Evil Eye Prayer and Rituals for Protection

A heaviness on your shoulders, a string of small setbacks with no explanation: people say you have caught the evil eye. From the Mediterranean to the Middle East, every tradition has its prayers and gestures of protection.

Here is what the evil eye is, our grandmothers’ rituals to free yourself from it, and the prayers that protect.

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What is the evil eye?

The evil eye is the energy others project onto us, out of envy, jealousy or simply excessive admiration: a gaze that, even unconsciously, creates blockages in our energy field. It is as if weeds were growing in our inner garden without our noticing.

It is said to affect babies, children, mothers-to-be and anyone luck is smiling on. Hence the habit, in many countries, of never paying a compliment without adding a protective phrase.

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The evil eye in world traditions

It is one of the oldest and most widespread beliefs in the world:

• In Islam, verse 51 of Surah al-Qalam refers to it; people say “Mashallah” when looking at a child to protect them.
• In Jewish tradition, the hamsa and the red thread on the wrist keep away the “ayin hara”.
• Around the Mediterranean, the blue nazar in Turkey and Greece, the red horn and the oil ritual in Italy.
• In Latin America, newborns are protected with a red bracelet or an azabache, a jet stone.

Everywhere, the same allies come back: water, oil, salt, plants and prayer.

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Our grandmothers’ rituals

In Portugal they are called “simpatias”: three gestures handed down from generation to generation.

After the ritual, a deep yawn, a long sigh or sudden lightness are said to be signs that the burden has lifted.

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A prayer against the evil eye

During the oil ritual, Portuguese grandmothers whisper three times: “God begot you, God created you, may God remove the evil that has entered you.” In Christian tradition, people also recite Psalm 91, the psalm of protection, or the prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel; in Islam, the surahs al-Falaq and an-Nas.

You can also say your own prayer, in your own words: ask the light, your angels or your guides to surround you, to send any envy back to its sender without wishing them harm, and to keep your heart at peace. Sincerity is what gives a prayer its strength.

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Protecting yourself every day

The most lasting protection comes from within: caring for your vibrations, cultivating bright thoughts, surrounding yourself with kind people. To strengthen it, keep a talisman close, the blue eye or the hamsa, and discover everyday protection rituals.

Your light is your greatest shield: where love and intention reign, shadows find nowhere to settle.

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