Beware of dealers in witchcraft

Witchcraft. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear this word? Dark arts. A dimly lit room. A person who has mastered the dark arts, conjuring spirits and making prophetic pronouncements. Eerie paraphernalia. Strange otherworldly voices speaking in guttural voices.

For most of us, when we hear the term “witchcraft in marriage”, we think about a spouse who has conspired with a witch doctor to hook or lock their spouse.

However, at its core, witchcraft is all about manipulation. When someone seeks the services of a witch doctor to lock or hook a partner or a “love interest”, they have manipulated the spiritual realm - to work in their favour - to serve their wicked purpose.

(Love interest in quotes because, when someone's will is overridden by manipulation, you cannot call that love. It is worse than hate. But I digress).

Let's talk about other less obvious, but more common forms of witchcraft in marriage. The most common takes the form of abuse, be it physical or emotional. You are using scare tactics to hook and look people into generational victimhood and trauma.

I got bad news for you. If you are denying your spouse sex, you are practising witchcraft. Unless your spouse is a sex addict or a philanderer and you are afraid he will infect you with a sexually transmitted disease, I am sorry, but you are involved in the dark arts right in your holy matrimonial bed. You are punishing and manipulating your spouse, to lock them into a situation where they will have to beg you or pay you - with money or their dignity - for a free gift.

Witchcraft is threatening your partner that if they leave you or if they do not acquiesce to your wishes, you will kill yourself. You want to lock them into a pattern of worrying themselves sick about you. You want to lock them into a cycle of guilt, where they will erroneously believe they are responsible for your death.

Witchcraft is denying your spouse money or other basic needs. You want to lock your spouse in a pattern of scarcity and hook them into seeing you as the master.

If you are divorced or separated, witchcraft is using your children to get back at your co-parent. It is force-feeding the children outright lies, or forcing them to hate their father or mother.

Premarital witchcraft takes the form of a sister sleeping with a man to intentionally get pregnant. The aim is to manipulate the man's feelings and cause them to feel obligated to put a ring on it.

I know. It takes two to make a baby. However, when one partner uses underhanded means to achieve an end - when one partner's consent is not taken into consideration - then it becomes a subtle form of witchcraft.

Premarital witchcraft takes the form of a brother lying to a sister that they are living a certain lifestyle. You have let out the status bait to emotionally manipulate the sister and hook your prize.

I get it. There is such a thing as hypergamy. However, when a man uses deception to get a woman's hand in marriage, it is witchcraft, regardless of our beliefs or schools of thought.

Premarital witchcraft takes the form of lying to a prospective spouse, by omission or commission, that you are a pious individual who is “marriage material”. You will do all the right things to manipulate your target. Attend every prayer meeting. Be an active member of the praise and worship team, although you have been offkey since the second you made your first cry. Be an usher, although you hate people.

Folks, be discerning. Or else you will fall prey to workers of witchcraft.