Evil Eye
I know those not familiar with the evil eye might feel either put off or confused as to what it actually means or why I've chosen the evil eye imagery. First, let me ease those of you worried, the evil eye is anything but evil, it's the opposite actually.
So what does it mean, where does it come from, and why did I pick it?
🧿 My family is from the Eastern Mediterranean/Near East/Levant, Syria most specifically. The evil eye is widely used across the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Middle East, from southern Italy to Iran.
It originates back to the ancient times. Many mistakenly think it originates from the ancient Egyptian Eye of Horus, and although there seems to be a link, earlier evidence shows it traces back to either the Phoenicians or the Etruscans. Since then, it's spread amongst various religions and ethnicities of the ancient warm-weather cultures.
To me, the evil eye is a little reminder of the heart of my phoenician heritage, spreading like our alphabet to the West, East, and to the world.
🧿 Across the Eastern world, the evil eye is believed to protect you from those who look upon you with negativity, bad thoughts or bad intent. Sometimes these can be subconscious. The most powerful of these emotions is envy or negative-wishes. An old belief is that a lot of these energies are sent through the eyes--which are also windows to the soul--through their gaze. We believe envy and these negative emotions can greatly impact your life. We call it being "hit" by the eye, or being jinxed.
The evil eye is meant to be a protection by reflecting away the negativity and envy, from those who send it to you.
🧿 I believe that when a person has built themselves emotionally, mentally and spiritually, and when they've healed all their wounds, not only do they not feel envy, but they have the strength within them to be their own protection against any who would look upon them with negativity! It’s a metaphor of the protection that comes from within.
That's why the evil eye is important to me and why I chose it for this page 🧿💙 ....and I'm also superstitious AF 🙊😉
Fun Fact #1
🧿 When the evil eye went to Central and South America, with many ethnic minority migrants from Syria and Lebanon escaping Ottoman persecution, you began seeing variances in the colors of the evil eye. But in the Eastern part of the world, we believe the eye has to be blue. Sometimes many will give their babies or children little blue beads, even without the eye, or something blue to wear to have the same affect. Many still genuinely believe in it's power, which is why you'll see many influencers or celebrities from the East, post the evil eye emoji randomly on their pages!
Fun fact #2
🧿 There are many ways different cultures that believe in the evil eye also protect from envy, or break a "jinx" or dispel the negative energy once someone has been "hit" by it. In Syria and Lebanon, a tradition is to say a certain prayer for a person you think is jinxed, and if you cannot complete the prayer without yawning, then it means they are jinxed. To break it, the prayer is repeated again and again until the yawning completely ceases. In Iran, they burn Esfand seeds and use it to bless a house or the person who they suspect has been jinxed, the smoke and popping sounds are said to take away the evil. In parts of Italy, they drip drops of oil into water and depending on the shape they take, or how they disperse if the afflicted person puts their finger in, or in some cases if they sink, then the person has been "taken by the eye." In a lot of these traditions, it's normally the elder women who pass along the secretive prayers or "rites" to protect or help someone break away from the eye!
Fun Fact #3
🧿 In many of these cultures that believe in the evil eye, over-complimenting, or compliments from "untrustworthy" people can be enough to have someone worrying if they've been jinxed! In Greece, spitting (or making the spitting sound) is used to help ward off the evil eye or anyone jealous, especially when someone is being admired or complimented!
