In the borough of Brooklyn in New York City, in a small room with chalkboard walls and dark floors, detractors of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh gathered on Saturday to observe and perform a hex in the hope that it would cause him to suffer.
If Dakota Bracciale, co-owner of Catland Books, where the hex was hosted, could write the headline for the event, it would read as follows, "Witches gather to weather the storm, take no s**t and do all the harm."
"If [the hex] causes suffering and harm and trouble and chaos and mayhem for anyone in the GOP, I'm happy," Bracciale told Newsweek.
As attendees entered a side room of the occult shop where spell classes and hexes are held. They were met by the centerpiece of the event, an altar designed by Bracciale. Adorning the wooden altar were candles, figurines, antlers and three effigies—President Donald Trump, Kavanaugh and "f**k face [Mitch McConnell]," to use Bracciale's own words.
Outside, Christian protesters chanted Bible verses and urged nonbelievers to come to Jesus and turn away from wickedness. Inside, the group's collective "ohm" attempted to drown out the prominent Christian voices for the ritual's opening prayer.
Bracciale called to the gods for protection because the "most vulnerable among us are under threat," and asked for aid in bringing down "evil men."
"Foster within us bravery and cloak us in armor as we face an enemy who seems insurmountable," Bracciale continued over the hum of the room. "Keep us safe as we work against a terrible machine.… So it is and so it will be."
Throughout the ritual, Bracciale invited attendees to participate, making sure to clarify that they should only do so if they were comfortable and offering the option to "ohm" instead. Psalm 109 was read as a group, which Bracciale said was appropriate given that it was used by Christians to denounce former President Barack Obama.
Howls, shouts and foot stomping reverberated against the walls as Bracciale proclaimed, "I will have my justice even if I have to face your jealous God, look Him in his eye and walk backward into Hell."
Rows of chairs lined the front, back and side of the room and attendees were invited up to the altar section by section to write the names of individuals they wished to hex on slips of paper. Names were placed in vases and covered with a variety of substances including graveyard dirt, coffin nails, water from a thunderstorm and urine.
On the night of the dark moon, Bracciale will continue to burn dark candles over the vases every month until justice has been served and those included in the hex have paid for what they've done.
During the event, Bracciale clanked two wooden blocks together and repeatedly led the chanting of the Latin words written on the chalkboard wall above the altar, "Lavetur in nobis sanguis tyrranus." Translated to, "We bathe in the blood of the tyrant," the declaration grew louder with each ensuing chorus.
The goal of the hex is to cause suffering, but Bracciale told Newsweek that aside from that, the night would be considered a success if people walk away with a feeling of hope, knowing "we can fight tooth and nail and really see this thing through."
"If [attendees] come in beat up and leave with a renewed hope and a fire in their belly then I'll know I did my job," Bracciale added.
As far as Kavanaugh goes, Bracciale explained there's nothing the justice can do to change the feeling many hold with regard to him having a seat on the Supreme Court.
"I don't for a second shelter a hope within me that he would ever have some change of heart and become a human being," Bracciale said.
While some have expressed concern that a Conservative-majority on the Supreme Court could put legislation affecting Roe v. Wade and LGBTQ rights at risk, Bracciale has a larger fear, a stall in progress.
"I would feel better if they just showed their true colors and were hardcore extremists but if they do play the middle way, it actually could be more harmful to any future progress people are trying to make," Bracciale told Newsweek.
Bracciale's looking forward to the midterm with the hope that the Democrats will take back the majority and have the chance to investigate the Supreme Court justice's financial history, his possible connection to Russia and potential that he's a political operative.
"I think that's what we want to have exposed," Bracciale said. "Not just that he's a total creep and a sham of a human being but that he does not by rights actually deserve and is inherently ineligible for the seat that he has on the bench."
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jenni Fink is a senior editor at Newsweek, based in New York. She leads the National News team, reporting on ... Read more
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