#gypsy magic

[Image ID: The first panel shows a round icon of the Romani flag which has a red wagon type wheel in the centre, blue in the top half to represent sky and green on the bottom for the land. This icon is on a black banner with the words 'terms of engagement' in white and three little dots beside it for the menu button. 'Terms of engagement' is written as terms (underscore) of (underscore) engagement. The main panel is a cream background with dark blue writing. The title is in a circle and this is surrounded by sketches of sunflowers as well as various wildflowers, some in bloom and some in bud. The name of the blog 'Terms of Engagement' is repeated again as regular text. The title of the panel reads 'Correlations between Witchcraft and Romani Traditions', then in smaller text 'How the spiritual practices of Romani peoples are intertwined with shamanism, stereotypes, mysticism and magic.' End ID]

[Image ID: The second panel is more so in colour. It has a dark blue background and is square. The part with wrting on is styled to look like square graph paper with lots of tiny boxes in blue and made to look as though it were torn out of a notebook with a piece of tape attaching it to the blue backing.  Underneath, so to speak, the tape, is a cutting of a wildflower with a green stem and buds and lilac petals. The text, again in dark blue black, reads 'Disclaimer (this is in capitals to emphasis it is a title and important). The following is a brief overview of what is a very long history of not only shamanism and witchcraft but also of the influences it has had on Romani peoples and vice versa. We would like to emphasize that witchcraft and the beliefs of the Romani peoples are not mutually exclusive. Romani communities are diverse in their spiritual beliefs and traditional practices. Historically and today, organized religion exists alongside and in cooperation with the shamanistic spiritual and healing practices of Romani communities. This is neither a commentary on any religion or spirituality, nor is it an expose on what have been and should remain closed practices within the Romani community. This is intended to breakdown the misconceptions that have led to the persecution of Romani peoples for their spiritual beliefs and to encourage those non-Romani who are interested in learning more, how to proceed with caution and respect. The information from this piece has been compiled from both non-Romani and Romani resources, with the emphasis on the insights of practitioners in the Romani community. End ID]

[Image ID: All the following panels are cream with blue black writing and illustration. The third panel is titled 'Historical foundations of witchcraft in Europe'. The illustration is an image of the High Priestess card from the Rider Waite tarot deck. The text reads 'Folk magic has been practiced around the world by many different groups for the majority of human history. From continent to continent, ancient civilizations have employed herbal remedies, divination, cartomancy, astrology and other spiritualistic services as paths to healing. The conquering and expansion of territories and trade routes, triggered a migration of healing peoples from Asia into Europe. Among them were the Romani drabarni/chov'hani. Healers were revered within communities as those who practiced "the people's religion ", providing townsfolk with crucial services to meet their physical, mental and spiritual needs. It wasn't until the 15th Century when the concept of "witchcraft" emerged and transformed the very fabric of society. During this period, there was a socio-political shift from the Christian state viewing folk magic as mere superstition to redefining it as witchcraft. At this time, witchcraft was seen as a "mode" of religion rather than a worldview, placing it in direct opposition to the Christian Reformation and Counter-Reformation. The movement sought to suppress spiritualities and folk magic which threatened power of the state who sought to weaponize spirituality as a means to control, exploit and supervise citizens. The state indoctrinated manifestos like the Malleus Maleficarum, which specifically identified women as "witches" and practitioners of devil worshipping, causing the inquisitions to commence. Efforts to suppress folk magic grew violently quick and quickly violent.' End ID] 

[Image ID: The fourth panel shows an image of a Romani woman with dark hair. She is cradling a crystal ball, has bangles on each wrist and  is wearing hoop earrings and a headscarf tied in the stereotyped way of a fortune teller, but from its pattern it appears to be a traditional Romani headscarf. Her eyes are closed and she shows an expression of calm focus. Her nails are long and well manicured and her fingers appear to be adorned with many rings. The title reads 'Modern implications of myths and stereotypes'. The text reads, 'The history, practices and influence of Romani healers on European society have long been neglected within the historiography of witchcraft. This has allowed mysticism to guide the public's harmful perception of Romani peoples and their beliefs, placing them in the same category of mythical creatures as fairies, unicorns and mermaids. Those accounts that do exist have been made by outsiders like Charles Godfrey Leland who, like many others in the 19th Century, created a disparaging depiction of the once celebrated Romani healer as synonymous with the archetypal g slur witch. As was done in the past, Romani women were specifically targeted by these efforts, cast as either the poor, haggard and disgruntled witch who curses innocent bystanders or the mysteriously exotic and promiscuous fortune-teller who swindles innocent patrons. Each of these depictions of Romani witches draw on centuries-old stereotypes of criminality, dishonesty, hyper-sexuality and mysticism. In truth, many Romani either assimilated to or adopted the beliefs and practices of dominant religions to avoid persecution. Today, the physical and cultural violation of Romani peoples continues by both the state and its citizens as a result of the perceived and real practices of Romani peoples. Many healers and their communities remain ostracized, struggling to teach the next generation a millenia's worth of traditional practices that are quickly being forgotten to an unwritten history.' End ID]

[Image ID: The fifth panel shows an illustration of flowers on the left hand side, seemingly poppies. The title reads 'Traditional beliefs in the Romani community.' The main text reads 'While biological and linguistic evidence places the Romani people in India near the 11th Century, traditional Romani beliefs mirror ancient Hindu and Buddhist shamanism. At the center of these beliefs is dualism, two opposite and complementary forces that-through ceremony, offerings, practice and prayer, must be maintained. This is reflected in Romani values of purity and impurity (marime), the presence of good and evil spirits, as well as the separation of the inner and outer worlds. Romani traditions emphasize keeping a close connection with creation and paying tribute to the Earth and all its creatures. Other traditions which mirror shamanistic practices in India include the belief in reincarnation and most importantly, the worshipping of a female deity, Sara-la-Kali. In opposition to hierarchy, misogyny, environmental derogation and the centralization of power, Romani beliefs were viewed as an obstruction to the Western colonial project. As there was no one book, place, ceremony, prayer or ritual that is commonly used by Romani peoples to article these traditional beliefs, it was easier for the Christian state to systemically fracture and then violate Romani traditions by correlating it to witchcraft.' End ID]

[Image ID: The sixth panel shows an illustration of a cup and saucer of seemingly porcelain, containing tea or coffee steaming genty. Beside it is a bottle with a vintage illustration of a beehive with the label 'honey'. The title reads 'Modern practices in the Romani community'. The main text reads 'For centuries, Romani matriarchs had passed down traditional practices such as tasseograpy (reading tea leaves), cartomancy (tarot), and chiromancy (palm reading) whose origins are in Asian shamanist traditions. With their migration to Europe in the 14th Century, these practices followed and were shared with royalty and townsfolk alike. Romani peoples began employing these practices as their occupations. Travelling from one countryside to the next, Romani healers not only financially prospered but also were able to build trust and influence local views. Not only did this threaten the Christian state's attempts to financially exploit and impose on community politics but it also allocated too much power to women who were viewed as intellectually and spiritually inferior.To regain power, the state targetted female practitioners, discrediting them by claiming that their witchcraft conjured evil spirits to make townsfolk depedent on hiring them. Since, the practices of Romani peoples have been steeped in wide-spread suspicion, invalidating its practitioners, and undermining women's rights to practice and be paid for their traditional occupations. To this day, tarot, palm reading and other forms of divination are used to both inform personal and community decision-making as well as a form of employment. The state continues to highly regulate witchcraft and the practicing of Romani traditions by forcing healers to register with the government as a business, which many Romani are unable to do and by heavily taxing them on their income.' End ID]

[Image ID: The seventh panel shows illustrations of bunches of herbs in the top section of the frame, tied with string as though hanging from a wooden roof beam to dry. The main title reads 'Healing in the past and present'. The main text reads 'Practitioners used their natural and learned talents for healing to cure sicknesses, assist in births, and promote wellness. Using locally grown plants and animal by-products, healers were able to help prolong the lives of primarily poor townsfolk and other travellers who otherwise did not have the time or resources to see a medical practitioner. The onset of the Great Plague or Black Death was used as an opportunity for the Christian state to further justify the persecution of Romani healers. Having been accused of using spirits to both cure and cause illness, they were gradually ostracized from the communities they once lived and held influence in. What were once considered spells, incantations and elixirs used by Romani healers are now regarded as ointments, herbal teas and medicinal recipes, grounded in a basic understanding of herbology. Through close observation of and respect for the human body, plants and animals, the Romani healers were able to create powerful medicines that are still used to this day, curing everything from a sore throat, to energy imbalances, menstrual cramps and the presence of evil spirits.' End ID] 

[Image ID: The eighth panel shows a bunch of thin stemmed wild flowers on the right hand side. The main title reads 'Spiritual appropriation outside of the Romani community'. The main text reads 'Though various shamanistic practices have been intertwined for centuries, there has been an ever increasing rise in the adoption of neo-shamanistic beliefs and practices. While practicing a spirituality that resonates with you is not in itself oppressive, the ways in which they are adopted can be. As seen within other communities that have been exotified for their spiritual beliefs, the Romani peoples have also experienced the harmful appropriation of their tradtional practices. As previously mentioned, Tasseography (reading tea leaves), cartomancy (tarot), and chiromancy (palm reading) are intrinsically linked to the Romani culture and yet, they have been haphazardly adopted without recognition of their importance to the community. Most often, those who have appropriated the practice employ the same deprecating imagery and derogatory narratives that were used and continue to be used to persecute Romani peoples. Perpetuating these false perceptions of what it means to be a practitioner delegitimizes those within the community who have deep spiritual connections and divine gifts. What is most harmful however, is the commodification of these practices. The commodification of these practices by those outside the community not only draws economic opportunity away from a community which disproportionately experiences intergenerational poverty, but it also leads to the exploitation of resources and the unethical acquisition of traditional tools used by Romani communities to practice.' End ID]

[Image ID: The ninth panel shows an illustrated palmistry hand with all the lines and divisions marked. There are also astrological symbols and writing appears to be in Latin, while the wrist of the hand bears a frilly cuff. The main title reads 'Things to consider when practicing'. The main text reads 'Questions to self reflect on: How has your faith contributed to the persecution of Romani peoples? How are you perpetuating stereotypes of Romani peoples through your practice? How do your spiritual practices promote the liberation of Romani peoples? Ethical practice includes: 1. Learn more about Romani history, culture and tradtions. 2. Not seeking out practitioners to educate you on closed practices. 3. Not entering into Romani communities with the intention of learning without their permission. 4. Asking when and where it is appropriate to practice these traditions with Romani people. 5. Not commodifying these practices for your own financial gain. 6. Redistributing the wealth if you have profited off these practices.  7. Standing in solidarity with Romani women who are fighting to practice their traditional occupations. 8. Paying for their labour if you request the services of Romani healers. 9. Using ethically sourced materials from Romani owned businesses. 10. Not exacerbating or endangering natural resources for your personal or commercial practice. 11. Taking caution when using traditional medicines and seeking medical attention when necessary. End ID]