Cyrilmagazine: For a curse to be effective, does it have to be publicly stated or can it be secretly devised?

JC: I believe the person or persons cursed has to know about it. That will engage the self-destructive aspects of his or her imagination and nature. Occultists will tell you that it is better that the individual cursed does not know but I am not convinced of that. As I said, I think it takes two to make an effective curse.

Cyrilmagazine: Giles Corey cursed the sheriff of Essex county, as well as Salem, itself. Did any other victims of the Salem witchcraft craze of 1692 curse their tormenters or the village?

JC: Yes, in the introduction to the book I mentioned a few examples. My favorite is the story of Sarah Good cursing Rev. Nicholas Noyes. She said if he proceeded with the hanging God would give him blood to drink. Apparently he died of an internal hemorrhage, drowned in his own blood. Interestingly, my editor on the "Cursed" book was a descendant of the good Rev. Noyes. I told her she'd better treat me nicely . . .