Philippine Magic: A Course Catalog

MAJOR in HEALING MAGIC

Of all the practitioners of magic, those who practice the healing arts are the most sought after, and the most respected. Unlike medical science, whose limits are well known and extensively documented, a healer of sufficient power can blur the lines between possible and impossible, life and death. To major in Healing Magic is to immerse oneself in the worldview of the albularyo and the mananambal. Students must internalize this view first, before being instructed in methods of diagnosis and treatment of both natural and supernatural illnesses.

Primary textbooks: (1) "Revisiting Usog, Pasma, Kulam", by Michael L. Tan; University of the Philippines Press, 2008; (2) "Folk Medicine in a Philippine Municipality", by F. Landa Jocano; PUNLAD Research House, Inc., 1973.

Secondary textbook: "Cebuano Sorcery: Malign Magic in the Philippines", by Richard W. Lieban; University of California Press, 1967.

HLM 101 Humanity and Health

To heal the human body, one must first learn to see it as a healer does. To a healer, man is a mixture of opposing elements. Health is achieved when a harmonious balance is found between these elements. This course tackles various conceptions of "health" from the physical ("malusog") to the mental/emotional ("mabuti").

HLM 102 Introduction to Mystical Causes of Illness

When an illness is an automatic byproduct of the experience by a person of the supernatural, without the presence of malicious intent, then the cause of the illness is deemed mystic. This course provides an overview of the six mystical theories of illness causation of Professor Michael Tan: potent life force (that inadvertently causes illness in those with weaker life force, such as unintentional instances of usog); pollution (as from exposure to the dead); mystical retribution (cosmic balance as opposed to the wrath of a god); fate; soul loss (in full or in part); bangungot (here not viewed as a mythical creature, but as a nightmare that can kill a person who is unable to wake up during the attack.)

HLM 103 Introduction to Malign Causes of Illness

Illnesses caused intentionally by sentient beings, whether human or non-human, fall under the category of malign causes of illness. This course outlines the methodology of numerous practitioners of sorcery, and it will teach students to identify the non-human entities who may be encountered and angered/attracted inadvertently by human beings. The latter includes ghosts, duwende, saitan, lamang lupa, engkanto, kapre and nuno sa punso, as well as less well known creatures such as the Manobo "ayew", beings that coerce adherence to traditional customs by making people sick. The course will also touch on the intentional infliction of mystical causes of illness, such as in soul stealing.

HLM 201 General Methods of Diagnosis

This course details the various methods a healer may use to diagnose illness, with the exception of the luop specialty. This includes observation of skin pallor, perspiration, location of the pain, and the appearance of the eyes. The most comprehensive method of diagnosis is through the taking of the pulse, which is believed to be a link to the inner self of persons. Pulse beats taken from various parts of the body are compared, and these indicate which balance of elements of the body have been disturbed. The finger of the healer which first feels the pulse beat of the patient is very important, as this can determine the location of the illness: if it is the index finger, the illness is in the head, if it is the middle finger, the source is in the chest or arms, and if it is the ring finger, the illness stems from the lower part of the body. There are further nuances to the method--for instance, to determine the presence of malevolent spirits, the healer uses his left hand to take the pulse--and by the end of the semester, the student will be conversant in all of these.

HLM 202 Reading Wind and Temperature

Two factors that can throw the balance of the body into disarray are the winds, and the amount of heat and cold in a person. This course will teach a student to distinguish which parts of the body are vulnerable to cold, and which are vulnerable to heat. As for the "winds" what are referred to here are not just natural air flows, but supernatural "bad winds" that cause sickness: the hunab is a warm wind controlled by lamang-lupa that enters people from below, or through pores; the sareno is a cold wind controlled by the engkanto, and enters people from the top.

HLM 301 Types of Supernatural Diseases

This course will allow the student to distinguish natural from supernatural illnesses, as well as identify the major types of supernatural illnesses. These illnesses/conditions include: nalamang-lupa (which symptoms can range from mere physical discomfort to full blown insanity), natabang (swelling of the stomach), nabarang (victim of a barang attack), nagaway (victim of a curse, or paktol), namatanda (victim of a nuno), and soul abduction.

HLM 302 Treatment of Illness

This course delves into the basic techniques of albularyo and mananambal, the general practitioners of the healing world. This involves the teaching of both the mundane, such as folk and herbal remedies, but also the supernatural. The course begins with an attempt to commune with environmental spirits, usually during a dream-state, in order to secure a relationship with a benefactor that will provide both knowledge and assistance to the healer. These spiritual benefactors are essential to the power of an albularyo or mananambal.

HLM 401 Hilot

Hilot is a special healing technique to treat muscle and bone pain and dysfunction. This course will cover the three major forms of hilot: the mirror technique (usually only for treatment of children), the banana leaf technique (where the leaf sticks to the spot that is at the root of the ailment), and the splint technique (where splinting and special prayer formulas are used in conjunction).

HLM 402 Luop

This course teaches luop, which is a ritual that is effective in ascertaining the cause of an illness, particularly if the illness is caused by spiritual beings. Attention is given to both the material components of the ritual (such as the baong-lalaki, the shell of a coconut with a "dimple" at a particular place), and the mechanics of the "Rite of the Cross" and other parts of the ritual.

HLM 403 Buga

This course teaches buga, which is a specialty technique that allows the curing of wounds through a combination of prayers and the application of chewed betel nut. Students will learn the proper preparation of nganga (a mixture of betel leaves, areca nut, lime and tobacco), and the properties of the three types of spittle: sali, bungang-putay, and lubigan, each of which are effective against different types of wounds.