enough, but why would you also believe she had any power to do you harm?

garlicbutter · 23/08/2011 13:23

Wonderinghead, when you went to visit your siter and brother, was it for a family event, or a national holiday (or any of the other reasons why people travel to visit their relatives)?

TheMagnificentBathykolpian · 23/08/2011 13:24

Did she say WHEN you were going?

WonderingHead will be arriving on such and such a date - or did she say you would be coming? Even would be coming 'soon'. Maybe your sister was saying she missed you or something.

It's a pretty safe bet that you would be going, at some point. I could have told them that!

And by coincidence, you happened to come a whole month later. Could have been 2 months, could have been 3 months, and you would still have seen it as her 'knowing' you were going.

Coincidences happen. A lot.

Another example?

garlicbutter · 23/08/2011 13:26

I would imagine, seeing 1 magpie would fall into the same category as the chain emails! - yep, they predict a chickweed infestation Wink

Original poster
WonderingHead · 23/08/2011 13:34

No, there was no holiday, I didn't even phone or suggest to my sister or anyone that I was going. It was supposed to be a suprise. This woman somehow knew I was going - I haven't been in contact with her for 4 years. The only rational explanation I could come up with, was that her daughter may have hacked my email, but why the effort over little old me? She knew the month I was going to go.

OP posts:
HerHissyness · 23/08/2011 13:35

I used to live in Brazil. I do believe that some Macumba works.

they say if you curse others, it comes back on you three times. I thought that was a joke, but I have seen stuff happen, coincidence perhaps, but it made me think twice before saying anything bad about others!

I have used the upside down broom behind a door to get people out of my house before, although throwing salty water behind them to keep them away forever is a bit tricky... Grin

I also lived in Egypt and they too believe in Seh (magic) so much so that it's against the law and still actively prosecuted today. They use the hand (hamsa) symbol and also gestures to prevent the evil eye.

Women will call sons their daughters, they will never compliment others openly in case it causes bad luck. Superstition there perhaps, as I never saw any evidence of magic or much else.

TheMagnificentBathykolpian · 23/08/2011 13:36

lucky guess, I promise you.

I bet she also said loads of things that haven't happened!

It's like when people go to see a medium.

The medium tells them 10 things.

one of them comes true

The other 9 do not.

The victim person only recalls the one thing that came true and uses this as evidence that the medium was geniune.

They actually forget about the 9 things that didn't happen! Honestly forget.

1 out of 10 - not that great, is it?

2rebecca · 23/08/2011 13:38

no I don't

garlicbutter · 23/08/2011 13:41

Well, I believe you were wise to cut this manipulative scaremonger out of your lives, though we may differ on the reasons. I also believe your prayers will protect you :) Though, again, we'd differ on why!

Original poster
WonderingHead · 23/08/2011 13:41

TheMagnificent, your explanation seems rational enough. That could very well be the case.

OP posts:
Original poster
WonderingHead · 23/08/2011 13:42

Thanks garlicbutter. Sometimes I fear it's worse to cut people like that out of your life though. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, comes to mind!!

OP posts:
garlicbutter · 23/08/2011 13:44

Haha, Hissy, that's why I didn't respond to you about macumba before! Nah, it doesn't work ... or, rather, it does work but only in the way Derren Brown works.

The curse on my doorstep certainly didn't work. Though, in a way, it did - I figured out it must be something to do with my boyfrined. Asked around a bit, found out he was engaged to a girl in the next town. Dumped him. So she probably thinks she got her money's worth.

Empusa · 23/08/2011 13:49

"So when you see someone do something with your own eyes, does that still make assumptions and blame null or void?"

But you haven't seen anything.

Original poster
WonderingHead · 23/08/2011 13:49

I have a Nigerian friend, who once told me that people leave little decorated pots at places like near schools, so that children open the pot and get cursed. She'd even seen a few pots like the ones in Nigeria in places in East London.

OP posts:
Original poster
WonderingHead · 23/08/2011 13:51

True empusa. I'm only going on what I've heard.

OP posts:
ssssssshhnottelling · 23/08/2011 13:51

Name change because I'm usually rational.

Yes, I believe in magic, I know several practitioners of Western Magic. But I would say that there are a lot of charlatans out there making a lot of money from gullible people, usually involving removing curses.

One media witch from the 1980s made a lot of money from the Asian community by telling young women that their mother in law had given them a cursed item on their wedding day, usually a piece of jewellery, which she would take from them in order to remove the curse.

Of the people I know who practice magic succesfully, most of them understand that it is mostly psychology and confirmation bias. From my own experience anyone skilled enough to do anything such as curses or "black magic" is far too intelligent and has enough of a life not to need to resort to such methods.