The Meaning Behind the 'Evil Eye'

The Meaning Behind the 'Evil Eye'

While traveling through Turkey last summer, it was impossible not to notice to plethora of 'Evil Eye' charms overflowing tourist shops, decorating the walls and sidewalks of businesses and hanging in windows and in entryways. This is a tradition or superstition, as I have always thought, that my mother introduced me to as soon as I started traveling the world on my own. She always had me pin an evil eye somewhere inside my backpack as a 'protector' to keep me safe and out of harm. I had never given this much thought until my trip last summer and even then still didn't quite understand the meaning behind it all until now.

I recently found a fantastic article addressing just that- what the 'evil eye' means. In the article, the author describes the core idea behind the evil eye which is that:

When we look at one another we are not so much seeing one another as we are exchanging energies. It is true: eyes are the windows to the soul. Glances are not neutral, but always an exchange of desires, positive energy and negative energy.

So, in fact, the amulet is not really an 'evil eye', rather an evil eye repellent. The circle in the middle of the eye serves as a false eye, so if a person casts a negative glance at another, the evil eye charm will absorb that negative energy so that it cannot enter the soul of the person wearing the charm.

The author goes on to talk about Islamic religion and the exchanging of glances or energies in a more positive sense and I love how he ends this article...

Are we willing to cast upon each other glances that are filled with mercy?
Are we willing to look at each other with love glances that are welcomed?
Are we willing to receive such loving and kind glances?

The Turkish grandmothers, and the wisdom of the ancients, are all right. There is a magic that dwells in our exchange of glances.

May we purify our hearts so that the glances we cast upon one another are healing glances, loving glances. May we create communities and relationships worthy of these love glances.

I will never look at my evil eye amulets the same again. 

Thank you for reading! xo Claire

 

 

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