STORIES FROM THE LIVES OF BLACK MAGICIANS

The first people were living in the garden; he gave them the fruit of knowledge; he never took advantage of an innocent naked woman or man — he gave them knowledge. How can we call him a villain? Maybe he meant the fruit as a hint: be vegetarian! We need to think about this. We always hear only one side of the story.

I’ve heard that the garland of lemons and chilli is dedicated to the goddess of some disease, and her temples are always built outside the village — so as not to invite her in?

Guruji: yes, that is so.

what are these goddesses?

Guruji: there is a temple in Mathura dedicated to smallpox — and it works. These goddesses have many names, and Sitala is one of them. Villagers usually worship them; educated people do not go to these temples — and then they suffer. I have already told you the story of one of my disciple’s father: when the deadly disease came and asked to be taken into the village. He died recently, at more than a hundred years of age. When such forces are involved, you can only follow. And his family was untouched. That means they need a medium or an invitation to enter a village or a town. Every epidemic or disease has its presiding deity: usually these are goddesses. They have enough power to kill you or to spare you — that is what makes them goddesses.

when they become furious and an epidemic starts somewhere — does that mean they were not worshipped enough, or were worshipped in the wrong way?

Guruji: very difficult to say. Sometimes a sadhu may curse and invoke an epidemic — there can be many reasons. Here is a story from South India: two highly educated couples decided to try themselves in the role of American tourists and went around the villages of Tamil Nadu. In one village — and they had a guide with them — they saw human skulls hanging on a fence and became very curious. He advised them not to go in, because black magic was at work there. Naturally they did not listen and went in — as most people would do now. And they even kicked a couple of offerings made to the ghosts. They came out proud of themselves and asked: so what? Nothing happened! All four of them died within two days.

From the lives of black magicians: if you are invoking dangerous spirits, you should be in tune with your own spirit — if only for the sake of safety.