The district did not return a request for comment, nor did any member of the collective, which appears to have disbanded, respond in time for publication.
The act of cursing is controversial in both mainstream communities and modern witchcraft circles. It is not a universal practice in the latter, and opinions vary based on tradition and personal belief. Some witches will not curse at all; others do so with reserve and solemnity.
“Hexes are reserved for severe incursions and levied with great aplomb, typically by a skilled practitioner,” explained author and rootworker Stephanie Rose Bird.
Bird is a life-long educator and visual artist as well as a practitioner of Hoodoo, a uniquely American folk magic tradition. In her 2018 book “365 Days of Hoodoo,” Bird includes an entire chapter on justice magic, explaining its history in justice work.
“As practiced by BIPOC and other folks immersed in a practice that addresses justice issues, Hoodoo has a lengthy history in America and beyond. While you don’t have to be an initiate to cast hexes or spells, Hoodoo practitioners realize neither is something to be taken lightly,” Bird said.
In hexing, the best results, she explained, “come from serious intent” and typically come from “in-depth practice.”
Although magic, even cursing, has a historical and a contemporary place in equity and justice work, Bird does not support the implied use of hexing in this particular situation.
“To ask students to create a hex, many of whom may be completely unpracticed and unaware of the venerable history, rationale, and modes of seeking Justice through African American Magick like Hoodoo is insulting,” she said.
Whether the collective intended the prompt to be a true curse or simply a thought experiment might even be irrelevant. Some witches maintain that the thought alone can be a spell.
Bird thought the assignment was “creative and well-intended.” It came from a good place, she said, however, cursing and hexing “practiced willy-nilly, without background and a robust framework, is potentially dangerous to all concerned.”
This article originally appeared here.
