How to Know if You're a Victim of Witchcraft: Signs & Solutions

Download Article

Learn to protect yourself from any spells that may be placed on you

Co-authored by Janice Tieperman Reviewed by Stina Garbis

Last Updated: August 30, 2025 Fact Checked

Download Article

• Signs of Witchcraft and Black Magic
|
• Protecting Yourself
|
• Identifying a Witch
|
• Q&A
|
• Tips

|Show more |Show less

Some people believe that curses, hexes, and other types of black magic are real and serious threats that can negatively affect their spiritual and physical well-being. Although there’s no conclusive evidence that witchcraft exists, it can still be really scary to think about—especially if you suspect that someone has sent some bad mojo in your direction. To help ease your worries, we’ve outlined some commonly reported signs of black magic, as well as some alternative explanations for these symptoms. We’ve even outlined a few ways to cleanse and protect yourself so you can have some peace of mind.

How to Know if Someone Is Doing Witchcraft on You

To find out if someone put a spell on you, look for supposed signs of witchcraft like headaches, body aches, or lethargy. You may also experience changes in devotion, bad luck, and nightmares. That said, witchcraft is not the only cause of these symptoms, so it’s worth speaking with a doctor to rule out medical causes.

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

Signs of Witchcraft and Black Magic

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Headaches Many victims of black magic have reported getting random, unexplainable headaches throughout the day. They attribute these headaches to a spell that someone has placed on them.

   • Alternative cause: Headaches are a super common symptom that is connected to a lot of different illnesses and conditions. Many factors can lead to a headache, including stress, adjustments to your sleep schedule or diet, changes in the weather, excessive noise, and bad posture.
2. 
   2
   NightmaresSome people believe that black magic causes people to be plagued with really terrifying dreams. Within these dreams, you might notice imagery of black-colored dogs, snakes, scorpions, and other creatures coming after you.

   • Alternative cause: Frequent nightmares often occur when you’re experiencing a lot of stress or anxiety. They’re also associated with traumatic events, a poor sleep schedule, specific medications, as well as other medical conditions. Some people also experience scary dreams after watching a spooky movie or reading a creepy book right before going to sleep.
   • Chances are, the strange and random symbols in your dreams are connected to some other aspect of your life—not black magic! Practice interpreting your dreams to get a better idea of what these symbols represent.
   Advertisement
3. 
   3
   Body aches Some spiritually-inclined individuals associate random body aches with the workings of witchcraft. According to them, medical professionals won’t find anything wrong with you and give you a clean bill of health, even if you’re experiencing pain. If this is the case, it may be more likely that your ailment comes from a form of witchcraft.

   • Alternative cause: Body aches are really common and can be associated with just about every medical issue or ailment in the book. For instance, abdominal pain could be a sign of indigestion, diarrhea, food poisoning, menstrual cramps, or a UTI. Meanwhile, random back pains could be caused by arthritis, ruptured discs, ligament or muscle strain, or osteoporosis. Statistically speaking, there’s probably a medical cause for whatever symptoms you’re experiencing.
4. 
   4
   LethargyAccording to some reports, black magic can leave you feeling sleepy and ready to hit the hay at any given time. It might also make you feel dizzy.

   • Alternative cause: Fatigue is a side effect for just about every illness or condition out there—anemia, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, IBD, sleep apnea, and stress are just a few possibilities from a long list of offenders. Sleepiness is also connected with different lifestyle factors, like jet lag, poor eating habits, certain medications, and not getting enough exercise.
5. 
   5
   Changes in devotionIn some cultures, victims of black magic are said to harbor unexplained negative feelings toward their spouse or partner. They may also display a sudden sense of obedience or devotion to a specific person in their life (who may or may not be their partner).

   • Alternative cause: Relationships can sour for many different, non-magic-related reasons. Communication issues can create a huge rift between a once-loving couple, as well as trust issues, priority differences, and compatibility problems.
   • Infidelity is also pretty common in committed relationships—about 2 in every 5 married individuals will step out on their spouse.
   • Cheating is an unfortunate reality in today’s world, but it’s almost always a sign of an unmet need or issue in an existing relationship. Supernatural forces don’t have anything to do with it.
6. 
   6
   Poor mental healthSome people believe that symptoms of anxiety or depression and suicidal ideations can be connected to black magic. According to these believers, you may separate yourself from your friends and loved ones and feel increasingly isolated if you’ve been put under a spell.

   • Alternative cause: Mental illness is most likely the culprit. In the United States alone, 1 in every 5 people is diagnosed with a mental illness of some type—anxiety and depression are just a couple of possibilities from an extremely long list. If you’re suffering from anxiety, depression, or any other mental health symptoms, meet with a psychiatric professional right away.
   • If you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts or ideations of any kind, get help right away.
7. 
   7
   Bad luckSome spiritually-inclined people believe that black magic can interfere with a person’s luck and accomplishments in their day-to-day life. You might just feel extra unlucky or that you’ll never succeed no matter how hard you try.

   • Alternative cause: You may have gotten stuck in a “luck trap”—this is a type of mindset where you create specific, unconscious parameters for what is and isn’t lucky. This narrowed focus makes you feel like you’re going through a spell of bad luck when you actually just aren’t seeing the big picture.
8. 
   8
   Changed eating habitsSome people believe that black magic can make a person’s eating habits change randomly. In some cases, you might feel hungry all of the time or like your stomach’s digesting your food instantly.

   • Alternative cause: Appetite changes happen for a ton of different reasons, including stress, mental illness, menstruation, certain medications, and the quality of your diet. Chances are, some aspect of your lifestyle is influencing how hungry or full you are—not witchcraft.
9. 
   9
   Unexpected items in your yardFinding strange items in your yard can potentially be a sign that you're affected by black magic. For example, you might find items like an odd jar, powders, bones, or burned remnants around your home, since these items are often used in witchcraft. There might also be evidence of someone digging in your yard.

   • Alternate cause: Certain types of holes and disturbances in your yard can be chalked up to animal activity, as well as bad weather.
Advertisement

Section 2 of 3:

Ways to Protect Yourself From Witchcraft

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Pray to a higher power and ask for help. If you practice a specific religion or believe in a higher power, take comfort in the fact that your God is stronger and far more powerful than any type of black magic cast upon you. Simply pray and call upon this higher power for help, and trust that God will help you battle against any evil forces in your life.

   • If you’re a Christian, pray and have faith that Jesus will protect you from any witchcraft. You might pray, “In the name of Jesus, I cast out any evil spells, energies, or intentions that were sent to me.” Feel free to recite the Lord’s Prayer, too.
   • If you’re a devout Muslim, trust in Allah and have faith that He will cleanse and protect you from any black magic cast in your direction. You could also recite a protective Dua, like “Allaahummak-fineehim bimaa shi’ta,” or “O Allah, protect me against them in whatever way you see fit.”
   • You can also ask Archangel Michael for help.
2. 
   2
   Cleanse yourself with salt and ignite white candles. Soak in a warm salt bath to clear away any bad energies or intentions that have attached to you. Run a warm bath and add 1-2 cups of Epsom salt or sea salt to the water. Soak in the bath for at least 15-20 minutes. Some spiritually-inclined people also advise lighting white candles and affirming out loud that the pure, white light is clearing away any bad energy.

   • You can also burn sage around your home to help cleanse yourself of any witchcraft.
3. 
   3
   Choose not to believe in witchcraft. According to magic and manifestation expert Leza Labrador, “a curse can only affect a person if they believe it can.” If you’re worried that someone could be sending some black magic in your direction, repeat some soothing, confident affirmations to yourself:

   • “Witchcraft isn’t real. Therefore, it can’t hurt me.”
   • “Witchcraft only affects me if I allow it to.”
   • “Witchcraft doesn’t exist, so I have nothing to worry about.”
Advertisement

Section 3 of 3:

How to Tell If Someone Is a Witch

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Look for signs like talismans, charms, candles, or altars. There are several signs that someone might practice magic, like talismans hung on the walls, charms worn or placed in their car or office, or the possession of an altar. Someone practicing witchcraft may also burn a lot of red candles, and they may also stick needles into their candles.

   • However, keep in mind that many different cultures use altars and other symbolic items, including Buddhists and Catholics, and other people may simply like the look of charms or candles for decorative reasons.
2. 
   2
   Ask the person directly if they’re a witch. It’s always best to get direct confirmation about a person’s spiritual beliefs, rather than just making assumptions. Most people who practice modern witchcraft are not scary or dangerous, they just have a different set of spiritual and religious beliefs. Simply approach the person you suspect with kindness and an open mind—you might say something like, “Hey, I noticed that you have this object in your home. I heard that some people use that for spiritual purposes. Is that true for you?”

   • Of course, it’s up to this person to decide if they want to share their spiritual practices with you or not. You don’t have a right to this information, but if they feel safe enough with you, they may tell you all about it!
   • If they tell you that they practice Wicca, it’s unlikely that they’re cursing you. Wiccans follow a strict moral creed against doing harm to others: "an' ye harm none, do what ye will."
Advertisement

Cleanse Your Spiritual Energy with this Expert Series

Is your energy feeling off? Do you suspect that you've been targeted with negative energy? Read these expert articles to defend yourself and cleanse your aura.

1

How to Perform and Read an Egg Cleanse

2

How to Know if You're a Victim of Witchcraft: Signs & Solutions

3

Remove Black Magic Spells

4

Get Rid of Demons

5

The Best Ways to Communicate and Connect with Spirits

6

Develop Your Intuition & Psychic Abilities with These 12 Simple Exercises

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

• Question

  I feel that I've been cursed for the rest of my life and that there's nothing I can do. The people around me hate me, and I keep getting made fun of for some reason. Am I doomed for eternity?

  

  Grace

  Community Answer

  If you think these thoughts come from anxiety or depression, seek advice from someone you trust. Ask yourself this: Do the people around me truly hate me? Am I doing something to make them look at me like that or act like that around me? Or am I getting in my head and making the world seem worse? You are not doomed for eternity. It's just that your default lens for viewing the world is pessimistic, at least for the time being.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 11 Helpful 11
• Question

  Could this be a spell if I find a bag of feces, chicken feathers, plastic flowers, and torn pages of a porn magazine in front of my door?

  

  Rain

  Community Answer

  No, it's likely someone is trying to prank or harass you. Consider reporting it to the authorities.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 5 Helpful 10

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Tips

• Some spiritual enthusiasts associate curdled dairy products and/or a burnt smell with witchcraft. While black magic may be the culprit, there’s a better chance that your dairy just went bad, or that there’s something funky going on with your vents or appliances.
  Thanks

  Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Advertisement