How is obeah practices

Obeah men were usually compensated for their services by their followers in the form of "donations": food, shelter or money. By accumulating a large amount of "favors" throughout a plantation or region the Obeah man gained personal power and was able to execute his wishes with ease. The Obeah man usually did not directly administer the poison to a victim; he simply called in one of his favors under the guise that he was applying a charm, and ordered that individual to administer whatever he asked to the food of the ill-fated slave or overseer.

Clearly, Obeah men were important in the rousing, organization, and execution of slave revolts and slave resistance in general. Whites feared their power to invoke a rebellion and enslaved blacks were petrified at the th ought of falling victim to their magic. Even though these men had many enemies, they were usually never betrayed by one of their own because he was recognized as an important figure in the slave society of the time. The Obeah man played various roles simultaneously.

He was a healer and an executioner, he was loved and feared, he was father to all and demon to many. These men under the seemingly innocent guise of "medicine men" came to accumulate power and respect that rivaled that of the largest plantation owner. Even today in Jamaica children still tremble at the thought of going to visit the Obeah man.

McCartney, Timothy Ph. Obeah is a religious practice based on a combination of multiple religions—a creolization of religions, so to speak. It draws on elements of African religion and also reinterprets and "Africanizes" Christian practices.

In some regions of the Caribbean, elements of Indigenous and south Indian religions have been incorporated into the practice as well. Sitting at the intersection of politics and spirituality, obeah has been described as the "magical art of resistance" because it gave its practitioners and those that sought its aid a sense of empowerment in the face of oppression.

Despite the constraints and violence of colonial rule, many obeah practitioners assumed positions of power within their communities and were respected and revered, by both their communities and European colonists who feared the power of obeah.

The first path falls within the realm of the 'supernatural'— it involves the art of casting spells, the warding off of evil, the conjuring of luck and wealth, and the protection of oneself and others. The government says it is open to discussing the issue. Although few people believe in Obeah in the cities, the practitioners have to come to Kingston to stock up on the potions and products they need.

One small chemist in downtown Kingston has most of the regular goods you would expect to see for sale. But it also has some surprising items on the shelves at the back: rows of candles, soaps and sprays called "go away evil", and potions that claim to either attract a new partner or stop an existing one from leaving. But over the years the popularity of Obeah has waned and finding Obeah men and women to reveal what they do is rare.

People who use them, rarely want to talk openly about it. Many of the pharmacists who sell the paraphernalia refused to talk on the record and did not want to be identified. Customers will mostly ignore questions about their Obeah purchases. But one young woman says she is after something that will "tie" her man, to stop him running off with other women. It worked then and it works now," she says. But repealing the legislation will be tough. The Church associates Obeah with evil, others believe it is used to defraud vulnerable people, and many Jamaicans believe parliament has more important things to be getting on with, like tackling crime or improving the economy.

Practitioners of Obeah are known as Obeah man or woman and are believed to be born with the gift of special powers that are passed down from generation to generation, or else undergo a miraculous conversion that endows them with the powers of Obeah.

Once the gift of Obeah has been identified, the person usually spends time as an apprentice of a practiced Obeah man or woman in order to learn the tricks of the trade. The client may seek out the Obeah practitioner for spells or charms that aid romantic relationships, or for practices as varied as escape from legal trouble or luck in gambling. The Obeah man or woman consults with a client and then recommends a solution for his or her problem. Thus, the primary social function of an Obeah man or woman is that of healer.

In this capacity as healer, Obeah men and women are often called upon to provide protection from any number of the spirits that inhabit the living world. Fetishes, for example, are inanimate objects that are supposed to have special powers and are carried for protection or are intended to be revered.

They are often made of parts of the human body or parts of an animal body, objects of clothing, and dirt, with hair being a particularly powerful material for a fetish. Fetishes and other protection materials are used to ward off duppies , or the shadows of men and women who are left behind. Duppies are not the soul of a person, which passes into the afterlife, but are instead the shadow that can inhabit specific locations. In order to protect against duppies, the Obeah man prescribes many rituals so that the duppy will not cause evil or mischief.