Within Balinese society, people’s fortune is believed to be predictable based on the day they were born, according to the wuku, a seven-day period based on the Balinese lunar calendar system, which has 30 different wuku that form a cycle of 210 days.
Those who were born on wukuwayangare are believed to have a life overshadowed by bad luck. But not to worry, the Balinese believe in many rituals, including those that have the power to ward off negative elements. Sapuh Leger is a balancing and purification ritual with the purpose of eliminating negative forces that could be hanging around waiting to cause trouble in a person’s life.
After completing the ritual, the temple priest lit incense in five clay bowls, while participants walked through the thick curtain of smoke produced from the burning incense, a symbolic gesture of purification by fire. The priest then sprinkled holy water on the participants and covered the participants’ heads with a cloth on which were written sacred letters.
Sapuh Leger could not automatically dispel misfortune, it depends on their karma. Balinese are strong believers in the Hindu law of karma, which holds that one’s actions, good or bad, are sure to rebound upon their instigators in this life or the next.