In Caribbean Shaktism, the concept of the Evil Eye, often referred to as nazar or malju, is a deeply ingrained belief. It is understood as a negative energy or curse that is cast, often unintentionally, by the envious gaze or ill wishes of others. This can lead to misfortune, illness, or bad luck for the afflicted person. To counteract and ward off this harmful influence, several rituals and practices are performed:
Ouchay Ritual
The ouchay is a ritual specifically aimed at removing the effects of the Evil Eye. It involves the following steps:
Ingredients Used: Items such as onion skins, mustard seeds, pepper, and other household materials are gathered and wrapped in newspaper or tissue.
The Ritual:
The person performing the ouchay moves the wrapped ingredients in a clockwise direction around specific points on the victim’s body, often emphasizing areas such as the head, hands, and feet. This is done while chanting mantras or by some saying the Lord's Prayer nine times.
This process is repeated nine times to ensure thorough cleansing.
Burning the Ingredients:
After the ritual, the wrapped items are burnt. If the burning produces a strong, unpleasant odor, it is considered a sign that the person was indeed afflicted by the Evil Eye.
Use of Hing (Asafoetida)
Hing is also utilized for protection against the Evil Eye. It is sprinkled around the home as a purifying agent, believed to repel negative energies and keep the household safe from harm.
Tabeeges (Amulets)
Amulets, or tabeeges, are crafted as protective charms to safeguard the wearer from all forms of evil influences, including the Evil Eye. These are often blessed and infused with prayers or sacred mantras, becoming potent tools of defense against malefic energies.
Obeahmen, Comfa men, and Mongwa
Some hindus even go to obeahmen (practitioners of Obeah, a healing practice similar to Hoodoo in the US and Espiritismo among Latin Caribbean countries which originates from African slaves), Comfa healers (those who use comfa, an Afro-Guyanese religion with Congo roots), and Mongwa (Priests of the Afro-Trinidadian Orisha religion). These healers will use various herbal remedies native to the Caribbean such as lemongrass, anise, cerasee, guinea hen weed, allspice leaves, and neem to treat not only medical issues but also medical issues which arise from spiritual imbalances. They also make offerings, do divination, sacrifice hens to the spirits (along with other offerings), and rather than trying to remove the spirit by force, they work with the spirit and give it offerings to take on the body of a chicken rather than the person. The chicken is then killed, sealing the spirit to the chicken. Among the French Caribbean, Obeah is known as Quimbois or Kimbwa, using similar remedies.
Cultural Context
The combination of ritual practices, protective herbs like hing, and talismans reflects the syncretism within Caribbean Shaktism. These traditions blend Hindu beliefs about nazar with local practices and influences, creating a rich tapestry of spiritual defense mechanisms against the Evil Eye. The belief in and response to malju underscores the importance of maintaining spiritual balance and warding off envy and negativity in everyday life. It's not a good idea to let visitors see babies under 3 months old as these newborns may be more susceptible to malju. Hindus have a bracelet with certain beads that can ward off malju. They place these bracelets on babies to keep them safe. Adults can wear chains or bracelets with these beads also. One of the most important tools used in Caribbean Shaktism, manjal tanni (turmeric neem water), has origins in Ayurveda, or Indian Folk Medicine. The neem leaves and turmeric were seen as "cooling" and, as the legend goes, was prescribed by Gangai Amman to devotees who prayed to her for a sick child to remove sickness. People also leave offerings at crossroads to moongazers, or spirits of the night, to avoid any sickness.
Some herbs used in the Caribbean for these various ailments:
Zebapique (Neurolaena lobata): To treat fever, common cold, and cough, the leaves are crushed and drunk in juice or soaked in alcohol and taken as a 1-ounce (30 mL) shot.
Fever grass (Cymbopogon citratus): Also called lemongrass, it’s used to treat fever and common colds or as a cooling. These are steeped and consumed as a tea.
Barbadine leaves (Passiflora quadrangularis): A relative to the passion fruit, barbadine leaves are infused to treat high blood pressure. Barbadine fruit is also enjoyed in smoothies and ice cream.
Monkey apple (Genipa americana): It is used to treat diabetes when consumed as the fruit or decoction (the product of a popular extraction method).
Double hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis): It is used to treat “stoppage of water,” or urinary retention, due to its diuretic effect. The flowers are made into infusions or decoctions.
Neem (Azadirachta indica): The leaves are chewed raw, or made into juice or another decoction to treat diabetes or to be used as a cooling.
Noni (Morinda citrifolia): Also called “pain bush,” the juice of the ripe or fermented fruit is used to treat diabetes or as a cooling.
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