During a jaw-dropping appearance on Unwine with Tasha K, celebrity witch and spiritual healer Satin Sanchez made waves recently when she claimed that her mother, grandmother, and even great-grandmother practised witchcraft inside the church.
Sanchez, who has built a loyal following for her bold takes on spirituality and protection rituals, didn’t hold back.
“My mom was in the church and still doing spells for people in the church,” she told host Tasha K, sparking a stunned response. “So was my grandmother and my great-grandmother.”
The viral conversation has reignited debates over the blurred lines between traditional African spirituality and organized religion in the Black community.
“What people don’t even notice is that witchcraft is literally in the church,” Sanchez said. “They just like to call it a different word. They’ll say it’s a ceremony… but it’s still witchcraft.”
Rooted in Tradition, Hidden in Plain Sight
While her claims have stirred controversy, many spiritual historians say Sanchez’s perspective reflects centuries of syncretism, where African ancestral practices blended with Christianity under the pressure of colonization and enslavement.
Sanchez explained that her family’s practices were rooted in helping others heal and protect themselves spiritually, even if those requests were made in the church pews. When pressed by Tasha K for specifics, Sanchez declined to share exact rituals, citing spiritual boundaries, but confirmed they were often performed one-on-one.
“They’ll come to her individually,” she said of her mother’s work. “But I cannot say what she did.”
We’re Not What You’ve Been Taught to Fear
Beyond the church, Sanchez, who has s PhD in Biochemistry, also addressed the stigmatization of indigenous Black spiritual systems like Voodoo, Hoodoo, and rootwork—often mischaracterized as dark or evil. She insists that these traditions were weaponized by colonial forces to break cultural ties and disempower people of African descent.
“A lot of our indigenous spiritual practices were labeled demonic by people dead set on taking away our protection—mental, physical, and spiritual,” Sanchez said. “It never disappeared. It simply integrated.”
She drew comparisons between the ecstatic worship practices seen in Black churches and the cultural expressions of indigenous spiritual gatherings like powwows.
“White churches don’t Holy Ghost dance or have a choir like us. Yet if you go to a powwow, they do a bootleg version of what we do every Sunday,” she said, urging people to stop judging traditions they don’t understand.
Spiritual Warfare in the Modern Age?
Sanchez’s revelations didn’t stop at church rituals. She spoke on what she called “spirit mounting,” the use of sexual energy for ritual empowerment, subliminal manipulation, and even alleged government-level spiritual warfare.
“A lot of people don’t notice that the choices they’re making are already made for them,” she warned. “When you have an awakening, you start making choices from your soul—not what someone told you to do.”
As spiritual conversations continue to dominate platforms like TikTok and YouTube, Sanchez’s viral interview shows just how hungry audiences are for nuanced discussions about Black spirituality, ancestral wisdom, and reclaiming misunderstood traditions.
