Although the prevailing religions such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, etc. scoff at fortune-telling and even vigorously publicize and oppose it, in Africa, fortune-telling has prevailed as their unique cultural tradition.
Most of the divination and fortune-telling in Africa revolves around the prediction of personal destiny, and more importantly, the interpretation of the meaning and true meaning of life. They believe that the two decisive factors in the divination process are the forces of nature and the soothsayer. The power of nature is invisible and invisible, but it can predict the future through the interpretation of a fortune teller. God is the main spiritual incarnation and his power can be expressed through the weather and nature of the earth as well as the movement and form of animals. The fortune-teller's ability to interpret natural signs rationally is the basis of fortune-telling in Africa.
The gender of national fortune-tellers in different ethnic traditions is also different. In some specific regions, only men are allowed to engage in the profession of fortune-telling, and there are also many regions where women are engaged in the profession of fortune-telling.
A fortune teller can predict the future through a variety of channels. Of course, different regions and tribes will be different, but there are also some common points, such as "Oracle" is very common. An oracle is a wood carving piece that is carved into different shapes, which can be in the shape of gods or animals, or in the shape of natural structures. Depending on the shape and symbolism of the oracles, each oracle can be used for different purposes. The most commonly used oracle is the "friction oracle", which is used to address ancestors when a person is in crisis or lost. Oracles are often carved in the shape of the Creator God, who is the holiest incarnation of the gods in African countries. Many times, this wood carving looks like a pregnant or obese woman, especially when fortune-tellers want to predict their recent fertility. There are oracles carved in the shape of animals. There is a very special oracle carved in the shape of an American crocodile. The front and back sides of the wood carving represent the affirmation and denial of the gods when answering questions. When the fortune teller asks God, he decides God's will through the front and back of the wood carving.
A close relative of the oracle is a miniature doll that is popular in countries with popular religious beliefs, such as Haiti. In addition to being used for general divination, this doll is more used to curse and injure others. This is usually done by casting a spell on the doll or shaking it on the ground for a few minutes, at which time an experienced fortune-teller can predict what is about to happen by carefully observing the doll's shape.
In addition to oracles and dolls, some countries also predict the future by throwing stones and gourds. In addition, there are other ways to predict the future, such as: observing the movements of mice on a pile of bones, observing the footprints left by foxes on the grass in the field, observing some random movements of spiders when weaving webs, etc.
If the fortune-teller is still unable to predict the future through the use of oracles, dolls, and various shapes as mentioned above, then the fortune-teller can ask the deceased for advice. It is said that the dead can help fortune-tellers understand the will of the gods, because the dead are closer to God, so the dead can see more clearly what the gods do to humans. It stands to reason that, as relatives of the living, the dead are of course willing to help the fortune teller. The fortune-teller can call the dead through magic, potions, spells, etc., but usually the dead do so by themselves. The fortune-teller proved that he had met the deceased in a dream and accepted the instructions of the deceased by showing pain somewhere in his shoulder or back.
Some fortune-tellers are called hallucinations, they can only predict the future by contacting the dead in a state of deep hallucination. It is said that this hallucination can make humans and gods in common, so that they can more clearly understand the omens sent by the gods. .
Once the fortune-tellers in hallucinatory or non-hallucinated states predict the future, they will make predictions to the parties concerned. If a fortune-teller predicts that there may be trouble in the future, the fortune-teller will usually prescribe a prescription, which usually includes spells, prayers, magic, figurines, herbs, or some verbal incantation. Either remedy is said to prevent and correct impending trouble.
Not all divination results require a prescription. On the contrary, many divination results are delightful and joyful. In this case, the fortuneteller usually gives some words of blessing and encouragement to the parties, and sometimes even the whole village. All gathered to share the joy. It is in such celebrations that people fully feel the magic and charm of the fortune-tellers, and how the fortune-telling affects the daily life of every individual, every family and even an entire village.
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