Redefining Brujería + Seven Folk Remedies from Latin American Folk Brujas

First, A Pinch of Language
We should start by defining what exactly a "bruja," "brujo," "brujix" is, which is not a witch. According to the Encyclopedia of the Royal Spanish Academy, a bruja (feminine) or brujo (masculine) is a practitioner of the occult arts who pacts with demons, but that archaic and flat definition does not define our practice at all; it also erases centuries of culture and language, and yes, also erases history.

For those less knowledgeable about the Spanish language and those who need to be made aware of the notable cultural and historical differences, especially those who rely on a language dictionary, a Bruja is wrongly translated as a Witch. The problem with this definition is that Witchcraft as an umbrella encompasses a reasonably complex system of modern and traditional beliefs with many types of witches. Still, none of these, neither traditional witches nor modern witches, are brujas. They are witches, in the direct literal Western version.

Brujas are, in any case, more related to modern folk witches or hedge witches; my definition of a bruja after eight years of living in the USA is that a bruja is a "regional folk witch," an individual who, regardless of sex, language, and birthplace, studies, teaches, and practices the local folklore and magic. This includes everything from learning about local herbs and their various medicinal applications to dealing with spirits, demons, saints, and other deities and entities of the region.

Second, A Teaspoon of True Rational Feminism
Another thing to know about Latin American brujería practitioners, especially if you come from Latin America, is that contrary to the rules of the Spanish language that always lead us to use the general masculine to refer to groups, in multiple locations in different countries like Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela (although it is not a rule): it is common for the feminine term "brujas" to be used and not the masculine term "brujos" when we refer to a circle of practicing women or a mixed circle. We only speak of "Brujos" in the masculine-plural if we refer to a circle of exclusively male practitioners.

Essentially, because Latin American culture is more focused on the role of women as home leaders and also coven leaders, brujería, even within a circle of men, is a religious tradition that has been protected and carried generation after generation by the women of each family, which makes it a path where femininity is always present in one form or another.

Unlike Witchcraft, which in English is a gender-neutral term, in Spanish, the use of masculine/feminine is inevitable in words. When we talk about brujería, we talk about "La brujería," not "El brujería," which means that at the end of the day, brujería is a feminine term, brujería is feminine, brujería is a woman, it is a creator of life and transformation, it has menstrual periods and is fertile like Pachamama. Period.

Third, Two Ounces of Eloquence and Reasoning
Each country in Latin America has its cultural definition of brujería. However, in all our countries, we continue to use the language of our colonizers, and the Encyclopedia of the Royal Spanish Academy is a mandatory study in schools; each region has its definition. According to each person's culture, although saying that brujas are "regional folk practitioners" fits perfectly, this does not mean that all Latin Americans have the same practice, but that each country, and each region within each country, has its own variation of folklore and their own cultural expression.

For example, brujería in Colombia and Cuba have a primary focus on the assistance of the Saints of the Catholic faith, la brujería in Brazil has a much more ethnic flavor and the inevitable influence of Afro-Caribbean traditions (Candomble, Quimbanda, Umbanda, Lucumi, etc. ..). While witchcraft in countries like Peru and Uruguay has a strong relationship with fairies and nature spirits, in Venezuela, the tales of the devil, angels, and saints define a large part of our festivals and religious holidays that end up influencing the practice of local witches in one way or another.

Fourth, A Dash of Your Favorite Spices
Witchcraft, which in its most traditional forms, in its most modern form, or its reconstructionist form (Wicca) has well-established rules according to each tradition that is followed, which makes it a broad belief system, very diverse but well organized in its different factions. Conversely, brujería encompasses an even more complex system of eclectic and changing beliefs that continually grow, mature, and renew themselves with their practitioners and followers. For example, two traditional Wiccan witches, let's say two followers of two different covens of the Alexandrian Tradition or the Blue Star Wicca Tradition, may not know each other. Still, they follow the same traditions and the same book, although they decide in some instances, each one gives it a different interpretation, but at the end of the day, they follow the same book and set of rules.

On the other hand, two practitioners of brujería, even if they live in the same country and even in the same house, can have completely different paths and beliefs; one of these brujas can deal with devils and demons, while the other can deal with saints and angels. Both still brujas/brujos, they both believe in the power of prayer and pact with their corresponding spirits, both worship and constantly work with their respective spirits and other entities, and they probably use the same implements in the craft; velones (large taper candles), eau de cologne from some local botanica, sahumerios, gunpowder, colored oils, powdered herbs, etc...).

Brujería is born from the need of the colonized peoples to own back their power and their land, either by making use of local spirits and chthonic deities, as well as other regional entities, or even putting their faith in the saints brought by the colonists. It's all about balancing the power, making use of whatever tools (charms), knowledge (rituals), and experience (spiritual guides) we have at hand.

And now, seven spicy sips of our cultural magickal soup.

1. To sleep better and nullify any "witchcraft" done against us.
   Cut a lemon up to the middle of it and cut in the opposite direction, thus forming a cross; place the lemon in a glass with water under the bed or next to the head of the bed. Replace the water every morning for seven days, and on the seventh day, throw the lemon into the trash.
   
   
2. To keep the collectors (and the haters) away for longer.
   Extract an aloe vera leaf from the roots, wash it with water in the sink, and hang it upside down with a red ribbon hanging from above the entrance door of the house. Keep it in there.
   
   
3. To dispel an evil spirit sent to harm us.
   Immediately at dawn, take a coconut and grate the entire surface of it with eggshell powder until the coconut is entirely white. Place it in the corner of the house, and from there, kick the coconut through all the corners. Walk it through all the rooms and corners using only your feet and not your hands so you don't get the bad vibes back. When you finish rolling it through all the corners and rooms of the house, Take it outside. That is where you are going to pick it up with your hands and not before, then you pronounce three times, "I dominate you, and I break any evil that you have caused, that you are causing, and that you are about to cause, and I also break any evil sent in me." Then you burst the coconut on the ground and later you clean and collect everything using gloves and throw it in the trash outside the house.
   
   
4. To protect a pregnant woman and her baby from the evil eye and curses.
   Take three purple fabric ribbons between 90cm and 180cm long. Braid these ribbons together during a night of the waxing moon or full moon. When the ribbon is wholly braided, place it on a plate with a pinch of earth collected in front of a church and a bit of holy water, and leave the ribbon there until dawn. The next day, the ribbon is tied to be loose and comfortable (not tight) above the pregnant woman's belly, just below her breasts. The woman must wear this ribbon (or change it for a new, longer one if necessary) until the baby's birth, when the ribbon will be burned or buried.
   
   
5. To cancel a love spell made with menstrual blood.
   These spells are enormously popular in Latin American countries, as common as the ritual of making a wish on a birthday candle. To cancel it if its existence is suspected, light a white candle, take four large lemons, anoint them with olive oil; the witch holds it with his left hand and moves it around the bewitched person from the feet to the head, visualizing the lemon cutting and canceling all spells. And curse on this person. Place the lemon on a plate and cut it in half with a knife, saying, "I send all these evils to the West." The operation is repeated with the second lemon, and this time it is pronounced, "I send all these evils to the south," the next is done by pronouncing, "I send all these evils to the east," and then the last one is pronounced, "I sent all these evils to the north." Then, the cut lemons on a plate are almost entirely covered with common salt, and this mixture is thrown into the trash. The candle is allowed to burn completely and thrown into the garbage as well.
   
   
6. A barrier against those who come home with bad intentions.
   To keep away those with bad intentions, as well as their sortilegios (sorcery works), their spells, and curses. Pour into your mortar one at a time while crushing a few sprigs of dried mint, cilantro, and rosemary. 13 red rose petals. A whole tablespoon of white pepper and another of black pepper. A spoonful of dried tobacco leaves and a white chrysanthemum. Apply two cloves of garlic, two to three drops of rose oil, and two to three drops of citronella oil to activate this enchantment. Pour the resulting mixture into a large bowl and cover it entirely with granulated salt (do not use coarse salt). Mix this with the help of a mortar for a few minutes and light a stick of frankincense or myrrh incense Pour this mixture of salt and protective herbs along the bottom edge of the door, forming a thin line, and keep the door closed for around 8-12 hours to charge it with the energy of your magic. Keep this barrier placed under the door for as long as you consider necessary. This same mixture can be prepared to charge the door of a bedroom when a person who considers themselves possessed, haunted, or under spiritual possession is inside the bedroom to prevent the evil spirit from escaping through the corners of the house during a magical operation.
   
   
7. To dispel bad fortune and open the paths.
   In a cauldron, place a hot disc of charcoal for incense; after a few minutes, when the charcoal is white (indicating that it is hot enough), sprinkle it one by one; a pinch of each of the 13 following ingredients:
   • Romero (money and protection)
   • Eucalyptus (Freeze and cancel bad vibes)
   • Hierbabuena/Peppermint (protection and to move away bad intentions)
   • Lemon Peel Zest (Protection and Awareness)
   • Brown sugar (Abre-caminos, sweetness)
   • Coarse salt (purification and protection)
   • White pepper powder (protection and open-roads)
   • Dried garlic cloves (Protection and good luck)
   • Dried powdered root of a sunflower (strength, nutrition, balance)
   • Ajenjo/Common wormwood (to prevent evil)
   • Star anise powder (protection against envy and gossip)
   • Cardamom (protection and attracts good luck)
   • Lavender (protection, good luck, reset)
     
     
   Holding the cauldron very carefully, move its smoke around the house and into every corner to chase away all bad vibes in the home and cleanse the energies. This form of "cleansing" is particularly effective if done on Mondays (the day of souls, animas, and spirits).