S. Connolly’s Curses, Hexes & Crossings

Cursing and magick go hand-in-hand. Cursing brought about the bad reputation of witches as every God-fearing man, woman and child feared the power of magick and those who wielded it. Since the Middle Ages we’ve had fable upon fable warning against mistreating a witch or doing anything to offend those who work with magick for fear of hexes, bindings and curses. Stories passed on the stereotype that a witch might just curse you because they’re crazy and that magick drives you mad. In my experience, curses are to witches like Westboro Baptist Church is to Christians. When you tell someone that you’re a Christian, they immediately jump to “so like, do you protest against rights of sexuality and beliefs?” When you tell someone that you’re a witch, people go “whoa, do you like, curse people or do hexes?” Both groups have their face-palming moments and begin explaining what they actually do and drive away the haze of misconception.

I, personally, do not make it a point to practice curses or execration magick. My path in life led me to peace and harmony. I do my best to not inflict any further suffering on others and what may be inflicted upon, I wish no return on others. The easiest way I can describe myself is that I believe in live and let live. I try to not allow anger or negativity enter my life and when it does, I let it pass like debris in a river. That said, my interest in S. Connolly’s Curses, Hexes & Crossing comes from a source of educational curiosity.

I have been told by many that Curses, Hexes & Crossings is more than just a book of curses, it explores what curses are and the psychology that goes into affecting someone with a curse. I decided to take a look into the book and educate myself on a subject that previously held no interest to me. I know of curses, I know people who use them and in my circle, it’s difficult to avoid people who have been affected by them for one reason or another. What I don’t know, however, is why people delve into execration magick and what it entails when you choose to practice it.

S. Connolly’s book enlightened me to a lot of my own misconceptions. Her attitude towards dark practice isn’t out of malice or with the enjoyment of causing others to suffer. She doesn’t relish hurting others, but instead chooses to use her knowledge of curses to show others that their behavior is negative in itself and that she doesn’t appreciate the negativity. Her candidness on her own youthful experiences and her beliefs as a mature adult revealed much about her nature and involvement with darker magick.

I appreciated her take on the psychology of cursing. The idea of only making someone believe they are cursed being used as a curse in itself reminds me of many mental manipulation books that give tips for six-figure business men so that they can feel empowered in a meeting or when they’re gunning for a higher-paying position. The idea of using this book to also safeguard yourself from harm makes this a book I would recommend to a few of my friends who have had run-ins with curses.

Overall, I enjoyed S. Connolly’s expertly-written book that sheds light on the dark arts.

You can find Curses, Hexes & Crossings by S. Connolly at Amazon. You should also check out S. Connolly’s page at demonolatry.org along with her personal website.