On Juju, Charms and Amulets...


Juju is a great and easy way to arrive. That’s why I went to Baba. It gets tiring going round in circles, laboring real hard and seeing no results. I heard baba was good. One of the best around, and he wouldn’t even cost me a fortune… I was a little uneasy about the ritual of him having to bath me, and sprinkle a little chicken blood on me, but it’s all worth it, if I’ll be able to change my car and my address, get those silly wealthy men to spend a little more on me and probably have one marry me. Juliet is having such a good time; she came to baba two years ago. Agnes introduced her… I had no idea; they kept it from me for two years. Ah… friends!!

Everything went better than I expected, Baba wasn’t in some run down mud building like those Nigerian movies portray people of his calling. In fact, I didn’t suffer the indignity of going to some stream to be sprinkled with chicken blood and washed with his concoction. It all happened in the comfort of his bathtub. 
All went well, but just before he handed the amulet I’m to have with me at all times, he gave me a condition… I must never eat chicken again, not ever! Not even a taste, not even food cooked with its stock, or else I would loose it all, and not only would I loose it, I’d be worse off than before I came to him. It seemed easy, like no big deal at that time. I mean, I’m a yahuza chicken suya junky, but that’s a small price to pay for the greatness of Baba’s charm. Or so I thought… 24hours later, I was breaking out in sweat craving some chicken. Tender chicken breast in pepper sauce or even a tiny piece with Masa from yahuza. I should have been warned before the ritual, at least I would have had a chicken feast to bid it farewell.

And that’s the daily torture I endure.

I have my car, I have two luxury cars to be exact, and the third is on its way. I have Alhaji on a leash, and chief at my beck and call, with a few more lined up to spend on me. I have a new shop and some more. I have a new house, bought in my name... I throw the best parties, and Agnes is even a little jealous, she thinks Baba gave me a stronger charm. I am a big girl in every sense, if you doubt, pick up one of those society magazines or click on Linda’s blog.
But how in the world am I to survive without chicken? I even had to stop visiting mother… how do I explain my sudden ‘allergy’ to chicken to her, when that’s the only way she knows how to honor her children. The perfect chicken soup with well-pounded yam… ahh, the soup!!! I can’t even taste it because it’s been made with chicken. Is life fair? Who would have thought chicken was so big a price to pay. But i am determined to keep paying daily even as I almost choke with the cost.
               
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Some go to medicine men for charms for protection, wealth, love et co. They carry those things around in their pockets or handbags and walk around with assurance that all is well. Most often, they are given conditions, give this up for the charm to work or loose everything… Some so simple and easy you almost laugh it off, till you see people break out in sweat because they are never to eat egusi. I watched a Yoruba movie where just after the ritual was done for wealth, the man was told he must never give any money to his mother or he’d go mad and die. This young man loved his mother dearly. That was such a costly price to pay for wealth and protection. And they never tell you what you must give up till you’re in too deep to cancel. The instruction comes like an after thought … “oh, and remember, you must never say ‘chei’ or else you die” and then you scream “cheiiii” in shock and die even before tasting the wealth.

We know the devil mimics God’s ways, thus same way people who dabble in the diabolic have amulets, Christians have been given things to aid in their walk. We have ‘spiritual mantles’ “Spiritual mantles represent spiritual authority and they always have a cost. They also always demand great responsibility. A large mantle is not for the faint hearted or the immature. Do you want one? Go for it!” I’m assuming spiritual mantles could be laying of hands, and items of clothing i.e Elisha got Elijah’s cloak, Peter’s handkerchief healed… anointing oil, communion et co. 

I'll refer to the Spiritual mantles as ‘Christian charms’ (I’m throwing that word lightly to get my point across) Wearing the crucifix on our necks and fingers, hanging larger than life crosses on our walls, sprinkling holy water every minute, and drenching ourselves with anointing oil. Oh, yeah there’s the putting the bible under our pillow to ward off evil spirits. So let’s assume those are our charms, but how in the world do we expect them to work for us, when we don’t meet up with the conditions?
For the rosary to work for you… thou shall not lie, thou shall not commit adultery… We do all these things that we’re asked not to, and at the slightest sign of discomfort, fear or danger, we point the bible like guns to evil and expect protection. The ‘charm’ is neutralized because we defiled it. We neutralized its power to work in our lives by going against the conditions for functioning. We ate chicken when we weren’t supposed to and it lost the power to operate in our lives. If we’re using those things as charms we may as well accept the conditions and adapt to it. The Communion and anointing oil are such precious gifts from God amongst many other mantles… but they are not toys that we only wipe out when the going gets tough after living anyway we want to. We are required to make a sacrifice to walk in the anointing and for It to work for us. There is a cost. 

God isn’t a mean God, the devil takes what’s good for you, takes away something precious to you to give you temporal protection, God only asks of you to subdue your flesh and drop certain things that’ll only end up harming you in the end, to be able to enjoy the power/blessings that the mantles releases to you.
Thank God for His grace though, He doesn’t bless or protect us based on our works and obedience to His laws, thank God for grace that allows the power of God to flow and work in us, despite how we desecrate ourselves… He still humors us and allows the power to work for us, thus we take him for granted.

So maybe you’re too ‘posh’ and ‘religious’ to go to baba. So maybe your home and cars are covered with all the anointed stickers and crucifix, and there’s a bible in every nook and cranny of your home. But have you made that sacrifice to keep them working? We know God is a merciful God so we take His laws for granted, but when it comes to the babalawos, we know a No is a no. Thus you should see how dedicated this people are in making sure the charms work, even if cutting off from their mothers is the answer… They don’t take chances. They are willing to pay the price. As Christians, what friend have you cut yourself off from? What things have you cut off from your life because you know they only help in pulling you down in your walk with God? Some things are not worth debating on when it comes to clotting the flow of the anointing in your life. Cut them off and move on. Don’t take the grace for granted, or one day like Samson, you’ll wake up and try to fight off attacks and there’ll be no strength because your ‘charm’ has been neutralized, cut off by the woman/object you refuse to let go of.

“How can you want God/Jesus’s help in your time of need but you don’t ever want to live by His rules and commandments” Pastor E.A Adeboye.

Comments

  1. Hmmm so true. Stumbled on your blog on Myne whit mans list. I love this. www.secretlilies.blogspot.com

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  2. God bless u 4 dis wonderful message.Its true we overlook d rules/commandments of God n concentrate more on d benefits,it shouldnt b dat way.

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  3. Wonderful post
    And well constructed....was able to deliver d truth so well and profound

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  4. wow....
    your blog never fails to amaze me..
    i thank God for what he is doing with you.

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  5. i have actually been wondering about Samso...he woke tied up 3 times with the Philistines around him , and yet he didn't get it? Why would he tell the woman the truth the 4th time after she had already set him up 3 times?

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