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On the Lifting of Curses

PeteS said:
You can just see the headlines "Head teacher accuses pupil of witchcraft"- it defies any form of sense whatsoever, but then I take the view that common sense is no longer in education's vocabulary.
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With respect to LordSmacker, I'm not convinced it happened.
 
Coastaljames said:
With respect to LordSmacker, I'm not convinced it happened.
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All-righty then, I've actually been round and interrogated the niece now and can clarify one or two things. I understand completely your scepticism, I was of the same mind when the story slipped out at a family gathering (and everyone quailed when my ears pricked up and demanded to know the detail which had been carefully concealed from me!).

Well, it seems that the mother of one of my niece's classmates had heard from someone else (another classmate) that a death curse had been put upon her daughter, and the girl was now in bed suffering from a nasty bout of flu. This woman, who happens to be a teacher at the school in question, is noted for being, um, "quirky" (aka BatShit Crazy), decided that sorcery was behind the illness and her daughter was DOOMED. Things were said in the staffroom and later on, the Head of Year pulled my niece up about it and asked if she knew anything about curses.
When she claimed to know nothing, the Head told her that an allegation had been made and asked her to write a statement refuting that she had any knowledge or belief in witchcraft, and that no "death curse" had been placed upon the other child. Failing that, she'd be excluded. My niece wrote all this out, and took a photo of the piece, which I've seen, but which is frustratingly out of focus. Certain people are working on it right now to see if it can be sharpened up.
Satisfied, the Head of Year deemed the matter closed.

Then her Dad found out. Now my Bro-in-Law isn't a jolly, happy-go-lucky fellow, but then he's not a shit-kicking hard man either. He's father to 3 teenage girls, so takes no crap from anyone. No likely lad is getting past him standing with folded arms on the doorstep, if he decides they are a wrong 'un.
Well, apparently he steamed straight up to the school and demanded the Head of Year put a stop to all that bollocks there and then. The HoY, a man with a nickname which suggests he is not to be trifled with, duly shat himself and agreed. I have yet to find out what happened to the signed statement, or what the official outcome is.
His next plan was to "speak" to the parents of the kid that made the original allegation, and her chums who backed her up about death curses being lobbed around. He was dissuaded, on the understanding that they stayed away from the niece, along with the crazy teacher.

So, less of a witch-hunt, and more of a HoY trying to placate a shrill teacher/parent, not expecting to be pulled up by an angry father - angry at the potential disruption to exams rather than being accused of being a witch, he doesn't believe in any of that nonsense. I actually feel for the poor guy at school, who would want to be in the middle of bickering teenage girls and an unstable mother?

Now, there is one more aspect to this tale, but it's one which I dare not divulge, in case it identifies anyone. Put it this way, if you are the kind of person who thinks the Amityville Horror is factual, you'd fucking LOVE it. It certainly made me gasp. I may be able to reveal more at some point in the future, but it's a little sensitive, I'm sorry.
 
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Sounds like the mother shouldn't be within a million miles of a school, let alone being employed as a teacher. Clearly depends on how far the parents want to take it and I understand if everyone wants to let the matter rest. I personally would be going to OFSTED and CQC if only to highlight the utter nonsense going on in the school - you never know whether this incident is one of many complaints being covered up. As I suggested above don't bother going down the complaint route of the school/ local authority - you will be wasting irreplaceable hours of your life. Hope your niece can just get on with her life.
 
Just curious, since Britain has a state church, doesn't this affect how such things are handled at school? Provided it's a state-run school, of course.

I'm reminded of how, in our former very Fundamentalist town, the school handbook forbade any kind of "evil" imagery, without bothering to define evil. We were looking forward to calling the ACLU the first moment a kid got thrown out for sketching some Buddhist or Hindu symbol, but luckily the school behaved. The rule about evil imagery was changed to specify death imagery the next year. I'm guessing there were a few complaints about how broadly that rule could be interpreted.
 
Ulalume said:
Just curious, since Britain has a state church, doesn't this affect how such things are handled at school? Provided it's a state-run school, of course.

I'm reminded of how, in our former very Fundamentalist town, the school handbook forbade any kind of "evil" imagery, without bothering to define evil. We were looking forward to calling the ACLU the first moment a kid got thrown out for sketching some Buddhist or Hindu symbol, but luckily the school behaved. The rule about evil imagery was changed to specify death imagery the next year. I'm guessing there were a few complaints about how broadly that rule could be interpreted.
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Not any more. The Church has very little role in schools now. Multi faith etc. The teacher and mother accusing niece of witchcraft needs reporting at the highest level. It's very much a Safeguarding issue. The teacher would appear to have mental health issues and I doubt very much whether this is an isolated one off incident. Hope niece can shrug the matter off.
 
May I briefly say a heartfelt thank you for the good wishes and suggestions proffered in this thread - I have seen them, but have had (and continue to have) little opportunity to acknowledge them while we organise irritating trifles such as having somewhere to live. We've been gratefully couch-surfing, though, so my use of the term 'destitute' may have been a little over-dramatic. But we are certainly currently of No Fixed Abode. However, a couple or three months in the Venice of the North/the Window on the West are next on our list, which is a shift towards the positive in itself, and we will take more concrete steps once there in terms of our psychic hygiene.
 
Krepostnoi said:
May I briefly say a heartfelt thank you for the good wishes and suggestions proffered in this thread - I have seen them, but have had (and continue to have) little opportunity to acknowledge them while we organise irritating trifles such as having somewhere to live. We've been gratefully couch-surfing, though, so my use of the term 'destitute' may have been a little over-dramatic. But we are certainly currently of No Fixed Abode. However, a couple or three months in the Venice of the North/the Window on the West are next on our list, which is a shift towards the positive in itself, and we will take more concrete steps once there in terms of our psychic hygiene.
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Very best of luck mate.
 
Krepostnoi said:
May I briefly say a heartfelt thank you for the good wishes and suggestions proffered in this thread - I have seen them, but have had (and continue to have) little opportunity to acknowledge them while we organise irritating trifles such as having somewhere to live. We've been gratefully couch-surfing, though, so my use of the term 'destitute' may have been a little over-dramatic. But we are certainly currently of No Fixed Abode. However, a couple or three months in the Venice of the North/the Window on the West are next on our list, which is a shift towards the positive in itself, and we will take more concrete steps once there in terms of our psychic hygiene.
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Take care and stay safe.
:grouphug:
 
It's good of you to ask. I wish I could reply that we were now skipping gaily through sunlit upland meadows of alpine flowers, but in fact my elder daughter was in hospital yesterday with a dental emergency, which kind of put dampers on the day we were supposed to be spending with a friend who'd come over specially from Moscow to visit. There is a certain amount of domestic tension, as well: I'm sleeping on the couch tonight. To add the final bathetic touch, it has been the coldest May in Russia for at least a millennium.

I wonder whether that curse-lifting came with a money-back guarantee?
 
Krepostnoi said:
It's good of you to ask. I wish I could reply that we were now skipping gaily through sunlit upland meadows of alpine flowers, but in fact my elder daughter was in hospital yesterday with a dental emergency, which kind of put dampers on the day we were supposed to be spending with a friend who'd come over specially from Moscow to visit. There is a certain amount of domestic tension, as well: I'm sleeping on the couch tonight. To add the final bathetic touch, it has been the coldest May in Russia for at least a millennium.

I wonder whether that curse-lifting came with a money-back guarantee?
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I'm sorry to hear that, Krepostnoi. My best wishes to you and your family.

Take care! :grouphug:
 
You certainly are riding through a rough patch. Chin up, mate. Face to face with life and that worm will turn [/hackneyed cliches]. Strength and honour.
 
Krepostnoi said:
It's good of you to ask. I wish I could reply that we were now skipping gaily through sunlit upland meadows of alpine flowers, but in fact my elder daughter was in hospital yesterday with a dental emergency, which kind of put dampers on the day we were supposed to be spending with a friend who'd come over specially from Moscow to visit. There is a certain amount of domestic tension, as well: I'm sleeping on the couch tonight. To add the final bathetic touch, it has been the coldest May in Russia for at least a millennium.

I wonder whether that curse-lifting came with a money-back guarantee?
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I do hope things improve for you and your family.
 
Krepostnoi said:
It's good of you to ask. I wish I could reply that we were now skipping gaily through sunlit upland meadows of alpine flowers, but in fact my elder daughter was in hospital yesterday with a dental emergency, which kind of put dampers on the day we were supposed to be spending with a friend who'd come over specially from Moscow to visit. There is a certain amount of domestic tension, as well: I'm sleeping on the couch tonight. To add the final bathetic touch, it has been the coldest May in Russia for at least a millennium.

I wonder whether that curse-lifting came with a money-back guarantee?
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Did you end up in Saint Petersburg? Been here for two weeks, one more to go, and have to say it is a beautiful city but the up and down weather is no good. Also feels a lot less safe on the streets than Moscow IMO.

If you didn't reach here, don't let my opinion put you off! Visually, it more than lives up to its Venice of the North tag.

Can't say much for its abilities to break a curse, but a few years back on a similar project in Brazil I felt I had been cursed by a Saci. As the project went on more and more problems grew and I found myself getting into a spiral of belief that every misfortune or set back was due to the curse I believed I had fallen under. Once I got home things improved hugely, the positivity and ability to step out of the spell of belief in any curse is the key.
 
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Best wishes to Krepostnoi, I hope your troubles abate soon. I had a dental emergency two years ago, still suffering some after-effects from that even now. I hope your daughter has more luck than me on that count.
 
Hope everything works out for you Krepostnoi. On a general note I wonder why it is that sometimes in life everything conspires against you . Just had a couple of weeks where everything I got involved in went wrong. Nothing serious or complicated (although I have had series of events like that) but annoying and time consuming. Paypal froze my account because I had the temerity to pay some money in. My bank refused a payment because my "address was wrong" - even though the house has been there 110 years , I have lived there 25 years and the account is 40 years old. I put the wrong bank card in a cash machine and of course it swallowed it because the pin was wrong. Got punctures on two different cars. Children (all adult) had issues and so on. Nothing insurmountable but it would have been easier to have one thing at a time!
 
McAvennie said:
Did you end up in Saint Petersburg? Been here for two weeks, one more to go, and have to say it is a beautiful city but the up and down weather is no good. Also feels a lot less safe on the streets than Moscow IMO.

If you didn't reach here, don't let my opinion put you off! Visually, it more than lives up to its Venice of the North tag.

Can't say much for its abilities to break a curse, but a few years back on a similar project in Brazil I felt I had been cursed by a Saci. As the project went on more and more problems grew and I found myself getting into a spiral of belief that every misfortune or set back was due to the curse I believed I had fallen under. Once I got home things improved hugely, the positivity and ability to step out of the spell of belief in any curse is the key.
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As luck would have it, I read this just as we were getting ready to leave - we ended up spending over two months in St Petersburg. To be precise, just outside, in a small town with the grandiose name of Pushkin, in honour of Russia's Shakespeare. (It used to be called Tsarskoe Selo - Royal Village - because it was the Tsar's summer residence - but that name did not sit well with the arrangements post-1917...) I'm a little surprised to hear you felt it seemed less safe - I've always thought Moscow seemed edgier. Maybe it's the footy fans over for the Confederations Cup or whatever tournament it was. But I agree with you over the weather - it's been the most disappointing Russian summer I've ever experienced.

Thanks, too, to everyone else who has posted their continuing good wishes. It might be of Fortean interest to note that my other half sought intercession at the world's northernmost Buddhist temple just before we left. I had had a couple of job interviews prior to this, and was offered both positions, but not at a rate that would support us. Lo and behold, we were sitting in the departure lounge waiting to board when one of these companies came back to me with a substantially improved offer. So, all being well, I will shortly have gainful employment once again, and the chance to spend a year or so in a city of great cultural wealth, and my children can explore more of their Russian heritage. It might be a little early to be sure, and just in case I shall whisper it, but perhaps our luck might be changing for the better at last.
 
Krepostnoi said:
As luck would have it, I read this just as we were getting ready to leave - we ended up spending over two months in St Petersburg. To be precise, just outside, in a small town with the grandiose name of Pushkin, in honour of Russia's Shakespeare. (It used to be called Tsarskoe Selo - Royal Village - because it was the Tsar's summer residence - but that name did not sit well with the arrangements post-1917...) I'm a little surprised to hear you felt it seemed less safe - I've always thought Moscow seemed edgier. Maybe it's the footy fans over for the Confederations Cup or whatever tournament it was. But I agree with you over the weather - it's been the most disappointing Russian summer I've ever experienced.

Thanks, too, to everyone else who has posted their continuing good wishes. It might be of Fortean interest to note that my other half sought intercession at the world's northernmost Buddhist temple just before we left. I had had a couple of job interviews prior to this, and was offered both positions, but not at a rate that would support us. Lo and behold, we were sitting in the departure lounge waiting to board when one of these companies came back to me with a substantially improved offer. So, all being well, I will shortly have gainful employment once again, and the chance to spend a year or so in a city of great cultural wealth, and my children can explore more of their Russian heritage. It might be a little early to be sure, and just in case I shall whisper it, but perhaps our luck might be changing for the better at last.
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It is probably no more dangerous than any other European city, we are staying in a hotel just off Nevskiy so probably quite obvious as a tourist spot for those inclined to do a bit of mugging. A few of our team have been targeted but personally I've not encountered any trouble. Just my opinion but I did feel safer in Moscow.

SPB has been great though, a little underwhelmed by the Kunstkamera, a little too crowded in the Hermitage, a little frustrated by the Scarlet Sails and a little disappointed I didn't get to Peterhof. Peter & Paul Fortress and Tikhvin Cemetery were unexpected highlights, the numerous bad wax museums and the general views along the river as the sun was finally falling were something else – and of course the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is simply breathtaking. Would like a couple more days without work to explore a bit more but will leave with good memories.

Good to hear things are on the up. Where do you head to now after SPB?
 
Adding some belated extra good vibes, Krepostnoi, and so pleased things seem to be taking a turn for the better. As McAvennie says, sometimes once the negative pattern seems to be broken up - things improve.

Hope your daughter is fine, too. Have been there with a child with a diagnosis that although we were kind of expecting by the time we got it, was still a huge shock to the system. And you're sort of in mourning for the life you thought they were going to have. Even when it's not life-threatening, it's still a period of adjustment.

I know a lot of my pagan friends believe that people who 'ill wish' others end up with a multiple of the crap they wished on you, happening to them.

So pleased for you that things are improving and sounds like you're coming out of curse-time now.
 
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