the legalisms of suffering and its counter, obeah 

Obeah was used as weapon against our slave masters during slavery and over time its become more popular and acceptable for Caribbean people. I remember seeing seeing my Aunt’s friend puff a cigar and put the ashes into a wine glass with care and speak as if something from the spirit realm was communicating with her. I was a young boy during this time so I was scared and shocked at the same time. In the Dominican Republic where my parents are from  it’s called Santeria and I’ve heard many stories about people behaving like snakes slithering on the ground during these rituals. A lot of people in the Caribbean share the sentiment that Haiti is in perpetual disarray because of obeah. They say that they have opened doors to the spirit realm that are difficult to close. One time my step-father told me a story about working on a deceased persons grave, he was the one that poured the concrete over the casket to close it shut. A week later he told me he saw the deceased person walking, this was in the Dominican Republic which is across the river from Haiti. I remember the look of dread on his face as he told me this story and it always stuck with me. I know that  Obeah workings are real because I know that God created good and evil. In St.Thomas Obeah has become very popular, especially amongst the Rudeboys, they used it for protection and good fortune pertaining to money. I knew 2 people that used an Obeah for longevity in the Badman Trade and they died very horrible deaths because it is said that the Duppy will give you anything that you desire but it wants its repayment of said favors in blood and when you don’t deliver it will come for your blood. They say that there are effective Obeah workers and then you have Ms.Cleo’s for those who can remember her commercials. The Maroons in Jamaica used a lot of magic to confound and defeat the slavers. As Rastafarians we embrace suffering because we know that it’s nothing more than a refining of the spirit, so obeah is seen as cheating the process of who you are destined to become. In the Scriptures King Saul hired a medium and conjured up Samuel from the dead to ask him about his future as king and Samuel scolded him and told him to let him rest and trust in the Lord but he didn’t develop that sort of patience so he went on to be a hot tempered and unsuccessful leader of Israel. If it’s used for a good purpose I think it’s ok but back home I’ve only seen it be used for material gain that is usually ill gotten.