Some people wake up and choose jewelry based on the outfit they’re wearing. I’m not one of those people. There is one piece I wear every single day, no matter what. One thing I never take off. One thing that has become so much a part of me that my wrist feels strange without it.

My evil eye bracelet.

I have always believed in mal de ojo. Growing up in a Dominican household, it is one of those cultural truths that you absorb long before you ever question it. The idea that people can consciously or subconsciously wish you harm. That envy has a weight. That someone’s negative thoughts can sit on your skin like a shadow. Even if they say it with a smile. Even if they pretend it isn’t there.

Some people hear that and roll their eyes.
But people who know… they know.

Life is already hard. There are bills, deadlines, family stress, grief, expectations, and the general chaos of just trying to be a functioning adult. I do not need anyone else’s negative energy sitting on top of all that. I am tired enough on my own. I am fighting my own battles. I cannot afford to carry someone else’s bitterness, jealousy, or bad intentions like a backpack full of rocks.

So I wear my evil eye bracelet like armor.

It is not flashy.
It is not for aesthetics.
It is for protection.

Every time I catch a glimpse of it when I am typing or washing my hands, I feel grounded. I feel watched over. I feel guarded. It reminds me that spiritual protection is just as important as emotional and physical protection. It reminds me that I am allowed to shield myself. I am allowed to create boundaries. I am allowed to say “not today” to anyone’s negativity.

People talk about cleansing their homes, cleansing their thoughts, cleansing their timelines. I love that. Cleansing is important. But protection is what keeps you from needing to cleanse constantly.

Some of us carry too much already.
Some of us are too sensitive to energy.
Some of us attract people who drain us.
Some of us are natural healers who others cling to.
Some of us feel the weight of mal de ojo even if no one explains it.

What is Mal de Ojo?

Mal de ojo, or the evil eye, is one of the oldest and most widespread spiritual beliefs across Latin America, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and parts of the Middle East. If you grew up in a Dominican, Puerto Rican, Mexican, or broader Latine household, chances are you heard about it before you ever understood what it meant. It’s something our grandmothers and mothers warned us about long before we had the language for energy, intuition, or spiritual boundaries.

At its core, mal de ojo is the belief that someone’s envy, jealousy, or negative intention can harm you, even if they never say it out loud. It can be conscious or subconscious. Someone might not even realize they’re sending that energy your way, but you feel it. You absorb it. You carry it.

People who believe in mal de ojo see envy not just as an emotion but as a force.

A force that sticks to the body.
A force that drains your spirit.
A force that creates headaches, tiredness, bad luck, or emotional heaviness.
A force that babies and highly sensitive people are especially vulnerable to.

That is why so many Latine families place red bracelets or amulets on newborns. It is why abuelas pray over us. It is why we cleanse, sage, sweep, pray, salt-bath, rosary, and call on God and ancestors in the same breath.

What the Evil Eye Bracelet Does

This bracelet is my reminder that I deserve spiritual safety.
It is my reminder that not all connections are good ones.
It is my reminder that intuition is a real thing and should be honored.

Wearing my evil eye every day feels like claiming my space.
It feels like telling the universe, “I am here, I am trying, and I am protecting my peace with intention.”

If you have a charm, object, or symbol that protects you, I hope this challenge inspires you to honor it. Wear it proudly. Use it intentionally. Let it be your shield when the world gets heavy.

Because life is too hard to also carry other people’s negative energy.
And you deserve protection.
You deserve peace.
You deserve to move through your day without spiritual interference.

This is your reminder that your magic matters.
And so does your protection.