Hine's view resonated with me: he held the opinion that there are times when cursing someone to let your anger out, when there is no other way of doing so, is preferable to letting it roil inside your own body. More importantly, cursing should be done with even-headed consideration, not particularly because of a belief in karmic/cosmic laws, but because one should think more strongly about where their morals are in general, and think critically about any decision they want to make.
My first real exposure to a curse that I took rather seriously was in Genesis, wherein the Lord declares to Adam, Eve, and the Serpent what will befall them for their unified 'transgression'. His words are, obviously, quite powerful, including one phrase I remember because it stuck with me: "You [Adam] will strike at his head, and he [the Serpent] will strike at your heel".
Other curses that I have studied in the past include some work done by practitioners of hoodoo, and the Evil Eye as it "occurs" in South Asian religious traditions. What is interesting about the concept of the Evil Eye is that, by possessing or displaying your prosperity, you attract misfortune through the eyes of those who may envy you.
Do I have much use for curses? No, but I sometimes get interesting thoughts about how one could do them. I had an understanding, early on, that someone must believe they are being cursed in order for it to affect them -- and Hine addresses this in his lecture, if only to partially refute it. Still, inducing paranoia in someone else is kind of a curse in and of itself. And, to fuel that paranoia, even subtly, has a way of strengthening this 'metaphysical' phenomena.
How would one do this? Carefully -- choosing one's words carefully, or doing things in a synchronous fashion -- it all depends on how familiar people are with curses in general. I would make them ask questions -- what has "power" in this curse? What is being cursed, that I must avoid? Other things can work, as well. Pictures, for example, that suggest something, subtly.
Subtlety.
Of course, actual curses take actual magick-work, don't they? (Don't they?) If I ever write some, I probably won't share them here, but rest assured that I'll listen to Phil Hine's advice first and foremost, if not avoid them altogether.
Relevant Links:
Wikipedia Article on Curses -- a good read!
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