What Happened When Romania's Most Powerful Witch Moved to LA

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NAYA SHER UNLEASHED — WHY VIRAT KOHLI'S GRAFFITI IS TAKING OVER INDIAN CITIES

Cricket Fever Takes a Colourful Turn

With the World Cup 2023 on in full force, cricket season has been holding India under its spell. Even as we find everyone glued to their screens or thronging the stadiums for every match, something extraordinary has been unfolding on the streets of Mumbai, Nagpur, Nasik, Secunderabad, and Warangal. 

Royal Challenge Packaged Drinking Water unveiled India's largest freestanding 3D Anamorphic Hoardings and transformed the streets into a canvas of cricket glory with graffiti featuring the legendary Naya Sher, aka Virat Kohli.

An Artistic Homage to the Naya Sher 
On the eve of Virat's 35th birthday, Royal Challenge Packaged Drinking Water unveiled the country's largest freestanding 3D Anamorphic Hoardings in Mumbai and Hyderabad. This artistic endeavour is a celebration of the profound impact of cricket on the nation's cultural tapestry.

One of the most unforgettable chapters in Indian cricket history is the triumphant victory in the 2011 World Cup. The nation erupted in joy as our Men in Blue clinched the title, ending a 28-year-long wait for World Cup glory. The scenes of jubilation were unprecedented, with millions pouring onto the streets, waving the tricolour, and celebrating the victory as a symbol of national pride.

The current graffiti displays, coinciding with the World Cup 2023, are a reminiscent ode to the streets spilling over with joy in 2011. The installations stand tall, symbolic of the larger-than-life impact that cricket and its heroes have on the Indian psyche. Because Cricket isn't just a sport in India; it's a cultural phenomenon, a unifying force that transcends demographics and binds the nation together. The larger-than-life presence of Virat Kohli in street art is a reflection of the cricketer's impact not only on the field but also on the hearts of millions of fans.

As the former captain of the Indian cricket team, Kohli boasts an impressive record across all formats. With numerous records to his name, including being the fastest player to reach 8,000, 9,000, 10,000, and 11,000 runs in One Day Internationals (ODIs), his prowess with the bat has redefined cricketing excellence. His consistent run-scoring ability, coupled with an aggressive and fearless approach, has made him one of the most admired players globally. Kohli has led the Indian team to historic victories, both at home and abroad, contributing to the nation's pride and passion for the sport. As India watches with bated breath for the outcome of the World Cup 2023, the Naya Sher's graffiti becomes a symbol of the pulse that beats in every cricket lover's heart, connecting the nation through its shared love for the game.

Behind the Scenes: Anamorphic Engineering 
The grand anamorphic installation was brought to life through a collaboration with Swordfish Events & Entertainment. Standing proudly at 30 feet tall and extending an impressive 75 feet in length, the installation is not merely a static display but a dynamic storytelling masterpiece. The result is a visual spectacle that goes beyond the physical dimensions of the installation. The technology employed by Swordfish breathes life into the artwork, creating an ever-evolving piece of artwork that captures the essence of cricket's larger-than-life impact on the Indian psyche. It transcends traditional artistic boundaries, utilising cutting-edge immersive technology to weave a captivating narrative.

Naya Sher roars from the walls of Indian cities during the World Cup 2023, echoing the collective cheer of a cricket-crazy nation, where every stroke of the brush is a tribute to the magic and significance of the sport in the cultural narrative of India. The graffiti isn't just paint on walls; it's a living, breathing testament to the profound influence of cricket and its beloved icon, Virat Kohli, on the soul of the nation.

 

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What Happened When Romania's Most Powerful Witch Moved to LA

Mihaela Minca is one of the most powerful—and feared—witches in Eastern Europe. In 2017, she relocated to California to work with some clients. We spoke to her about living out her American dream, which of course included hexing Donald Trump.

By Milene Larsson

31 October 2017, 10:58pm

MIHAELA MINCA IN LOS ANGELES. ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF SUBJECT

"The bird is dead, it died instead of you. Now you're safe." That's what Romanian witch Mihaela Minca told her shivering client after sacrificing a bird to supposedly save the possessed woman's soul. We filmed the exorcism ritual for our documentary Casting Curses and Love Spells with the Most Powerful Witches in Romania,which came out exactly a year ago on Halloween.

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During our time with Minca and her witch clan family in the town of Mogoșoaia on the outskirts of Bucharest, we learned how to cook up love potions and curses, discovering that some people are prepared to pay hefty sums in the hope of curing their emotional, physical or financial ailments. In a country where witches are even feared by people in the Romanian parliament, a few practitioners of witchcraft are getting so rich that they live in castles and simply hex any politician threatening to tax them.

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When we found out that Minca and her clan actually spent most of the past year in California at the request of some clients, we knew we had to find out more. We caught up with her on her return to Romania to find out what it was like to be a Romanian witch in Donald Trump's America.

Watch: Casting Curses and Love Spells with the Most Powerful Witches in Romania

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BROADLY: Hi Mihaela. How are you feeling? Are you jetlagged?
MIHAELA MINCA: Yes. I'm tired from the long flight but it feels very good to be back.

What did you guys think of the film?
We all liked it!

Phew! I was worried you'd hex us. How come you went to California?
It's always been a dream of mine to go there. We loved the observatory and walking along Hollywood Boulevard, and we saw the Hollywood sign. We wanted to see more things like Paramount Studios, but we didn't really have time because I was working so much—I was called there to resolve some cases. I met a lot of international witches, from Russia, Cuba, the Middle East, India. Central America is also full witches and they all came to the US.

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Why?
In the US they are free to practice witchcraft without having to explain anything to anyone, and it doesn't matter where they come from or what language they speak. They're appreciated for their true value. I was surprised that they were so free to practice, like the Mexican witches doing palm readings on Hollywood Boulevard. Here in Romania, you can't do that. We can't even have ads on TV.

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A lot of witches around the world, especially in America, came together earlier this year to hex Donald Trump. Did you know about this?
Yes. He tried to pass legislation that would affect all the immigrants in the US, and witches didn't like that. Like always, witches want to help people in need. The US is a country of migrants and many witches are immigrants and want to be able to stay in the US where they can perform their witchcraft.

So did the hex work?
It did, because he couldn't go through with his plans and the government didn't allow him to build the wall—they didn't fund him. The witches in the US, if they would all gather and do something to stop him, they will succeed. But they can't do anything for the normal people. It has to be their choice to oust the president.

Did you take part in the Donald Trump hexing?
Yes, I did, with a group of witches in LA. There is a big witch community there. There are a lot of celebrities, like Hollywood movie stars and singers, who use witches. I worked for some of the celebrities but they don't want the press to know who they are.

Come on, who did you meet?
I can tell you I met Arnold Schwarzenegger. He didn't want anything to do with magic so we just talked.

What kind of services do celebrities ask for?
Most of them want help in matters of love. There was a male actor who wanted help with another man. It wasn't the first case of that type for me. At first in 2006 I was scared of this and felt a bit awkward and I didn't have any spells for two males getting together, but since then I've changed my rituals to accommodate that. So now any LGBT relationships can be treated with magic. For example, I can change the wax dolls I use for bringing people together to two males instead of a male and a female.

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How can people find out about these witch gatherings you attend?
It's very private, even some of the witches don't make it there. You're only allowed to go if you know the location and no one knows the location until the day of the meeting.

OK… So it's a secret witch society?
Yeah.

Is American witchcraft different from Romanian?
American and Romanian witchcraft is similar. The only witches I met who are different are the Cubans because they practice voodou, mainly black magic, and they have very different rituals.

Did you learn anything from the American witches?
I learned a lot of new rituals. I can tell you about one that removes bad spirits from a person's heart. The heart is the center of the body, the spirits get nested in there, so you have to pull the bad spirits from the human's heart and transfer them into a buffalo's heart.

So it's like an exorcism? A bit like what we saw in the film with the chicken?
Yes. You need a buffalo's heart, four claws from a black chicken, a red candle, and black string. You cut the heart in half and make a cavity in it, and there you place the claws and the candle. Then you put the heart back together and tie it very tight with black string. After that, you put it in a jar and seal it tight. After you put the heart in the jar, over the heart you melt nine black candles so that the wax covers the heart.

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But the red candle is intact?
Yes. So after all of this practical work, you start saying the magic words that unfortunately are forbidden to say like this out loud without doing the ritual, because the words in the ritual are the essence of it. A ritual is nothing without the words.

You mean that you can't tell us the words without doing the ritual?
Yes.

What happens if you would say the words?
Nothing bad will happen, it's just that I'm not allowed to do that. I can only say the words during the ritual.

So people reading this know what ingredients they need but what do they have to do if they want to learn the words to make the ritual?
The thing is, no one can really just learn the ritual. They have to have the gift and to practice witchcraft from childhood.

TAGGED:WITCHESWITCHROMANIAUKINTERVIEWSLOREBROADLY WITCHCRAFTBROADLY LORE

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