The Sacred Art of Brujeria: A Path of Healing & Magic

by Katrina Rasbold

This beginner-friendly guide is the ideal choice for understanding and practicing brujer�a--the healing witchcraft of Mexico and the American Southwest. Adapted from a twelve-month series of classes, The Sacred Art of Brujer�a is a hands-on learning tool that features practical techniques, engaging exercises, and clear explanations of a wide variety of brujer�a-related topics.

This remarkable how-to book is unlike any other, covering everything from the history and divine figures of brujer�a to the healing, protection, and money magic that you can utilize in daily life. Explore power words and breath work, treat spiritual maladies, perform different types of limpia (cleansing and clearing), and learn about brujer�a as a business. Professional bruja Katrina Rasbold gives you an insider's look at this sacred practice and how it helps others as well as yourself.

Genres: Nonfiction, Witchcraft, Spirituality

264 pages, Paperback

Published June 8, 2020

About the author

Katrina Rasbold has provided insightful and guidance to countless individuals over the past three decades through both her life path consultations and her informative classes and workshops. She has worked with teachers all over the world, including three years of training in England and two years of practice in the Marianas Islands. She is a professional life coach who holds a PhD in Religion. She is married and she and her husband, Eric, co-authored the Bio-Universal Energy book series.

Katrina lives in the forested Eden of the High Sierras of Northern California near Tahoe. Katrina is a hermit who lives inside her beautiful mountain home, pecking away at her computer keyboard. She frequently teaches workshops on different aspects of Bio-Universal energy usage in the El Dorado, Sacramento, and Placer counties of California. She has six children, two teens at home and four who are grown up and out there loose in the world.

Reviews

[Lora Milton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brujeria is a form of folk magic that is specific to Mexico. Most of the practices sound like many other Shamanic methods, but the modern version the book explains is based firmly in Catholicism and works through patron saints. Presumably Mexico had an earlier version before the invasion of Christianity.

It is a healing magic and I found the ideas behind using the breath as a magical conduit especially interesting. Some of the chapters sounded very familiar, working with auras, and chakras etc., but then something new would come up. The four stage procedure for a healing was of interest, starting with just getting the client to talk about their problem.

A little bit psychology and a little bit woo, things like a sage bath or pendulum use to locate areas of the body that represent psychological blockages but are healed through channelling a divine power separate this tradition from some similar Shamanic practices. Using modern and imported terms is, I suppose, is expected in this age of globalism.

Though the practice has too much of religion about it to be something I would practice personally, I found reading about it informative and interesting. Some of it could be dismissed as superstition, like transferring maladies to an egg or sweeping away bad energies like in Wicca, but I keep an open mind and would certainly allow a practitioner to work on me without being too dismissive.

Most importantly, the book details what's involved so it's done it's job well.

[The Shakti Witch · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Sacred Art of Brujeria is author Katrina Rasbold’s latest offering on the subject of modern Mexican witchcraft. As Rasbold clearly states at the start of the book, she is not Mexican but did train under 3 Brujeria’s in Mexico. This is a tradition steeped in Catholicism with petitions to Santa Muerte. Rasbold is also a healer and draws heavily on her knowledge of the Hindu chakra system of the body. It’s an interesting read on an individual’s take meshing different practices to create something that works for them. Those who are in practice with clients or considering will get a lot out of this.

*eARC provided by the publisher and Netgalley

[Karaya · Rating 1 out of 5]

White washed garbage from a white woman practicing where she shouldn’t be. There are better bruja authors out there to learn from and support that are Latine/Hispanic.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

While there is some great information, I have a few qualms with this book.
I wish I had researched before buying that the book was written by a white non Latin woman.
The author left a bad taste in my mouth when I read the Introduction. She states that although she is white she can still be a Bruja. That’s all fine and dandy but the way it was written was very defensive. I am not at liberty to say who can and cannot practice, but for something that is predominantly an indigenous Hispanic practice, I do find it odd how she takes this to heart.

Some of the advice she gives is also not the best. I do not agree with burying non biodegradable items such as spell jars as they harm the environment. Which is something that is brought up multiple times throughout the book.

Another is when she spoke of charm bags and the different names for them. One of which was mojo bags. She clarifies that most don’t use it bc it is a shortened version of a slur against Mexican people, yet throughout the rest of the book when talking about charm bags, she says mojo bags.

I see nothing wrong with learning and sharing culture, but I feel this author is a bit….weird about it for lack of a better word.

[Cozy Cottage · Rating 1 out of 5]

Big Nope
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2021
White, non-Hispanic woman writing about Brujeria? It’s shameless behavior and a worthless book.

[Soledad · Rating 1 out of 5]

Culture vulture

[Jenna Deaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author has provided an excellent look at brujeria both as an magical practice and a cultural phenomenon.

The author took special care to explain the whys and hows of each practice while acknowledging that one should be called to the practice and find a traditional practitioner to instruct them if seriously intending to pursue the art. This shows both a genuine intent to educate combined with an understanding of the issues surrounding cultural appropriation.

I was pleasantly surprised to see how much saints play into the art as that is an enjoyable similarity with my hoodoo roots.

I would recommend this book to any reader interested in the topic as while it is geared towards pagan witches it’s fairly friendly towards the curious academic as well.

[Lolita Darling · Rating 1 out of 5]

Same old same old

This books offers nothing you couldn't Google for yourself. It is a very bland read. The addition of student testimonials adds nothing to inspire those seeking to follow the path of Brujeria. It only cost 10 bucks, so I'm not too pressed about the cost, but I certainly wouldn't be paying more for something that really adds nothing to the practice. There is a whole lot of surface fluff and not enough information. Save your money and look elsewhere for works that truly inspire and teach. This book does neither of those things.

[Dale El · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you have one bar of internet connection and Google you never need to read this book. Im actually going to try and return it.
It has large margins, stuffed full of "reviews" and what looks like copy and paste from Wikipedia, it panders to a point that its almost nauseating. I usually say nice things about books but holy crap I was ready to sit down to write an essay about it but I will sum it up:

This book is the equalisation of microwaving a tortilla.

[Edric Unsane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm in the middle of the road with this book. Was it interesting? Sure. Was it any more interesting than a simple google search on the subject matter? Nope.

I think this title can definitely find an audience that would appreciate it, but that audience wasn't me. The reason for this is it has no more substance than a google search. There was nothing new or game-changing in this title. It did not excel, nor did it inspire. Sure, it was informative, but it still fell flat with this reader.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know anything about Brujeria and this book helped to learn a lot of new things.
It well written, easy to read and the explanations are clear.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Savannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately not as insightful as I had hoped as all information within the book could be found from basic Google research. However, reading some of the testimonials from her previous students were nice.

[Baroness · Rating 3 out of 5]

Magical read.

[Tammy Cedillo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok info, but felt a bit disingenuous.