There are five main sources of power, where any spell caster or wizard receives their authority, in the West African magical tradition. These are the power of the mage in question, the power of nature, the power of the ancestors, the power of spirits, and the power of God. They are used and invoked in almost all African rituals.

1. Power of the Wizards

First of all, in West African magic, from Palo Mayombe to Benin voodoo, the power of any spell, incantation, or ritual depends on the power of the person performing it. Not everyone can sit down and cast a spell. This is in direct contrast to Western eclectic notions where anyone can study, write, cast, and perform a spell.

In West African traditions, magic is only performed by those who have undergone many years of rigorous training. In many cases it may also be necessary for the person to be from a heritage, or family line, of Priests. In certain voodoo traditions in Benin, for example, it is the spirits that determine whether a man or a woman will become a priest or priestess. Those who have spiritually inclined family members are much more likely to be selected than those who do not.

All of this gives African witches the reputation of being some of the most powerful and feared in the world. Few people will tell you that they are afraid of a curse cast by a Wiccan, but if it is from someone who was born and raised in Africa, studied and learned the native traditions, and has risen to a status of esteem and power in his or her respective tradition then the situation changes. The mage’s power is a force to be reckoned with.

2. Power of nature

Africa remains largely rural. Despite widespread urbanization and industrialization, Africa has remained largely rural. This is reflected in the powers and traditions of African magic. Many spells in West African cultures invoke the power of nature. We see this both in the invocation of the spirits of nature and in the preparation of natural remedies to be consumed.

Many will point out that much of Western medicine was initially learned from African traditions: traditional herbal remedies in Africa were found to have great medicinal benefit. But it goes much further than this. Even inert substances, such as prairie grass or raffa, can take on spiritual and magical qualities when used in a ceremony. Blessed natural objects, plants, and leaves that would otherwise have no effect on a person have been shown to have the power to curse and heal, and to drive mad or cure madness.

One of the most common examples is, of course, atar stew, a blessed food served by a woman to keep her boyfriend or husband faithful. The natural power to ensure fidelity and stop cheating is found in many African spells.

3. Power of the Ancients

All African magic requires communication with the ancestors. This is why the magicians in Africa who cast the most powerful spells are also the ones whose fathers and grandfathers, or mothers and grandmothers, cast the most powerful spells. They remain in direct communication and link with their ancestral spirits.

These ancestral spirits will guide the magician in each work or ritual. They will impart instructions and secrets that cannot be learned from any book or from any man. Essentially direct spiritual remedies that are only learned and passed on after one’s own death. That is why communication with ancestors is essential. They are part of the recipe to perform any spell or ceremony.

The power of the ancestors is also important because they help during the actual spell casting. They also give their spiritual power and ability. In Africa, you never have a single man or woman working on a spell. Apart from the living participants, you will also have the ancestors of that man or woman casting the spell along with them. Therefore, the more spiritually powerful the ancestors were, the more spiritual power will enter the ritual. This is why many families in Africa, such as the Remis or Dagbononons, gain a strong reputation for having a long line of healers and spell casters.

4. Power of the Spirits

Petitions to the spirits are essential in any African ritual. The spirits in West Africa are innumerable and not everyone works with, or even knows about, all the spirits that exist in Africa. They are a multitude and cover all aspects of life and death. They also range from small, mischievous spirits to large, powerful entities.

Any given spirit will have many spirits below it that are at its disposal. It is these spirits who are asked and asked to give their power and will to a spell. It is also these spirits to whom offerings are made. This can be in the form of animal sacrifice, but not all spirits use animal sacrifices. Many spirits accept sacrifices of grain, alcohol, cigarettes, and even small objects of monetary value such as coins and beads. All this depends on the spirits that are invoked.

There are spirits that govern all domains of life. The spirits used in a ceremony to cast a love spell are going to be a different group, for the most part, than the spirits used in a ceremony to cast a curse on a person. There are still important pantheons of spirits that are invoked in almost every spell, but the true keys and secrets of African spells are the spirits they control. The hierarchy of spirits and the spirits below them that go out and do the work. Those are the spirits with which only the initiated African Priest or Magician will learn to work.

5. The power of God

All African traditions teach about a single deity, even the spirits are below him. This is why many Africans have no problem blending Christianity with traditional spiritual practices. And, really, there is no conflict with Christian practice and most of the spiritual traditions of Africa. They both believe in a single benevolent deity who rules the world. Both believe in their messengers, the Spirits or Angels, and both believe in divine reward and punishment.

God, or Bondye, is always prayed to and called upon in all African ceremonies. God is seen as the origin of all things and also as the ultimate giver of spiritual authority. He is also the first source of life and energy in the world. This means that all power, for better or worse, must originate from this source. That is why prayers to God are offered in each type of spell. Even when he curses an enemy. It is believed that in every action God should be honored and consulted.