My Witch Doctor Encounters

In human life, simple sickness and the feeling of being ill sometimes is normal and just part of being human, it can happen to anyone but some ailments can't just go away even with the doctor's prescription. Some can not be identified by science or don't have medical explanations that make the people consider having their illness check by a witch doctor.

What are witch doctors?

These doctors are not professionals with a bachelor's degree, nor medical certificates and license. Witch Doctor is a healer or benevolent worker of magic in a community. They are magicians associated with powers of healing, divination, and protection against the magic of others.

It may sound so ridiculous but they truly exist. Here in the Philippines, we often called them, “albularyo”. They are the first person to enter the mind of people who don't found any remedy or solution for their long and unknown illnesses. You can usually find them in the provinces, commonly, they lived in farms, barrios, and mountains.

Can they heal a person just by doing some rituals?

As a person living in the province, I have encountered some of them.

The “albularyo” or witch doctors, folk healers, or no matter what you call them, are seemed unbelievable, even I am not convinced and doubtful of their true “healing powers”. But not until I met this “witch doctor” 2 years ago, which somehow makes me think twice and wonder.

Was it just a coincidence or was it really real?

Let me share with you my experiences on my witchdoctor encounters.

First Encounter

When I was a kid, my father used to bring me to a house of his known “albularyo”. His name was “Lolo Laurente”, the solo is one of the terms of respect for our elderly, for grandfathers.

He was old and thin, probably he was 80 years old and above that time. He wore a bandana on his forehead, which made him a recognizable “albularyo”. Every time I am not feeling well and have my headache for how many days, my father always brought me to “Lolo Laurente” to be checked up and be healed. His house was far from us, he lives in a barrio within farmland. I don't have any idea about witchcraft and folk healers, I was still a kid and all I knew was I am certainly recovered, even without the help of a “witch doctor”.

He used ginger for healing and I saw him whispered something to the ginger, maybe it is part of his ritual. Then he told my father that a late family member visited me. And we need to light up some candles for their soul. Then my father will certainly believe in what “Lolo Laurente” has said.

I can't count if how many times I've been brought to “Lolo Laurente” when I was a kid. I just remembered my last visit to him was I was 16 years old. and I've been his patient since I was elementary.

Second Encounter

I'll just add this as my encounter too, this story happened to my partner, when we were still young and dating.

My partner and I were in a relationship since February 2015. His name. is Mark, he is my first boyfriend, and he became my workmate first. We used to work in a restaurant here in Iloilo in front of a well-known university. He was a kitchen staff while I was assigned to the cashier and dining. We were on good terms since then. Well, it's not about our love story. I finished my contract and Mark was still working, when one day he suddenly woke up with rashes on his arms.

He thought it was just a normal rash, knowing that he has an allergy to some seafood. He took anti-histamine to cure his rashes, but it won't go. It was March 2015, I still remembered Mark's face, his rashes went up through his neck and to his back. He immediately told the HR department about his condition and he was advised to get checked and get examined. His test results came out and we are all shocked. His rashes were unspecified! His rashes from his both arms were like to those with dengue, while his rashes at the back were not due to allergy. Even the doctor can't explain it to us. He prescribed to continue to take an anti-histamine and use only a white dove soap for his rash. After two days nothing seemed to happen. HR department decided to give Mark a rest, after 1 week nothing has changed his rashes got worsen. He has done another test and the same result came out.

We were all wondering, I joked with him

“maybe someone does some witchcraft against you”.

He said,

“Who could that be?”.

“Maybe someone whom you break a heart,” I replied.

That joke turned into a serious conversation. It is possible, but we can't believe it easily, it's unbelievable. He has his ex-girlfriend who lives in the Northern part of Iloilo. It is believed that there's a lot of witchcraft in that place, but we can't easily point fingers to anyone, and it was wrong to do so.

Our concerned friend and co-worker, Lara offered us one solution. She said in their town, there's a well-known “witch doctor”, who makes effective oil as ointments. She told us to give it a try, and we tried it.

That oil is called “Lana” in Ilonggo or “langis” in Tagalog. It was made up of coconut oil with unknown plant' stems, roots, or woods. After receiving the “Lana” we immediately used it. It was nothing but a coconut oil with woods in it. I haven't taken pictures of it because we are more concerned about Mark's situation.

Then guess what, his rashes fade away for just one night of rubbing on his body. Though we haven't met the said “witchdoctor” who made the “Lana”, it left a huge question in us, was it just a coincidence, or should we believe in their healing powers?

In this world, there are some things that unexplainable. I don't have any ideas about sorcerers or sorceries. While I was writing this, this awakened my curiosity once again about witchcraft.

It was too long to share but I have my third encounter which makes me wonder and think deeper about witch doctors and witchcraft. I'll just publish the second part of it. Please keep in touch.

This is my real-life encounters with witch doctors.

@eommaZel ✍🏻