A Gypsy Witch’s Perspective
Romani Culture and Folk Magic in the Modern Era
What does it mean to be Gypsy?
In Western culture, they often portray gypsies as fortune tellers or women in exotic dress. A group of free-spirited vagabonds who live in caravans without a care in the world. These things are simultaneously true and untrue.
We are free-spirited, mysterious and charming, and we have a history of being fortune tellers. Exaggerated stereotypes strip us of our cultural heritage and turn us into caricatures.
As an English Gypsy in the United States, I want to change that and incorporate this vital part of who I am with my experiences of being a witch in the 21st century. If not for my gypsy upbringing, I doubt I would have started this path to begin with.
Shortly after the romani gypsies arrived in Western Europe, they converted to Christianity. Prior, given our roots in India, there religious and spiritual beliefs were an ancient form of tribal Hinduism/Shaktism. They worshipped an ultimate female deity, Kali, of Hinduism and Shiva as the male counterpart. While traveling from India, they came across a large variety of cultures and beliefs that influenced their own.
Romani gypsies prioritize cultural preservation and pass on language and beliefs to future generations. These core beliefs affected how I viewed the world, including our beliefs about spirituality and the supernatural.
From a young age, we learn to pay attention to the content of our dreams. The meanings of specific omens, and warnings of otherworldly spirits such as the Beng (the Devil) and the Muller (dead-man or devil).
Stories were told to us children of my great grandmother, affectionally called Granny, performing miracles. She would use folk magic, such as using a broom to cleanse her home spiritually and physically.
Another story involved my Granny causing my aunt to change by prayer and will to cause lightning to strike her car. This ultimately caused my aunt to alter her lifestyle for the better.
These stories and others instilled the belief that the supernatural and the spiritual were a normal part of life.
We learned to heed these lessons lest we attract unsavory spirits, or joner (jinx) ourselves with our thoughts and actions. Specifically, we teach that words have great power, and we can either curse or bless ourselves with words.
These beliefs, however, are all under the umbrella of Christianity. Something like witchcraft is taboo and considered evil, even though magic and visions of the future are commonplace.
With all these beliefs, stories and culture, I learned to navigate witchcraft and folk practices of the modern era. I took these beliefs and made them applicable to the occult.
The Romani people lost much of their culture and language from colonization. So we took what we had and passed on what culture we had left.
I wish to relearn the old ways and renew what it means to be a romani witch, or chovihano, a person with a foot in both the physical and spiritual planes. In being a shaman, they interpret the will of the spirits and ancestors. Chovihano’s produce charms to aid people in enduring the hardships of everyday life and guide the next generation to uplift the romani people.
I want to share my culture with you all, and bring awareness to who the Romani Gypsy people are, and what our magic brings to the table of 21st century witchcraft.
Opre Roma,
Nicholas Nocturne
