19
Brujer’a/Curanderismo Charms and Spells
Of all the folk magic systems within the scope of this book, Brujería and Curanderismo are by far the most elusive. The scarcity of printed work, and even less written in English, regarding the two healing systems belies a wide expanse of techniques and magical processes spanning more than two thousand years of developmental history. Because a Bruja or Curandera learns through an intensive apprenticeship process, most lessons take place in the moment and are not a matter of book study. Instead, the learning and training happens experientially. As such, there are not as many direct spells to share as there are in Granny Magic, whose practices we might now refer to as “old wives tales” and “superstitions,” or as in Hoodoo with its many recipes for washes, oils, and powders. If the reader feels drawn to Brujería and Curanderismo, I recommend they find a qualified teacher to act as their mentor. Here, however, are a few techniques and incantations that Mexican folk magic practitioners commonly use.
Aceite de Serpiente de Cascabel (Rattlesnake Oil)
Unlike the snake oil salesman who peddled bogus Hoodoo products to unsuspecting villagers, in Curanderismo, actual snake oil, rendered from rattlesnake fat, is used in salves and soaps. Rarely is this product available commercially, but if you are fortunate enough to find an authentic healer who makes their own version, be sure to stock up. It is a very effective remedy for very nearly any inflammatory condition, including arthritis, gout, muscle pain, and even acne.
La Piedra de Iman (Lodestone)
Lodestones are natural magnets fed by iron filings, and, used correctly, they bring good luck, harmony, balance, and draw in what the client needs. They are carried in a small bag and treated as living entities. Red lodestones draw in love, and green stones draw in money and financial stability. Lodestones are social creatures and prefer to work in pairs. They love gifts and welcome them to their bag home. To increase the draw for money, offer a gold bead as a gift to the lodestone and keep it in the bag alongside it. Offer a silver bead to bring harmony to the home, a copper penny to bring wealth to the poor, a red bead to purge envy, and a wire bent in the shape of a horseshoe to bring good fortune.
Los Siete Nudos (The Seven Knots)
Think of seven problems you need to solve and sit with two feet of red ribbon in front of you. Focus on each problem individually and tie a knot in the ribbon for each problem. Start with a knot in the exact middle of the ribbon for problem number one. Next, tie a knot approximately four inches to the left of the first, then a third knot approximately four inches to the right of the first. Your fourth and fifth knots are tied approximately four inches out from the second and third, and the sixth may go on either side that you choose. The seventh knot ties one end of the ribbon to the other end, binding the problems into the ribbon so that they may no longer harm you. Place the ribbon circle into a jar and bury it far from you where it will not be broken or disturbed. Tradition states that you must do so alone and that no one may see you bury the jar or the spell will be broken.
Encourage Good Sleep
Make a cross of large sage springs. The leaves may be attached or not. Place the cross under your pillow to ward off evil spirits and encourage restful, restorative sleep. Use for only three nights, then bury the cross at a crossroads and replace it with a new one.
Childbirth Magic
Place a gold coin over a newborn’s umbilicus and bind it with a clean, white cotton cloth to protect the child against evil influences.
A baby born or conceived during a lunar eclipse is thought likely to have a cleft palate. A pregnant woman must not allow any metal objects, such as a necklace, coins, etc., touch her belly during a lunar eclipse because this combination of factors is suspected to cause cleft palate.
Throughout history, parteras knew that health of both mother and baby depended on the mother’s diet and insisted on the elimination of all impurities in what the pregnant woman ate or drank. For forty days following childbirth, the postnatal mother must lift nothing heavier than her baby, must not bend or exert herself, and may not have sexual intercourse. Fifteen days after birth, she experiences a temezcalli, which is a sweat lodge purification ceremony using purified water treated with rue, basil, and rosemary that is then poured onto hot stones. This heals strained muscles and restores health and life to her body tissues.
Agua Bendita (Holy Water)
Holy water is an all-purpose, spiritual cleansing product and is a direct connector between the spirit and the Divine, as well as a means to rejoin a wandering spirit back to the body where it belongs. In our area, agua bendita is seasonal, and if we run out, we run out. We consider it an essential product in our shop and our practice, but we care enough about the quality of the product that we feel it must be made correctly or not at all.
Agua bendita is made solely from rainwater caught and cured in a copper vessel. A silver bullion is placed in the bowl of water, along with a stick of palo santo (holy wood) to allow the silver and palo to permeate the water. After the water is well infused, it is then exposed to sunlight to gather the energies of light into it.
Holy water is used to asperge the patient during healing or as an anointing product.
El Credo de los Apóstoles (The Apostles’ Creed)
The Apostles’ Creed is the oldest creed of the Christian Church and dates back to at least 140 CE. It is one of the most commonly used recitations for healings. Both brujas and curanderas engage it to heal on either the material, mental, or spiritual level. It is generally recited three times and should be memorized and spoken by rote rather than read. When reciting it, the healer infuses the words with absolute faith in and veneration of God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Virgin Mary. When in doubt about what incantation to use for healing, use the Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of Heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again; he ascended into Heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Las Doce Verdades de Mundo
(The Twelve Truths of the World)
This prayer is most often used by brujas and brujos, giving it the shadow name of the “Witches’ Prayer,” even though it is clearly quite religious in nature. Some healers recite the twelve truths of the world in ascending order and others in descending order. When the prayer starts with one truth rather than twelve, the process is called “building the Temple of Jerusalem.” We use the twelve truths of the world almost exclusively for exorcisms.
A lead healer and their assistant use a specialized technique while reciting the twelve truths. It is essential that the two people working this process have experience working together and an existing and strong spiritual bond or else the incantation can take a dangerous turn. When done correctly, this incantation challenges a demon or devil that has possessed the victim and forces it out of the body.
The lead healer stands in front of the client and the assistant stands behind. Both hold cleansing agents such as palo santo or sage and work in tandem cleansing the body. The words of the incantation act as a challenge for the resident demon/devil and are delivered in a call and response fashion with the lead healer saying the first part of each line and the assistant answering for the demon, as shown below:
Lead healer: “Of the twelve truths of the world, give me one.”
Assistant healer: “God, Christ, who came down to bless the Holy House of Jerusalem.”
Lead healer: “Of the twelve truths of the world, give me two.”
Assistant healer: “The two tablets of Moses.”
The full twelve truths are worked in this fashion.
Often, partway through the process—which can take several repetitions and many cleanses, sometimes ongoing for hours—the client will collapse backward. The assistant must remain alert and remain prepared to catch the client if they fall.
The client may thrash about, make odd noises, rage, curse, foam at the mouth, cry out, speak in odd cadence or dialects, weep, shake, have intense chills, or sweat profusely. Once the process begins, it is essential that the two healers continue through to full completion. Failure to finish the healing once it begins can endanger both the client and the healers. Clearly, this intervention is ill-advised for healers without the appropriate experience and expertise to manage it correctly.
There are many versions of the twelve truths of the world, sometimes using different “truths” for the response section. In its written form below, I include commentary on each line. Unbolded words are not part of the prayer but are explanations for any who may not be Christian-literate. Both the call and the appropriate response are listed below.
Of the twelve truths of the world, tell me one.
God, Christ, who came down to bless the Holy House of Jerusalem. (The one God. Alternately, the one truth is sometimes “The Holy House of Jerusalem.”)
Of the twelve truths of the world, tell me two.
The two tablets of Moses. (The two tablets on which Moses received the Ten Commandments.)
Of the twelve truths of the world, tell me three.
The Holy Trinity. (God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This truth is sometimes represented as “The Three Marys” meaning Mary the mother, Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus.)
Of the twelve truths of the world, tell me four.
The four evangelists. (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.)
Of the twelve truths of the world, tell me five.
The five wounds. (Wounds of the crucifixion of Christ: one in each foot, one in each hand, and the wound where the Roman soldier’s spear pierced His side to make certain he was dead.)
Of the twelve truths of the world, tell me six.
The six candelabras. (This refers to the six candles that burned in Galilee or the six candles lit for a High Mass in Catholicism.)
Of the twelve truths of the world, tell me seven.
The seven words. (References seven statements of Christ on the cross rather than seven individual words.)
Of the twelve truths of the world, tell me eight.
The eight anguishes. (The eight anguishes of Mary, the Blessed Mother. In some versions, the response is “the eight joys.”)
Of the twelve truths of the world, tell me nine.
The nine months of Mary. (The months of her pregnancy.)
Of the twelve truths of the world, tell me ten.
The Ten Commandments. (The words written on the two tablets of Moses.)
Of the twelve truths of the world, tell me eleven.
The eleven thousand virgins. (References the “Golden Legend”of Saint Ursula and the 11,000 Virgins.)
Of the twelve truths of the world, tell me twelve.
The twelve apostles who accompanied our Lord on the cross.
Amen
Sometimes, a thirteenth truth is added:
Of the twelve truths of the world, tell me thirteen.
The Thirteen Rays of the Sun that send witches and wizards to hell, so it shall be God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, forever and ever.
When the entire process is over and the lead healer is satisfied that the demon or devil is removed or contained, they will usually perform a soul-retrieval ceremony to make certain the soul is well within the body and prepared to heal from the experience of possession. The healer then prepares any written instructions for them to take as they leave. The experience is exhausting and sometimes nerve-wracking for all concerned.
Once the client leaves, the lead healer usually prays a rosary or uses some other form of spiritual bonding to cleanse away any impurities transferred into them by the process. Some healers expectorate black or bloodied mucus for an hour or so after completion of the ritual. Since the lead healer is pulling the entity from the client and the assistant is speaking on behalf of the entity, the lead healer often endures the worst of the experience. The assistant, however, should also go through extensive cleansing and spiritual rehabilitating themselves afterward. The assistant is also frequently sore throughout their body from the physical effort of supporting the client.
The entity is usually contained in a sealed jar, an amulet, or an egg, then buried or otherwise contained in a location where it cannot be disturbed.