Living and Writing in Mexico

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An Excerpt from my, “Gringo Guide to Witchcraft.”

Witchcraft in Modern México

In a large part of the world magical-religious beliefs continue to be accepted, and México is no exception. There are a great many people, here, who make their living from these beliefs: curanderas, brujos, brujas, hechiceros, and the herbalists selling home remedies and witchcraft supplies. (You can also find red and black tallow candles, used in many «spells», for sale in grocery stores.)

To a tourist in México who happens to hear about it, the burning question about witchcraft is: Does it work? The answer is yes! But it’s a well know fact, I hope, that foreigners are immune to magic. (The Aztec brujos had no luck hexing the Spaniards.)
Witchcraft, practiced by Mexicans against Mexicans, can work wonders for a mistreated wife. She can force her husband to come home, drive him insane, or knock him off. She can even polish off her rivals with the right spell.

It works for men, too. He can make a love potion to make a woman fall in love with him, to attract women sexually, and a man scorned by his sweetheart can make her ugly so nobody will marry her. And he can pay back insults by inflicting his enemies with financial failure, sickness, and/or death!

The practice of sorcery is so widespread it is said: «A rich man goes to a curandera after he’s seen a doctor, and is desperate; and the poor man goes to a doctor after he’s seen a curandera, and is desperate.»

But you probably won’t be able to find a curandera during your brief stay in México. The people, as a rule, don’t like to talk about it, and will even deny their existence.
Witchcraft has been practiced in México since ancient times. Aztec witches were men who revered the god Tezcatlipoca the god of night and patron of witches. The Aztecs, however, had no belief in a Satan like the Christians. They believed that every man or woman has good and evil within them. That the struggle between good and evil is waged inside us.

Aztec witches had the ability to turn themselves into animals. They were known as naguales. The Aztec word was translated to brujo in Spanish or witch in English. In their animal form, they could check the progress of their spells unobserved.

Naguales were very powerful forces in their society. Their power was used to keep the people in line by reinforcing the morals of the times.

Witchcraft, as practice by indigenous practitioners, was far more benign than that practiced today. Everyone knew the boundaries of good conduct then, and those who behaved themselves were assured of a safe existence.

Tags: brujas, brujos, good luck charms, incantations, love potions, mescal, mescal worm, potions, pulque, spells, tallow candles, tequila, witchcraft supplies