Hexing Tablets

Hexing Tablets, also known as defixiones or Katadesmoi, are some of our favorite methods of casting baneful Magick at a target. In fact, I wrote on it on my second book, Hellfire. Here is what I wrote there:

"The Katadesmoi

Materials: Clay, a Needle, Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, Sulfur, Dragon’s Blood, Grave Dirt

The Katadesmoi is an ancient Greek technique used to entreat upon the dead and deities of death to carry out a curse on the living. Think of it as a petition set in stone, literally. To begin, mix your herbs and dirt into a good amount of clay (depending on how long your petition is, you might even use up to a pound or two of it). Knead the clay until it is well blended and then roll your clay out into a square at least a half inch thick. Then, on a piece of paper, write out your petition. It is important to include three things in this petition: An address to the spirits being called, your intentions towards the target, and an offering to them for their help. Customarily, it is done in that order. You can address a specific deceased spirit if you have a good relationship with them, the dead in general, or deities of the Underworld. You can be as general or as explicit as you would like, from requesting the targets death to naming specific manifestations of your curse. And you need to be sure to offer what you are willing to give, whether it is blood, alcohol, food, or some other gift.

Here is an example of a petition to Hades: “Oh Hades, King of the Dead, Lord of the Underworld, I call to you and ask you to turn your head towards me, to hear my request to you and receive it well. Lay your hand upon (target) and strike them with the plague of plagues. Remove from the land the stain of their existence, and their very name. Take their life from them, but only after they have suffered greatly. In exchange for this, I offer to you a bottle of fine red wine and four pomegranates. In your name, Oh Hades, do I offer this gift, to be given after you have stricken my enemy from this world.” This is only an example, of course, and may be used as is or altered to suit your needs. After you have finished, you can translate it into Greek to hit even closer to home. Once you have finalized your petition, carve it into the tablet you have created and allow it to dry. Depending on what type of clay you use, this can be done by air drying or baking. When the tablet has dried, take it to a crossroads and break it apart. You may also throw it into a well or a river or bury it at a graveyard, whichever method feels best to you. The idea is to send the petition to the spirit you have called upon. Since this is Necromancy, burying it in a graveyard would be the most ideal method, but obviously not the only one. "

This is my personal favorite formula, but it can be altered. Different herbs can be used, or different materials (one of the oldest was engraved on lead), but regardless of how exactly you employ it, I have never seen this method fail.