Here it is the end of October already. Time to pay homage to the darker side of the year. Time for Jack-o-lanterns, corn shocks, witches and things that go bump in the night. Here in Mexico we don't celebrate Halloween. We do celebrate "The Day of the Dead". Believe it or not, we also have witches. Here they are called Brujos, but they are not feted with masks and treats.
While Brujos are not part of every day life, the more famous may have an extensive clientele. The clearest explanation for going to a Brujo I've ever heard, came from an upper middle class gentleman who lives in Guadalajara, "If my father was ill and the doctors could offer no help, you bet I would go to a Brujo. There is a well-known old Brujo who lives on the outskirts of Guadalajara and rumor has it that he has cured many people. Brujos existed here before doctors and if he can help why shouldn't I go?"
The Catholic Church frowns on Brujaria, but it also co-exists with the tradition. Occasionally, a Brujo will use Holy Water, even the Eucharist to perform his rites. Even though the Parish priest might consider this blasphemy, the practice continues to flourish.
There is a long history of Brujaria in Mexico. It appears that all pre Colombian people practiced some form of Brujaria. The arrival of the Spanish priests and their harsh medieval methods of conversion did little to persuade the indigenous population to mend their pagan ways. Not only did the inquisition Clergy fail to impress the natives, their less than hygienic health practices were an insult to people who were used to bathing. It isn't any wonder that the Mexican people have maintained a certain confidence in the traditional ways, even now. Besides, there are certain human needs, which fall through the cracks of Judeo-Christian thinking.
For instance, it just isn't Kosher to ask your parish priest if you should go out with a guy that attracts you. To begin with, this is a dude with very little experience in the subject. Much easier to go to a Brujo and ask him to read the cards or look in his cigar ashes for your romantic future. If things aren't going so well in your business, you can go to a Brujo and he will clean your aura with Pirul (California pepper tree) and red and white carnations. Even if it doesn't do anything to increase profits, you feel better for having voiced your worries and it doesn't cost much. If your lover ran off with that little teenage hussy down the street, you can go to a Brujo who specializes in the evil eye and for a sum approximately equal to your ire you can wreak vengeance on them both.
Some Brujos are Curanderos. Curanderos differ slightly from Brujos, as they actually attend bodily ills. Some Curanderos are masseuses. This type of Curandero will adjust the body rather like a chiropractor. Some are quite talented. Some aren't. Other Curanderos offer herbs and other homeopathic cures for such things as high blood pressure, relaxing, kidney problems, head aches, and the like. Generally, Curanderos will send someone to a doctor if he is suffering from a serious disease.
Then there are Brujos who deal with whatever problem their clients bring. This kind of Brujo will attempt nearly anything. Many use eggs as part of their cure. There are those who feign sucking items such as pins, broken glass, and other sharp objects out of the body through the egg into their mouths. Others simply rub the egg over a client's body to remove the bad energy and transfer it into the egg. The egg is sometime broken after the cure and then dumped into a glass of water presumably to show the negativity was actually absorbed by the egg. Regular attendees to these kinds of sessions, often report life-changing cures, which may prove the adage, "Whatever one believes to be true either is true or becomes true."
Other items commonly used are strong smelling oils, herbs, and toilet waters. Leaving something bothersome at a crossroads is popular. Erotic candles are all the rage for getting even with an ex and there are even male and female versions. Keeping an altar in the house is said to lead to prosperity. The altar can be ostensibly dedicated to the Virgin of Guadaloupe and her picture is usually on the wall. But on the alter itself you could find such items as a glass of water with a type of crystal in it, coins, incense, food, semi-precious stones and other things connected to the business endeavors of the inhabitants.
Every type of Brujo says the same thing about how he works. He says that he see things in his mind. I guess that means that he uses his imagination. But then I guess that we all do that, now don't we?
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