#131 - Mexican Sorcery: Brujeria de Rancho with Laura Davila

Summary

This episode delves into the fascinating tradition of Mexican sorcery, focusing on the practices of brujeria and hechiceria as explained by fifth-generation witch Laura Davila. She explores the meaning of being a 'bruja de rancho' and the influence of folk Catholicism in these spiritual practices. Listeners will gain insights into her book, 'Mexican Sorcery: A Practical Guide to Brujeria de Rancho,' which serves as a practical resource for understanding these ancient traditions.

Key takeaways

• 1Laura Davila (Daphne La Hechicera): A fifth-generation Mexican witch and long-time practitioner of brujeria and hechiceria.
• 2Hechiceria: A term for sorcery in Mexican culture, often intertwined with folk Catholic practices.
• 3Bruja de rancho: Refers to a 'witch of the ranch,' a title that captures the rural roots of these magical traditions.
• 4'Mexican Sorcery: A Practical Guide to Brujeria de Rancho': A book by Laura Davila that serves as a comprehensive guide on these practices.
• 5Folk Catholicism: A blend of Catholic beliefs with indigenous practices that heavily influences brujeria.

Glossary terms

Source

Transcript excerpt

There is no gatekeeping here. This is not a close practice. This is a very welcoming practice. I'm not going to police anybody's doing brujería de rancho. I think, you know, the spirits do their job beautifully. Salutations, listeners, and welcome back to Glitch Bottle, the podcast where we uncork the uncommon in magic mysticism and the generally misunderstood. Today, we're so excited to dive deep into the tradition of Mexican sorcery with Laura Davida, a.k.a. Daphne Leche Sera. So what exactly is Mexican sorcery? What does it mean to be a bruja de rancho or a witch of the ranch? And what are these magical practices associated with the brujería de rancho tradition? How are the practices of full Catholicism related to being a bruja and the practice of eche sera or sorcery? Well, Laura Davila, a.k.a. Daphne Leche Sera, is the perfect person to ask. Laura is a fifth-generation Mexican witch, a longtime practitioner of brujería, eche sera, and full Catholicism. Laura learned her magical practice at her grandmother's knees. Born and raised in Mexico, Laura has lived in the United States since about 2010. She's a tarot card reader, a flower essence practitioner, and also the author of the excellent book from Red Wheel Weiser Books called Mexican Sorcery, A Practical Guide to Brujería de Rancho, which covers topics like spell work, cleansings, herbs, talismans, how to protect against the evil eye, and also how to cast, break, and avert hexes and curses. Also, a huge thanks to each and every Glitch Bottle patron on Patreon for your excellent questions for Laura and for your amazing support. And now to help us uncork the uncommon, let's welcome Laura Davila, a.k.a. Daphne Leche Sera. ...

Excerpt from Glitch Bottle, Feb 20, 2023. Rights remain with the original creators. Hear the full episode at the source.