Healers who treat ‘bad luck’

Photo credit, Vince Harris/Alamy

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Traditional Ecuadorian healers use what they consider magical and sacred plants to treat feelings of bad luck or a defiled aura.

In Ecuador, hundreds of traditional healers offer spiritual cleansing. But these purifications are not intended for people with sensitive skin: they can in particular lead to burning sensations.

In the back room of a small shop in Quito, Ecuador, a short, elderly Ecuadorian woman rubbed a bundle of nettles all over my naked body. While muttering in Spanish, her hands made rapid rubbing motions from head to toe. Within seconds, my body vibrated with a pungent, burning sensation. Warts appeared in red bands.

“Your energy is blocked. We need to open your energy lines,” she said. As she rubbed my now irritated skin once more, I couldn’t help but wince at the pain.

Healers who treat ‘bad luck’ – BBC News Africa