March 13, 2010

Bakanfulo

(Kongo) – a nganguelero’s assistant, a sort of “right hand man”.
A bakanfulo knows the major palo rituals and assists the head priest with initiations, keeping an eye on ritual participants (especially those who have gone intro trance states) to make sure they don’t hurt themselves.
If the head priest becomes possessed, it is the bakanfula’s job [...]

On Vengeance and Black Magic

V

People attack me all the time because they are jealous, but I never worry about who they are. I don’t need to know, as long as the spirits know.
If you do a ritual to remove black magic from yourself, wait and see who falls. Who breaks their leg and loses their job? Whose wife leaves [...]

On Witchcraft and Being a Witchdoctor

Baracoa

You need to believe in three things to be a good witchdoctor – Yourself, yourself, and yourself.
If you want problems in your life, help people.
When you help sick people, be sure to make an offering to San Lazaro for protection. When sick people get better, they usually betray you.
Don’t look for clients. Be a magnet [...]

On Women, Love and Sex

IMG_7482

Nothing you do for love can be wrong.
See this white shell? It looks like a pussy. If you throw it into the riverbed, it will make more shells. In the same way, pussy makes more pussy. Life makes life, and death makes death.
Pussy was the Apple in the Garden of Eden.
Sex is better than masturbation, [...]