The perilous path of the sorcerer

Not really a news but a documented study

Even in the age of smartphones, belief in magic and the supernatural permeates Cambodian society – for better or worse

Authentic or not, magic costs lives in the Kingdom. In large swaths of the countryside, accusations of evil sorcery often end in brutal murder – at least four alleged sorcerers were killed in 2014 alone, while a Ratanakkiri man has been hiding in a police station for the past two months to avoid a similar fate.

Far more common, however, are the “good” sorcerer who, in the eyes of their customers, use their supposed talents in the supernatural realm to heal, counsel and protect customers from curses. Some brew potions, while others build amulets or read fortunes from palm leaves.

Ryun Patterson, whose multi-media project on the subject, Vanishing Act, will launch next week, said the 11 magicians he interviewed had no fear that their practices would be confused for dark arts.

read more: http://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-weekend/perilous-path-sorcerer