A hex is a spell, or sigil if you go by the Pennsylvania Dutch Hexen system, I can hex someone in a simple off handed manner. “May you meet someone like yourself” “I hope one day you have kids that act just like you” Or in a more formal way, with carefully chosen words, herbs, stones, energy rising and releasing. A hex in the sense most of us use causes annoyance to someone. A hex in the Pennsylvania Dutch system is a symbol painted on a barn or house, or made in to a quilt to provide protection.
A curse is a punishment. They are formal. Curses are meant to stick to the person or persons for long periods of time, they can cause damage financially, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, depending on how the caster set up the curse.
I find curses to be the common jump to ailment for many on the paths. We have all seen them in public chat talking about how they have a run of bad luck so they must be cursed. More than likely someone hexed or jinxed them. Most of the stuff in television, movies, and books is more of a hex than a curse.
I think far less people curse than we want to believe. Most people hex someone who has upset them. Curses are, well to me anyway, reserved for those who do terrible things. From what I have found on true curses, based on my definition above, most people are not experienced enough to cast a curse that will work or stick for any length of time. Also, those old family curses that happened hundreds of years ago are doubtful. I believe that the magic one casts in their life ends at their death if not before. Most spells work in a few weeks of being cast. They work for a time and if not reinforced dwindle to nothing. If someone cast a spell and died two days later, I believe the spell will linger for a few weeks and end because it is not reinforced.
I might be willing to hex the person that cuts me off in traffic, but I have, as of this point, found no reason to curse anyone.
What I believe is that Hex and Curses are mostly the same in their definitions. Yes, I also believe you can harm others with either one you choose to label it as. Harming someone to the point of death? I believe it is so can happen if the Will is strong enough with the strong intent to do so. The other side of the coin instead of using a curse for malediction purposes there is also a way to use them in a benediction ways.
