In folklore and mythology, witches have been depicted as individuals with extraordinary powers, often associated with the dark arts. They are believed to possess the ability to cast spells, influence others, and perform supernatural feats. One intriguing aspect of witch folklore is the concept of the "evil eye" or the "eye of the witch." The evil eye is traditionally believed to possess the power to cause harm or misfortune to those it gazes upon. It is said that witches, through their occult practices, can wield this power, causing illness, bad luck, or even death. The concept of the evil eye is not limited to witches; it has been a part of various cultures and religions throughout history.
If you were a witch in your past life, you probably had to pretend that you believed in certain things when you actually believed in the ideas behind witchcraft.
In this sense, witchcraft as it lives today is about practicing a kind of faith in your body and its abilities, a determination to be an agent in the world rather than a passive subject. A comprehensive guide to creating and developing comic book and graphic novel art, from the Savannah College of Art and Design SCAD , one of the world s leaders in sequential arts instruction.
The concept of the evil eye is not limited to witches; it has been a part of various cultures and religions throughout history. The expression "eye the witch" refers to the gaze or the piercing look of a witch believed to possess the evil eye. It is said that if a person comes under the gaze of a witch, they may experience a range of negative outcomes, such as sickness, accidents, or even supernatural occurrences.
Witch Hands
I t’s a common misconception, that palmistry is about telling fortunes by interpreting the lines on the palm. Modern palmistry instead looks to the marks and characteristics of hands to gather information about an individual’s personality and life path. Hands can tell us about the level of emotional sensitivity of a person, if a person is rational or open-minded, a realist or a spiritualist. Palms also describe one’s innate archetypes and record formative life events. Anyone can learn to read palms. It’s a visual art, learned through practice and play. I recommend making a print of your dominant hand, the hand that you write with, in order to clearly explore its design. That’s the inspiration for my book Handful of Stars Guidebook and Hand-Printing Kit, to make the process of printing and reading your own palm accessible and easy.
I myself am a self-taught palm reader. I’ve been reading palms for two years out of a vintage camper, at festivals, shops, and pop-up markets in my hometown of Atlanta and around the United States. Atlanta has a wonderful and close-knit metaphysical community, so I regularly read the hands of mediums, psychics, astrologists, and witches. Over time I noticed patterns I hadn’t read about in my palmistry books. For example, lines on the outside of the hand in the few centimeters directly underneath the pointer finger represent spirit guides. Typically, a hand will have two or three lines living in this location, signifying a handful of spirit guides—angels, people who have passed, fairies, or whatever your interpretation of Spirit. One day I read the palms of two mediums and noticed both of their hands held a forked line in this area, resembling the letter y laying on its side. I interpreted this forked line as a marker of an opening to the spirit world, and now call it the mark of a medium. I’ve validated the meaning of this mark in many palm readings since.
More recently, I’ve coined the term witch hands after reading the hands of many magic-practicing friends whose hands broke the mold of what I would have expected to see knowing their personalities. Witch hands exude multiple markings of intuition, healing gifts, and a spiritual life purpose. The handprint shown here is of a good friend, Leah Tioxon. An esteemed tarot reader, Reiki practitioner, astrologer, herbalist, healer, and empowered woman—Leah is a fine example of a modern-day witch with witch hands. Use this guide and the handprint to uncover the mystic marks held in your own hands!
SHAPE OF THE HAND
When most people think of palm reading, they envision a study of the lines on the hand, but a hand analyst may begin a reading by observing the shape of the hand as a whole. The shape of the hand can be categorized as representing one of the four elements—earth, air, fire, or water—dependent on the proportion of the fingers to the palm. The elemental shape of the hand often aligns with the weight of one’s astrological chart toward one of these four elements. Earth hands have square palms with fingers of similar proportion, representative of someone with a grounded nature. Fire hands have short fingers and a rectangular palm, belonging to one who is active or restless. Water hands have a square palm and long fingers, communicating an emotional and sensitive person. Air hands are the longest type, with a rectangular-shaped palm and long fingers, representative of an intellectual and adaptable person. Leah’s hand is a great example of how a witch hand breaks the mold. Leah is a loud and proud Leo, a fire sign, so we would expect to see a long palm and short fingers, but notice how long her hands are in the print. It is believed that the longer the hand, the more empathetic and energetically sensitive the person, which also explains why water and air hands are the longest hands of the elemental shapes, as they are the most sensitive signs in the zodiac. Some hand analysts believe the lines flowing vertically up the fingers represent the energy in a hand connecting to its surroundings.
QUALITY OF THE LINES
The visual quality of the lines on the palm indicate the overall energy of a person. Lines that are deeply etched suggest someone with a grounded and intentional approach to life. Alternately, a multitude of light lines that web across a palm indicate a person driven by emotion, one who is sensitive. The lines on Leah’s hand are a unique combination of both types. The lines are deep but move in interesting ways. Her lines seem to snake across the hand, resembling knotty branches of an old tree, growing and exploring. This type of energy appears as both of the world and out of this world.
MARKS OF THE HAND
Marks of the hand that relate to intuitive ability include the Mystic Cross, Healers Marks, and the Mounts of Luna and Apollo.
Mystic Cross
The Mystic Cross is the most common mark of intuition. Resembling an X, this mark sits between the top two major lines on the hand, the heart line and the head line. A Mystic Cross represents an interest in the unseen and intuitive gifts. Some hands will have more than one cross. If you have many Mystic Crosses in this area, this suggests extremely active intuitive energy.
Healers Marks
Four or more vertical marks on the mount of Mercury, the padding located directly underneath the pinky finger, are called a Medical Stigmata, or Healers Marks. These marks can be on the hands of doctors or nurses, but more commonly they belong on a person who simply holds space for the healing process of others. Often career healers will have a double set of Healers Marks.
Mount of Luna
Mounts in palmistry refer to the fleshy pieces located just below the fingers and on the sides of the palm. The mounts represent the various archetypes inspired by their namesake mythological gods and goddesses: Jupiter, Saturn, Apollo, Mercury, Mars, Venus, and Luna. The most magical of the mounts is Luna, which occupies the bottom two thirds of the palm on the pinky side. The fleshier this mount, the more intuitive its owner. To discover how developed the mount of Luna is in your hand, push down on its surface with one finger. If the area appears fairly flat, it may be challenging for you to tap into and trust your intuition. However, if there is noticeable bounce back after pushing downward on Luna, that demonstrates deep connection to intuition.
Mount of Apollo
The mount of Apollo is located underneath the fourth finger. Apollo is the Greek god of the sun, music, poetry, and medicine; accordingly, this mount embodies the archetype of a creative person or a healer. To see if this mount is developed in your hand, hold your palm facing upward at eye level, like you’re balancing a tray, your fingers facing away from your face. If you notice two small bumps underneath your fourth finger, this is the mount of Apollo, and the talents associated with Apollo are yours, whether they have been realized or not. What I love most about Leah’s handprint is the heart shape on her mount of Apollo, a happenstance occurrence.
Historically, the belief in the evil eye and the power of witchcraft has led to a fear of witches and a desire to protect oneself from their malevolent gaze. Various talismans and amulets have been used across cultures to ward off the evil eye, such as the Hamsa hand, the nazar, or the blue glass beads commonly found in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions. The concept of the "eye the witch" has also permeated literature and popular culture. In books and movies, witches are often depicted as characters who possess an intensity in their gaze, capable of instilling fear or enchanting those who look into their eyes. Whether portrayed as benevolent or malevolent, the image of the witch's eye remains a powerful symbol that continues to intrigue and captivate. In conclusion, the concept of the "eye the witch" refers to the belief in the evil eye possessed by witches. This belief has its roots in folklore and mythology and has been a part of various cultures throughout history. Whether as a source of fear or fascination, the gaze of a witch's eye continues to be a compelling aspect of witch folklore and popular culture..
Reviews for "The Witch's Eye: A Guide to Shadow Work"
- Jack - 2/5 - Eye the witch was a disappointment for me. The plot was confusing and disjointed, and the characters felt flat and uninteresting. I was hoping for a thrilling and suspenseful horror movie, but instead I got a film that left me scratching my head in confusion. The special effects were also lackluster and underwhelming. Overall, I wouldn't recommend wasting your time on Eye the witch.
- Emily - 2/5 - I had high hopes for Eye the witch, but it failed to deliver. The storyline was predictable and lacked originality. The jump scares were cheap and relied heavily on loud noises rather than building genuine suspense. The acting was mediocre at best, and I found it difficult to connect with any of the characters. The film tried too hard to be scary, resulting in a jumbled mess of clichés. I wouldn't waste my time with Eye the witch.
- Sarah - 1/5 - Eye the witch was one of the worst horror movies I've seen in a long time. The plot was confusing and poorly executed, leaving me feeling frustrated and unsatisfied. The scares were cheap and ineffective, with no real buildup or tension. The acting was wooden, and the dialogue was laughably bad. I wouldn't recommend wasting your time or money on this film. There are much better horror movies out there.
- Mike - 2/5 - Eye the witch was a letdown for me. The trailer made it seem like a promising horror movie, but the actual film fell flat. The story was unoriginal and lacked a cohesive narrative. The characters were one-dimensional and poorly developed, making it difficult to feel any real connection or invest in their fates. The scares were predictable and uninspired, failing to elicit any genuine fear. Overall, I was disappointed with Eye the witch and would advise horror fans to look elsewhere for a more satisfying experience.