The Secrets of Obeah – The Lazy man’s guide to the occult
By Mario Bonas
A few a years ago we had the privilege of purchasing a new home. After a short period of indecision and disappointment, despite the competitive market we were able to find one that suited our needs. Today we continue to enjoy its spaciousness and practical amenities. During the shopping period while speaking to real estate agents and home owners I jokingly asked among the litany of homeowner questions whether the occupants had ever witnessed any paranormal activity inside the home. Both parties would normally chuckle at my random attempt at humour through acerbic wit. And after a momentary guffaw or in some cases awkwardness subsided, through my jittery inquisitiveness I would reiterate a deadpanned, “No but seriously, is it haunted?” Nervous tension ensued as I cleared my throat. While none of the suitors took me seriously it was a question I really didn’t want an answer to. Needless to say, weeks after, we had settled into our new home and began our course towards making it comfortable and customized, or so I thought.
On weekday mornings my wife is busy with the routine of preparing the kids for school and getting ready for work. This particular morning she was shepherding the kids through the morning regiment of teeth brushing, getting dressed and morning breakfast. To her surprise on that morning one of the kids found it amusing to engage in a game of hide and seek. Poking his head around the corner was, who she thought, her son hiding at the foot of the stair case, only both of her real kids were in their rooms getting ready – oblivious to the aberrant visitor. That was the first time. Yet, I was unflinching and resolute in my response to this as a morning hallucination. It was only on the second occasion when her visiting father, startled by the sound of little footsteps, saw the same little boy running down the stairs of the house. This gave me pause as neither of our kids were home at the time. Still in denial I tried to soothe my own faltering poise by providing my best rational explanations - they were both either playing a trick on me or that hallucinogenic traits ran in their family genes. I remained steadfast in my efforts to avoid any mention of these stories and I hoped they would all just go away. For the moment I believed they did.
Consequently, unbeknownst to me, my wife and father in law had sought the services of a “holistic or metaphysical healer” and covertly turned our house into a Lutheran Orthodox mas! In an attempt to cleanse the house, together they recited prayers, burned bundles of sage through-out the house and buried amethyst stones at the four corners of the property. Apparently the remedy to ridding the house of unwanted adolescent spirits requires the burning of a staple cooking herb and burying rocks around the yard to somehow usher this lost little boy on his way to his empyrean destination. If you detect any facetiousness in my tone it is not by pretense. Let me explain. I have never seen or heard anything in my life that I could not explain or trust as the workings of nature or science. Although tangentially, I can expand on other strange occurrences I have heard over the years from others, who have described; objects defying gravity, sightings of little hooded monks, apparitions of petti-coated old women, shape-shifters, orbs and yes the stir of tiny footsteps of little children. But I have had experiences with the practice of spiritual healing, only I knew them by a more ensorcelled term we in the West Indies call Obeah.
In the passage to the shores of the West Indies and the new world via the slave trade, Africans were part of a syncretism of cultures that was comprised of mostly West Africans from various subgroups like the Igbo, Bini, Odinani, Malinke and Ibibio (Moko) each with their own religious practices. Despite being forced to abandon their languages, cultures and religions, under wrought iron bondage the practices of mysticism and black magic managed to survive; probably their only means of unity, reprisal or hope. It is believed that Obeah and similarly Voodoo, (a more structured service of worship) were used conspiratorially to fight against colonialism and inspire rebellions against slave masters. It is said that the strong belief in Obeah brought unease to plantation owners and slave owners since besides the fire of carbine and flesh splitting bull whips, it was only the sorcery of Obeah the slaves feared the most. Obeah was arguably later strengthened by influences in the new world through the integration of Christian doctrine, superstition introduced by European colonials and the knowledge of secret hallucinogenic properties of botanical life on the islands acquired from indigenous Arawak and Carib. The serpent also referred to as Ob or (Aub) as per the etymology of Obeah, can be traced back to Ancient Egypt. According to the bible Moses warned the Israelites to be mindful of the demon Ob, which translated from the bible means sorcerer.
As a child I was very familiar with this term Obeah that was used mostly as I knew it, to describe witch craft and evil. I’m reminded of my grandmother who provided lodging to a woman who had been stricken by the sorcery of a village Obeah woman who raised her ire. I overheard stories of Obeah practices being used to keep thieves away, or retard the success of a farming rival's crops or stimy business earnings. A few pinches of grave dirt put in the shoes of a nemesis under a waning moon would bring imminent sickness. Motivated Obeah practitioners would sprinkle beads in the path of their enemies, or spike fruits that would cause their targeted victims to break out in malignant sores or incurable itching, or other mysterious afflictions that would leave them bed ridden and in worst cases death. The Rosary pea also known as Jumbee bead in Trinidad are distinctive looking red and black seeds that are highly toxic if eaten. As history would have it, they were secretly grown by slaves and used against their unsuspecting slave masters. The term Jumbee, in the islands as a whole, is generically used to represent all malevolent entities. In my island of Trinidad the Moko Jumbee, is a colorfully dressed masked dancer on stilts who has been popularized in folklore and the Carnival festival as the protector of the people. According to Wikipedia Moko derives from the Kongo and the Maasi people and is translated as “the diviner”. The Moko Jumbee dancer has also been incorporated into Obeah practices and often identified as the face of the macabre. Other tools of their trade include, animal viscera, human hair, packets of herbs, amulets, roots hung from walls, calabash bowls of teeth, animal bones, playing cards, citrus peels, camphor (soft candle) and folded letters wrapped in string inscribed with names, birthdays and addresses. One of my favorite anecdotes is the Obeah doctor’s practice of swiping the water out of a dog’s eye to inherit the power to summon the dead or employ other necromantic devices. Be it revenge, jealousy, envy or wickedness in the West Indies Obeah is still seen as a viable weapon used by jilted lovers and quarrelling neighbours to exact retribution or see the future. Calypso Monarch champion Terry Lyons said it best in her song "Obeah".
“Granny say girl you have to guard you life
Some people out there them ent really nice
As soon as you get a little bit a success
Dem smiling at you but inside they really vex
So, you have to protect yourself and be covered
Because your happiness to them is a bother
So they cocking their ear to hear you business
So they know how much potion they need to mix
Because they wokin’ Obeah. Obeah. Watch dem!
They find in life yuh get tings too easy
Opportunities and making good money
So instead of working hard for they’re own bread
They rather use obeah and get your life instead!
Cuz they wokin’ Obeah, Obeah. Watch dem!”
While it is difficult to prove whether Obeah has any real effect, it remains entrenched in all parts of the West Indies. To many Obeah is a real phenomenon more so because those who practice it believe in its transcendent powers. To understand the mystique behind the practice of Obeah one would have to examine the broader history of man and his struggles through-out the ages to survive amidst adversities, like disease, famine, war and competition over scarce resources. In bad times and misfortune, people historically looked to the magic of the shaman, bush-men and witch doctors to conjure god-like powers to apply spells to change their circumstances. It conversely has been the scapegoat of bad luck, disease, poverty and death. Often mistaken as clairvoyance the true magic of Obeah lies in clever deception and the use of pseudoscience to beguile unwitting help seekers at their most vulnerable time. Much like the willing charlatan or mountebank the Obeah man knows best that, the fear of the unknown, the power of belief and the formidable expertise of plants and their abilities to heal and harm are the essential ingredients to the architectural helix of Obeah.
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