The following story is collected from my friend. She lived in Turkey for the most part of her life. She talks about a Turkish tradition in this collection. This interview is done on phone. “A” refers to me, the collector. And “B” refers to the participant.

A:”What is “Lead Melting”

B: “It is a practice we do in Turkey in order to send bad spirit away from us.”

A: “Do you have any personal experience with this tradition?”

B: “Yes. I was feeling bad and wanted to do this practice. My mom was not believing in “lead melting” so I could not do it at first. One time I went to my aunt and talked about this subject. She told me she believes in this practice and do it once in a while if she feels negative energy on herself. She told me if your life is not heading in the right direction and you are not sure how to solve it, you can try it. She told me her neighbour in the apartment actually do this practice for those who want. So we went to her home. She started to melt the lead and covered my head with a towel. With one held she holds a pot filled with water and on the other hand, she holds a spoon full of melted lead. She poured the melted lead to the water while she was praying. As the lead quickly turns solid, she says “Nazarini aldim” (“Nazar” vaguely refers to “bad energy” and people use various methods to prevent it, such as wearing an amulet. Phrase can be translated as “Taking away Nazar”, which means bad energy is thrown out of the body). Then the lady looked at the solid lead, shaped in an abstract and random way, to tell my fortune and problems. She says how people’s “eyes” affected me. And I really felt relieved and better. I paid her and left.”

A: “Did she say anything real?”

B: “She told me I was having problems in my career. It was true, I lost my job a few months ago.”

A: “Would you say this practice is common in Turkey?”

B: “Yes. Many Turkish people believe it is true and many people practice this.”

A: “Do you believe it really works?”

B: “I believe there is an energy in the universe, sometimes good, sometimes bad. I feel like, if a person emotionally feels good after doing this, for whatever reason, the practice is a success.”

The following story is collected from my friend. He is from Turkey. This interview is done face-to-face. “A” refers to me, the collector. And “B” refers to the participant.

A: “Did you experience anything mysteries?”

B: “I am from Istanbul. I have a friend who is also from Istanbul, but he’s grandparents had a summer home in Kinaliada. He invite me to stay there for a couple of days and I accepted it. We were touring the island, late at night, and my friends showed me an abandoned home. It looked very old. My friend told me, a “Hoca” used lived there, who was known to have a relation with jins. We decided to explore the building, but did not want to do it at night. So next morning, we went to home and got inside. There was this horrible smell coming from the home.”

A: “Can you explain me who is a “Hoca” ?”

B: “People from all classes, can go to a “Hoca”, when they need advice for their personal problems. “Hoca” is believed to have a mystic powers. They are usually old man with long beard. People think they have connection to supernatural stuff.”

A:”Such as jins?”

B:”Yes”.

A:”Can you give me example of how someone can seek help from these people?”

B: “People, who come from any kind of background can go to a hoca, when they want something really bad or want to solve a problem. For example; Instead of going to doctor, or after they went to a doctor, for a medical problem, they seek advice from a “Hoca”. “Hoca” can pray to heal the person, talk to jinns, or create a mixture with herbs, like a magical potion.”

A: “Continue your story please?”

B:” So we got inside and looked around. It was empty and not much to see, but we noticed a crack on the wall. Crack was shaped like the face of a bull. We didn’t think much about it and left the home. Next morning, we were having breakfast and we asked my friend’s grandparent about abandoned home. Grandfather told a “Hoca” used to live there and his name was “Boga Hoca”.

A: “What does “Boga” means in Turkish?”

B: “It means bull. So when he said this, me and friends were shocked. Because we did not talk to him about the crack that shaped like a bull. “

A:” Do you think “Hoca”s have mystical powers to heal people?”

B:” I believe is that, after trying all practical solutions to a problem, people, who are religious or not, try to get hope from cultural tradition. People look for safety and comfort. Maybe Americans watch movies or read books to get comfort. In Turkey, people go to “Hoca”. I don’t think we should evaluate this tradition by standards of practical science. They are very different. A visit to “Hoca” is different from a visit to doctor; they heal different things in a person.”

The following story is collected from my friend. She is from U.S.A. This interview is done face-to-face. “A” refers to me, the collector. And “B” refers to the participant.

A:” Do you know any interesting Indian belief? “

B: “Many indians believe in astrology. If you can plot when and where you are born, you can learn about your future.”

A:”Do you believe in it?”

B: “No, not really. I don’t believe. It is old fashioned tradition, I learned it from my mother. I think it is very traditional now. Became a part of Indian culture. It is a way of honoring your legacy. I think people can really believe in it sometimes. “

A: “Is there a person you need to see for this practice?”

B: “You go to astrologist and they tell you what you want to know. They charge a certain amount of money, it is their job. They can be vague about their assumptions, so there can be a better chance for them being correct.”

A: “Can you tell me more?”

B: “Astrology is also connected to Hinduism. You can which day for your wedding would be the most auspicious. There is a very famous Indian actress called, Aishwarya Rai. Because of her astrological beliefs, she married a tree before marrying her husband. This event was criticized because it is not modern. Many people see it as old tradition. My generation is usually less likely to believe in this, but older generations are more likely to believe.”