Mexican folk magic

[Hari_Krishna]

Hey-- does anyone know anything about mexican/spanish/south american folk magic? I know that Spain is tradionally Catholic, but i thought for sure that Mexico had some sort of folk magic-y thing happening. Well, i ask because i would love to incorperate mexican/spanish culture into my practices. I'm majoring in Spanish in college and it's like my favorite thing ever. lol.

paz y amor,

Krishna

[maldito]

I'm from México, but I have to admit that I don't know to much about modern magic practices. I can say it's more in a shamanic-fashion. In some towns, like San Juan Chamula, christianity and paganism had mixed in an incredibly way. There are also so many practices, one of the most popular are the "limpias" -cleanings-, good for any hex you could have. You can read the "Teachings of Don Juan" to learn more.
If I have time, I'm going to investigate more.

[Ben Gruagach]

Look for local Botanicas. They tend to be sources of Santeria products and info, but they also have other Afro-Caribbean stuff and I suspect other related magickal traditions too that might be exactly what you're looking for.

There's an article about Botanicas at this webpage (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week748/feature.html) that talks about them.

There's some other information about Mexican folk magick at this site (http://www.luckymojo.com/esoteric/occultism/magic/folk/latinamerican/ebh200207_mexican_herbal.html) that might be helpful to you.

Let us know what else you find!

[ancestral_lee]

Mexican Day of the Dead - superb.

i guess mexiacan pagan stuff will be very santeria, voudon related.

[Gyda]

When I lived down there with my parents, we we're with the Canadian Embassy I picked up 'A Guide to Mexican Witchcraft" by William and Claudia Madsen the book is produced by Minutiae Mexicana I think I picked up in the National Museum. It;s not a bad little book, you just have to ignore the tone the authors use sometimes.

Gyda

[Lyntwyn]

http://www.brownielocks.com/yaquieaster.html (http://www.brownielocks.com/yaquieaster.html)
http://parentseyes.arizona.edu/journalofth...vidingLine2.htm (http://parentseyes.arizona.edu/journalofth...vidingLine2.htm)
http://www.ic.arizona.edu/~anth4206/206/module_06pr.htm (http://www.ic.arizona.edu/~anth4206/206/module_06pr.htm)

The Supernatural world of Indigenous poeple
http://www.shannonthunderbird.com/supernatural_world.htm (http://www.shannonthunderbird.com/supernatural_world.htm)

http://www.astroconsulting.com/FAQs/mesoam...n_astrology.htm (http://www.astroconsulting.com/FAQs/mesoam...n_astrology.htm)
http://www.angelfire.com/ca/humanorigins/religion.html (http://www.angelfire.com/ca/humanorigins/religion.html)
http://www.strangehorizons.com/2004/200408...alendar-a.shtml (http://www.strangehorizons.com/2004/200408...alendar-a.shtml)
http://concise.britannica.com/ebc/article?tocId=9371936 (http://concise.britannica.com/ebc/article?tocId=9371936)
http://www.unm.edu/~abqteach/ArcheoCUs/99-01-08.htm (http://www.unm.edu/~abqteach/ArcheoCUs/99-01-08.htm)
http://pages.prodigy.com/GBonline/mesowelc.html (http://pages.prodigy.com/GBonline/mesowelc.html)
http://members.shaw.ca/mjfinley/tzolkin.html (http://members.shaw.ca/mjfinley/tzolkin.html)
http://www.wwpn.org/Pages/mesoamerican.htm (http://www.wwpn.org/Pages/mesoamerican.htm)
http://www.internet-at-work.com/hos_mcgran...maya_intro.html (http://www.internet-at-work.com/hos_mcgran...maya_intro.html)

Shamanism links
http://www.invisionplus.net/forums/index.php?mforum=purplehaze&showtopic=137 (http://www.invisionplus.net/forums/index.php?mforum=purplehaze&showtopic=137)

[Ben Gruagach]

When I lived down there with my parents, we we're with the Canadian Embassy I picked up 'A Guide to Mexican Witchcraft" by William and Claudia Madsen the book is produced by Minutiae Mexicana I think I picked up in the National Museum. It;s not a bad little book, you just have to ignore the tone the authors use sometimes.

Gyda

I second that book recommendation. It's more like a long pamphlet the way it's published, but it does have a lot of info in it.

(I can't remember where I got my copy -- I think someone who travelled there brought it back for me as a souvenir.)

[Toki Wartooth]

In Peru, there are shamans who will give tours around Machu Picchu and even perform a ritual or something. I've only seen this on TV...I haven't been to Peru since I was five years old...but anyway, it looked really interesting. I'd love to be a part of that. :) So...more shamanism, yes.

Aside from that, the native people who live in the mountains and whatnot mainly deal with herbs. I don't know much else besides that...I suggest looking for books because I've never been able to find much information on this subject (specifically Peruvian) online.

[Athene]

Hi there,

I'm South American and my practices are mainly of the bruja.

Like most traditions/practices of different countries, it really isn't anything different to other witches per se. The main difference lies in culture. So using Spanish/Latino practices works best for the Spanish, strege practices for the Italian and Celtic for those from the British Isles.

If you are not a witch, then this probably won't concern you. But traditional witchery demands a connection to the land.

I travelled throughout Central and S. America and met several witches. The practices differ quite a bit from the northern most areas (Mexico) to the southern most (Argentina etc). As well as very different in Brazil. Brazil has quite a bit of Santeria as well as actual Santeria. The Caribbean is where you'll find vudu, besides a sprinkling in other Latin American countries.

There is a divide in S. America between a very, very heavily Christian style witchery and a what could be described as Pagan. The indigenous people of Bolivia for example have no Christian elements (that I witnessed). Healing plays a very large role in the Christian-orientated countries (curanderos).
The people there wouldn't understand the concept of separating Christianity from their witch practices - which is what those in the Pagan community really don't understand when they denounce Christinaity or Christian witches etc.

There is also a divide between those who take the term witch and those who are in all ways witches but call themselves something else and regard witches as evil. This is evident in my own family!

This is all just my opinion from personal experiences there.

If you're serious about understanding the customs you're free to contact me, but I can't guarantee what I will share.

Hope that has added to your info.

:)

[Catteya]

I've just started reading
The Magic and Mysteries of Mexico
The Arcane secrets and Occult Lore of the Ancient Mexicans and Maya.
by Lewis Spence

Can't tell you yet though if its any good.

But it's obviously not contempory.

[La Bruja Ina]

Athene - Seeing that you know of the practices of Brujeria, i was wondering if you could send me any good sites regarding the teachings, and practicing of Bruja? I know that the ones i was using have since ceased to exist. thanks!

[KaliGiri5]

http://www.ojinaga.com/santisima/index1.html (http://www.ojinaga.com/santisima/index1.html)


_wiz_

[Athene]

Athene - Seeing that you know of the practices of Brujeria, i was wondering if you could send me any good sites regarding the teachings, and practicing of Bruja? I know that the ones i was using have since ceased to exist. thanks!

If YOU know of any, send them along. ;)

I haven't come across any that resonate with anything I have ever known or been taught. There are sites you can google on things about Mexican deities, ancient practices etc, but many have nothing to do with witchery, but rather general paganism.

In your research, be careful with the term 'brujeria', as there is a specific tradition practiced in the southern states of America that use the term. Example: http://www.sacred-texts.com/bos/msg0009.htm (here) This group's concepts and practices have no link to brujeria the wider definition.

I've also come across sites in Spanish which know no more about the practices than non-Spanish speaking pagans. But then, that's like 98% of all information you will find if it is traditional witchery you're interested in. But again, they are in Spanish. Google translates most of them.

At the moment, I only mentor Christian witches and traditional witches, and Spanish witches in brujeria. It is against the traditional witch way to learn/teach outside of the land.

:)

[Godgifu]

The Book "Magical Herbals Baths of Santeria" has some Mexican folk-magic spells tossed in. There's one I've been wanting to try, of a St. Martin the Cavalier bath for business increase.

[Lilrodrigues]

Hey-- does anyone know anything about mexican/spanish/south american folk magic? I know that Spain is tradionally Catholic, but i thought for sure that Mexico had some sort of folk magic-y thing happening. Well, i ask because i would love to incorperate mexican/spanish culture into my practices. I'm majoring in Spanish in college and it's like my favorite thing ever. lol.

paz y amor,

Krishna


I wouldn't put in the same bag Mexican and Spanish. Do remember these are different countries, on different continents and with different ethnic backgrounds and (yes, believe it or not) cultures, the only thing the two might have in common, aside from a christian (sort of) background is the language and even that is different (no, the Spanish you speak in Spain, which isnt even called spanish but Castillian -from the Kingdom of Castille- isnt the one spoken in Mexico or other Spanish ex-colonies). The witchcraft you find in Spain is NOT Santeria or related in any way to South American practices, quite the opposite. Also, you will not find a unified practice of witchcraft in Spain. Spain is composed by different "counties", and you will find different predominant myths and other meaningfull things in accordance to the place you are in (for instance, Galicia has a lot of celtic/iberoceltic deities and paradigms such as bodies of water being connected to the underworld/the faery world/ burial mounds still being used as a means to connect to the land/ancestors and so on).

One thing that is good to distinguish is that witchcraft and sorcery are two different things to the spanish folk mind. Sorcerors where common until 6th century and they were "dealers" in supersticions, healing and blessings. Pretty much everyone could be a sorceror provided it had the training to be so; witches, on the other hand, were special. These where of the "witchblood". A witch was born and not created, they are such fantastical beings that in some areas they are akin to faeries or spectral creatures existing outside space and time, a belief also shared with Portugal where the witch is born and not created. There are quite a few funny/intriguing legends on witches...but in any case, the traditions and knowledges of Spanish witchcraft are similar to the ones in Britain and France. There is a simbiose with the ancient pagan beliefs inherited by the autoctonous population that, in Spanish case, was later diablarized by Christianity.

Being from the United States you will have a bigger problem learning Iberian Witchcraft since you cannot go to the places that are relevant (Fountains and Springs, burial mounds, ancient pagan santuaries; however, the best place to start is the inquisitorial records and the several sermons written in order to stop the pagan practices. Two books that you can read are:

-CRONICAS DE BRUJERIA: UN VIAJE POR LA ESPAÑA DE LAS BRUJAS
Enrique Echezrra

- LAS BRUJAS Y SU MUNDO
Julio Caro Baroja