Gypsy Lore & Magic
A group of people, possibly high-caste warriors, left India almost one thousand years ago. They journeyed through Egypt and into the Balkans. It was thought they'd originally come from Egypt, which is why they were called Gypsies. By the 1500s locals were getting edgy about them. The Gypsies' roaming lifestyle, dancing bears, and unusual clothes did not sit well. Laws of passage were passed against them. Now they were forced to stay on the move.
In Spain they became the Gitanos, lived in cliffsides, and gave us Flamenco dancing. The Irish already had their Tinkers when the Gypsies arrived, and the Gypsies retreated to Scotland, England, and Wales. They're now in every country in the world but Ireland. Regardless of where they live, their language is similar and seems to be Hindu-based.
Gypsies invented our modern deck of playing cards and used it to tell fortunes. When everyday people took up playing cards, Gypsies created the tarot. Fortune-telling provided them an income and also made outsiders a little afraid of them--it offered protection. |
|
|
There are between one and two million Gypsies in America. They are invisible to us, not to each other. They have their own courts, their own belief systems, and they do not teach outsiders their language. Throughout their travels they've managed to maintain their identity and have shown remarkable powers of adaptation and survival. They have not only survived, they have flourished. Their survival is an extraordinary achievement, one that's close to miraculous. |
Traditional Gypsy Wisdom
To Bring a Child: The husband and wife take an egg and make a small hole in each end. They kiss. They hold the egg between them, each with a hole in their mouth. The husband blows the raw egg into the wife's mouth. She swallows. The empty shell is placed on a table, the husband and wife make love. Afterward, they take the eggshell outside and bury it deep in the earth. |
Peas in a Pod: Young Gypsy girls should look carefully when they shell peas. If there are seven peas in a pod, keep it. Put one half of the pod over the door of your vardo, keep the other half in your pocket. The first eligible male to enter your home will fall in love with you right away, and he will be the one you will marry. |
To Make Yourself an Object of Desire: Draw a circle on the ground on the east side of a tree. Stand in the center. Say, "Opré the rooker, adré the vesh Sichiriklo ta chirikli; Telé the rook adré the vesh Si piramno ta piramni." (Over the tree and into the woods are male and female birds. Under the tree and into the woods are male and female sweethearts.) Stick an oak branch straight in the ground, in the middle of the circle, and walk away. Do not look back.
|
Silver Horseshoe: The moon, Gana, is honored by Gypsies, and a horse is a constant friend. Combine the horse and the moon, you have a horseshoe. (Moon's shape is in the center.) The horseshoe brings many blessings from the goddess. At weddings, the new couple is presented with a small polished silver horseshoe. It is kept and guarded. To lose it would bring bad luck to the marriage. The horseshoe is powerful protection against all forms of evil and bad luck. |
| The Bath: To heal a rift or consummate a union a bath may be taken. Into the hot water place jasmine blossoms, rose petals, and comfrey. Repeat three times the healing you desire. It will be yours, and so will healing peace within your heart. |
Family Unity: Take a small clipping from every family member's hair. Place them all in a large leaf, roll it and tie the roll with one of the mother's hairs. Bury this beneath an oak tree. |
| Lemon: Lemon peel finely grated and steeped in wine is a powerful aphrodisiac.
Nettle: Fresh juice of nettle will stimulate a nursing mother's milk. |
Crow: An old English Gypsy folk belief was that to bury a crow's eye under your bed excited lust. Gypsies have great respect for crows and especially for ravens. |
|
