Anathema

The word "anathema" means "exposed, marked, devoted". It has a number of meanings based on different religious contexts. de Plancy, J. C., (1863). Dictionnaire Infernal. 6ed. pg.31
== Greco-Roman Paganism ==
The Greeks originally used anathema to refer to sacrifices offered to various divine and semi-divine beings. It could be applied to nets offered by fishermen at the altars of nereids, the mirror Laïs offered to Aphrodite, and to other sacrificial objects, such as cups, clothes, instruments, and figurines. 
In the later periods, such as under the Romans, it gained more negative connotations, and was applied to objects viewed with distaste, such as a severed head, the corpse of an executed criminal, or for a human sacrifice. 
== Abrahamic Religions ==
In Judaism, the term anathema has solely negative connotations. 
In Christianity, it is used to refer to a curse, or a person who is cursed. A person who is considered anathema is typically excommunicated in the Catholic tradition. 
== In Spells ==
As a curse, anathema can be used as part of a number of other spells, typically for vengeance or to determine guilt. 
=== Spell to Uncover Thieves and Sorcerers ===
# Take clear water and add a number of stones equal to the number of suspects. Each stone must be inscribed with the name of one of the suspects.
# Boil the water and bury it under the threshold of a door which the thief/sorcerer must pass, along with a tin plate with "Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat" written on it. 
# Uncover the water and stones at dawn. If one of the stones is burned, that is an initial indicator of guilt. 
# Recite the seven penitential psalms and the litanies of the saints, then prayers of exorcism against the thief/sorcerer.
# Draw a circle and write the name of the suspect within it. 
# Using a hammer with a handle made of cypress wood, drive a triangle-shaped iron nail into the name. If the person is guilty, they cry out.
=== Spell to Remove a Spell that has been Cast on Oneself, and Cast it Back on its Caster ===
# On a Saturday before sunrise, take a one-year-old branch of hazel and say "I cut you, branch of this year, in the name of the one I want to harm as I harm you."
# Place the branch on a table, repeating three times "Droch, Mirroch, Esenaroth, Betubaroch, Assmaaroth" while repeatedly making the sign of the cross, and end with "May the sorcerer or sorceress be anathema, and us safe!"
It is implied from the wording of the spell that the hazel branch must also be broken, but doing so is not mentioned by de Plancy.
== See Also ==
* Excommunication
== References ==
Category:Dictionnaire Infernal
Category:Rituals