Ivy Haddon-Silver handed her phone to an onlooker before lowering herself onto a pan of smoking charcoal. “Can you take a video of me?” she asked, adjusting her sundress near the embers.
The ritual was meant to fumigate bad spirits, one of many practiced on Siquijor, a Philippine island that is known as much for its white sandy beaches as it is for its long association with mysticism. It is considered a place of healers and witches, elixirs and potions, and traditions both Christian and pagan.
For centuries, people here have treated fevers, colds and aches with herbal remedies, potions and other enchantments. This knowledge is said to be passed down through bloodlines and sometimes even through dreams. Most practitioners accept only donations as payment, saying that greed severs their connection to the gift of healing. Long done quietly, their work has now become a draw for tourists.
For nearly two decades, the local authorities have organized an annual healing festival that coincides with the last week of Lent. In mid-April, residents handpicked by the government gathered near the island’s highest peak to mix oils and herbs in cauldrons, recite prayers and concoct love potions. Visitors hopped from one tent to another, lining up under the punishing heat for palm readings, traditional massages and cleansing rituals.
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