Many of the spiritual practices in the world have borrowed from other practices.
In fact, this has happened so often it has become difficult to tell where one spiritual practice begins and another ends.
Obeah is one of these mixed spiritual practices which seem similar to so many other groups – i.e. Voodoo and Santeria, which all have their roots in Ancient Egypt.
With its native culture roots and its dedication to the interconnectedness of the world and its energies, you can see why Obeah would be so widely used in spells and in other magical workings.
Back to the Beginning
The tradition of Obeah began many thousands of years ago in Africa and the West Indies. Coming from Central America and Africa, this practice is one of the folk people. In those times, the people of the land understood how nature affected all they did, and began to create deities which were found in the world around them. By being respectful of these deities and energies, the people were able to bring into their lives the things they wanted, while also being able to push away the unwanted energies and people. From that natural practice developed Obeah with its less structured practice. Many modern people in the world are working in the Obeah tradition to begin to change their lives and the outcome of their lives. The practice also includes healing rituals and talismans. In doing so, the person who is ill can bring more luck to themselves in order to fight the diseases or to release the negative energy which is keeping them from being healthy in their lives.
Charms and Tokens
One of the most common Obeah practices is the use of charms and tokens. By finding a physical item and putting one’s energy into this item, the magical working can be strengthened and focusing. A person might blow on the charm their own energy to help infuse the spell with their will and power. Or the item might be used to represent someone or something in one’s life. The charms can also be used with healing energy in order to help someone who is ill, with the person keeping this charm at their side until they are well. By taking these items and using them in rituals, a person can direct their intentions to this item, helping to change the energy or to intensify the energy, depending on the working. Working with items as opposed to real people is no less important, however, and like Voodoo dolls, the charms and tokens need to be treated with the utmost care and respect.
Bringing You Luck
In the Obeah practice, people are concerned with the idea of luck, both having more luck and bringing luck back into one’s life. By increasing one’s luck, the people do not have to rely on the deities to help them with their concerns. They will simply either be able to attract what they want to themselves – or not. This practice does put a lot of responsibility on the person doing the spell, but this works well to help the person realize when they are doing something they shouldn’t. By realizing that a spell isn’t working, the Obeah practitioner can look at themselves and decide whether they have other things they need to change in their attitude or in their life.
With Obeah, one can perform a number of different magical workings, including love spells. This practice reminds you to come back to the source of all life and of all energy – the Earth. By using this practice to begin to see that you are in control of your life, you can begin to follow the Obeah ways to take charge again.