The sages warned against the dangers caused by witchcraft and stated that a man should not walk between two dogs, two palm trees, or two women, nor should any of these walk between two men. Some also say that pigs and snakes are included in the warning. If something happened, if a man was not careful and walked between two of these, how can he be saved from the danger of sorcery which threatens him? Answer: “G-d brings them out of Egypt…For there is no sorcery against Jacob, nor any divination against Israel. It now must be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘Oh, what hath wrought G-d'” (Number 23:22-23). Through this verse, which shows that the Children of Israel will not be influenced by sorcery and which begins and ends with G-d , one who passes between two witches who mean him harm will be saved. If a woman who has just begun to menstruate passes between two men, she causes the men to die. If she is nearly through menstruating, she causes a quarrel between them. What should these two men do to be saved? They should say the verses mentioned above. If two women are sitting on opposite sides of the street, facing each other, it is supposed that they are busy with witchcraft. What should a man who must pass between them do? If he can follow a different path he should, but if he cannot he should wait for another man. They should hold hands and while passing between the woman switch hands. If he cannot find another man he should pass between the women and then say “The demons whose names are Agrat, Azalta, Asya, Belusya were killed by arrows.” When a man meets a woman coming out of the mikveh, on her way to fulfill the commandment to have sexual relations with her husband, if he has sexual relations with his wife before the woman he met has sexual relations with her husband, he will be seized by a spirit of licentiousness. If the woman he met has sexual relation with her husband before the man has with his wife, the spirit of licentiousness will take hold of her. How can one be saved from this spirit of licentiousness? He should recite the verse “He pours contempt on princes, and causes them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way” (Psalms 107:40).
(Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Pesachim 111a)