Hazrat Fatima in shamanism

Hazrat Fatima, the daughter of the prophet Muhammad, besides her husband Ali Ibn Talib known among the Bosnian people as hazrat Alija, is a mystical figure and a cult character in shamanism, but also inseparable segment of folk medicine and tradition, where she is a spiritual mother and protector to all stravarke. We are lead to this conclusion by numerous examples from the practice, the most noticeable one is found in one of her names which is Fatima Ana or “Fatima Mother”, from the Turkish word anna or mother. Namely, every time a Turkish woman-shaman i.e. ocakli-kadin pours molten lead in a vessel with water she says: “This is not my hand, this is the hand of Fatima Ana!” alluding that she is only the medium or instrument through which the healing power of the prophets daughter will flow.

Similar ritual practice exists in the tradition of Bosnian stravarke. At the very beginning, before the exorcist formulas and prayers are uttered above the vessel with water, with a quiet voice the stravarka utters this formula: “My dear Hazrat Fatima, my dear mother, tell your father Muhammad...”. The meaning of this magical sentence is actually a desire for supernatural intermediation, with the goal of securing the necessary support from god in order to heal successfully: stravarka asks Hazrat Fatima, which she calls her mother, who in turn will ask Muhammad and he will ask Allah.




Lucky hand

Writing about the tradition of the Bosnian people, Antun Hangi in his chapter about folk medicine touched on the healing motif of the hand, he recorded: “Woman (stravarka), which is known for her knowledge of exorcism and rituals of lead melting, and especially if she is sevapli, of a lucky hand, is very respected since she can do a lot of things if god wills it, from annulling negative effects of evil eyes, cure the frightened, and also she can marry a girl or a boy.”

Researching shamanistic tradition of curing among the Bosnian folk, especially the ritual aspects of the cult “hand that cures” I noticed that they are familiar in numerous aspects. For example, in the exorcist formula which stravarke use to cure a diseased stomach, they say: “Come on, Hazrat Fatima, you bring your pen and with it...”. Without a doubt in this magical request, most reliably defined is the role of the prophet’s daughter who is called upon for help.

Instrument of healing is still the hand but this time it holds the most representative prop-symbol of the shamanistic cult of healing and that is a chicken’s feather, which can also be a bird’s. The motif of a feather was used by all cultures connected to worship of nature and its forces, from the Indians, Maya, Inca all up to the ancient Egyptians. Furthermore, feather like silver is dedicated to the moon, to the female deity and embodiment of the Grand Mother, whose substitute in monotheism became the virgin Mary, Hazret Fatima and sometimes Hawa or Eve.

In a formula for curing recorded in Velika Kladuša, at the very end, an interesting verse is mentioned which literally says: “as light as a feather as clear as silver...” which probably best represents the role and symbolism of the feather in the shamanistic cult of healing. It is quite evident that before the advent of monotheism; in the religion of our Illyrian forefathers, the cult of healing under the patronage of the Grand Mother was well developed, which is a logical sequence under the immediate influence of matriarchy. Women were and still are the best keepers of folk tradition, old language and customs, especially the ones dedicated to healing and magic, which is a result of an old practice of matriarchy in our region. Still today, through old traditions, shorter and longer forms of magical formulas, one can find and hear a lot of old words and phrases which are a priceless linguistic treasure.

Examples of the dominant role of the spiritual mother of healing do not end there. During the banishment of the red wind (Erizipel) stravark, while burning oakum on the body of the diseased, repeats:

Salamaikum, Hazrat Fatima!
What are you doing?
Burning, burning, to burn!
Nine, eight, seven, ....

In abbreviated form of the name i.e. Fata she is often mentioned in basma against snake bite such as:

Fata, Fata kissed gold,
in gold more gold!


At times a mother which washed the face of a spellbound child would utter:

I’m not washing dreams and worry
but evil eyes and insomnia,
with one hand I and with the other Hazrat Fatima,
mašalna inšalna!

Hidden meaning of this ritual is obviously located in the undefined statement which hand represents which mother and probably with that one wanted to confuse and scare evil with the arcane strength of the indescribable parental love and care, in front of which it must recoil.

Another interesting aspect from folk tradition in which the prophylactic role of the prophet’s daughter is emphasized, is evident in the example of borrowing a garden seed for sowing. Namely, when a housewife gives as a gift a seed from the garden she utters:

To you Hazrat Fatima gave a name and to me a seed!

She does this as a precautionary measure so that she may have yields (crop) in her garden.

Saint with three roses

Fatima is often the name of famous stravarke, it was recorded that the name was often given out of love to a daughter, who was an only child. Among the folk it is believed that women with this name often give birth to boys which is obviously alluding to Hasan and Husein, the sons of Hazrat Fatima. From the now deceased stravarka, Fatima D. I once heard that the most powerful amulets for curing are created by Imam’s named Hasan, which can be connected to the story above.

Hazrat Fatima herself in folk tradition of BiH is tied to fortune telling using bean beads, where it is claimed that she used to practice this mantic discipline. This is why before divination the Bosnian diviner gathers 41 bean beads in her hand and holding them in front of her mouth she utters in a low voice the first verse of the Qur’an, and in the end she offers the prayer to Hazrat Fatima’s soul. Allegedly, with this she blesses the bean beads and strengthens them, placing them under the direction of a higher force so that it can correctly show someone’s destiny, since as they claim: “beans are never wrong, only the one using them!”.

During the period when I visited local stravarke often with the desire to gather as much information about their work as possible, I met Alija K. now deceased, she told me about her unusual meeting with Hazrat Fatima. According to her she dreamt of her one night and she described her as “an extremely beautiful young woman, with large dark eyes and white face, which was adorned with a white scarf which had three roses tied to it”.

Allegedly, she was told in that dream that she should continue the practice of curing her mother, a wise woman which was literate during the beginning of the twentieth century in a conservative society such as Bosnia. What was especially interesting in her presentation was a love recipe for having your husband come back to you, in this formula the main protagonists are Hazrat Fatima and her husband Ali, and their connection with the holiest plant for the Bosnian people – sedefil (Ruta graveolens – rue).


Hand of Hazrat Fatima

Although the origin of the most famous amulet in Islam, the so called “Hand of Hazrat Fatima (Fatima’s hand)” , is older than Islam itself, also of Judaism and Christianity, and dates back to the ancient gods whose depictions showed them with a raised right hand, signifying divine authority and power, legends about the origin are an ideal depiction how through time of the human civilization, religion never lost its primary purpose of inspiring man and of giving his life a purpose.

According to an Arabic tradition, when Hazrat Fatima found out of her husband’s infidelity, she was so distraught and in tears that she burned her palm and fingers while mixing a hot mixture of sugar and almonds. She placed her injured hand on her chest, close to her heart and breathing deeply she said: “Dear Allah, give me strength to keep calm and peaceful, protect me and help me, I trust only you!”. As the legend continues these sincere words of an emotionally and physically hurt woman who was humiliated touched Allah that he immediately blessed her hand (berekat) and from then on the motif of her hand has become the most popular and famous amulet across the Middle and Central East and even further.

The hand of Hazrat Fatima is especially beloved among Arabian women which carry it around their necks believing that it will bring them good luck, love, fertility and keep their marriage. Men carry this amulet so that “their paths open up” i.e. so that they can achieve success and prosperity on journeys, in business, commerce, exams, ... Both sexes carry the hand of Hazrat Fatima because of its apotropaic meaning – it protects them from spellbound eyes, magic and evil spirits.

How to defend yourself from black magic

Bosnian stravarke (folk doctors) claim that there is no object or thing in this world that cannot be used for magic or spells. Not even the sacred books, religious paraphernalia or holy water are spared from that. Of course, despite this fact it is also necessary to note that only a small number of people are able to successfully perform magic and cast spells. Such persons, first of all, have to be mentally strong and able to maintain communication with the spirit world. Without these two conditions magic is not feasible.



Witch props are usually those items that are in daily use such as bread, water, coffee, sugar, scissors, needle, matches, thread, wool, etc. Often at first glance quite harmless little things outside the front door or below the threshold, pillows or toilet, that you would not even pay attention to, are actually charged magic props that emit negative energy.


Magic for home


Although I am not a supporter of the idea that the effect of magic is reflected in everything, nor that every even remotely suspicious object should be declared as an evil spell, it is my opinion that one should be careful about everything that is, especially in the morning, found at the entrance door or under the mat.

Since ancient times it is known that the entrance to the house is a particularly sensitive place for picking up any kind of magic, and therefore if you find the remains of the earth, blood, water, cat's or dog hairs, colored thread, etc., do not ignore them and consider them as a harmless coincidence or wind’s play.

It is very important to note that any such object found at the entrance door should not, under any circumstances, be brought into the house, nor touched with a hand. It is enough to sweep it with a broom on dustpan than throw it into dumpster. After that, the threshold and doorposts should be sprayed with wine vinegar, in order to fully neutralize any negative impact.

Magic charms are often brought into the house with the clear intention to attract evil spirits into that home and to fill it with negative energy. Continuous restlessness, sudden deterioration of household appliances, groundless arguments, frequent headaches or, most often, the feeling that you are everywhere more comfortable than at home, is a clear indication of the influence of supernatural forces. The best places to place magic spells are toilet or the bedroom where the victim of magic sleeps. Especially dangerous are those spells that are sewn into the pillow, as they directly affect the human psyche.

The best way to eliminate all of those spells that are found in the home, in the opinion of Bosnian stravarke, is this - all magic charms should be picked up and taken to a three-border point. That is the place where the three plots of land meet, and in its center one should dig a hole, put the magic charms in it and then cover them with soil.

According to stravarke, after that the person who made magic (witch) is completely blocked and can no longer do magic against you. Of course, after that it is very good to "clean" the house with exorcism water or by burning some proven incense, so that peace and prosperity can return to it.


The fire and water met


If you do not know where to turn for help, after you eliminated suspicious objects from the house, use this ritual. Go to a water spring and throw firstly three pieces of bread and a bit of salt in it, saying: "Holy water, great mother, I present you with bread and salt and you please give me what I ask of you - home peace and prosperity!" Then scoop some water and take it home. Throw nine live coals in it or burning matches and every time, while doing so, repeat:

The fire and water met
Enemy’s hands decayed!

This is, otherwise, a verse from a long exorcism spell pronounced by stravarke while forcing evil away, but it is enough for above described ritual. As soon as you remove the coals or matches from the water, use the water to spray the walls of the whole apartment or house.

Another useful advice on how to protect your home from magic and spirits, and somehow make it hard for their invasion, is not to allow the moonlight to "enter" into the house. In the nights of the full moon draw the opaque curtain over the window, drop the blinds or shutters. Moonlight is the strongest carrier of the magical forces and spirits use it many times to enter into the house and with them enters the magic. That is why it is typical for sensible persons to suffer from restlessness, insomnia or nightmares.



Demonic possession through dolls from grave


According to my opinion, but also by experience, the most serious forms of magic are those made with fresh soil from graves. In my research I found some interesting stories told by some stravarke, who revealed intriguing details about the rituals of black magic among the Bosnian people. Sihirbaza (witch) wanting to hurt her enemy is waiting for someone from neighborhood to die and on the same night, after the burial, goes to that grave completely naked and straddles it like a horse.

After some time that she spent muttering mysterious words, she stand up, grab the soil from the grave, as much as it is enough to make a miniature clay doll. In that soil she than put some characteristic sign of the person against whom she is preparing the spell, such as the footprint, the thread from clothes or something else. After that she is splashing the soil  with cow’s urine and blood of a black hen, and mixing it with the soil, spitting on it three times saying:

Such will you NN also vomit and urinate blood, every day until he die!

After she formed a human figure from the soil she takes it and buries it under a dry stump or under an old tree that slowly dries. According to the testimony of stravarka, the person who is a target of such a magic spell gets ill in a very short period and dies unless he gets help.

Studying described ritual I found out that it is based on the obsessions, i.e. that sihirbaza tries to connect the spirit of a deceased person with the victim of magic by the soil as medium, so that the spirit would possess the victim and cause the illness, madness or even death. Of course, goes without saying that these and similar rituals are extremely dangerous because they are based on control of the spirit of the dead person.

Also, sitting or lying on the grave is characteristic ritual gesture of Arabic magic. Namely, the witches are most inclined to visit the graves of people who, during their lifetime, held a prominent position or post, such as a judge, because of the belief that extremely strong jinn like to visit such graves. Sitting naked on the grave the witch allows the demons of the grave to possess her, and in return some of her wishes shall be fulfilled, especially these related to black magic.