The Aswang as a Witch

There's one other aspect of the aswang that is commonly held as true by many believers. This is that they are capable of casting spells or in the absence of chants, even the silent but deadly evil eye. In one of my previous posts, I have detailed the different characteristics of an aswang. This is one that I have forgotten to include: the aswang as a witch.

In the Philippines, when someone complains of a stomachache, a fever or malaise for no apparent cause or reason, they are said to be 'inaswang'. These conditions are said to be medically untreatable – a visit to a doctor may either prove inconclusive or ineffective, so much so that a victim using medication will find that his condition would worsen – and it's not because the doctor doesn't know what he/she's doing.

How the spell is cast
In most cases, an aswang has to have direct contact with you in order for an evil eye spell to work. There are three ways this can be done:

Greeting
Filipinos call a greeting 'bati'. If an aswang comes up to you and compliments you about anything – your health, your appearance, even your clothes – and then you start to feel ill, we call this 'nabati'. An aswang can cast a spell either through words of appreciation ("You look really well today" or "You have a very cute baby") which can sometimes be accompanied by a tap or a touch.

Touch
An aswang need only touch you in order for a spell to work. You could receive a tap on your shoulder, arm or face or they could simply touch you with a finger. It may or may not be accompanied by a word or greeting. It'll work just the same.

Food
An aswang offering you food may not always be a good thing. It's either: a) they want to turn you into one of them or b) they want to poison you slowly but surely.

So how to fight back?
For the superstitious lot, fighting back is chicken feed. For the uninitiated, here's how:

If you get greeted by an aswang…
Say, 'Really? Puera usog' or if you're Visayan, say, 'Puera buyag.' Or you could just simply redirect the evil eye back by wearing any amulet specifically designed for that sort of protection. Or, you could hide a clove of garlic in one of your pockets.

If an aswang touches you…
Touch them back. This is assuming they haven't changed shape or form yet. That's the best way to cancel the spell. It's like the two of you firing a short burst of laser beam at each other – it hits the target dead on and cancels it. A tap will do.

If an aswang offers you food…
Refuse. Say you're full or suffering from incontinence or bad diarrhea or something. If the food has somehow found its way down your throat, it's probably time to go seek out your friendly healer or babaylan.