Praise for Bruja Curandera
“Wendy Mata masterfully bridges the worlds of brujería and curanderismo, offering a Spanglish journey that is as practical as it is intensely magical. Bruja Curandera is a stunning, soulful guide that feels less like a manual and more like a sacred conversation with a wise friend, a friend really invested in making you understand the adequate power of every tool in your hands. Whether you’re new to these traditions or experienced, this book provides clear, actionable steps to incorporate rituals into your daily routine, making spiritual growth accessible and tangible. I am absolutely captivated by how Wendy empowers you to reclaim your ancestral magic and deprogram old patterns so you can truly thrive. It is a rare, grounded masterpiece that turns everyday rituals into transformative acts of self-love and power.”
—Elhoim Leafar, author of Dream Witchery and Manifestation Magic
“A powerful and deeply personal guide into the living currents of Mexican ancestral magic. With clarity, honesty, and a voice rooted in lived experience, Mata invites readers into a path that begins not with spells or rituals, but with the necessary work of deprogramming—unlearning the fears, silences, and inherited wounds that have long kept many of us disconnected from our power. From the very first pages, she establishes an important distinction: This is not a manual on Catholicism, faith healing, or devotional practices to specific saints or deities. Instead, it is a reclamation of ancestral magic on its own terms, honoring traditions that exist beyond religious syncretism and restoring dignity to practices that have too often been misunderstood or suppressed.”
—Rev. Laura González, Kalpulli Xinachtli Xochikalli Ixtlamatketl, Priestess of the Goddess, Circle Sanctuary Minister
“Reading Bruja Curandera by Wendy Mata did not feel like reading a book. It felt like a series of conversations and visits with a kind teacher. It is a welcoming book that blends cultural teachings and modern insights with warmth, boundaries, and clear instructions. If you don’t have a personal connection to Mexico or one of the Latine cultures, don’t worry. If you come to this book with an open and respectful heart, you will be greeted with hospitality. I strongly recommend this book for both newcomers and old hands.”
—Ivo Domínguez Jr., author of Spirit Speak
“At a moment when immigrant lives and histories are being erased, Bruja Curandera is an unapologetically authentic expression of Mexican spirituality. It is a powerful reclamation of spiritual power and magic. Best of all, it reads just like having a conversation with Wendy. I’m so excited she is sharing her wisdom at a time when the world needs it most.”
—Rev. Ron Padrón, coeditor of Serpents of Circe
“As I read this beautiful text, two things jumped out at me. The first was how Wendy effortlessly shows us that everything we do is magical; there is nothing mundane in our lives. She gives us a beautiful guide on how to live and embody our magic every moment of every day. The chapter on ancestors and abundance really hit home with me. Being able to finally stand up to all those ancestral patterns and say, ‘Enough. This ends with me,’ is a powerful tool to send back along your ancestral line to heal those wounds that sometimes we don’t even see as actual wounds, just bad habits. Doing that work for my own ancestral line has shown me how that will send forward those positive energetic ripples to make the healthy change in my world and the larger world that it is asking for. Energetic warriors, but in all guises, and Wendy gave me permission to pick up my sword.”
—Debra L. Burris, PhD, author of Weather Magic
aBout the author
Wendy Mata is a fifth-generation bruja curandera, initiated shaman, and lunar priestess. She is the founder of Bruja Power Botanica and a dedicated guide on the path to reclaiming one’s inner power. An avid traveler, Wendy shares the ancient wisdom of Mexico wherever she goes through in-person and online events. Learn more at BrujaCurandera.com.
Bruja Curandera: Spells, Rituals & Ancestor Work from a Mexican Healer & Witch Copyright © 2026 by Wendy Mata. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd., except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems.
First Edition
First Printing, 2026
Book design by Rordan Brasington
Cover art by Michelle Muñoz
Cover design by Shannon McKuhen
Interior illustrations on pages 66, 67, 69, 71, and 73 by Llewellyn Art Department
Photography is used for illustrative purposes only. The persons depicted may not endorse or represent the book’s subject.
Llewellyn Publications is a registered trademark of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.
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ISBN: 978-0-7387-8021-4
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Somos las brujas, las sanadoras, las sabias
We are here not just to survive We are here to thrive
Con ritual
Con espíritu Y reclamando nuestro poder
This book is in Spanglish.
disClaimer
The curanderismo and brujería practices presented in this book are intended for spiritual purposes and are not meant to be a substitute for medical or mental health support. Always seek help from your support system, including your doctors, your lawyers, your therapist, and anyone else you work with. Do not perform the spells described in this book on pregnant women or children. Practice your magic in well-ventilated areas, use common sense, and remember that in this universe, everything we do has consequences. This work mentions sensitive topics such as violence, abuse, and trauma. If anything triggers your memories, please take time to process and get support when needed.
Author’s Note xiii
Introduction 1
CONTENTS
Chapter 1: Releasing Calcifications 7
Chapter 2: Subtle Ways to Reclaim Your Power 15
Chapter 3: Foundations of Ancestral Magic 23
Chapter 4: Working with Ancestors 31
Chapter 5: Healing the Lineage 45
Chapter 6: Limpias (Energy Cleansings) 57
Chapter 7: Power in Practice 91
Chapter 8: Shield Work 103
Chapter 9: Magical Responses to Spiritual Attacks 123
Chapter 10: Abundance Is Ancestral Too 139
Chapter 11: Working with the Cycles 161
Chapter 12: Elemental Forces 169
Chapter 13: Other Allies in Your Magic 183
Chapter 14: The Bruja Tool Kit 189
Conclusion: You Are the Magic 201
Acknowledgments 203
Appendix A: Herb and Resin Correspondences 205
Appendix B: Candle Color Correspondences 217
Glossary 219
author’s note
Nuestras abuelas no escondieron su magia en recetas y susurros para que nosotras viviéramos calladas y cansadas.
Este es el tiempo de las brujas.
INTRODUCTION
When I was seven years old, my abuela took me to a mountain near San Isidro Labrador, Coahuila. There she showed me the sacred place where her people had danced to call in the rain. The experience was my first conscious glimpse into the magic that runs through our lineage. She taught me that we are not separate from the world, that we are one with the elements water, fire, air, and earth. Her belief in calling in the rain shaped my understanding of magic as something powerful and innate.
Now I share the wisdom that I first touched many years ago and has stayed with me since. I invite you to allow this book to be the reminder of what already lives within you. Let it be what triggers your quest for your own truth and your own wisdom.
Just by touching this book, a drop of light, liberation, and awakening will come to your soul; it is inevitable. It will give you a spark that will open something inside of you.
Writing With my anCestors
I always wanted to write a book. In my mind, the process looked like a movie. I would rent a cute cabin by the ocean, sit by a cozy fireplace, and get inspired by the sound of the waves. But the truth is, none of
that happened. When I asked my ancestors for guidance, they loudly and clearly said that the work was meant to be done in the place where most Mexican families heal, in the kitchen.
So instead of seagulls flying and peaceful views, I had ugly cries, panic attacks, lots of nachos, coffee, deep healing, and the voices of my ancestors coming to tell me their stories to share with the world.
This book was not written just by me, not even close. I sat by the kitchen table and opened the floor to whoever wanted to show up. I was inundated by the voices of my lineage, wanting to help, wanting the opportunity to be heard, wanting to share what they had been carrying in silence for so many generations. They valued the opportunity to speak so strongly that they felt almost as if they were next to me in physical form.
I never expected the level of catharsis that would come from writing this book. When I asked my ancestors to tell me what needed to be said so we could help as many people as possible, I didn’t realize it would require me to feel vulnerable, to feel their pain, to sit with it, and to help them process it.
Writing this book cracked me open. My ancestors were loud and clear for me, yes, but more than anything, they were loud and clear for you, knowing that their life experiences would help you.
mexiCan magiC
The teachings in this book hold only a small fraction of what Mexican magic is; no single book can ever cover the fullness and the richness of who we are. It would be impossible to document it all. The ways shared are the ways passed down to me by my ancestors and teachers, ways that are wise, practical, and rooted in experience. But they are not the only ways.
I do not speak for all Mexican or Latinx people; these are my views, what I share with my students, and what I know from my roots. I am not the supreme authority in brujería or curanderismo. No one is.
Also keep in mind that this book is not about Catholicism or faith healing. It is not about Santa Muerte or any particular deities. You will find some references to saints in these pages, but this is not meant to be a guide to Catholic practices or syncretism. That is something different.
Who is this Book for?
Brujería and curanderismo belong to the people with Latinx heritage. However, the ways that I offer are not just for Mexicans born in Mexico. As Chavela Vargas is often quoted as saying, “Los mexicanos nacemos en donde nos da la chingada gana.”
This book is for our descendants, even if many generations removed, for Chicanos, for Mexican adjacent, for allies to Latinx communities, as well as for anyone called to our ways—not from a place of cultural appropriation but from a place of respect and love. I believe that wisdom is not something we own; it is something we are in a relationship with.
I do not share closed rituals or practices. Everything in this book can be practiced by anyone called to it. Yes, there are many more layers of our beliefs that I would not share openly, but what is here can be accessed by all.
But let me be clear. This book is not for you if you are a white supremacist. It is not for you if you believe that immigrants should be held in cages or camps, or if you think that legal status determines the value of a human. If this is your point of view, the magic and power within these pages will not serve you. It will reject you.
I wrote this book for those who honor humanity, ancestry, and the dignity of others. If someone sees human beings as disposable, less than, or unworthy because of the color of their skin, legal status, or origins, they will not resonate with my work.
This book is not for those who deny that love is love, that trans rights are human rights, or that Black lives matter. I interchangeably use the words bruja, brujo, and brujx throughout this book to be inclusive and because I believe that the soul has no gender.
In complete transparency, I cast a spell in the words written here, one meant for anyone ready to receive it. An influx of magic programmed to remind you that …
You are the magia.
You carry the power within.
You are a piece of the universe or the universe itself.
This book is a spell for you to see yourself through the eyes of love, in the same way your ancestors see you, with care, with acceptance, with tenderness and compassion.
For you to love yourself and your magic, exactly as you are.
aBout this Book
This book uses the language of energy, giving you tools that you can implement right away, while understanding why they work and how. It was not written from an academic or scholarly position.
Spanglish
Some words cannot be translated without losing their essence, and some phrases carry generational meaning and power. The Spanglish found here is not accidental; it means to bring back the voices of your abuelas and serve as a link to our culture.
Sensitive Content
This book is not sugarcoated. Some sections speak of the experiences our people go through. I talk about violence, abuse, kidnapping, grief, traumatic loss, religious trauma, poverty, discrimination, chronic illness, generational wounds, spiritual conflict, machismo, and the challenges that immigrants face. No todo es miel sobre hojuelas, but hiding these realities would be a disservice. If anything triggers your memories, please take time to process and get support when needed.
Measurements
In the spell recipes, you will not find exact measurements. This is because you are meant to use them as guidance but to trust your intuition on how much of each ingredient to use. If you asked your abuela or tía how to cook a recipe, they would likely tell you, “Un poquito de esto o un poquito de lo otro,” not specify measurements in spoons. It is our way, so talk to the plants, the crystals, and everything involved in your magic and trust what you hear.
The Structure
Use this book in a way that works for you. Yes, it is written so that each chapter builds on the others, but trust your instinct: You can just open it and know you are reading what you need.
Go slow. Some chapters include questions and guidance that may require you to go deep into your thoughts and memories, and that is part of your process of magic and does not need to be rushed.
Safety
Magic is powerful, and so are you, but you do need to be neutral, grounded, and in a good place in your mind to practice, because there are consequences for your actions. You will want to be centered; do not cast your spells from anger or desperation. Energetic recoils may occur when practitioners act in a rush.
Some of the spells here use fire, animal products, alcohol, hot peppers, or sharp tools. Use common sense when doing your spells; do not leave your candles unattended, do not consume your spells, and keep children safe and away from your spells.
When in doubt, take a deep breath, ask your ancestors for help, and remember that safety is magia too.
you are the magia
As I was shown so many years ago, you carry the power within. You are a piece of the universe or the universe itself. You are the magia.
This book is a spell for you to see yourself through the eyes of love, in the same way your ancestors see you, with care, with acceptance, with tenderness and compassion. For you to love yourself and your magic, exactly as you are.
As you read this book, I invite you to reconnect to your own stories and remember the magia within yourself, whether it is a receta de limpia con huevo passed down through generations or prayers whispered for protection. Our ancestral memories live in our blood, our cells, and our spirit.
This book is an invitation to awaken that power.
