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Daily Planet is a collection of short news items -- one each weekday -- that evoke and illuminate the far corners of the world. To read previous items, visit the Daily Planet archive. Send all tips to DailyPlanet @salon.com.

Suryono, who, like many Indonesians, goes by his first name only, convinced housewives and widows in his hometown of Cilacap that he was a shaman with special powers. Local police chief Lt. Suranto told the news service, "Most of these widows usually wanted Suryono to make them more attractive, make it easier for them to get a partner or just wanted to ensure that their husbands would remain faithful and care for them more."

Suryono promised the lonely ladies he would make their dreams come true -- if they agreed to come alone to his house on a Friday at midnight. When they arrived, he instructed them to strip and bathe in flower-laden bath water. After they had been cleansed, he asked them to chant mantras in the buff. Then he put the whammy on them -- literally.

To make sure he got laid on nights other than Friday, Suryono also told his victims that if a man who looked just like him approached them, that man was really a genie who could grant their wishes -- providing they conceded to his wishes. (More whammy.)

Unfortunately for Suryono, the jig is now up. The fallen magician is being held in police custody in order to protect him from his fellow villagers, who wish to put their own brand of whammy on him.
salon.com | March 3, 2000

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