Black Magic

Nyles Pollonais

This is not a research article, and the claims in this paper are from my personal experience and from what was told to me. This is also not based on any scientific observation from any reputable source. This is solely a retelling of my life and my stories. 

Brooklyn 1996

My mom was “big pregnant” with my brother, so I figure this was between April and May in 1996. The family was out of the Brooklyn house at the time and it was just us three, technically two. It was the middle of the spring day, and I was in the midst of the most sound nap. My mom had fed me, burped me, cradled me, changed me, and laid me to rest. Nearly 9 months pregnant, she too was tired from being on her feet and just wanted to relax, but something was wrong. I’m told that I woke up abruptly out of the sleep and began to bawl and shake my crib. I am 17 months old at this point. This cry was unusual for me because I slept through my naps, normally. Alone in the house, and annoyed, she got up to go downstairs to make another bottle, figuring I was just hungry again. She opened the door to her bedroom and waddled down the stairs of the house built in 1942. As she turned the corner into the kitchen, only in the nick of time did she notice two men about to break into the house. One of the men had half his body in the window already. She screamed, and the men ran. Frozen in paralysis, thinking about what could've happened to the three of us, she called her parents and made her way back upstairs to protect us. From that day on, I had never woken out of a nap like that again. Call it God, intuition, or black magic, but somehow, my gift had materialized from then. 

Title & Artist Unknown, Detroit Institute of the Arts.

Assunta, George Kolbe. 1921. Bronze. Detroit Institute of the Arts.

Power and Connection   

This talent is older than me, and it grants me access to things outside of the normal realm of sight. When I was young, folks told me I had the gift of gab, but as I began to grow, I see that gab was only one part of the entire package. Some might say there are ties to voodoo, obeah, Santeria, black magic, or by whatever name people call the Black spirituality that has accompanied us through our forced migrations across this planet. I do not know where it comes from, but I do know that it has guided me and has continued to guide me in my endeavors across this world. To talk about this is taboo, so it’s a good thing I'm writing it. 

Historically, in the Caribbean, Haitians have gotten the worst end of the stick because they have always been accused of using voodoo, but the negative connotation associated with them comes from the bitter French colonizers who were forced to leave Hispaniola. This is not  dark magic or witchcraft. With the need to hide the power, and the lack of conversation around the topic, there have been attempts to miscategorize this as dark or evil. The history of persecution is common from Salem to San Fernando.

Again, this is not dark magic. 

Untitled, Edouard Duval. Detroit Institute of the Arts.

Description: Agowe, Haitian God of the Sea

This negative view of African spirituality is not unique to the French, however. Black people around the world have had to hide their power and to work in secrecy, afraid of persecution. From Cuba to Jamaica and even down to South Carolina and Louisiana, this unspoken ability has guided our people for ages.

From the Florida water to the incense, West Indians, Africans, and Black Americans  have always found ways to supplement their religion and spirituality with traditions and customs that seem otherworldly. Now, not everyone can access this ability or is blessed with the sight to maneuver in this spirit world. Additionally, accessing and using this power can be physically and mentally taxing. There is no hotline to call the spiritual energy, and at times it can hit you when you least expect it. Moreover, randomly or intentionally, gifts can transfer through generations or skip generations and evolve as the catalysts grow. 

My Skill

My gift deals with people and emotion, specifically, as I understand it today. I can read a person’s energy before I even speak to them, and I can read their ulterior motives before they are even acted out. At times, my ability lets me know when and when not to deal in certain spaces, areas, and groups. It may be a form of extreme empathy or socio-emotional intelligence, but what I’ve noticed in my mere 25 years has shown me that there is more than what is seen with worldly eyes. I am also able to recognize and to see others who have a similar ability. Some people choose to walk in their ability and others choose to ignore it, holding tight to the reality they’re able to grasp. At this point I do not question it, for it has saved me many times already. I am only now learning how to access, utilize, and cultivate it properly. I’ve noticed that plants and animals respond to this magic magnificently. 

One of the main markers of the gift is dream-reading. As many Caribbean people know, tell your parents or grandparents you had a dream and instantly they ask you what it was you dreamt. For example, in Guyanese culture, if you dream of fish, that means someone near you is pregnant. If you dream of teeth falling out of a mouth or a wedding, that means someone is going to die. Walking in clear water is a positive omen, but wading through murky water or mud is bad. Picking fruit, depending on the ripeness (ripe = old) will tell you something about the life of the people around you. There are many other examples, but these are a few that I am able to recognize. 

Collection: The Ofrendas: Celebrating Día De Muertos, Detroit Institute of the Arts

Lastly, communication with those who are no longer alive is another marker of this ability. No, this has nothing to do with Ouija boards or 20 cent psychics. Most commonly, one would come to you while you sleep. What they do or say in the dream is where you build your interpretation. For instance, a week before my grandfather died in February, he visited the house where I lived in a dream I had. In the kitchen, there was so much oil on the floor, and my grandmother and my aunt were cleaning the mess. I kept asking, where is this coming from. I could get no answer. I then noticed my bedridden grandfather walking to the sink to get “ice-water” and I followed him. He was unable to walk in the real world at the time, & this dream was so realistic that I was stunned. Preoccupied with the oil and water, I lost him. So, I went into the downstairs room, before it was a bedroom, and my grandfather was sitting on the bed that did not exist at the time. I kneeled by the bed asking for his wisdom and he shared with me a few key words that have continued to unfold this year. After he died a week later, my aunt decided to renovate her kitchen, and later turned the downstairs room into a bedroom. My grandmother Charmaine died on that same bed earlier this month. I cannot share the entire interpretation, but what happened in my life after our interaction in that dream shows me Black Magic on another level. 

2020

This is not the 21st Century essential oils craze that’s taken suburban housemoms by storm or this newfound witchery emerging on social media. What I speak of is ancient, Black, and universal. Some may ask, what is the difference between normal human intuition and this ability. There is no difference, they are one in the same. The skill is just the full actualization of the intuition. As common knowledge posits, not all people’s intuitions are fine tuned to the same degree. Mothers, for example, are known to have a heightened sense, i.e. a mother’s intuition. There’s no science behind it, but we know it exists. Others may wonder if this gift conflicts with one’s religion, and my answer is that it does not. To the contrary, I understand my power to be associated with God. 

All of Us or None, Sara Nasser (Dearborn, MI). Detroit Institute of the Arts

This year has turned my ability into something powerful. Whether it was the quarantine, the world’s strife, or the time alone, my ability seemed to heighten in access and clarity. I could detail the instances of the year that have impacted me most, but I don’t think it is necessary. We have all noticed the spiritual awakening happening this year. If you feel as if you may have a gift, I want you to embrace it. Speak to your relatives and ask your old people about their experiences. I know, like many of you, that Black Magic exists. 

Happy Halloween, folks. 

Meet the Writer

Nyles Pollonais graduated from New York University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He is a writer, entrepreneur, musician, and future educator who spends most of his time focusing on political theory and current events. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree at University of Michigan.

*Title graphic created and photos submitted by Nyles Pollonais.