Trick or Treat? Treating the Trick

Around this time of year people are getting ready for their Halloween parties. Kids will have parties in school and dress up as witches or various ghouls. This is just a bit of fun as long as it does not incite people and children to delve further into occultism.

At Halloween time you have heard about trick-or-treat which is a customary practice for children in many countries. No such door-to-door practice here but there is an all year round trick that is common place.

Here in paradise, yes here, there are some nasty people around who use the occult to try to harm others. It is not enough for them to live in peace and take care of their daily problems. Living in harmony is not their lifestyle, they like to express their hate for others by the use of sorcery.

The preferred method is the indirect one. Generally, perpetrators are cowards who do not want to get their hands dirty and not having the know-how they then resort to paying some “traiteur”, “longaniste”, (local names for a sorcerer), or anyone practising sorcery. For a fee the sorcerer will concoct a magic spell that is supposed to harm a designated person or persons. The process might be done in a cemetery or at the sorcerer’s residence. It is usual that objects like small effigies are made, see photo above, (click on photo to enlarge). These can be fabricated from paper mache paste and coloured with saffron. Some sort of incantation ritual made over them and then they are secretly deposited near a victim’s home. The above photo is an actual example of two effigies dumped on a couple’s doorstep. The contents were wrapped up in paper and plastic bag. The package was probably thrown over the fence by a passing vehicle. I was called by the victims to witness the package and made photos for an official police complaint.

Other forms of hate messages can have a more sinister form. Just a few days ago while walking around my brother-in-law’s garden patch two little bundles were found hidden in the ground. These little bundles were like little balls with contents rolled up. The contents were cloves, garlic, cinnamon sticks and dried blood. These bundles were immediately disposed of by burning them.

The obvious message is always the same, one of terror and hate with the intention to do harm in some supernatural way. Obviously, it all depends on the belief or not of the receiver. If a person views these acts as coming from morons and throws the stuff away in the garbage or burns them, that is the end of that. If a person is susceptible to superstition then they can be influenced and terrorized. Nevertheless, this practice is quite common here, so much so that it could be mistaken for a national sport.

The attitude to take if you fall foul of this practice is one of contempt. The initiator will have done the deed through a charlatan who would have relieved the person of some hard-earned cash. Therefore, treat the trick by disposing of it in the way you would any garbage. Nothing is gained by the originator, on the contrary, there was a financial loss in the process.

0 thoughts on “Trick or Treat? Treating the Trick”

  1. It all comes down to just one thing – a materialistic view of the world. People are not satisfied with what they have and just want more and more. It seems that here in Mauritius people are driven by their greed and they’ll go to great lengths to satisfy it. Even people who don’t have the means will borrow money for witchcraft and that shows how dirty they are in their thoughts.

    Buddha said if someone comes to you and insults you and you don’t accept it, he will have to take the insult back upon himself.

  2. The “longanist” was and still is a very much feared entity in Mauritian society and it was common for some people to resort to their services if they believe that occult forces are affecting them or making them ill. The origins of these beliefs in Mauritius probably do go back to the age when slavery was introduced to the island, the slaves brought their beliefs from the continent of Africa where “witch” doctors were very common due to the lack of conventional medicine!. The artifacts used are to frighten the victims and to cast a spell on them. This practice is slowly decreasing as younger generations who are better educated have moved away from these beliefs. The trick or treat tradition which is common all over the world despite its more obscure origins is now thankfully just a game and is indeed great fun for kids. They are gratified with candy which is indeed a special treat for all children.

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