J.M. Hamade

Lecture & Workshop Host

LECTURE: Al-Ayn Al-Kohl : The Jinn, Blackened Botanicals, and the Evil Eye
Perhaps one of the greatest historical ironies is the emergence of the word alcohol and its distillation process from cultures who have forbidden its consumption since the beginnings of Islam. The history of Al-Kohl, Kuhul, Kajal, or the black substances lining the eyes of Ancient Egyptians onwards, is no less strange, as it shares the same alchemical root as these intoxicating ‘spirits.’ As the Book of Enoch states, these technologies were first taught to humans by the fallen angel Azazel, another name for Iblis or the Rogue Prince of the rebellious tribes of the Jinn. We should not be startled by this shared lineage, as the mutual arts of seduction and intoxication have long walked hand in hand.

Focusing on the -now almost ubiquitous- notion of the Evil Eye, this lecture will cover a brief history of it alongside its Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian (ME*NA*SA) materia magica; including contemporary Evil Eye luminaries like camphor, bluing/añil/indigo, and eye liner Kuhul’s Saturnine retinue of lead-laden minerals and charred botanicals. Alongside ‘The Eye’ more broadly we will explore these shared origins within alcohol distillation, plant alchemy, Ancient Egyptian eye magic, and the mysterious world of the Jinn; the hidden and banished race whose gaze naturally carries the malignant eye, those who are born of the Verdant Mountain, and whose eclipsing star blinks in their name ‘Al-Ghul,’ still to this moment linked with the man-eating qualities of alcohol.

WORKSHOP: Distillation of the Pupil from the Eye: Practical Esoteric Explorations of the Evil Eye Talisman
1.5 HOUR INTENSIVE– space is limited to 16 participants

Using a variety of associated botanical and mineral beings in combination with traditional amulets, this workshop will explore Evil Eye talisman creation through a shared legacy with alcohol distillation, Saturnian eye liner, Islamic magical lore, and Ancient Egyptian eye magic. In particular, we will focus on the primary botanical allies in the magics of the Eye, including but not limited to camphor, indigo, and citrus. Every participant will leave with a unique Evil Eye talisman that they have created alongside these same principles.

$35 workshop add on fee
$10 materials fee
*Materials fee paid to J.M. at time of workshop

BIO: J.M. Hamade (starnightdwell) (they/them) is an interdisciplinary artist, independent researcher/scholar, writer, diviner, and educator based in New York City. Their work bridges contemporary creative modalities with archaic forms of knowing, magical practice, and esotericism. The investigation and experimental application of talismanic art forms is at the forefront of their work.

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