This afternoon we visited a local Witch Doctor, just a few minutes walk from our home base. While we were there, it was stressed that the term "Witch Doctor" does not have a bad connotation in Ghana like it might in the USA. These people consider themselves as healers and use spirits, chants, and energies to cure the many people who come for their aid. We learned of how people will visit him for different ailments, such as infertility, epilepsy, strokes, and if they feel there is a demon or bad omen possessing them. It was also explained that if a person is not able to be healed through the Witch Doctor, then they are sent to the hospital and vice versa. Sometimes patients will visit the hospital many times for issues such as epilepsy and if they cannot be cured, they will make their way to the Witch Doctor and see what can be done.
One by one we were all given the option to have our "fortunes read" by him. Most of us, including myself, decided to do it while a few others opted out. I usually don't believe in this kind of spiritual practice, but today I was pretty nervous about what kind of fate would be revealed to me. The reason my nerves were heightened is due to a story that Makafawe, our country program leader, told us about his brother: Apparently two years ago, his brother visited a Witch Doctor who unveiled that someone in his family was going to pass away very soon. He notified all of his family members of this news, and visited the Witch Doctor again a few weeks later to see how his fate had progressed. This time, the Doctor said that it was he who was going to die very soon. One hour later, as the brother was driving back home in a 14 person van, there was an accident on the road, the van tumbled, and he was the only passenger to pass away. Regardless of my belief in this stuff, that story scared the poop out of me.
To start off my reading, I had to whisper into a 5 Cedi bill (the currency they use) what I wished to learn from the Witch Doctor. I mouthed "I want to know everything about my life, good and bad". I set the bill on the mat that he was sitting on in front of me. He proceeded to chant all sorts of incantations, shake beads around and move all these stones and shells around in an intricate sort of manner.Once he was finished, these were the things that were said to me:
He told me that the first thing that I needed to do once I got back to the home base was pray. I needed to lock myself in my room and pray on my knees for 7 straight minutes. "Well, that'll be the first time I've ever really prayed", I sarcastically said to myself. I just needed to pray for anything and everything to be sure that I ward off evil vibes and have success in all that I do. He then told me that when it is time for me to get married, that I should go ahead and do it, but I need to always be respectful to my husband. This point he stressed. He then said that people tend to be extremely envious of me because I can often do things that others cannot, so people tend to dislike me for this. Apparently I also have a strong personality and need to careful. He then said that overall I have good luck, am rich, and will live a long and prosperous life. The final point he stressed what that whatever faith I have, I need to hold onto it dearly and pray as often as possible. Nothing detrimental or even very coincidental was said, so I'm really not taking it all too much to heart. Phew, no predicted deaths over here.
So that was that! Tonight we are just relaxing and taking it easy because we are going on a 1 1/2 hour hike up the mountains and through a cave tomorrow morning. I'm so excited!
Ndo! (Good afternoon),
~ Sarah
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