Curanderismo: A Mestizo Journey

 

Before we start let me make one thing clear, the purpose of this post is to try and break away from pseudo-spiritual practices that many have fallen into and distinguish our own unique mestizo (indigenous & European mixed) upbringings from those we see marketed practically everywhere these days. By separating ourselves from the subtle nuances, especially those involving actual traditional practices from the now widespread pseudo-ayahuasca retreats to pseudo-shamanic sweat lodge ceremonies, we can thus take the first step in creating our own unique mestizo cultura. It’s a daunting endeavor, but a necessary one nonetheless, filled with blurred lines and deep layers of complexity which makes it incredibly hard to pull apart to trace back original sources of truth. For example, when you walk into a New Age store and see some sage and sweetgrass being marketed in neatly packaged bag, you ask yourself, who is this being marketed to? how did my ancestors use this? are the people buying it using it appropriately? and who is benefiting/profiting from this? I hope to use a few examples to help those begin on their quest in rediscovering their own culturally-rooted spiritual practices and redefine modern-day curanderismo beliefs for the application within their own lives. 

Step One: separating oneself from the pseudo-spiritual world

As Mestizos, we are the bridges between two worlds; our indigenous American culture and our western post-colonial culture. Needless to say, a lot of the indigenous cultures throughout the Americas have been decimated, but that’s not to say there aren’t other relatable cultural practices that can help us fill in the gaps. However, the first step in doing so is by separating the already incorporated pseudo-spiritual beliefs that dominate the mainstream.

It is our responsibility to distance ourselves away from these mainstream New Age notions and strip down these convoluted ideas back into their original form (which is easier said than done). Even with the works such as Peruvian-born Carlos Castaneda, as one prime example, it becomes difficult to pry away the falsehoods. Cataneda, who received his Ph.D. in Anthropology from UCLA, claimed to have been imparted secret knowledge from a Yaqui shaman named Don Juan and wrote several books on the subject. Several anthropologists later went into the field and were unable to validate any of his claims and later determined his experiences to be completely fabricated. He later formed a cult offering private initiations and several wound up dead as a result. Despite all this, that hasn’t been enough to deter the money-making retreats, classes, lectures, and tours that has been as a result from his writings.

In many instances it’s incredibly difficult to root out the original source writings and materials as so much has been exaggerated upon and misconstrued by different spiritual or pseudo-indigenous practitioners. It’s unfortunately unavoidable in an age of globalization where all information becomes saturated in an endless sea of opinions and writings.

Today we often see people claim themselves to be ‘authentic practitioners’ of a particular system, which is generally not an issue, until they self-proclaim themselves to be ‘healers’, ‘shamans’, etc. Titles such as medicine man, shaman (chamán), brujo, hechicera, and curandero are all cultural titles given by members of a specific community and are never self-given or self-proclaimed. These are similar to other culturally significant titles of status such as kuraka, cacique, tlatoani, chief, or elder. In some cases, it takes many years to obtain a status within a community. Definitions also vary within different communities, being accused of being a brujo or hechicera within one community may result in public condemnation or even worse. Whereas, in other communities they are seen as shadowy personas oftentimes living on the fridges of a village and should be highly revered, respected, and sought after only after all other options have been exhausted.

The notion of the plastic shaman (or plastic medicine man) was created to bring attention to the ongoing problem of people passing themselves off as traditional leaders/healers. Many indigenous activists believe these self-proclaimed shamans degrade sacred cultural traditions and exploit these traditions for personal gain. This level of cultural appropriation is not only insulting but also dangerous, as many rituals attempted have been known to result in deaths (e.g., ayahuasca and sweat lodge retreats in particular). These false pseudo-rituals set a negative precedence over actual legitimized rituals reserved for indigenous people and over time can have powerful consequences as they become more widely-accepted.

The ability to pick and chose pieces of one’s cultural identity is a benefit only a few have the privilege of undertaking. For so many others, our cultural identity is infused just on the basis of one’s skin color and the associated stigmas. The whole, “no, what are you really?” or “you don’t look ___”, as insulting as it may be, is a reminder as to the beautiful wide-array of cultures, skin colors, looks, and traditions throughout all of the Americas. The sometimes racist stigmas regarding one’s ‘look’ become the defining moment in assuming one’s socio-economic status and the inequalities that still exist for many.

It’s unfortunate that a lot of these Eurocentric ideas are so pervasive, even when it comes to our own culture. From both side of the border we have notions of the “pinche indio,” or the lower-class “naco.” Furthermore, many still doubt their own degree of mestizaje and lean solely on European physical features and traditions. This self-hatred of identity is still very pervasive in many parts. Even when children are born within Latin America people seem quick to point out the whiteness of their skin, or lightness of their hair (e.g., “mira, que guerito“, etc). The mestizo, or mixed race individual, is undoubtedly looked down upon to some degree despite many efforts of trying to elevate ideas of racial mixing such as with José Vasconcelos’s ‘Cosmic Race‘ whereby the mixing of all people (within the Americas) will help pioneer the transcendence of racial divides that exist in the world. It’s important to note that despite Vasconcelos’ best efforts, his ideas were based on notions of getting rid of cultural identities (indigenous, etc) which ultimately do more harm than good.

On the opposite extreme, I’ve even heard of instances of chicanos, or other racially mixed individuals living in the United States, using derogatory terms towards actual full-blooded indigenous people under the guise that the ‘cultura azteca‘ of which they are supposedly ‘descended’ was originally from Aztlan (in the norther territories), therefore, much superior. We need to dispel such dangerous ideologies as it is dangerous to the multicultural heritages of which we are all to some degree a part of. Likewise, I’ve seen people embracing Azteca/Mexica culture as their own, however, we must understand that there were many different cultures throughout all of Mexico before the conquest. The odds of being descended from the Aztecs/Mexica is actually quite small, and in all likelihood ones ancestors were enemies who fought against them. Given this diversity, it’s best to take the time to understand where one’s origin may have been and investigate it as deep as one can into that cultural region. Represent it as best as one can, even if the indigenous culture is no long in existence, take to heart being the descendant of these amazing cultures.

Lastly, we also have similar newer concepts to help combat these Eurocentric ideas which have slowly become mainstream within Latin American society. New terms such as the ‘savior complex’, ‘white knight syndrome’, or “whitexican” serves as as examples that try and confront these negative stereotypes and associated cognitive dissonance that is held. The whitexican, for example from Mexico, refers to those who comes from the upper-social class and have the means to travel abroad, and while doing so (or within their own country) publicly demonstrates their Mexican pride (via social media) while abroad and yet, simultaneously maintains racist and classist notions within their own country. Once again, idea of nitpicking cultural identities is nothing new and is clearly one of the many unintended consequences of living in a globalized world.

Once a given culture is exploited out of all their natural resources, all that remains is their sense of ‘cultural identity‘ which then becomes the new target of exploitation. With globalization people have the excuse to nitpick bits and pieces of cultural traditions that seem most appealing and disregard the rest, which leads to misrepresentations of those given cultures and may actually hurt those communities. Now, I’m not saying that people of other cultural backgrounds should be denied cultural knowledge, on the contrary, embrace it but leave all your preconceived notions at the door. Have the utmost respect and be contentious of your actions. We are mere guests on these indigenous lands, if given an opportunity, learn from them as best as you can and do your best to represent them and their traditions, not as a representative but as an advocate.

Where my journey started…

Though I do not consider myself a curandero, medicine man, shaman, etc over the years I have had the pleasure of studying within various traditions. It’s definitely not something I discuss openly but I do enjoy talking about it under certain circumstances. Growing up curanderismo was just something we practiced…but not openly. Bad headache? Limpieza con huevo. Sore muscles? Sobada con alcohol y yerbas. Bad luck? Limpieza de humo. Empachada? Here drink this tea. Mal de aire? Ventosas (cupping). The list can go on forever.

 I was always drawn to this hidden side of traditions and cultural practices. Several childhood experiences pushed me into this realm which made me realize how different (or similar) I really was. I thought these experiences were normal but quickly realized not everyone had the same experiences as I had. At the age of 12 I had become interested in Rosicrucianism, who were known for practicing ancient esoteric healing techniques. I later found out my father was a long-time member and then petitioned on my behalf for membership, but because of my age I wasn’t allowed full-membership.  I kept going on my journey, learning from a medicine man, other curanderos, and any book I could get my hands on until I turned 18.

Once I turned 18, I fully joined the Rosicrucians and shortly thereafter, began moving up within other esoteric organizations.  Of the few I can mention, Martinism, Golden Dawn, Knights Templars, and ultimately following in my grandfather and great-grandfathers footsteps in joining Freemasonry and obtaining my 32^nd degree within the Scottish Rite. I was also later invited to join the Masonic branch of the Rosicrucians, called the Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis.

Some examples of Indigenous Beliefs

The most valuable resource we have are indigenous elders living today. They are a wealth of knowledge and can help put us on a path of self-discovery. If you so choose, reach out to communities and become active. If this simply isn’t an option, the library is the next best thing.

When it comes to indigenous curandero practices we find among the earliest texts written around 1552, shortly after the conquest, on the use medicinal plants by the Mexica/Aztecs. The codex entitled, Libellus de Medicinalibus Indorum Herbis, or “Little Book of the Medicinal Herbs of the Indians.” Written in indigenous language of Nahuatl, it focused on the botanical aspects of healing and curative properties through the use of plants.

One of the most ancient indigenous practices of the Americas involves the idea of the sacred breath. To live is to breathe. This transference of breath from one person to another is seen as highly sacred, and could have the potential to cure illnesses. One of the earliest records of this comes from Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca who was shipwrecked off the coast of Florida in 1528 and spent the following eight years walking back down to Mexico. He survived traveling from tribe to tribe by passing off as a healer by which he would blow air onto their afflicted body parts and laying his hands on top and reciting a prayer.

The vitality of breathing can also be seen among the Aztecs and was considered divine in nature. Some illnesses were a result of ehecatl cocoliztli or ‘winds of illness’. The human body consisted of three energetic parts:

1. Tonalli; symbolized by the sun’s warmth, located at the top of the head.
2. Teyolía; translated meaning “that what makes to live,” located within the chest, or more specifically, within the heart.
3. Ihiyotl; was considered the air within the body which occupied the liver or stomach. This energic air occupied two worlds, the spiritual and material and had the ability to enchant or heal.

Within the Aztec mythology, it was the gods Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl who first transferred this energy (tonalli) into humans by breathing into them thus igniting a flame within. This idea was later integrated into the Christian belief of God breathing into Adam, thus animating him.

This breath of life, in its ritual form, is known as phukuy, releases the sami, or energy force. The most common Andean practice of phukuy can be seeing in the ritual prayer or offerings of k’intus, a fan of three sacred coca leaves.

We also these similar beliefs within the Quechua people of South America. In Quechua tradition we have the idea of the kausay poq’po, or “life bubble” that which surrounds us is replenished by sami. Sami, almost similar to the Aztec notion of Tonalli and Teyolía, is considered the animating vital force and a person who possess a lot of this is referred to as samiyoc. Though the notion of spirit or soul is rather vague within pre-colonial times, the Andean notion of the upani or camaquen most closely resembles the idea of this vital life force which after death makes its journey to the Land of the Dead (similar to the Aztec’s Teyolía which after death then travels to the various realms of the dead, or Mictlan, after which being devoid of worldly individuality could be joined into a newly created human being).

To read more on Andean beliefs and practices please refer to old post: Restoring Harmony: What ancient Andean beliefs can teach us about our current world

Issues with modern-day curanderismo practices

Curanderismo is big business and in the end the people that end up being hurt are the indigenous people themselves.

When it comes to ayahuasca retreats and lodges, make sure you research the maestro fully. As told to me by an ayahuasca maestro is that it should only be used to heal and not for mere enjoyment nor ‘enlightenment’. Much of the ayahuasca traditions of today area more than likely newly adapted practices by many of the indigenous cultures within the Amazon basin. During the 1970’s, for example, as many missionaries began to try and convert isolated villagers east of Cusco the ayahuasca practitioners that accompanied them were from northern Peru and taught the Amarakaeri and Matsigenka how to use ayahuasca. There have been many instances of people dying from ayahuasca due to the tourist demand for it. Many fake shaman’s running eco-spiritual or holistic retreats only care about the money and use dangerous substitutes as mature ayahuasca vines become ever more scarce (the vine itself turning into a black market commodity). These deaths happen everywhere from Columbia down to Peru. It’s a big business that ultimately takes away from the spiritual practices of indigenous cultures. I also see a lot of non-indigenous people from the Sacred Valley in Peru to the United States carrying out these ‘rituals’ charging big dollar amounts for ‘shamanic experiences’. One should proceed with caution if considering such an endeavor. I’ve never done it personally, but I know respected chamanes who are practitioners and I respect the tradition too much to try it until I am fully prepared.

Similarly, Peyote, another hallucinogenic, is something that has been practiced from the American Southwest down into the heart of Mexico and has since expanded to other territories. There are many laws regarding the use of peyote, however, that hasn’t stopped the use of this sacred cactus for recreational use. It’s a shame when I hear about people trying it just for fun, whereas with the Native American Church, who fought so hard to practice their tradition, maintain the utmost respect for the sacred cactus and do not take it without proper ceremonial preparation. Even with the Wixárika (Huichol) of central Mexico, the sacred cactus being so central to their mythology and spiritual beliefs, is now becoming more and more scarce to the point of becoming endangered due to ‘drug tourists’. Each peyote cactus takes 10-15 years to grow, and even though the Wixárika take only what they need, the countryside has been decimated by people consuming the cactus for fun. As mentioned previously, the false writings of Carlos Castaneda has attracted thousands of drug tourists from the United States to Europe and the end result might be the end of the Wixárika culture (which they believe comes after the peyote has disappeared).

One of the un-written rules I have come to learn from other curanderos is that a real curandero never charges for their services. They are imparted with an important and vital role within the community and therefore, do not charge. If you are allowed within a specific community and have been granted a sit down with a curandero, it is your responsibility to overcompensate them for their time. One example may be of a villager giving their last chickens to the cuandero in exchange for their services, which is almost everything they own. Consider that when you seek out a curandero; if a villager gave almost everything he had, how much can you compensate? give beyond generously. I’ve seen tourists in the past spend thousands to travel to these isolated places and yet, become stingy when it comes to paying a curandero or maestro. Don’t ask for services if you don’t want to compensate properly.

Likewise, I’ve seen large spiritual tourist groups paying large amounts of money to pseudo-shamans. It’s a booming industry but be weary of these tours. Research the indigenous community you are visiting and whether or not they are being properly compensated, likewise, if their culture is being properly represented. Many of these tours, centers, and middlemen use these indigenous people and treat them almost like slaves. One haunting thing that will always live with me was when I went to visit elderly respected Q’ero curandero practitioners who I had gotten to know while in Peru. This was the third time meeting up with them and were brought nearby where I live. They were being advertised as guests at a nearby spiritual center. The people who brought them up from Peru were these two new age hippies who were using them solely to make money. They only knew a few words in Quechua (if that) and were giving absolute gross interpretations of their cultural beliefs and teachings. I felt highly disgusted and ashamed that I didn’t stand up and say something at the time. It was clear that they weren’t being taken care of and were only there to make quick cash.

I’ve also seen some non-profits cashing in on the spiritual practices of indigenous communities. Though they do raise money that goes towards their communities, I’ve also seen beyond privileged people exploiting their culture by becoming self-entitled representatives of their traditions and charging a lot of money for pseudo-ceremonies, which in turn goes straight into their pockets. There have been a few instances where wealthy individuals were privileged enough to travel to these communities, and were accepted in, and afterwards, they create nonprofits for the sake of showing some humanitarian front meanwhile exploiting their cultural traditions. There are many nonprofits out there which I utmost respect and give everything to work with the indigenous communities, working to understand their needs and actually do a lot of good. However, there are just a few people out there from very privileged backgrounds who want seek profits from these curandero traditions.

If one does have the opportunity to learn from these communities then please respect their cultural traditions. Once again, do not give yourself some title like shaman, or curandero, and definitely do not charge people! Similarly, be careful when defining yourself as a ‘Bruja’, ‘witch’ (or other post-colonial term) while practicing indigenous traditions. As mestizos were should be respectful when it comes to labels and these traditions. Try and stay away from labeling yourself. To practice curanderismo, you do not need to label yourself. You actions should be reflected by your beliefs, let others respectfully consider yourself as what you are.

Filling in the missing pieces

The sad truth is that most of our cultural knowledge has already been in large part destroyed during the colonization process. Some of us, myself included, only have small fragmented pieces of cultural information originating from my indigenous ancestors. Most writings that exist come from academic writings and other early documents from after the conquest. For many of us, indigenous source material is obscure and should be sought out directly from these traditions (depending on where we ancestrally have more ties) be it Diné, Yaqui, Zapotec, etc.

As mestizos we have a unique opportunity to research and discover our roots and at the same time bridge to another world. Many curanderos blend in catholicism to these indigenous practices to fill in the missing gaps that have been erased. This catholic iconography is used almost as a mediator between the celestial and mundane just as gods of the past were seen as representations of the cosmic head-figure, we now see saints in their place.

As with the integration of Catholic symbology within indigenous rituals and its continuation to this day, I feel that another substitute would be that of Western Esotericism. Western Esotericism in its basic form does resemble a lot of the indigenous beliefs that have existed in the past. Though I’m rather hesitant in the mixing of traditions, especially when it comes to belief systems, I believe from a personal perspective it’s okay to practice the mixing of these traditions for the purpose of spiritual development (and not to be capitalized upon in a public fashion).

When we analyze the various ‘old-world’ mystery school traditions we can see some resemblances to the mystery traditions that existed within mesoamerica and South America in particular. The reference to mystery school being a little bit of a misnomer and can more accurately be described as a mystery tradition. Old world mystery traditions such as the Eleusinian, Dionysian, Osirian, and Orphic mystery traditions all the way up to the Hermetic traditions greatly influenced the renaissance period and became an esoteric rite of passage of those fortunate enough to seek initiation. Within mesoamerican culture we see very similar mystery traditions that hold very similar ideals and notions such as allegorical mythologies and melodramas centered around specific traditions.

The exchange of these two worlds can be seen on various occasions and at times can be seen as interchangeable. As mentioned before in my Forgotten Art of Scrying article, we see the practice of scrying found on both sides of the world. From the ancient Egyptians to the Tezcatlipoca cult in Mexico, we see the utilization of reflective surfaces for the purpose of making prophetic predictions. Tezcatlipoca, literally meaning ‘Smoking Mirror’, was seen as a god and rival to Quetzalcoatl and was associated with prophecies and discord. The glass by which followers of Tezcatlipoca utilized were made of black obsidian made into circular discs which were worn by priests during shamanic rituals and divination ceremonies. For practitioners of the Tezcatlipoca cult the concept is quite simple, stare into a reflective dark surface until all reflections dissolve and the subconscious then begins to create images. When attempting it, it’s clear why they refer to it as a ‘smoking mirror.’ As the reflections begin to fade away you start to see what resembles fast moving clouds. Some interpret these clouds as being the veil of the subconscious being visualized to which beyond lays glimpses of another world.

In the old world, the combination of these ancient greco-roman and Egyptian traditions slowly turned into what is now considered Western Esotericism. Several groups have since come about claiming to be a lineal continuation of these earlier precursors. Groups such as the Rosicrucians, Freemasons, Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, etc, claim to be continuations from these more ancient lineages. The idea of initiation being central to these mystery traditions along with the melodramas of the gods whereby you become a symbolic active participant. Likewise, the concept of coming from darkness into light, or rebirth, are vital for the participant to obtain this sacred knowledge from within themselves. We find these similar concepts within mesoamerican culture as well as with the Codex Borgia which dates back before the conquest of Mexico. The Codex Borgia describes narratives and rituals centered around the mythology of Quetzalcoatl, along with his birth and rebirth (or resurrection):

“At the time when the planet was visible in the sky (as the evening star [venus]), Quetzalcoatl died. And when Quetzalcoatl was dead he was not seen for 4 days; they say that he dwelt in the underworld, and for 4 more days he was bone (that is, he was emaciated, he was weak); not until 8 days had passed did the great star appear; that is, as the morning star. They said that then Quetzalcoatl ascended the throne as god” –Skywatchers of Ancient Mexico by Anthony Aveni (Austin, Texas: U. of Texas, 1980) quoting (p. 187) the legend from the Anales de Quauhtitlán (Seler, 1904, pp. 364-365):

Another technique with similarities between curanderos in the Americas and those in Europe was to do with the use of water in absorbing positive and negative energies. Some curanderos, I have seen have recommended that a glass of water be placed under the bed, which over time, then begins to absorb negative energy from the person. They believe it can absorb cases of mal de ojo, or evil eye, which can harm an individual over time. I’ve seen countless variations of using a cup with water in these instances from cracking an egg inside after using it for a limpeza, to having someone drink a cold glass of water after they held it in prayer thus purifying it. Magnetized water, as it’s referred to by Rosicrucians and others within Western Esoteric traditions, is very similar and can be traced back the 1600’s.

Another good book on the comparison of these two esoteric traditions, both old and new world, comes directly from an indigenous source. The book, To the American Indian: Reminiscences of a Yurok Woman, written by Lucy Thompson (Che-Na-Wah Weitch-Ah-Wah) in 1916, describes the differences between the mythologies commonly accepted to those used within initiatic indigenous institutions. Thompson, an indigenous Yurok from Northern California, addresses a belief system (similar to so many others across the Americas) whereby the traditional teachings are divided into two separate groups; the exoteric beliefs accepted by the general populous and the esoteric teachings only passed down by a select few. She wrote the book as she felt that the true stories of her people were not being told and she feared they would die with the incoming influx of european-american settlers. The esoteric stories vary within the book and document a secret society, called Talth, which she compares to Freemasonry. Some academics criticize this aspect speculating that some of the wording and concepts given may have been influenced by her husband, a Freemason. Even anthropologist A.L. Kroeber who studied and wrote extensively on the Yurok was skeptical as he had never heard of these aspects within Yurok tradition. However, are we quick to dismiss what Thompson wrote? or should we consider that there were in fact a lot of esoteric aspects within various indigenous traditions?

Final thoughts

To this day I don’t talk publicly very much about my held beliefs (except for blogging about it on this website, which I doubt not many people read, haha). I like to remain incognito regarding these practices. I have notebooks filled with techniques and practices that I hope to one day pass on in a completed book. Likewise, there are many additional topics I can discuss such on this subject as with the use of sacred tobacco smoke and use of smudging, which has since become quite the hype. I hope one day to keep writing on the subject of curanderismo and put together everything I’ve come to learn.

One final thought to any future would-be curanderos would be to be thoughtful about what practices you decide to incorporate into your personal life and be aware (and respectful) of their origins. I’ve seen many mestizos appropriating cultural traditions, just like many Europeans/Americans. You are not entitled to anything. Unless you were born within a traditional indigenous village, then you should never exploit the knowledge passed on to you. There are too many instances where I’ve seen authentic indigenous people being paid mere dollars for a ritual, whereas, the mestizo ‘shaman’ appropriating those same practices charges hundreds if not thousands. Furthermore, be weary of words like shamanism, holistic, etc. Do not confine our spiritual practices into Eurocentric terminology, remain open to broader interpretations.

Lastly, do not use our indigenous brothers and sisters as objects or tokens. They’re not there for your Instagram photo-opportunity, do not ask to put on their sacred regalia for a photo, or staging a photo opportunity for the sake of more likes. Social media has had a negative impact on these traditions as things become more globalized and commercial, people who see these photos perpetuated online seek these negative stereotypes and staged environments and in the end, these villagers have no choice but to abide for the purpose of bringing more tourists. When I’ve traveled through villages in the Amazon and Andes I try not to pass as a tourist. I don’t want them putting on special performances or putting on special clothes for the sake of me taking photos. I’ve seen too many instances where villagers being approached by a group of tourists run and change into traditional clothes, hide their TV’s/radios, and sadly, sometimes put on a show to make people think they’re in a traditional village. Be very contentious of what you share online and what that may represent to someone who may not have any idea of its significance. Too many within these rural and poor indigenous communities rely heavily on tourism as the only means of bringing in an economy. If you plan on traveling through, make sure you travel don’t go in as a tourist. If you are unsure of something, always ask them directly and not some third party trying to exaggerate their customs.

Bibliography & Additional Resources

1. The Oxford Handbook of the Aztecs
   Deborah L. Nichols, Enrique Rodríguez-Alegría
   Oxford University Press, 2017
2. The Neo-Indians: A Religion for the Third Millenium
   Galinier, Jacques and Molinié, Antoinette
3. San Diego Museum Papers – Issues 42-44 – Page 117
   Douglas Sharon – 2003
4. To the American Indian: Reminiscences of a Yurok Woman
   Thompson, Lucy
5. An Aztec Herbal: The Classic Codex of 1552
6. Medicine of Quetzacoatl: Traditional Medicine, Aztec Herbs and Modern Science
   Dagmar Daniel, Rene Daniel
7. Healing with Herbs and Rituals: A Mexican Tradition
   Eliseo Torres, Timothy L. Sawyer
8. Cleansing Rites of Curanderismo: Limpias Espirituales of Ancient Mesoamerican Shamans
   Erika Buenaflor M.A. J.D.
9. Curandero: A Life in Mexican Folk Healing
   Eliseo Torres, Timothy L. Sawyer
10. Curandero Conversations: El Niño Fidencio, Shamanism and Healing Traditions of the Borderlands
    Antonio Zavaleta, Alberto Salinas Jr.
11. A Land So Strange: The Epic Journey of Cabeza de Vaca
    Andrés Reséndez