Wahya Circle
Tuesday Travels

World Studies 101
Filipino WitchCraft
by Lady Sheryl

When did witchcraft appear in the Philippines?
It is believed that Spanish colonization sparked the appearance of the “witch” when Spanish friars accused Filipina Babaylans of witchcraft. The leadership roles of Babaylans is multifold: warrior, healer, priestess, and sage. Babaylans were predominantly women and transvestites in pre-colonial
Philippines. They were very powerful -- officiating Rituals and Ceremonies and honoring Ancestors and Spirits. They were the keepers of sacred and ancient knowledge that was passed down through generations. They were ritualists, chanters, diviners.

The Babaylan had such power and following that the Spanish colonizers feared them as competition. So, in an attempt to take away their power and convert the local people to Christianity, the Spanish friars instilled fear in the people by accusing these powerful healers of consorting with the devil and practicing witchcraft.

“Filipino people began to believe what their colonizers taught them—that many elements of their culture and beliefs were inferior and “wrong” and Babaylans, along with their teachings, became forgotten Filipino traditions — this is the beginning of the fragmentation of Filipino soul. Colonial mentality took its hold among the minds of Philippine people. Many educated Philippine people began to look down on their indigenous Tagalog culture and strived to be less and less native and more and more western, like their colonizers.

Babaylans managed to survive those oppressive times by going underground or by working within the fringes of society. They looked upon with measures of scorn, suspicion and fear. Today, in contemporary contexts, whether in urban Philippines or in Filipino diasporic communities, the Babaylan name is used by those who are inspired by the spirit in which the primary Babaylans carried out their work: the spirit of revolution against colonization, their belief in Sacred Wholeness, their love of mother country, the desire to
serve their communities in achieving justice and peace.”

--Center for Babaylan Studies

Witchcraft in the Philippines Today
The Tagalog islands, now known as Philippines after the Spanish King Philip, is comprised of over 7,000 islands, with many different tribes and communities, beliefs, languages and cultural practices. For the most part, due to Spanish colonization, Catholicism is the religion of held by many, with 86% of the Philippine population practicing Catholicism. Only 0.2% practice tribal religion.

According to Kristine Ibanez, in her article posted in otherworldly.com about Witchcraft in the Philippines, “Asian witchcraft isn’t as abundant, informative, or welcoming as western witchcraft. Though we have a long way to go as a collective to revive and honor the old Tagalog ways, the majority of the modern witches you’ll find here in the Philippines are either old school like the folk healers... or Neopagans mostly found online with a practice rooted in pre-christian European witchcraft.”

Article Presented by: Lady Sheryl DeSanto

Practicum Presenter: Lady Sheryl,
Practitioner, Yona Circle
California BHS Affiliate Chair

World Studies 101
Tagalog Culture

The Ancient Philippine Traditions of
Manghihilot & Babaylan
(Healing Magick)
LINK: VIDEO (9 minutes)

World Studies 101
Filipino Lore
Aswang

This is a wonderful documentary about the lore surrounding many of the 7000 archipelago islands we collectively call the Philippines. Common amongst all is that especially of the aswang.

Through listening to the stories, you can hear the false narrative insertions from other dogmas. You can even hear hints of “Philippine witch trials” with the result of handling — and not understanding — native lore.

While very controversial amongst some Practitioners, there is Truth in all things. This documentary comes HIGHLY recommended for those pearls, if you listen for them. Can you find them?

For this Submission, please —
REMOVE ALL BIASES AND PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS.
KEEP AN OPEN MIND.

Note the following questions as you are watching the documentary:

Where is it believed the people of the islands originated?

Where is the term “witchcraft” utilized and how it is tied to “dark lore” such as the aswang? (Vampire)

How do you feel, what do you think, after watching this documentary — what does “aswang” mean to you now after watching the documentary?

You have one week to answer these three questions.

LINK TO DOCUMENTARY (80 minutes)

World Studies 101
Igolot (Igorot) Indigenous

Igorot, the Tagalog word for “Mountaineer” is any one of the various ethnic groups in the mountains of northern Luzon, Philippines. All of whom have kept their traditional beliefs systems until recent history. Some live in the tropical forests of the foothills, but most live in rugged grassland and pine forest zones higher up. Before colonization, the Igorot numbered about 1.5 million clear into the early 21st century. Their languages belong to the northern Luzon subgroup of the Tagalog languages, which belongs to the Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) family.

The Igorot peoples were purported in earlier days for their wars and practice of headhunting. This was seemingly exaggerated to fit a Christian Colonization narrative and was often further elaborated and embellished in order to elicit more funding from the Church.

The Spaniards partially subdued the Igorot people by force during the first colonial occupation of what was then going to be called the Philippines. That process was completed during the second colonization period of the U.S. hegemony which started in 1898.

Despite this, ethnologists distinguish about 10 main groups, each with its own dialect and culture. There are also variations within these groups regarding creation stories and the obvious signs of religious corruption of indigenous culture by both the Episcopal and Catholic church. Until that point, the Creation Story amongst all indigenous of the world was very similar as you have seen in previous Lessons.

The Igorot still starts out the same as the others but quickly begins to show the dogmatic influence of their colonizers, much like the influence of it on the other indigenous practices of belief. Example: In other places, Christian insertion into Yoruban belief, or African beliefs brought about Hoodoo, Haitian Vodou, etc as the indigenous culture began to assimilate into the culture that was colonizing them.

Take a listen to a short modern Creation story. Listen for any similarities in other Creation Stories which we have heard recently in the Americas.

CREATION STORY (4 minutes)