A 5-Minute Evil Eye Removal Ritual I've Used for Years — And It Actually Works

You know the feeling. One day everything is fine, and then — nothing dramatic happens, but suddenly you're exhausted for no reason, small things keep going wrong, an argument starts out of nowhere, or you just feel heavy. Often it starts right after a compliment, a gathering, or a moment where a lot of eyes were on you.

In India, we have a name for this: nazar. Buri nazar. The evil eye.

Before we go further, an honest note: not everything is nazar, and I'm not here to tell you it is. If something feels physically wrong, see a doctor first — always. But if you've ruled that out and the heaviness still doesn't add up, doesn't have a clear cause, and started right after a lot of attention or a big gathering — that's usually when people in Indian households reach for a ritual like this instead of waiting it out.

One more honest note: this isn't the traditional salt-circling or rai-mirchi method you may have grown up watching a grandparent do. This is the version I personally developed and have used for years — on myself, and on people I love — and it has never once failed to lift the weight. It's meant to be done alone, on yourself, whenever you need it.

This isn't a list of twelve things you could try. It's the one thing I actually do, in order, every time.

What You'll Need

The good news is you don’t need anything you don’t already have around the house:

1.      A candle – I use Radiate’s Evil Eye Protection Candle, which is infused with Jasmine, Sandalwood and Loban (Frankincense) – ingredients that have been used in Indian tradition for centuries to clear negative energy and purify the mind and space. If you don’t have this, you can use any scented candle, incense, sage or camphor.
2. Bowl of water
3. Salt
4. Pen and paper
5. A heat-resistant plate
6. Match sticks
7. A quiet place
8. Your journal (not mandatory)

Step 1: Cleanse the Space and Centre Yourself

Find a comfortable place to sit where you won't be disturbed. Light your candle and say an intention: “I am calm, centered a

nd protected”. Allow the scent to fill the room.

Stir the salt into your bowl of water. Stir as you imagine all your stress, all your heaviness dissolving into it. Keep the bowl close to you.

Now close your eyes and take a few slow, deep breaths. With each one, imagine yourself surrounded by clean white light. If it helps, play something calming in the background — I personally play Om chanting while I do this.

Step 2: Set Your Intention

When you are calm, take out your paper and pen and write down what you want to let go of.

What has been troubling you, a person, a thought, a habit you keep falling into? What beliefs are you holding on to that no longer serve you? What worries are going through your head and holding you back? What do you want to welcome in instead – clarity, peace, an opportunity, a relationship? Is there something you would like to get out of your life — a bad situation, a draining person/boss, a string of bad luck?

Write as much or as little as you need to.

If you don’t know where to begin, here is the affirmation I use myself:

“Dear Universe, on this day of [date] I, [name], release all things that are holding me back from my goals, my desires, and my purpose. Now I release all thoughts, habits and energy that no longer serve me. Any tie or influence that is not for my highest good is unwanted and must now go away from me. I release all the energy that drains me and let go of all negativity around me. I reclaim my energy from all that has dimmed my light. I welcome love, peace and abundance. I ask that all negativity around me, my loved ones and my home be lifted. I am safe, I am loved, I am protected. So be it. So be it."

Step 3: Release and Seal With Thanks

Once you've written it all down, read it aloud — slowly, like you mean it. Let the words carry weight.

A quick safety note: do this in a well ventilated place, away from curtains, paper or anything flammable and do not leave the burning paper or candle alone.

Take a deep breath and fold the paper away from you once, and burn it with the flame of your candle (or a matchstick, or just tear it into small pieces if you can't burn it where you are). As it burns, notice how the heaviness lifts.

Wash your hands Pour the salt water and the ashes into running water (a sink is fine) Notice how much lighter you feel for a moment.

Step 4: Introspection and Journaling (Optional)

This can bring up more than you expect — sometimes we don't realise how much we've been carrying until we start putting it into words. Give yourself a few minutes to just sit with it, or meditate if that feels right.

You can open your journal and write about how you feel if you like. It doesn't need to make sense or follow any structure , just get it out.

Take as long as you need. When you are ready to close, gently thank the universe and think of someone you love or a memory that makes you smile.

I promise — you'll feel lighter after this. Every single time I do it, I do.

When to Do This Ritual

You can do this ritual whenever you feel the need — there is no rule that says you must wait. But in Indian households, certain days are traditionally selected for clearing heavy or negative energy, as different days are thought to carry different kinds of energy.

Tuesday — A day for Lord Hanuman and ruled by Mars (Mangal), Tuesday has fierce, active, protective energy. Cleansing on this day is traditionally for breaking sudden jealousy, anger, fierce competition or sharp personal conflict.

Saturday — Dedicated to Shani Dev, Saturday governs karmic influences, long-standing delays, and deep-rooted obstacles. This is the day to turn to for long-standing bad luck, sudden drains of money or heaviness that has been hanging around for a while.

Time of day: Many households prefer doing this just as the sun sets — the period known as Pradosh Kaal — or right before nightfall.

Full moon and new moon (Purnima and Amavasya) are also considered especially powerful for release work in Indian tradition — Purnima for letting go of what's been building up, Amavasya for a deeper reset.

If you've come here searching for "portal days" — Lion's Gate (8/8), the equinoxes, solstices, or dates like 1/1/1 — you're not wrong that these are considered high-energy globally. But long before these terms existed, Indian tradition had its own version of this: Tuesday, Saturday, Purnima, and Amavasya. This ritual has been rooted in that for years, and it's the version that's actually worked for me.

How often should you do this?

There's no fixed rule. I do this whenever I feel that familiar heaviness returning — sometimes once a month, sometimes only a handful of times a year. Let how you feel be the guide, not a calendar.

If you'd rather skip the improvising and want everything made for this exact ritual, the Evil Eye Protection Candle is infused with the same Jasmine, Sandalwood, and Loban blend used above — or go all in with the Evil Eye Protection Gift Set, or keep the protection going daily with the Evil Eye Wax Sachet.