Abstract
Possession‐mediumship, the expected possession of a specialist by a spirit for the purpose of soliciting knowledge and assistance, is a form of divination which occupies an important place in the ethnomedical traditions of village South Asia. This article examines the institution and practitioners of possession‐mediumship in the vicinity of a Jalari (Telugu fishing caste) village in coastal southeastern India. The practitioners include two Jalari women and two non‐Jalari men. All four practice on behalf of Jalari patients. Although they employ similar diagnostic repertoires and mediumistic techniques, they vary considerably in their recruitment to and experience of possession‐mediumship. Following a description of divinatory practices, the analysis focuses on ambivalence in the motherson relationship, arguing that, in some circumstances, its resolution may encourage development as a possession‐medium.
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