Mexican Magic

Brujeria, Spells, and Rituals for All Occasions

$18.95

Imprint: Weiser Books
Availability: Coming soon on 10/15/2024
“In Mexican Magic, Laura Davila does a phenomenal job at illuminating the creativity of Mexican culture and magic with lively stories and magical rites born out of resilience, humor, necessity, and practicality. Anyone that shares an appreciation for our culture and is interested in magic will love this book!” 
—Erika Buenaflor author of Cleansing Rites of Curanderismo and Veneration Rites of Curanderismo

“Laura Davila’s Mexican Magic is a profound and heartfelt journey into the rich traditions of Mexican folk magic. Her deep respect for the cultural heritage, combined with her modern perspective, makes this book a powerful guide for anyone seeking to connect with the mystical roots of Mexico. Davila’s wisdom and warmth shine through every page, making complex rituals accessible and inspiring. Whether you’re new to the craft or a seasoned practitioner, Mexican Magic is a must-read that will leave you feeling empowered and deeply connected to the magic that surrounds us.”
—Christy Lendechy, bruja and owner of @BrujasBotanica   

“Laura Davila’s Mexican Magic invites us into the dearly kept secrets of the brujas of Mexico, leading us through the potent symbols, rich culture, and layered significance of their practice and their world. Warm, authentic, and powerful, this book is a transformative journey into a subtle and complex reality that is as practical as it is profound, where identity, faith, and power dance together to make an irrefutable magic. Laura’s writing is vivid and heartfelt, and she transmits her embodied practice of the sorcerous arts, mysteries, and lived experiences of Mexican magic with skill and wisdom. Get this book—it is a treasure. Lose yourself in it and gain a new way of seeing.”
—Hoodoo Moses Shenassa, founder of the Holy Mountain Spiritualist Temple

“Laura Davila writes like she is outlining the heart of magic itself, showing us how magic flows from the roots of culture, tradition, and, most importantly, lived experience. She dives straight in, effortlessly weaving practical magical concepts and crucial cultural context in a way that immediately makes the reader start thinking about how magic evolves. Mexican Magic also marks one of the most accessible points of entry to the Holy Souls of Purgatory for the English reader—the Anima Sola. Davila has managed to present this misunderstood class of spirits with the clarity and precision they deserve. Mexican Magic contains the hallmark of any good book on culture-specific magical traditions; it makes the reader reflect on how their own practice is staying alive. For those looking to walk towards an understanding of Mexican magic, this book is a necessity.”
—Aaron Oberon, author of Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South 

“For anyone interested in delving into the depths of Mexican magical traditions, Laura Davila’s Mexican Magic is an essential guide that offers both inspiration and practical insight.” 
—Reverend Laura González, priestess of the Goddess, Circle Sanctuary minister

“Laura Davila is a fountain of wisdom, and in Mexican Magic she generously shares her extensive knowledge, grounded in rich histories and gorgeous detail. Her practical approach is inviting and rigorous at once. As a modern bruja and forever student of witchcraft, this is a resource I’ll return to again and again.”
—Lorraine Monteagut, PhD, author of Brujas: The Magic and Power of Witches of Color 

“Laura Davila has put in the work to preserve our culture. Her spells, anecdotes, and knowledge are gifts to our starving souls. I am impressed with what I take away from her books.”
—Nix Murguia, author of the Calavera Hotel series

"Mexican Magic is a comprehensive collection of spells, rituals, and recipes that is suitable for all levels of brujos and brujas. For readers new to the craft, Davila provides both social and historical context for the modern-day practice of brujeria. She teaches us about the path of a bruja and shares a plethora of practices. The spells are practical, accessible, and easy to follow, and often incorporate everyday objects, such as food, spices, or images of saints. Davila creates the perfect recipe to help the reader to adapt time-honored traditions to our modern-day lives. Mexican Magic is a perfect book for all who seek to learn more about Mexican brujeria."
—Atava Garcia Swiecicki, author of The Curanderx Toolkit: Reclaiming Ancestral Latinx Plant Medicine and Rituals for Healing

“Laura Davila is a treasure in the Mexican magic community, bringing the powerful spells and spirits of our ancestors to a whole new generation of workers. With every word, she preserves important culture and guides us deeper as we receive the answers to ancient questions and begin to understand ourselves and those who came before in a way we never could have imagined.”
—J. Allen Cross, author of American Brujeria

“Laura Davila throws open the doors to her practice and the traditions of Mexican folk magic in a way not seen to English-speaking readers before. Her tour of traditional spells, workings, and spirits is incredibly thorough. . . . Davila does a magnificent job here, and maintains her conversational, sometimes salty tone to fill this book with as much knowledge and enchantment as she can. You learn everything from candle spells and prayers to how to use a tortilla press in magical work, and even a spiritually charged recipe for the holiday drink rompope as she extends the holiday calendar to the Navidad season. This is a book not to miss if you have any interest in the magical traditions of Mexico or North America more broadly.”
—Cory Hutcheson, author of New World Witchery: A Trove of North American Folk Magic
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Book Details

Pages

224 Pages

Size

6 x 9

Format

Trade Paperback

Pub. Date

11/04/2024

ISBN

978-1-57863-832-1

Publisher

Red Wheel Weiser

Authors

Laura Davila is a fifth-generation Mexican witch, a long-time practitioner of Mexican ensalmeria, hechicería, brujeria, and folk Catholicism. Born and raised in Mexico, Laura has lived in the US since 2010. Laura identifies as a “bruja de rancho”—a “ranch witch”—a term with great resonance in Mexico, indicating knowledge of botanicals and the natural world. The author of Mexican Sorcery, Laura is also a tarot card reader and a flower essence practitioner. Follow her on Instagram @daphne_la_hechicera.

Mexican Magic offers an overview of magic and spells from all across Mexico for daily use.
 
Algunos nacen con estrella y otros estrellados. This dicho (saying) roughly translates to “Some are born with a star, while others are born starry.” It refers to the Mexican belief that good luck is a matter of fate, something you are born with or not. Mexicans attribute their good or bad luck to a greater force, to God’s will, even to the stars in the sky. Being born with a star is a blessing.
 
While some gain their luck through fate, Laura Davila believes even more in faith, virtue, and purpose. While there are some people who are born with a natural gift for magic, there are many others for whom life itself pushed them toward using magic. The best brujos and magical people are not those who necessarily started off in perfect circumstances but those who looked at magic as a skill to be mastered.
 
Mexican Magic shares this knowledge and offers an overview of magic from across Mexico. Spells are the focus of Mexican Magic. The book features magical recipes, spells, tips, and advice for a wide variety of intentions, including love, lust, sex, good luck, money, protection, commerce, gambling, justice, pregnancy, travel, education, and more.
 
Although the spells may be practiced by anyone, their flavor is Mexican, as they are deeply rooted in Mexican folk beliefs and magic. Davila also shares direction on how to be a magical person and live a magical life, with examples given from some influential Mexican historical and spiritual figures.

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“In Mexican Magic, Laura Davila does a phenomenal job at illuminating the creativity of Mexican culture and magic with lively stories and magical rites born out of resilience, humor, necessity, and practicality. Anyone that shares an appreciation for our culture and is interested in magic will love this book!” 
—Erika Buenaflor author of Cleansing Rites of Curanderismo and Veneration Rites of Curanderismo

“Laura Davila’s Mexican Magic is a profound and heartfelt journey into the rich traditions of Mexican folk magic. Her deep respect for the cultural heritage, combined with her modern perspective, makes this book a powerful guide for anyone seeking to connect with the mystical roots of Mexico. Davila’s wisdom and warmth shine through every page, making complex rituals accessible and inspiring. Whether you’re new to the craft or a seasoned practitioner, Mexican Magic is a must-read that will leave you feeling empowered and deeply connected to the magic that surrounds us.”
—Christy Lendechy, bruja and owner of @BrujasBotanica   

“Laura Davila’s Mexican Magic invites us into the dearly kept secrets of the brujas of Mexico, leading us through the potent symbols, rich culture, and layered significance of their practice and their world. Warm, authentic, and powerful, this book is a transformative journey into a subtle and complex reality that is as practical as it is profound, where identity, faith, and power dance together to make an irrefutable magic. Laura’s writing is vivid and heartfelt, and she transmits her embodied practice of the sorcerous arts, mysteries, and lived experiences of Mexican magic with skill and wisdom. Get this book—it is a treasure. Lose yourself in it and gain a new way of seeing.”
—Hoodoo Moses Shenassa, founder of the Holy Mountain Spiritualist Temple

“Laura Davila writes like she is outlining the heart of magic itself, showing us how magic flows from the roots of culture, tradition, and, most importantly, lived experience. She dives straight in, effortlessly weaving practical magical concepts and crucial cultural context in a way that immediately makes the reader start thinking about how magic evolves. Mexican Magic also marks one of the most accessible points of entry to the Holy Souls of Purgatory for the English reader—the Anima Sola. Davila has managed to present this misunderstood class of spirits with the clarity and precision they deserve. Mexican Magic contains the hallmark of any good book on culture-specific magical traditions; it makes the reader reflect on how their own practice is staying alive. For those looking to walk towards an understanding of Mexican magic, this book is a necessity.”
—Aaron Oberon, author of Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South 

“For anyone interested in delving into the depths of Mexican magical traditions, Laura Davila’s Mexican Magic is an essential guide that offers both inspiration and practical insight.” 
—Reverend Laura González, priestess of the Goddess, Circle Sanctuary minister

“Laura Davila is a fountain of wisdom, and in Mexican Magic she generously shares her extensive knowledge, grounded in rich histories and gorgeous detail. Her practical approach is inviting and rigorous at once. As a modern bruja and forever student of witchcraft, this is a resource I’ll return to again and again.”
—Lorraine Monteagut, PhD, author of Brujas: The Magic and Power of Witches of Color 

“Laura Davila has put in the work to preserve our culture. Her spells, anecdotes, and knowledge are gifts to our starving souls. I am impressed with what I take away from her books.”
—Nix Murguia, author of the Calavera Hotel series

"Mexican Magic is a comprehensive collection of spells, rituals, and recipes that is suitable for all levels of brujos and brujas. For readers new to the craft, Davila provides both social and historical context for the modern-day practice of brujeria. She teaches us about the path of a bruja and shares a plethora of practices. The spells are practical, accessible, and easy to follow, and often incorporate everyday objects, such as food, spices, or images of saints. Davila creates the perfect recipe to help the reader to adapt time-honored traditions to our modern-day lives. Mexican Magic is a perfect book for all who seek to learn more about Mexican brujeria."
—Atava Garcia Swiecicki, author of The Curanderx Toolkit: Reclaiming Ancestral Latinx Plant Medicine and Rituals for Healing

“Laura Davila is a treasure in the Mexican magic community, bringing the powerful spells and spirits of our ancestors to a whole new generation of workers. With every word, she preserves important culture and guides us deeper as we receive the answers to ancient questions and begin to understand ourselves and those who came before in a way we never could have imagined.”
—J. Allen Cross, author of American Brujeria

“Laura Davila throws open the doors to her practice and the traditions of Mexican folk magic in a way not seen to English-speaking readers before. Her tour of traditional spells, workings, and spirits is incredibly thorough. . . . Davila does a magnificent job here, and maintains her conversational, sometimes salty tone to fill this book with as much knowledge and enchantment as she can. You learn everything from candle spells and prayers to how to use a tortilla press in magical work, and even a spiritually charged recipe for the holiday drink rompope as she extends the holiday calendar to the Navidad season. This is a book not to miss if you have any interest in the magical traditions of Mexico or North America more broadly.”
—Cory Hutcheson, author of New World Witchery: A Trove of North American Folk Magic