Some Indian Day To Day Folk Magic (印度民间疗法)

My Indian friends practise many simple day to day folk magic which we may overlook if we are not observant enough when visiting a traditional Indian home. Below are just some common yet simple magical remedies:

 

Cure for bad luck or curses:

 

·         Mix some sea water with cow’s urine in a bowl and then sprinkle the water all over the house during Tuesday, Friday, full moon and new moon.

·         If your livestock or pets frequently fall ill or loss of appetite, then bath the animals with turmeric water.

·         If your business is bad and you suspect it is the working of black magic, then you can put lemon or lime into a clear glass filled with water and put the glass at a conspicuous place. The water must be changed every day and that the lemon must be replaced on every Saturday.

·         If things in your house lost or broken quite often, especially if your electrical appliances; or your light bulbs burst at a regular basis. To remedy this problem, put some color beads or stones in a white bowl and hide it at a quiet corner.

·         If your baby likes to cry out loud at night or if the baby feels agitated after someone visited your house; then hold a pinch of salt in your palm and move your palm around the baby’s head three times clockwise and anti-clockwise. After that the salt is dissolved into a glass of water and then solution is poured into flowing water.

·         If your children suffer from constant stomachache and you suspect that it might the working of black magic, then you must take small amount of sand in the street and mix it with mustard seed powder. Then apply the mixture onto your children’s stomach. After that, recollect the mixture and burn it in fire. It is believed that by doing so, the black magic workings shall be burnt off as well.

·         If you believe that you are besieged by misfortune, bad luck or jobless, then it is best to keep an aquarium in the south side of your living room.

·         If a pregnant lady wants to ward off evil spirits or black magic, then she should bring along 2~3 pieces of need tree leaves when she leaves the house. After she returns home, she must burn the neem leaves.

·         If you are a speaker or a teacher who depends on speaking to earn a living and that you suffer from constant throat problems, then this might be someone who has cast a black magic on you. To remedy this, take a twig of Peepal tree (ficus religiosa) and tie it on top of your main door. After that take another twig, break it into 3 pieces and keep them in your pocket.

·         If you suspect that someone has put a separation spell between you and your wife, then keep some dry roast alum, red chili, green chili or a large sea shell and lemon near your bed.

 

Then and again, modern Indian friends might not follow such practices. If you have more folk magic to add; then please kindly let me know.