Witches and Witchcraft can be found throughout the world in many countries and has existed since the dawn human existence. It comes in a huge variety with an endless amounts of spiritual beliefs and practices. Over the past decade there has been a huge rise in the practice of Witchcraft, Wicca, Paganism, Heathenry, etc. One place that has always had a rich and strong practice of their craft are the Witches or Romania. This is a part of Europe that has amazing history, culture, folklore and is a region I am absolutely fascinated with. So today’s post I want to take you into the spiritual world of the Romanian Witch.
(Please note: The term “gypsy” is sometimes considered pejorative. It appears in this article only when directly quoted or out of respect when practitioners or tribal members expressed a preference for it over the alternative “Roma.”)
Like most places in the world, witchcraft in Romania remains a complex, and often taboo, subject. Romania is home to many forms of witchcraft.
First, it’s important to note the difference between the neopagan practice of “gypsy magic” (popularized in the West by modern Roma pagans) verses the Roma people themselves (whose practices descend from an unbroken lineage of Hinduism with Christian and Muslim influences).
Although most Romani people identify themselves as Christian (as well as some Hindus and Muslims), their traditions and rituals inspired neopagan Romani authors like Patrinella Cooper to popularize a form of witchcraft known as “gypsy magic.”
The practice of “gypsy magic” emphasizes fortune-telling, the use of charms, healing and protection spells.
“Gypsy magic” rides a strange middle-land between neopaganism and hereditary witchcraft because often, much is borrowed from the unbroken lineage of the practitioner’s ancestors. These witches recognize their practice as a form of magic.
For the rest of us, this form of magic shares a lot with the larger practice of modern witchcraft.
We owe many common divination techniques (like various approaches to tarot reading and palmistry) to our Romani sisters. SOURCE
In Romania, the home of Count Dracula, witchcraft is recognized by the current government. There are many thriving organizations of witches, all government recognized. Being a witch is considered to be a job. They are employed, not just by Romanians, but people from all over the globe to cure them of heartbreak, depression, demonic possession or even to kill or harm enemies. Our Romanian witches carry out most of their operations online these days and are confident that their influence is not dying out. Instead, thanks to modern technology, it is only on the rise. This isn’t how it always was in Romania. In fact, under Communist rule, witchcraft was banned and punishable by law. And yet, the secret societies of witches and their practices survived, in hiding from the eyes of the ruler. Today, witchcraft is commonly accepted by Romanian society. SOURCE
Mihaela Minca is one of the most famous witches in Romania. She and her coven—all women of the traditionally itinerant Roma minority—live at the margins of European society, in the suburbs of Bucharest. There, they make a living through conducting rituals that help their clients find love, money, and adequate punishments for their enemies.
Sometimes, the witches’ endeavors extend beyond the personal: This past year, Minca cast a spell against political corruption in her country by dumping black liquor outside a Romanian government building. The next day, the state issued a final sentencing for Social Democratic Party leader Liviu Dragnea, who’d used his own power to create fake jobs and appealed prior convictions. Continue reading HERE.
Further Resources:
Women of the Night, Chapter 3: Vrăjitoare, Romania’s Witch Business
Witches, spells and black magic – all in the hidden forests of Romania.
In The Land Of Dracula, Witches Work As ‘Life Coaches’ Of The Supernatural
Being Unbound: Forays into Romanian Magical Practices
Curse, maleficium, divination: witchcraft on the borderline of religion and magic