East Slavic spells and charms vary according to their purpose, but all are subject to certain rules in casting them. For starters, they must be whispered or at least said so that no one else hears them. The person casting the spell must have all of his teeth so that the force of his words is not lost. He also cannot smoke or drink, but must have a clean body and strong will. Nor can he charm or curse someone for money. And there is no room for improvisation - neither additions nor subtractions from the original text. If it's a nasty spell, it must be cast on black days (Monday or Friday). If it's a nice one - Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. But the real strength of the remedy or curse lies in the power of the thoughts of the one who invokes it.
An ancient spell against male impotency
(Utter over three cuts of salo, and with that same salo rub your male member and sleep your fill in the old axle, the familiar hole): Seventy-Seven veins, seven and seventy joints - may all act and all possess and straight will your member stand. (The spell can also be uttered over a branch, which is doused in water three times before the water is drunk.)
A charm cast by a warrior before battle
I, Igor, will five times mark the bows, pikes and other instruments of war held by any fighter, unfaithful and unkind. Yee marks, block the paths and ways of fighters. Remove their pikes, confound their bows, and entangle their instruments of war. So that the fighters may not strike, that their arrows not reach me in flight, that no instrument of war not harm me. In my marks is power all powerful, strong serpentine strength, masked from the serpent of ten and two heads, from the terrible serpent which flew from ocean to sea, from the island of Buyan, from the honey hut of that serpent which killed ten and two giants beneath ten and two oaks.
A charm to ward off drunkenness
Oh Hops and Vine, take leave of Ivan, take yee to dark woods, where no body roams, no steed stirs and no birds alights. Hops and Vine, take yee to a fleet running stream, on which no body rows. Take leave of Ivan and wend your way by tempestuous winds, go yee hither by wind. Attach yourself to an evil one, who thinks evil thoughts of Ivan, to him that does no good attach yee - yet rid me of thy ills forever more.
A spell to separate young lovers
As our Mother the River Volga flows swiftly, as sands seeps with sands, as bush intertwines with bush, so may not Vasyl match with Olga, not in flesh nor in love, neither in youth nor with age. As in a dark dungeon or pen for pigs, a young head of hair cannot co-habitate with a long-lived one. And eyes bulging wide, may Olga say unto him, Vasyl, that a young head of hair cannot co-habitate with a long-lived one. As a cat cannot with a cur, a cur with a wolverine, so may it be with Vasyl and Olga, no agreement in day or night, neither morning nor noon nor dusk - for my word is firm."
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