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Trawling the local streets of Santorini or Mykonos, you’ll likely see the evil eye symbol staring at you wherever you go.
Often represented as a big blue eye with a white and blue circle within and a bold black pupil at its centre, the ‘evil eye’ is a iconic symbol throughout Greece.
On our travels we’re constantly seeking out inspiration for our collections from the places we visit, and our time in Greece was no exception.
At every street corner, a souvenir vendor has racks filled to the brim with evil eyes, whether as key chains, car tags or evil eye earrings, bracelets, necklaces, rings or as charms.
While the ‘evil eye’ sounds scary, it’s anything but. Not only is it often seen as a mix of beautiful blue hues that add to the vibrancy of the blue and white iconic buildings throughout Greece, but it’s considered a symbol of protection.
To give you more insight into the evil eye and the beauty it’s powers behold, we’ve compiled the meaning behind the evil eye, along with how you can incorporate one into your life for prosperity, protection and good health.
The Origins of the Evil Eye:
The evil eye, often known as a ‘nazar’ is an amulet believed to protect humans against the ‘evil eye.’ History has it that if someone is given an ‘evil eye’ glance by an enemy or foe, it could be enough to be deadly or bring them great harm and unhappiness.
In Ancient Greece, the Philosopher Plutarch stated that the ‘human eye has the power to release invisible rays of energy that can be potent enough to harm humans or animals.’
Outside of Greece, the evil eye has a rich history as a talisman of protection not only spanning across Asian, Mediterranean, African and Arabic countries but also all main religions from Jewish, Islamic, Buddhism and Hinduism.
In Turkey, it’s considered an appropriate gift to bring to a newborn baby (the ones considered the most susceptible to the curse) and in most Muslim traditions, if someone wishes you well, it’s a given to say a blessing back in order to keep the evil eye at bay.
The reason it’s most commonly created with blue, is that according to Greece and Aegean countries, ‘blue eyed’ people are meant to bestow the curse (intentionally or unintentionally), so the amulets are ironically painted or created using blue to reflect the eye colour its warding off.
The Benefits of the Evil Eye:
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It protects you - keeping an evil eye charm or talisman close will protect from evil spirits and harmful forces, especially the ‘malevolent glare’ said to inflict the unaware or unsuspecting.
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It brings good luck - by carrying an evil eye charm or casting out an evil eye symbol its said to magically bestow good luck, health and happiness to its beholder.
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It possesses good vibes - With blue as its main colour, it’s said to radiate positive energy and possess good karma. The light blue within it also represents the sky (symbolising truth), which is also considered a force of protection against the evil eye.
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It wards off danger - Whether it’s you’re car breaking down or spinning out of control or the house becoming harmed by insects, flooding, wood rotting etc the evil eye keeps a protective glance over things to maintain peace and prosperity.
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It strengthens good health - If the true ‘evil eye’ was to cast it’s misfortune over you, it said to result in every ailment from insomnia, fatigue, depression and diarrhea. By carrying an evil eye charm it’s said to keep you healthy and happy.
5 Ways To Boost Your Karma Using The Evil Eye:
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Keep a charm close - attach an evil eye charm (such as our Mati charm) to a bracelet, necklace or pendant to keep the bad spirits away at all times.
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Attach an evil eye charm to your car mirror or key chain - old school we know, but hey why not play it safe on the roads?
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Gift someone an evil eye charm - While it’s often given as a gift at the birth of a baby, whether you have a friend set to travel, get married or celebrate an important milestone, why not gift them one in the form of a evil eye jewellery? Good karma never hurt anyone!
- Hang one in your house - By hanging one at the front door or in the walkway as you enter, the evil eye (either ceramic, painted picture or charm necklace) will be sure to keep all bad spirits at bay and maintain the feeling of your home as a sanctuary.