Moon paste, perhaps the most mysterious of all magic mediums, is also one of the oldest.

The making of it was known and practised in ancient Thessaly; magicians in Morocco and in Brittany knew of it, and except for the language being differ ent, the ideas and forms were the same as were used in Scotland so lately at the end of the seventeenth century. Water from seven wells, herbs gathered at certa in phases of the moon, clay taken from a special place, and dried in the fire, a nd afterwards pounded into fine dust, all played their part in the making of the paste. It required, however, the magic of the full moon, and this could only be got by incantations, sung widdershins, and a most elaborate ritual. This paste could unite sundered lovers; it could cure illness; and if its owner so willed i t, it was capable of bringing disaster upon one's enemies; in fact, it was capab le of working magic; both black and white.\ \ \pard\pardeftab720\sl380 \f1 \cf0 "Sati, who is both a benevolent and malevolent force, is integral to th e communities understanding of disease and problems related to mens\'adtruation, pregnancy and childbirth. Matters regarding the belief in Sati were not really discussed openly as it may have been considered inauspicious and there were no p hysical images to depict her. As mentioned earlier, this goddess does not belong to the Hindu pantheon but is probably a goddess from the past tribal faith. Bel ief in Sati even today provides an alternative, religious explanation for the in cidence of maternal and infant mortality, and prescribes ritual observances that often run counter to western medicine. Sati had certain places in the village t hat she haunted and these places were either to be avoided, revered with fear, o r visited only during certain occasions for example to throw the clothes of the dead, or the after-birth and clothes of the new born" \f2 \ \f1 page 462 \f2 \ \ \f1 "In the past, apart from a few exceptional cases, the expectant women did no t go to their mother\'92s homes for their confinements, as is the case with othe r communities in Goa. Right up until four decades ago, all births took place at home and were assisted by a woman attendant \i (vaigen), \i0 the only one permitted to cut the umbilical cord who was not a formally tra ined birth attendant but to whom the skill was handed down from elders in her fa mily and made perfect with experience. The \i vaigen \i0 then buried the cord outside the house and the place was covered with three palm leaves. This place had to be kept clean or else it could harm the new infa nt. Her job after delivery was to assist the \i baanti \i0 and baby, for eleven days including with the cere\'admonial baths on the se venth and eleventh day after birth. On the seventh day the \i vaigen \i0 would throw coconut palm leaves as well as the dried cord/navel at the plac e allocated for Sati. On the eleventh, the ceremonial bath was followed by a rit ual held around the well to purify the \i baanti \i0 and permit her to draw water, which she had been forbidden to since childbi rth. The \i baanti \i0 carries a tray ( \i tali) \i0 of rice, a cereal \i (nachne),

\i0 turmeric \i (haldi), \i0 vermilion \i (pinzar), \i0 betel leaves and areca nut \i (pan \i0 and \i veedo). \i0 She throws \i pan \i0 and \i veedo \i0 into the well along with a few drops of oil and applies \i haldi \i0 , \i pinzar \i0 , cow dung and soot and a paste made of a lentil \i (urid dhal) \i0 on the wall of the well in five different coloured stripes. She draws water from the well and pours water five times on a coconut tree and each time has to look up at the tree. Then she draws another pot and walks straight to her home w ith it signifying her state made pure once again. The \i vaigen \i0 was later given rice and coconuts and a token amount for her services but i t was believed to be inauspicious to deprive the \i vaigen \i0 of anything she asked for." \f3 \ \ \f1 page 463... \f3 \ \f1 Shalia Desouza, \i Lusoptopie 2000 \i0 : 455-468\ \ \ \pard\pardeftab720\sl380 \f2\fs24 \cf0 Witches who had attained a very high standard of their art used, a s a medium of black magic, moon paste. As the name implies, this was made by the moon beeing pulled out of the sky. This medium had to be made when the moon was full. Certain herbs had to be pounded and mixed; water taken from sev\'9cen dif ferent wells and the whole thing had to be kneaded in a trough in a kirkyard wit h chantings and muttered words and turnings innumerable to "widdershins." Images made of this paste were capable of bringing weal or woe according to the wishes of the witch who owned it. Isabel Goudie used it to help Jean Gordon of Gordons town, but she used the same medium to bring sickness and death to the house of t he Laird of Park\ \ \ \pard\pardeftab720\sl340 \f4 \cf0 Rhododaphne, or, The Thessalian spell:}