Witchcraft is a feminine art and has its power from Eshu and was sanctioned, if somewhat reluctantly by Orunmila (lfa) and by Olorun. This power is generally attributed to older women but young women or even girls can sometimes be involved. Witchcraft power is a kind of immaterial substance which may be kept in a calabash hidden in a hole in the wall of a witch's house or in a hollow tree.

The power itself may be lodged in the roots of a tree or even in a young child (age 1 to 8 years). In the latter case the witchcraft power will not harm the child but on the contrary will protect the child from other witches as the child is serving one of them as a refuge. The red tailfeather of the parrot is used as a sign of witchcraft power and may be placed in the calabash or in the tree containing witchcraft power.

I have seen women vomit witchcraft out. It was like a stone or a hard ball of something. They were not killed after that. The spirit of witches after death becomes a restless and disconsolate ghost who wanders about the world in a distraught state. The power is usually passed from mother to daughter but it may also be bestowed as a gift or may be purchased. When passed from one person to the other it is often given mixed with certain foods.

It is sometimes held that a woman can not die possessing witchcraft power but must pass it on to someone before her death; in fact, she will not be able to die unless she does so. Witchcraft power is like a breeze, you can't see it but it has effect. A woman can't die possessing it-when she dies, she vomits out the invisible witchcraft and it passes to her daughter.

A person can buy witchcraft power or may, as well, inherit it from another person. This mostly depends on the interest or love the witchcraft woman has in the person that is going to possess it. But it is necessary and matter of must, to give this witchcraft power to somebody before she should die. In this case, if she could not get anybody either to buy it or to give it out as a gift to her friend outside or to have a daughter she loved that can inherit it, she has to take it to an Iroko tree that is very young.

This will become a spirit in the tree. Other witches will be coming to this tree to have their meetings. It is such trees that we native doctors carry our sacrifices to in case we have a patient that is seriously sick. Witchcraft bought with money is not given directly, it can be given through foods such as baked beans (Akara), Kola, Porridge, red Yam and many other native foods. When this is taken, the power will start to grow, until when the person will start to fly at night.