Pinoy Lucky Charms and Other Superstitious Stuff
TIM TAYAG LOOKS AT ALL THE PECULIAR WAYS AND MEANS THAT PINOYS LIKE TO IMPROVE THEIR FORTUNE
If Westerners have such ridiculous beliefs like leprechauns, rabbit feet, four-leaf clovers, black cats, horseshoes, stepping on cracks, wishbones, and walking under a ladder, we must admit that we Filipinos have an even more absurd set of hocus-pocus ideas. Just walk around Quiapo, a casino, or any far-flung province and you will see a concoction of lucky charms, love potions, and superstitious mumbo jumbo. Here, the ones I remember from childhood that continue to haunt me today:
Erni Baron’s Triangle
The power of the pyramid has been known to man since the ancient Egyptian civilization, but the late Erni Baron, a newscaster and an herbal medicine practitioner took that knowledge to the next level with his pyramid. Erni’s triangle has been known to build body resistance, sharpen your mind and blades, make cheese and salt, and charge batteries. Just put whatever object you need to charge or sharpen with its energy underneath the pyramid hat for 24 hours and you will feel its power. It seems Baron was also responsible for the healing seven herb tea, pito-pito.
Agimat
This is a general Filipino term for amulet or charm, also referred to as anting-anting. They are stones, necklaces, pendants, crosses, or clothing. Wearers acquire powers of invisibility, healing, telekinesis, and morphing, and hopefully, even the power to stop the US from spreading its toxic credit default swaps into the Philippine stock market.
Gayuma
Gayuma is the Filipino love potion, available from Quiapo or the local drug store (jot it down on paper and wink at the pharmacists when you hand them your order — generic name: viagrus phallus). Pour the potion in your potential partner’s drink. Once he or she ingests it, he/she will be fatally attracted to you, even if you’re as attractive as a dead toenail. The ingredients to make gayuma are diverse: plant roots, insects, precious stones, sea corals, leaves, twigs, red and black seeds, Brad Pitt’s sweat, and unreciprocated love. Some work like a perfume spray. I tried it once and found it very effective… for attracting stray cats.
Dwende
Dwendes are the Filipino version of elves or dwarves, depending on whether you’re a Lord of the Rings purist. They are three inches in height, only a few inches shorter than our current president, and are invisible to most people. White dwendes are the good ones (aren’t they always?) and can bless you with material wealth, health and possibly a video rental store if you treat them with respect and give them candy. Black ones can hex you with an illness if you step on them, so make sure to say “Makikiraan po” or “Excuse me.”
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