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I have been practicing yoga, eastern spiritual traditions, and new age healing practices since high school. While these all still hold a very special place in my heart, I have recently felt called to something more primal. I became interested in understanding Shamanism after being exposed to it by my therapist, who is also a practicing shaman. While exploring this subject, I became curious to know which indigenous tribe I belonged to and who my ancestors were. I wanted to understand this so I could learn their ways of traditional healing and their spiritual beliefs. In order to do this, I first had to investigate my cultural identity.

Origins

I am a third-generation Mexican-American, and my family comes from the North-Central region of Mexico and Texas. I am a Mestiza, meaning my family and I are products of the indigenous and European mixing after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. While I haven’t been able to go back far enough to identify exactly which tribes my family belonged to, I am content knowing that my family is native to the North American continent, regardless of the European influence. While researching my Mexican/Aztec ancestry, I came across something I have heard of my entire life but didn’t know much about: Curanderismo.

What is Curanderismo?

Curanderismo is the art of traditional folk healing in Latin America. It has roots in indigenous Aztec beliefs, Catholicism, and African traditions. From what I currently understand, it seems that many indigenous beliefs and practices were hidden for a long time as a way to keep them from being destroyed and corrupted by the European colonists. This kind of explains why it’s been a little challenging to find resources to learn about Curanderismo and our traditional healing methods.

One of the books I found about Curanderismo is Woman Who Glows in the Dark by Elena Avila. Elena was a practicing curandera (Mexican folk healer) who combined her experience as a psychiatric nurse with the traditions of Curanderismo. It not only validated a lot of my existing spiritual beliefs, but also showed me that these beliefs come from a place deep within my DNA and my ancestral line.

The Wisdom of my Ancestors

My ancestors understood the relationship between the mind, body, and soul. They had a connection to nature, the spirit of the land, and all the resources it provides for healing including herbs and the sacred elements of the Earth. Woman Who Glows in the Dark also reminded me of all the little remedies that my grandmother used when I was young, like feeding me a spoonful of sugar to cure a mild case of susto (a sickness caused by a frightening experience) or giving me chamomile tea to calm my anxiety.

Learning all of this gave me a sense of grounding and connection to the traditions of my culture and the sacred land that we belong to. I also realized that I don’t need to tirelessly seek answers about who my ancestors were or the tribes I descended from to have a relationship with them. Our ancestors and guides are always with us, and all we need to do is acknowledge them.

Honoring the Past & Healing the Present

Ironically, learning about my culture’s traditional healing methods has been a healing experience in itself. I have a newfound sense of strength and confidence to continue on my spiritual journey, knowing I can incorporate the sacred practices of Curanderismo to heal myself and honor my ancestors at the same time. I encourage anyone who is on a spiritual path or healing journey to explore the traditions of their ancestral lineage. There is so much wisdom to gain from the ones who came before us, and it’s up to us to unearth it and keep it alive.

♡