Slavic Magick
Slavic MagickSlavic Magick & Folk Medicine
![[Russian Gypsy fortune-teller]](http://members.aol.com/hpsofsnert/palm.jpg) Spells Divinations Remedies Superstitions
Spells Prosperity and Domestic Tranquility
To Attract a Domovoi: Go outside of your home wearing your finest clothing and say aloud "Dedushka Dobrokhot, Please come into my house and tend the flocks."
To rid yourself of a rival Domovoi: Sometimes a home may have one too many Domoviki. In this case poltergeist-like activity may occur. Beat the walls of your home with a broom shouting "Grandfather Domovoi, help me chase away this intruder."
To Gain Magickal Knowledge
Calling a Leshii: Cut down an Aspen tree so that it's top falls facing the East. Bend over and look through your legs saying "Leshi, Forest Lord, Come to me now; not as a grey wolf, not as a black raven, not as a flaming fir tree, but as a man."
The leshii will teach the arts of magick to any whom he befriends.
(from Ivanits - Russian Folk Lore)
For Love
a zagorovui, or runespell, to capture the one you love:
In the ocean sea, on the island of Buyan, there live three brothers, three winds: the first Northern, the second Eastern and the third Western. Waft, O winds, bring on (lover's name) sorrow and dreariness so that without me s/he may not be able to spend a day nor pass an hour!
and yet another...
I, (conjuror's name), stand still, uttering a blessing.
I go from the room to the door, from the courtyard to the gates.
I go out into the open field to the Eastern side. On the Eastern side stands an izba (cottage). In the middle of the izba lies a plank, under the plank is the longing.
The longing weeps. The longing sobs, waiting to get at the white light. The white light
, the fair sun, waits, enjoys itself, and rejoices.
So may s/he wait, longing to get to me, and having done so, may he enjoy himself and rejoice! And without me let it not be possible for him to live, nor to be, nor to eat, nor to drink; neither by the morning dawn, nor by the evening glow.
As a fish without water, as a babe without its mother, without its mother's milk, cannot live, so may s/he, without me, not be able to live, nor to be, nor to eat, nor to drink, nor by the evening glow; neither every day, not at mid-day, nor under the many stars, nor together with the stormy winds. Neither under the sun by day, nor under the moon by night.
Plunge thyself, O longing, gnaw thy way, O longing, into his/her breast, into his/her heart; grow and increase in all his/her veins, in all his bones, with pain and thirst for me!
- from "Songs of the Russian People", William Ralston
For Protection
Prayer: Recite the following prayer to Zorya:
Oh Virgin, unsheath your father's sacred sword.
Take up the breastplate of your ancestors.
Take up your powerful helmet.
Bring forth your steed of black.
Fly forth to the open field,
There, where the great army with countless weapons is found.
Oh, Virgin, cover me with your veil.
Protect me against the power of the enemy
Against guns and arrows, warriors and weapons;
Weapons of wood, of bone, of copper, of iron and steel.
(from The New Larousse Encyc. of Mythology)
For Happiness
Recite the following to a flame:
"Dear Father, tsar fire,
Be gentle and kind to me.
Burn away all my aches & pains, tears & worries."
To Have Lost Animals Return
The following letter is written on three pieces of birchbark:
I am writing to the forest tsar and forest tsaritsa with their small children; to the earth tsar and earth tsaritsa with their small children; to the water tsar and water tsartitsa with their small children. I inform you that (name of owner inserted) has lost a (color mentioned) horse (or cow, or other animal - distinctive marks should be given). If you have it send it back without delaying an hour, a minute, a second. If you do not comply with my wish, I shall pray against you to the great God, Weles and tsaritsa Alexandra.
One letter is fastened to a tree in the forest, the second buried in the earth and the third thrown with a stone into water. After this, the lost animal is supposed to return by itself.
To Bring the Rain
If rain was needed a virgin girl was chose, one not yet old enough to conceive whose mother was no longer able to conceive. Naked, yet draped all over with flowers, she would whirl around and around while singing invocations to Perun. All the while she would be "watered" by the surrounding women.
To Win a Fist Fight
Recite while holding a stone from a gravesite:
"I summon to my aid the forest spirits from the forest and the water spirits from the water: and you, forest spirits of the forest, water spirits of the water, come to my aid against my opponent fist-fighter, and enable me to defeat my opponent fist-fighter with my own fists. And you, forest spirits from the forest and water spirits of the water, take the rock from this corpse and place it on the hands, or head, or feet of my opponent fist-fighter...and just as this dead man is heavy from the earth and rock, so too may my opponent fist-fighter be heavy to lift his hand against me, and may my opponent become weak in the arms and the legs, and blind in the eyes from my verdict until the time I remove it."
To Guard against Slander
A zagovorui, or runespell, against Slander:
O righteous Sun! Do thou in my foes, my rivals, my opposers, in the powers that be, and public officials, and in all people of good mouth and heart, parch up evil thoughts and deeds, so that they may not rise up, may not utter words baleful for me!
Spoiling
"Spoiling" is a Slavic term for cursing. The following spells are posted here only for research purposes:
To Cause One to Wither
Dirt from the victim's footprint was collected and placed in a little bag, or a lock of the victim's hair was coated with clay. Either of these were hung inside the chimney. As the dirt or clay dried out, so, supposedly, did the victim.
To Cause Death
Bareheaded and wearing only an undergarment, the magick user would circle the property of his or her victim's yard with a burning candle. The candle was then broken in two and turned upside-down.
Eggs (termed "white swans" for this purpose) and/or bread were brought to the gravesite of a known criminal in exchange for some soil from their grave which was removed while saying "As this corpse has died unrepentant, so may you too die, unrepentant."
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Divinations
Tatyana curiously gazes
At the prophetic waxen mold,
All eager in its wondrous mazes
A wonderous future to behold.
Then from the basin someone dredges,
Ring after ring, the player's pledges,
And comes her ringlet, they rehearse
The immemorial little verse:
"There all the serfs are wealthy yeomen,
They shovel silver with a spade;
To whom we sing, he shall be made
Famous and rich!" But for ill omen
They take this plaintive ditty's voice;
Koshurka (kitten) is the maiden's choice
- Pushkin, from Eugene Onegin V.8, translated by Walter Arndt.
Podbljudnaja - (Pohd-blyood-NIE-ya) - "Under the Plate"
This form of divination should be done on Koliada and New Year's only. Each person takes a ring off their finger and places it into a bowl filled with water. A plate covers the bowl and songs are sung over it. At the end of each song, a ring is pulled out and the fate that the song is believed to apply to the owner of that ring.
Some traditional Podbljudnaja:
Podbljudnaja that fortell a wedding:
The ring was rolling
Along the velvet
The ring rolled up
To the ruby.
For one who takes it out
For her it will come true,
For her it will come true,
She will not escape
A Maple entwined with a birch
It did not untwine - Lada, Lada
Whoever takes it out
For her it will come true,
All will be well.
A little cat is sitting
In a wicker basket
She is sewing a towel.
She will marry the tom
For whom we are singing
All will be well.
Podbljudnaja that fortell wealth:
A rooster was digging
on a little mound of Earth
The rooster dug up
A little pearl.
For whoever gets it
All will be well.
A calyx is floating from somewhere beyond the sea.
To wherever it floats, there it will blossom.
Whoever takes it out - For her will it come true.
She will not escape - glory!
To predict a journey:
The sleigh stands, ready to go - Glory!
In it the cushions are all arranged - Glory!
It stands near the forest, waiting to go for a ride - Glory!
To whom we sing this song, all will be well.
It will come true, she will not escape - Glory.
To predict widowhood:
I sat - by a window
I waited - for my beloved
I could no longer wait
I fell asleep.
In the morning - I awoke
I suddenly - realized
I am a widow.
To whom we sing, all will come true.
To fortell death:
Death is walking down the street
Carrying blini* on a plate
Whoever takes the ring out
For her it will come true.
She will not escape - Glory.
(*blini is a traditional food offering to the dead)
This podbljudnaja is traditionally sung at midnight on New Year's eve and also predicts death.
A dandy once took a very sharp axe - Lileju
The dandy went out - into the wide courtyard.
The dandy began - to hew some boards
To nail the wood - into an oaken coffin
Whomever this song reaches,
For her it will come true
She will not escape
If you choose to write your own songs for this divination ritual, you may want to use some traditional symbolism. Bread, grain, millet or rye symbolize harvest, fulfillment and material security. Gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fur and expensive cloth symbolize luxury and wealth. Doing things together like eating, drinking, working, standing or sitting together symbolize love and happy marriages. The songs are usually short as one song quickly follows another and traditionally, each refrain ends with a praise word such as glory.
Songs taken from Reeder: Russian Folk Lyrics. See Resource Page.
A Russian flower divination resembles the "He loves me" rhyme. They say:
Lyubit, Ne lyubit, Plyunit, Potseluyet, K sertsu prizhmet, K chertu poshlet, Dorogoj nazovet
(S/He loves, doesn't love me, Spits on me, Kisses me, Hugs me to his/her heart, Sends me to the devil, Calls me his/her dear one.)
If a thread was hanging from one's clothing, they would wrap it around the finger while reciting the alphabet. Whatever letter you stop on when the thread is fully wrapped is the initial of the future spouse. The color of the thread is also important. If the thread is pale, the spouse will be blonde, if dark, the spouse will be a brunette.
Wax Divinations - before Koljada, wax was melted and after it cooled, or was dropped into water, special attention was given to its shape. A coffin meant death to the inquirer, a ring meant marriage, etc. Sometimes this method was used by dropping molten lead into the water instead of wax.
New Year's Divinations -
Divination rituals that occurred on New Year's Eve were considered especially powerful if one followed certain rules. No crosses or belts could be worn and no blessings could be asked.
It was customary on New Year's Eve for a girl to back up to the bathhouse door with her hem over the back of her head (rear-end exposed) and ask a question of the Bannik. If a cold touch or scratch from his claw was felt, it meant no. If a warm touch or caress was felt, it meant yes.
This same divination could be used if one put their hand in-between the wood of the bathhouse.
If you looked into the mirror in the steam bath on New Years eve, you would see the face of your future husband, or if you slept on a log, you would see his face in a dream.
If you caught the moons reflection in a mirror, your future spouses name would also be revealed there.
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Remedies
These are actual remedies that were used, taken from various sources. Whether or not they work, I could not tell you.
Alcoholism:
a zagovorui, or rune spell, for alcoholism:
Dost thou hear O Sky (Svarog)? Dost thou see, O Sky? O ye bright Stars! Descend into the marriage-cup, and in my cup let there be water from a mountain spring. O thou fair Moon! Bow down to my klyet (store-room). O thou free Sun! Dawn upon my homestead. O ye Stars! Deliver me,(insert name here), from drink! O Sun, draw me from drink!
Colds:
I think Babci was just trying to keep me quiet with this one when I was little!
Into a cup of hot tea add fresh lemon juice, honey and a shot of jezynowka (Polish cherry brandy). Sip. Have no more than 2 cups, unless you WANT to get drunk.
Coughs:
Upon retiring, have a glass of hot beer.
Add some honey to a grated radish and eat along with any of the radish juices.
Crankiness:
"When your child is mysteriously cranky, has a strange unyielding headache, or can't sleep after a day out or around people, either the child has been jinxed or exposed to negative energy/forces
The child's mother should take the lower left corner of her skirt, apron, or shirt with her right hand and wipe the childs face several times in a clockwise direction. Afterwards, give the child some water and put it to bed.
This spell is normally used for young children but it works at any age. My 70 year old grandma did it to my 50 year old mother a little while ago and it worked."
(Thanks to Vika for this Ukranian remedy)
Fever:
Rub vodka on your chest and feet, put some mustard powder in a pair of woollen socks and put them on. Drink a mixture of milk, honey, baking soda, and vodka and go to sleep.
Before bed, stand naked, wearing only a woolen hat, with your feet up to the ankles in hot water and drink a large mug of tea with honey, jam, and at least 100g (about 2 1/2 shots) of vodka.
Hemmorhoids:
Put two liters of milk and four large onions in a large covered clay pot and slowly heat it in the oven. Remove the pot from the oven, replace the cover with a toilet seat or similar object and sit on it. Steam yourself for a while and then rub the afflicted area with vaseline.
Hiccups:
Rub a mixture of vinegar and mustard on your tongue. Hold for two minutes and then rinse.
Illness, general:
a zagorvorui, or runespell, for healing:
Mother Zorya of morning and evening and midnight! as ye quietly fade away and disappear, so may both sicknesses and sorrows in me, (insert name), quietly fade and disappear - those of the morning, and of the evening, and of midnight!
Pain:
"For unexplainable pain in the arm, hand, or wrist which nothing seems effective on....
Take a piece of thread (red is best...I don't know why but I can ask if you like) and tie it around your wrist. It should ease the pain if it doesn't get rid of it all together."
- From Vika.
Sore Throat:
Mix one cup vodka, one cup oil and the juice of one lemon. Gargle with it and then drink.
Make a juice of mashed onion and water. Gargle.
Breathe heavily on a frog for about 8 to 10 minutes. The frog's heart should start beating rapidly and the sickness should pass entirely to the frog. You should feel instant relief. The less faint of heart should put the frog directly into the mouth and hold it for a couple of minutes.
Stuffy nose:
Mash several cloves of garlic and put them in a pot of boiling water. Stand over the pot and breathe through your nose for five minutes.
Tickling, To proof a child against:
Roll dough over the child's back, then bake a flat cake of that dough and feed it to the dog.
Toothache:
Place a piece of salo (a slab of fat) in the opposite side of the mouth from the painful region. Hold for about 20 minutes.
A zagovorui, runespell, for a toothache:
O thou young Moon! Test the dead and the living: the teeth of one who is dead, do they ache? Not at all ache the teeth of one dead, whose bones are tanned, whose teeth are mute....Grant, O Lord, that the teeth of me, _______, may become mute and never ache.
This zagovorui must be recited three times while biting the stone doorway of a church:
As this stone is firm, so may my teeth also become stony - harder than stone
This supposedly goes back to pre-Christian times and the stone was originally the stone of an axe or hammer, symbols of Perun.
Ulcer:
Mix two raw eggs with a shot of vodka and drink 20 minutes before breakfast.
Upset stomach:
Add salt and pepper to two shots of vodka and drink.
Warts: My grandmother's remedy -
Cut a piece from a potato (be careful that it does not include an "eye") rub the cut part on the wart and then bury the piece of potato. As the potato dissolves, so will the wart.
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Omens & Superstitions
Never touch a person or shake their hand over the threshold. If you don't wait until they are inside, you will not see them again for seven years and risk angering the Domovoi to boot.
It is unlucky to sit at the corner of a table.
If the cat is cleaning herself it means that company is coming.
If you whistle inside, you risk losing all your money.
Never begin a new project on a Friday.
If you compliment a person on their appearance or their baby's health, you must either knock unpolished wood or spit three times over the left shoulder lest the fairy's take them.
Never shave or cut your hair when a family member is in danger.
Never cut your hair while pregnant or the unbilical cord will wrap around ur baby's neck - From Vika.
When giving flowers, give only odd numbers of flowers. Even numbers are for the dead.
If a bird hits the window, someone will die.
If you accidently step in poop or a bird poops on you, you will win money. - From Vika.
If you break a mirror, you can run the pieces under water to counteract the bad luck.
Never show a newborn baby to a stranger until it is at least 40 days old.
Do not put keys on a table. You'll lose money - From Vika.
Tatyana, in her heart obeying
The simple folkways of the past,
Believed in dreams and in soothsaying
And heeded what the moon forecast.
Weird apparitions would distress her,
And any object could impress her
With some occult significance
Or dire foreboding of mischance.
A preening pussycat, relaxing
Upon the stove with lick and purr,
Was an unfailing sign to her
That guests were coming; or a waxing
Twin-horned young moon that she saw ride
Across the sky on her left side
Would make her tremble and change color;
Each time a shooting star might flash
In the dark firmament, grow duller
And burst asunder into ash:
All flustered, Tanya would be seeking,
While yet the fiery spark was streaking,
To whisper it her heart's desire.
But if she met a black-robed friar
At any place or any season,
Or if from out the meadow swath
A fleeing hare should cross her path,
She would be frightened out of reason,
And filled with superstitious dread,
See some calamity ahead.
- Pushkin - from Eugene Onegin V.5 & V.6 - translated by Walter Arndt.
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