Curses: Signs, Types & How to Remove a Curse

Table of Contents

Last Updated on October 31, 2026 by Wishbonix

Curses get more attention than any other kind of dark magic. In books and films, they are the weapon of the villain, and the hero always finds a way to break them. In real life, belief in curses is as old as civilization itself, and many people today still worry that someone has cursed them, or are tempted to curse someone who has hurt them.

This guide explains what curses are, where the belief comes from, the different types of curses and how they compare, and where to start if you think you’ve been cursed. Each section links to our in-depth guides on recognizing, removing and protecting yourself from curses, hexes, jinxes and the evil eye.

What Is a Curse?

A curse is a deliberate wish for harm or misfortune, sent toward a person, a family, a place or an object through words, ritual or focused intention. In witchcraft, a curse is considered the darkest form of black magic, because, unlike most spells, its purpose is to hurt.

Not every curse is cast on purpose. Folk traditions around the world describe curses that come from envy or anger without any ritual at all, like the evil eye, as well as curses said to pass down through families or cling to objects and places.

A Short History of Curses

Curses appear in almost every culture in recorded history:

Ancient Egypt: Egyptians wrote the names of enemies on clay pots and figurines and then smashed them in rituals known as execration rites. Tomb inscriptions warned robbers of punishment, which later inspired the famous legend of the “curse of Tutankhamun.”
Ancient Greece and Rome: People scratched curses onto thin sheets of lead, called katadesmoi in Greek and defixiones in Latin, and dropped them into wells, graves or springs. Hundreds of these curse tablets have been found, many aimed at rivals in love, business or chariot racing.
The evil eye: From the Mediterranean to the Middle East, South Asia and Latin America, people believe an envious look can bring bad luck, which is why evil eye charms are still worn today.
European folklore: Cunning folk and village witches were sought out both to lay curses and, far more often, to lift them.

Across all these traditions, one thing stays the same: the work of breaking curses has always been in greater demand than the work of casting them.

Types of Curses

The evil eye: bad luck caused by someone’s envy or admiration, often without them meaning to send it. Learn more in our guide: What is the evil eye?
Hexes: spells cast to bring someone trouble or bad luck, stronger than a jinx but usually shorter-lived than a curse.
Jinxes: minor curses that cause small, annoying misfortunes. See What is a jinx?
Generational or family curses: patterns of misfortune believed to pass down through a family line.
Cursed objects and places: items or locations believed to carry negative energy that affects whoever owns or enters them.
Self-curses: negative beliefs and words we repeat about ourselves until they start to shape our lives.

Curse, Hex, Jinx or Evil Eye: What’s the Difference?

	Jinx	Evil Eye	Hex	Curse
Strength	Mild	Mild to strong	Moderate	Strong
Sent on purpose?	Sometimes	Often not	Yes	Yes
Typical effect	Small mishaps	Bad luck, feeling drained	Trouble in one area of life	Long-lasting misfortune
How long it lasts	Short	Until it is removed	Weeks to months	Until it is removed
Where to start	Jinx protection	Evil eye removal	Hex and curse removal	Curse removal

How Do You Know If You’re Cursed?

People who believe they’ve been cursed often describe a sudden run of bad luck that started at a specific time, problems piling up in several areas of life at once, or a heavy, uneasy feeling linked to a conflict with a particular person. Most runs of bad luck have ordinary causes, so it’s worth looking at your situation carefully before assuming a curse. Our guide How do I know if I am cursed? walks you through the signs in detail, and a tarot reading or other divination can help you see things more clearly.

Important: If you have physical or emotional symptoms such as pain, illness, exhaustion, anxiety or depression, see a doctor or a mental health professional first. Never put off medical care because you suspect a curse. Spiritual work can go alongside medical help, but it never replaces it.

How to Remove a Curse

Curse removal is one of the oldest kinds of magical work, and the right method depends on what you’re dealing with:

A curse or hex: our step-by-step guide to removing a curse includes traditional curse removal rituals you can do at home.
The evil eye: see how to remove the evil eye, including the classic egg cleansing.
A jinx: most jinxes fade on their own, and a simple jinx protection charm keeps new ones away.
General negative energy: start with a spiritual cleansing of yourself and your home.

How to Protect Yourself from Curses

Once a curse is removed, protect yourself so that nothing new can attach:

Wear or hang an evil eye charm, such as a Nazar or a Hamsa hand, to reflect envy and ill wishes back to where they came from.
Put salt at your doorstep or in the corners of your home to create a protective barrier.
Cleanse your home regularly with incense, sound or a cleansing ritual.
Cast a protection spell after any curse removal.
Limit contact with people who leave you feeling drained or uneasy.

Thinking of Cursing Someone?

When someone has deeply hurt you, wanting them to suffer is a very human reaction. We don’t publish curse spells on Wishbonix, because a curse’s only purpose is to harm, and in every tradition we know, that energy finds its way back to the person who sent it. As the threefold law puts it, what you send out returns to you three times over. Many people who once cast a curse later come looking for a way to undo it.

If someone has wronged you, there are stronger and cleaner options that deal with the situation without tying you to that person:

A revenge spell that returns what was sent to you, so their own actions catch up with them
A binding spell to stop someone from harming you or others
A spell to send someone away to remove them from your life

If you’ve already cast a curse and regret it, the rituals in our curse removal guide can help you release it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are curses real?

Belief in curses is found in nearly every culture, past and present, and many people experience what they believe are curses. Whether a curse affects you also depends on how much power you give it: fear can feed a curse, while cleansing and protection take its power away.

Can a curse be broken?

Yes. Curse removal is one of the oldest kinds of magical work. See our guide to removing a curse, and follow it with a protection spell to keep you safe.

Can a curse come back to the person who cast it?

Many witchcraft traditions teach that it can. Under the threefold law, harmful energy tends to return to its sender, which is one of the main reasons experienced witches avoid casting curses.

What is a generational curse?

A generational curse is a pattern of misfortune believed to pass down through a family, such as repeated losses, broken relationships or money troubles. Cleansing and protection work for the whole household, along with breaking unhealthy family patterns in practical ways, are the usual approaches.