And probably a lot closer than you think.
Being a part of a large extended Mexican family, one finds it quite normal to consider a visit to the local witch (Brujo) as part of a healing system, which is considered necessary and as accepted as a trip to the doctor’s office.
Action is required when a family member is not feeling well with unexplained pains, bruises, cuts, sleep loss, loss of property, pets mysteriously die, recurring nightmares in children, and hallucinations are some of the symptoms that require a consultation and cure of a trusted and tried witchcrafter.
Sometimes one just needs a cleansing of bad vibes, envy, or simply an evil eye for yourself, home, or business.
Who’s Who?
There are white witches that help break curses that others have put on you. They can help heal your emotional and physical ills. They will read your cards, or diagnose ills by reading a broken egg. Pretty safe and harmless.
THEN
There are Lords and Queens who revel on the dark side, who can make bad things happen such as causing illness, disease, accidents, loss, madness, and even death. They claim they can tie the object of your desire to you and cast harmful spells on rivalries.
I was witness to a case in Tepoztlan, Estado de Mexico, a few years ago when a lady from the U.S. stepped on local’s toes proclaiming her powers. Then, she fell ill with an unknown sickness and finally faded away, – way away – then died of unknown causes.
These dark masters usually have the power of 3 or involve 3 individuals. Sisters, mothers, and daughters, primarily females.
The Consultation
Both charge a fee depending on the gravity of the situation. The visit usually begins with early morning travel to a nearby village on back dirt roads. One must arrive early to take a number and wait. A popular Brujo (witch) can see as many as 30 patients a day.
During your time in the waiting area, usually a bench in a shaded garden in front of a small humble home, one will notice people of all ages and walks of life.
If the problem is emotional or physical in nature, or envy, you can expect to have a cleansing with an egg, which is passed over your body. The egg is broken in a bowl and examined by the Brujo, after which the mysterious illness is revealed.
Treatment can consist of things like writing the name of a person and putting it in a glass of water, or smudging the area under your bed with a certain herb, rubbing a special oil on a particular part of your body, lighting a specific color candle, prayng to a special saint, all simple things.
The more complicated arena is left to the masters and must be taken seriously. The cure can be combined with herbal potions, candles, crossed scissors, and symbols.
Sometimes more information is needed like a photograph of lost property, or person, hair or nails…yikes!
Curanderos (medicine men or women) use vibrational sounds such as whistles, shakers, sea shells, conch shells, crystals, herbs, song, ritual sweat baths (temescal in Spanish), and other methods to charge your energy and leave you feeling lighter in body and spirit.
It has become accepted and a popular belief to add substances such as ayuhuasca, sapito, cambo which can produce a sudden opening of a person’s astral body. These methods are used in cases of substance abuse, truth seekers, and those who desire a cleansing and revelations on a deeper level. You can easily find sweat lodges around Vallarta; there’s even one in San Sebastian del Oeste
These Brujos and Curanderos are hard to find as they rarely advertise their skills, nor need to, as they seem to always have plenty of clients. Word travels.
Frankly, my Dear Readers, I would never have considered these things to exist, being an American, raised in what could be viewed as a normal upbringing of going to church every Sunday, Sunday School, public schooling, 2 siblings, Mom and Dad til death did they part…a dog named Ginger and a cat named Blackie.
HOWEVER… skeptical you may be, I have personally witnessed the charm and harm of these beings.
Here’s one story.
It happened that my first witnessing of witchcraft was on the Crow, (Absaalooke) reservation in Montana where I married a Crow man and spent time on the Res. Which was a real education in itself, but that is another story.
No surprise that the Native Americans practice the dark and light crafts, too. I saw some very weird stuff such as unexplained feelings, animals acting strangely, carrying special messages that the Crow people understand and respond to.
Strange noises, dark and light shadows and clouds can require a visit by the medicine guys (usually a relative) with powerful feathers, pipes, drums, smudging herbs, yelling and curses until the area is free of spooks and cleansed of dark energies.
They say these things happen when the dirt, made up of the bones of the Old Ones, gets stirred up. One time, I took a photo of our Clan grandfather, Tom Yellowtail, in his Pendleton blanket at the end of a Sun Dance, of which he was the main medicine man of the ritual proceedings. I noticed two holes of light that showed up in his chest in the photo. I showed the photo to my husband, who calmly replied they were the two shots the Sioux took at him, which put him in the hospital for a week. Cringe, I did.
Yes, an energy dimension exists and can be accessed and manipulated to make things happen in a physical realm.
If you feel you need to see one of the above-mentioned individuals who seem to be experts in making things happen, try asking your Mexican friends. They usually know where and also probably have some very interesting tales to share.
