Magic in the "Magic Kingdom"

Quick! What would you think if you saw your maid drop a photo of your husband and a pen belonging to your young daughter into her bag? What about if you saw her cleaning your hairbrush?

If you’re an American woman like I am, you might think the woman has a crush on your husband, needs a pen and is doing her job.

You might think she’s not as trustworthy as you thought she was. You might wonder what other items you’d find in her bag.

Or you might thank her for cleaning your hairbrush.

But, if you’re a Saudi woman, you might just think she was planning some magic. Especially if the maid happens to be from certain areas of the world.

I’ve been warned by several Saudi woman friends to never let those maid into my house, or near my husband or kids - they're just too good at magic!

Usually the warning is followed by a story – like the time one of them caught her maid boiling herbs along with hair she’d taken from a brush. The spell wasn’t done yet, so nothing bad happened…but it was a close call.

Or the time one woman’s father got mysteriously sick and was unable to speak for three days. (That wasn't the maid, of course, that was a jealous competitor who'd cast an "evil eye" his direction.)

I have to admit, when my local friends start talking about magic, my ears perk up.

Not that I believe myself, but I sure am fascinated by their belief in the stuff. And the intensity of those beliefs.

Their voices grow hushed. Their eyes dart around the room to make sure no one else is listening. Their sentences are statements of fact, as each story feeds off the previous.

It always surprises me that magic – and the belief in magic – is such a big part of the religion and culture here.

From a religious standpoint, fortune telling and such are big no-nos. Even interpreting dreams is prohibited, (tho as I write the government here is trying to regulate it!). 

And magic itself is listed as one of the “seven deadly acts”. (The list also includes slandering women, murder and taking money from orphans, as well as others, btw.)

Yet at the same time, most Saudi’s are quick to tell you that magic is as real as the fingers on your hand. Learning magic and practicing magic might be deadly, but believing in it seems to be a national pastime!

Given the chance, they’ll tell you all about the good jinns and the bad jinns they’ve encountered over the years. About how their grandmother’s sister’s aunt’s sister’s (or some such arrangement) marriage was destroyed when she fell in love with her jinn, or how every person in a village way out in the hinterlands came down with a mysterious, medicine-defying ailment. Or how a girl was suddenly able to see after a spell was released from beneath the eye of a desert dubb.

As strongly as they believe magic is a real part of their every day lives - taking the form of spells and curses, soothsaying, love potions, charms, “evil eyes” and of course jinns - Saudi’s also believe there are sure-fire things you can do if you are the unfortunate “victim” of magic - special prayers and verses you can repeat a certain number of times at a certain time of the day, for example, or sleeping in special positions.

Part of me is flabbergasted by how deeply magic is ingrained here in what many consider the birthplace of Islam.

Part of me understands it.

After all, magic is simple and primitive. Throughout history, magic has provided answers for people who lacked advanced logic, scientific understanding or more organized religious or spiritual beliefs.

It’s also common, not so much in the every-day sort of way, but in the lowest common denominator way – in communities of believers, magic is a common bond, a way for the group to stay connected and dependent on one another. In very real ways, magic can be a shared experience, which tightens and strengthens a community.

And let’s not forget the perception of power and control inherent in magic. When it feels like you can’t control anything, isn’t it reassuring to believe there are others who can? And who's more powerful than the person with control?

Magic surely had a place in ancient Arabia – back before science and technology, before university educations and globalization and even organized religion. But why is it still such a big deal?

Maybe I'm too disconnected from my intuitive side, too socialized toward science and Christianity and away from mysticism, superstition and wishful thinking, but to me all this talk of spells and curses, charms, potions and invisible little people out to cause mischief just seems a bit...well, silly. 

But that's me, and what do I know!