Witchcraft: A thread, based on oral tradition and detailed research

1/ Witchcraft has always been regarded as an integral part of African tradition/s. That though could be due to peoples ignorance in failing to separate traditional rituals and rites from witchcraft, lets dive in

2/ Definition: Witchcraft is a manifestation of mystical forces that may be inherent in a person or acquired in various ways, (Mbiti, 1991). Witchcraft is only detected once its nature is fully revealed.

Note, jealousy, hatred, envy, and greed usually fuel negative evil forces

3/ Process :

Some are born witches, some acquire the skills while others are forced into it. It takes a Witch to make a Witch. Someone who is possessed has the potential to be one and usual the most dangerous of witches are those possessed by evil spirits, these know no bounds

4/ There is also a belief that one can be initiated through medicine inserted into incisions (Uhlanga) on specific parts of the body. The older the incision the more apt the witch.

To understand this realize that people of old believed mainly in the existence of good/bad forces

5/ Witches use the bad spirits to further their personal ambitions, mainly fed by greed and other vile personal traits. Witches seek to harm and to counter this evil, traditional healers as mediums of good spirits fight back, to establish balance and dominance of the good...

6/ Many families would take young children to Traditional Doctors ukuyaqiniswa (to be strengthened) and be welcomed in the land of the 'living dead', and to have good forces watching out for the kid. Nowadays this practice has been discarded mostly in favor of Christian rites

Our African Tradition has rites of passage at any stage of an individual's progression in life from birth to the afterlife (ukubuyisa). These rites are meant to protect the individual and ask the living and the ancestors (the good spirits) to watch over and bless the individual

7/ Attack: Witches may attack by digging relics into the ground or path of the intended victim, they may send bats, bees, or even just say incantations against your name. It is important to mention witches usually or mostly attack those in their bloodline or social interactions!

8/ Familiars: Witches as everyone else need to move from point A to B and as such have been known to use animals, beings, or relics they have subjugated. Namely, isambane (wombela) is preferred due to its digging skills (to retrieve corpses). Baboons and humans are used as well.

9/ It gets REAL: Most humans (Izothamlilo) who are used as Kombis by witches do not know this, but they usually work up tired and without the faintest idea of what would have transpired. We may have heard these stories, in which case that individual certainly needs cleansing

10/ Disguise: Witches also use donkeys, hyenas, and dogs. Often times when they sense danger they turn into these animals, so next time you see a group of donkeys at night in an unusual way, RUN!As dogs, the main witch is usually the bigger of the dogs and takes center stage

11/ Warning: Sighting of these witches to one who is not strong may lead to illness or some anomaly. Whichever case it always comes as a warning, because either your ancestors are opening your eyes so you change your ways, but certainly, you have to take action..

12/ Messengers: Witches are also in the habit of sending Owls, Umkhona, Undofa, Ululwane, and Umgobho.

OWLS - when an owl hoots near a hut, it is not a good sign. More owls hooting might mean nothing, but it is certainly not a coincidence. As such most people do not like owls

13/ UMGOBHO-it is believed snakes, may do tasks on behalf of the witches including stealing goods, herding cattle, and watering crops. On snakes, these creatures need to be fed, for them to continue being familiars! They are not fed on usual rats and worms, but milk, blood etc..

14/ On the SNAKE things get crazy and hinge on SATANISM a whole concept whose basis is religion. When tradition gets manipulated by these evil spirits, nature gets altered and we begin to see in the physical, things not known to humans..Imkhoba, Undofa, and other weird creatures

15/ When the Witch goes on their errands they usually leave a familiar (in some cases, snake) sleeping with their partner, who in most cases does not know what is happening. The Snakes appear as human to the ignorant partner who feeds them (seed, blood) leading to their demise.

16/ Flesh-eating: Witches do not have regard for human life, most of them feed on human flesh. They boil it and eat it before their nightly errands. Some feast on their own relatives for the love of money, fame, and title. They seemingly derive power from such practices.

17/ At this point I have to point out that this world of the mystical has a lot of characters ranging from Ngozi, Mhondoros, vaDzimu (Idlozi), and other spiritual manifestations which differ in character and personality and objectives. Not all are witches, some are worse!

18/ In closing: Occultism is the weaponizing of Witchcraft and other dark crafts (sorcery) with a specific goal in mind usually a political (power), economic (kuromba), or sexual objective (Umbobobo). In politics, Occultism is seen as a defense and also a weapon to amass power

19/ There is more linked to how politicians stay in power! I know in Churches we are taught to pray for those in authority, but I'd rather people prayed for the destruction of the strongmen (spiritual forces) holding the country back because of altars established by some in power

20/ Witchcraft can be used against a person, a community, a country. We have on our side, good forces that fight for peace and prosperity, but we need to arm these good forces. We have forsaken good, Godly, and in so doing failed to identify our enemy!

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