Butterfly jar curses
Butterfly jar curses are a magical procedure wherin a part of a targets spiritual anatomy
is 'stolen' and bound into an object to be manipulated as one will while still being
linked to the target. One working with egyptian heka may for example steal someones ka
or ab and so implement varying torture, binding or other harmful procedures. The same
techniques may of course be used for more beneficient purposes; it is possible to use the
link from a soul aspect bound into an object to heal or enhance the individual it is linked
to but due to the extreme vulnerability created by the procedure to do this on a willing
target even for the most beneficial purposes would require a great deal of trust and
typically only a temporary binding into the object so that the soul aspect may be freed
after the 'surgery'.
The signs that one is under a butterfly jar curse are the same as for any soul theft
or curse; bad luck, loss of energy, weakened or lost magical potency, depression that is not
amenable to standard treatment, consistent bad omens, feelings of emptiness, bad dreams-
with butterfly jar curses these may involve direct sightings or experience of the
manipulation being performed on ones soul aspect. Divination, which ideally should be
performed multiple times by different parties, will tend to reveal signs of manipulation
and someone working against you and so confirm it. Varying specific signs and symptoms
may differ depending on the soul aspect being manipulated and the specific form of
manipulation but these are too varied to easily go into here for further information
general research on multiple systems of spiritual anatomy may be useful.
If one has reason to believe that one is under the influence of a butterfly jar curse,
one has varying forms of recourse to undo the effects. Due to the fact that there is a
situation of contested control over this soul part one must treat it for the time
being as an external spirit; if it has been enticed away from your rather than violently
trapped-two of the three basic procedures to perform a butterfly jar curse-one must entice it
back to oneself. To do this make a shrine to your soul aspect after identifying through
analysis of the symptoms one has experienced, any omens one has received(if birds laugh
and fly away from you towards the west which is usually considered a negative direction
in ornithomancy while you are in an egyptian themed restaurant you may wish to consider
that your ba is what has been stolen if the symptoms are consistent with this) and
the results of divination(if one is currently incapable of performing divination due to
the curse, one should find others willing to do one for you). Every day make entreaties
towards your soul, magically command it in the name of the highest understanding of reality
or whatever gods one has relationships with to come back to one-this has efficacy even
if the soul aspect is trapped-and make offerings that correspond to both what you like
most deeply and of the soul aspect that has been stolen. This shrine should have a sigil
or other representation of the soul aspect, to which you must speak and remind it that
its rightful place is with you.
If this enticement does not work, then the stolen soul part has been more deeply trapped
and one will need to take further measures. Keep the shrine up and intensify your efforts
there, but also make sure the offerings are charged with as much magical power as you or
whoever is helping you can muster according to your own tradition. The aim is no longer
the simple enticement of the soul part but to empower it to break free. You may wish
to draw sigils of keys, lock picks, runes associated with opening barriers(Thurizas-Ehwas
may be a good bindrune for this) and such things. The efforts to seek divine aid should
be doubled, and if you are capable a full ceremonial evocation of your soul part can be
used; after the soul part has appeared, use the divine authority invested in you by
the ceremonial evocation to break the link between the soul part and the object it is trapped in and order it to return to you.
If one is capable, core-shamanic type journeying may also be used and is one of the most
effective techniques, being designed for this purpose. This will also however expose other
parts of your soul-the one you're jorneying in-to danger and to the magical defenses of the
one who has performed the butterfly jar curse.
If one wishes to perform a butterfly jar curse, one must choose a system of soul anatomy
to use, choose an object that best represents that soul part or which otherwise suits
your purpose and create an altar or other working space for the rite. Cast a circle
in whatever way one finds suitable though the use of 'darker' powers is more suitable
for this sort of soul theft. Deities and powers associated with thievery or who psychopomp
qualities may be useful if you have a prior relationship and/or agreement that the cause
for your curse is not offensive to them. The procedure from there is exactly the same as
for getting your soul part back, giving offerings, enticements, etc for the soul aspect
to come to you and be in this object with one difference; the object the soul part is being
enticed towards is laid within a cloaked spirit trap(foul Thurizas-Ansuz bindrunes that
point inwards towards the object and which you charge with singing the rune names and
creating a poem about hidden thorns may be suitable). If this does not immediately work,
recourse to Journeying techniques may be taken wherein one journeys to the soul and simply
drags it into the object. Once one has the soul part, one can use it to manipulate the
individual or harm them in many ways.
I take no responsibility for any misuse of the techniques described here, and have been
deliberately vague in certain spots so that a certain baseline level of competence in
magical technique is required to make any use of this rather than a step-by-step guide.
It is my preference that any use of this technique be used for healing or positive
modification-the techniques for which are similar to those described for empowering a soul
that it may escape.
