There Is Strength in Our Stories: bewitching hour – Tianna G. Hansen

after Effy Winter

Tonight you plant a curse. Find the recipe from a love witch

 —  black garden curse jar.

Place your wounds inside, direct pain on the one who birthed it. A relief spell, enchantment of the heart capturing sorrows, stabbing like knives through the veins of the one who caused your ache. Mix wormwood and dried thistle, poppy seeds and calamus root — thorns from a white rose. Name of your unbeloved charred to bits at the bottom of a glass jar. Sprinkle black salt and bury beneath layers of dirt. Toss caution to the wind, allow hatred to spill from your mouth like black sludge oozing from your tongue, up from the twistings of your gut. It spews into the jar and coats like tar. Collection of iron nails, pointed and sharp, glimmer in flickers of candlelight. These to be pressed in the dirt facing downward — nails in the coffin of this curse.

Complete under light of the moon — midnight.

He will be sleeping then. His name shall never rise in joy upon your lips; he knew that. Envision torment you wish the curse to bring. Seal lid tight when prepared.

Never open again.

Shake contents to stir chaos upon your intended. Cleanse yourself after. Release inhibitions in body wracking sobs while water scalds your skin. Drown the noise of yourself. Burn sage. Ounce of caution at the end.

Curses are not to be done or taken lightly.

This one promises, crafted for victims of assault/rape…you will take back power, release this trauma, this misery upon your abuser. Magic.

The intention behind this spell is to inflict chaos
and misfortune upon the target.

You wish with every ounce of your being that he will feel one scratch of your agony.

*previous versions of this appeared in Pussy Magic

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Tianna G. Hansen has been writing her whole life. She founded and is Editor-in-Chief of Rhythm & Bones Press, a small press focused on the idea of healing through writing. She believes there is always something beautiful to be found in the darkest moments. Her work has been published widely in many forms; find it at CreativeTianna.com, follow her on Facebook @tiannaghansen / Twitter @tiannag92 / Instagram @tgghansen24. “Undone, Still Whole” is her debut collection.