A Love (Spell) for the Ages

Art by Abby Baytieh

By Faith Wong

So you survived cuffing season without anyone to share in the delights of your wretched soul. But here comes summer, just around the corner, and here you are, without even a fling on the horizon! I felt this way once, too. That is, until I found this recipe. I tested it beforehand just to be sure, and it really does work! The figures were absolutely atrocious and would, I’m certain, draw out any corpse-demon wandering about, looking for someone to curse. My figure had a piece of one of my academic papers stuck in it, and now I really am in a tumultuous, but devoted, relationship with my work. My friend had a piece of her own hair stuck in her figure, and she has developed the most inspiring self-love! Some might even call it narcissism, but the jury’s still out on that.

If you have even a little time, I recommend you give this recipe a try! There are some rather peculiar ingredients, but there are easy substitutes you could make. And, as a bonus, this is a naturally gluten-free and vegan recipe (depending how you feel about human abuse), perfect for every desperate single! Do keep in mind, however, that you might have a bit of a reaction to the lead. But that likely won’t manifest for several decades, after you’ve enjoyed all the embraces and affection you could want.

Ingredients (targets one):

• Beeswax or clay from a wheel of pottery (amount depends on how artistically skilled you are)

  • Clay by the block is a fine substitution, and works just as well.

• Magical essence (a pinch)

  • e.g. A strand of hair, piece of nail, eyelash, severed finger, booger, etc. You can get creative with this!

• Bronze needles (13)

• Lead plate (big)

• Writing implement (the sharper the better)

• Metal leaf (1)

  • Again, lead is really ideal here, but if silver is all you can get your hands on, that’s fine too.

• Thread

  • You’ll want to make exactly 365 knots in the thread. The good news is that this can be made in advance! It keeps in the freezer for up to a month, just remember to thaw it out completely before use.

• Grave of the untimely or violently dead (1)

  • Ideally, you’ll get a grave that was made sometime between a thousand years and sixty-nine years before you attempt the spell. It’s really a matter of the necessary chemical reactions—the role of specific time frames in the process is far too complicated for me to attempt to explain here. 

  • The recipe mentions a premade grave of one who died violently as a substitution. That will probably work, but there is a chance your corpse-demon will get a little freaky with the whole process. Unless that’s what you’re into. We don’t judge here! 

  • I strongly recommend you get a premade variety. This is mostly so that there is enough time for the corpse-demon to marinate and, if you’re lucky, it will have already gotten some practice in cursing and sowing discord beforehand. You’d also be fairly sure that the demon doesn’t harbor any ill intent towards you or your family. But, if you’re having trouble finding a premade grave in your tristate area, homemade is also fine.

• Seasonal blossoms (unpicked)

  • There’s a variant of the poppy flower, the papaver somniferum, that I find particularly wonderful, but there are a lot of options.

• Desperation (an abundance)

Recipe:

Take beeswax or clay from a wheel of pottery and
Shape two figures: 
Make one just like Ares, fully armed, 
Holding a sword in the left hand, 
Striking down towards the other’s right collarbone.
Place the other with the arms behind the back and on the knees. 
Fasten the magical essence onto the head or the neck. 

Write on the second figure (that of whom you wish to attract): 
On the head: “ISEĒ IAŌ ITHI OUNE BRIDŌ LŌTHIŌN NEBOUTOSOUALĒTH,” and
On the right ear: “OUER MĒCHAN,” and 
On the left ear: “LIBABA ŌIMATHOTHO,” and 
On the face: “AMOUNABREŌ,” and 
On the right eye: “ŌRORMOTHIO AĒTH,” and 
On the left: “CHOBOUE,” and 
On the right collarbone: “ADETA MEROU,” and 
On the right arm: “ENE PSA ENESGAPH,” and 
On the other arm: “MELCHIOU MELCHIEDIA,” and 
On the hands: “MELCHAMELCHOU AĒL,” and 
On the breast: their mother’s maiden name (that of whom you wish to attract), and 
On the heart: “BALAMIN THŌOUTH,”  and 
Below the lower belly: “AOBĒS AŌBAR,” and 
On the genitals: “BLICHIANEOI OUŌIA,” and 
On the buttocks: “PISSADARA,” and 
On the sole of the right foot: “ELŌ,” and 
On the other sole: “ELŌAIOE.”

Then, take thirteen bronze needles, 
Stick one into the brain, saying: “I am piercing your brain, [name],” and 
Stick two into the ears, and 
Two into the eyes, 
One into the mouth, 
Two into the abdomen, 
One through the hands, 
Two into the genitals, 
Two into the sides of the feet, and
With each, say: 
“I am piercing these, the limbs of them, [name], 
so that they might not call to mind anyone 
except me, [y/n], alone.” 

Next, take a lead plate, write the same words, and pronounce them aloud.

Bind a metal leaf to the figures
With a thread from the loom,
Having 365 knots,
Say, as you now know: “ABRAX, bind them,” 

Then, place the plate (at sunset) by the grave of 
Someone who died untimely (or violently), and also 
Next to seasonal blossoms. 

Write these words (and recite them): 

“I entrust this binding spell to you, 
Chthonic gods, HYESEMIGADON 
and KORĒ PERSEPHONE ERESHCHIGAL 
and ADONIS the BARBARITHA, 
HERMES the infernal THOTH PHKENTAZEPSEU 
AERCHTHA THOUMI SONKTAI KALBANACHAMBRĒ 
and ANUBIS, powerful PSIRINTH, to whom, 
Holding the keys of Hades, to the infernal gods and spirits, 
To both men and women who died untimely, 
To both young men and women—

Year after year, 
Month after month, 
Day after day, 
Hour after hour. 

I summon all the spirits in this place to 
Stand with your spirit and
Rouse yourself for me. 
Whoever you are, 
Male or female, 
And go to every place, every street, every home, 
Draw them out and bind them: 

Draw out [name], 
Whose magical essence you possess, 
Let them, [name], love me, whom [mother’s name] bore; 
Let them not be topped, nor bottomed, 
Nor do anything for pleasure with another, 
If not with me, [y/n], alone,
For that, I summon you out under the fearful and terrible name:

The Earth, hearing these names, will break open, 
The shades, hearing these fearful names, will be afraid. 
The rivers and rocks, hearing these names, will shudder. 

I summon you, corpse-demon, 
Whether male or female, 
By BARBARITHA CHENMBRA BAROUCHAMBRA 
and by ABRAT ABRASAX SESENGEN BARPHARAGGĒS
and by AŌIA MARI
and by esteemed MARMAREŌTH, 
MARMARAUŌTH MARMARAŌTH 
MARECHTHANA AMARZA; 
MARIBEŌTH.

So that you, corpse-demon, would not ignore my commands and invocations, 
But so you wake yourself up from the sleep holding you, 
Whoever you are, male or female. 
Go to every place, every street, every home, and 
Carry them, [name], to me.
Restrain them from eating and drinking, and 
Do not permit them to be seduced by any, 
Not even their own spouse— 

If not by me, [y/n], alone.

But drag them out by the hair, 
By the affections, 
By the soul, 
To me, [y/n], 
Every hour of their life, 
Night and day, 
Until they come to me, [y/n], and 
Let that they, [name], remain 
Inseparable from me. 

Do this, bind them to me for a lifetime, 
Force them to be a servant for me, [y/n], and 
Don’t let them prance away from me for even one hour of their life. 

If you accomplish this for me, 
I will permit you to rest soon. 

For, indeed, I am BARBAR ADŌNDAI, who conceals the stars, 
Controls all that gleams in heaven, 
And am lord of the cosmos, 
ATHTHOUIN IATHOUIN SELBIOUŌTH; 
AŌTH SARBATHIOUTH IATHTHIERATH 
ADŌNAI IA ROURA BIA BI BIOTHĒ 
ATHŌTH SABAŌTH ĒA VIAPHA AMARACHTHI; 
SATAMA; 
ZAUATHTHEIĒ SERPHŌ IALADA IALĒ SBĒSI; 
IATHTHA; 
MARADTHA; 
ACHILTHTHEE CHOŌŌ OĒ ĒACHŌ; 
KANSAOSA; ALKMOURI; THUR; THAŌOS; SIECHĒ.

For I am THOTH OSŌMAI.

Draw [name] out, bind them, 
Now loving, desirous, love-stricken for me, [y/n], 
etc.

For that, I summon you, corpse-demon, 
By the fearful, the great IAEŌ 
BAPHRENEMOUN OTHI LARIKRIPHIA. 
EUEAI PHIRKIRALITHON UOMEN ER PHABŌEAI, 
So that you draw them out for me and 
Unite head to head, lip to lip, stomach to stomach, thigh to thigh and
Black with black— 
So that they lust after me. 
Unite them to me, [y/n], for all their life.”

Then on the other side of the tablet 
Draw a heart and write the characters, as given below—
Pray thus (around sunrise, 
Holding the magical essence of the tomb):

“Born on the breeze of the wandering wind, 
Helios the golden-haired, 
Attendant to the inexhaustible fire of flames, 
In lofty paths, winding around the great pole (that is the center of the earth)
Creating all things, dissolving all things again to its elements, 
For all elements have been designed through your laws, 
They nourish the whole cosmos, with its four annual turning-points. 
Hear, blessed one: I call you, 
Ruler of heaven, earth, Chaos, and Hades, 
In which the shades of humankind, who once beheld the light, inhabit. 
And now I beseech you, blessed one, 
Imperishable, master of the cosmos:
If you go to the depths of the earth (to the land of the dead), 
Send this demon to them, at midnight, 
From whose body I hold these remains, 
Left in my hands, by night under your command. 
So that he would accomplish all that is in my heart for me, 
And soften [name] and let them not think anything ill towards me. 

But don’t be wrathful at my powerful spells: 
For you, yourself, arranged these things in humankind:
With your counsel, to learn the threads of the Fates. 
I call your name, which is equal in number to the fates: 
THŌTHŌ PHIACHA AIĒ ĒIA IAĒ; ĒIATHŌTHOŌ PHIACHA 
Be gracious to me, father of old, offspring of the world, self-born, 
Fire-carrier, of golden light, shining for mortals, 
Master of the cosmos, spirit of unresting fire, 
Imperishable, with a disk of gold, sending light from pure rays to the earth: 
Send the demon, whom I requested, for them (etc.)” 

The name, in some other form: 
ACHAI; PHŌTHŌTHŌ AIĒ ĒIA AIĒ ĒIŌ THŌTHŌ PHIACHA;
In another: 
ACHAI PHŌTHŌTHŌ AIĒ ĒIA ĒAI IAĒ AĒI ĒIA ŌTHŌTHŌ PHIACHA.

Translator’s Note:

This is an actual love spell, written on papyrus in ancient Greek from Greco-Roman Egypt, and translated mostly faithfully from the original Greek. The spell probably comes from around the 3rd or 4th century CE, based on an excavated figure and accompanying tablet found in Egypt from that time period. The text from the papyrus is referred to as PGM IV 296-466. Certain magical names and words have been romanized in this style: “ABRAX.” These are untranslatable and likely referred to secret names for the deities that had to be learned and invoked by magicians. 

One of the major changes made in the translation and adaptation of the original Greek spell is the change in gender: the original is targeted at a woman, but was changed to be gender neutral here for two reasons. First, there is incredibly misogynistic violence described here, on top of the violence of the spell itself, given its attempt to force affection and attraction. The second reason is that if I were writing a blog recipe, I’d like it to apply to as many people as possible, including both vegans and people who are not attracted to women!

One rather silly translation decision is the use of fanfiction notation, though [y/n] and [name] are actually part of the ancient Greek curse! The places in which the names of the spell caster and the target are to be included are indicated by “δεῖνα” and a corresponding definite article. The desperation displayed by the spell caster reminded me of self-insert fanfiction, which is what led me to translate “δεῖνα” to [y/n] and [name]. Finally, just in case it needs saying, I don’t actually encourage murder. Or attempts to forcibly make someone fall in love.