The old watch Once upon a time, in a small village, there was an old watch passed down through generations. It had a unique and elegant design that captured the attention of everyone who saw it. The watch was said to hold a certain kind of magic, as it had the ability to transport the person wearing it to a different era. The watch belonged to a young man named James, who inherited it from his late grandfather. James was fascinated by the watch and cherished it dearly. He would spend hours examining its intricate details and wondering about the stories it could tell.
We explore some of the signs that an Orisha may have chosen you as their devotee and then help you figure out what that means and how you can.
It became an immediate best seller and is still considered by many experts one of the most popular books on Santeria, having gone through four editions and several translations. It became an immediate best seller and is still considered by many experts one of the most popular books on Santeria, having gone through four editions and several translations.
He would spend hours examining its intricate details and wondering about the stories it could tell. One day, as James was admiring the watch, he decided to test its magical powers. He set the time on the watch to a year in the past and put it on his wrist.
Brujería: Getting Witchy in Latin America
Those who have visited already know that Latin America is filled with excitement, adventure, and even magic.
The term brujería has come into public consciousness in the past few years. Beyond cool looking social media posts , the practice has a long and extensive history. In fact, brujería is a bit of a catch-all word. Literally translated to “witchcraft,” the word also refers to multiple spiritual practices historically employed by Caribbean, African, and indigenous Latin Americans. Generally speaking, brujería includes honoring the planet earth (through goddesses such as Oshun and Elegua), cleansing, ancestor worship, and lighting candles. Sometimes, wearing specific clothes, singing or chanting, and preparing sacred offerings are part of practices as well.
Yoruba, for instance, is a thousands-year old religion hailing from West Africa. It blended with indigenous practices and Roman Catholicism to form Santeria (also called Lucimi). An Afro-Cuban religion that emerged in Latin America during the 15th and 16th Century in response to Spanish colonization, the religion lives on to this day. It is a complex folk religion with an entire pantheon of Orishas— manifestations of Oludumare, or God. Most of these deities were borrowed from Yoruba, and some of them have alter egos among the Catholic saints. They are often exclusively communicated with through collaboration with trained, initiated followers. Santería favors ritual correctness over personal belief, so if you want to try your hand at accessing some of the religion’s power, make sure you find a trustworthy santero.
A Santería Celebration in Cuba
While Santería is the result of colonization, Spanish colonizers didn’t come to the Americas in the name of religious syncretism. In fact, they even brought the Inquisition, their brutal and forceful campaign for religious uniformity, with them to the New World. Compared to what they were like on the Iberian Peninsula, 16th Century Colonial witch hunts were even worse, with stake burning and extreme violence towards indigenous people being common.
Spain’s Inquisition failed in its home territory, and it didn’t go well in the Americas, either. Unfortunately, just because religious policing failed doesn’t mean that people didn’t get hurt. Women suffered the most from violent religious extremism in the name of colonization, as they mingled in markets and often shared homemade remedies that traversed taboo racial boundaries as well as the boundaries of science and religion.
One of these remedies, known for its vitality-promoting properties, was chocolate . The drink has been cultivated in the Americas for at least the past 3,000 years. It originated as a status symbol, and was served to royals, diplomats, and at weddings. Its caffeine content, flavor profile, and power it held in indigenous communities scared Spanish colonizers from the get-go.
Vocabulary for Your Next Séance
- Hechizo - spell
- Caldera - cauldron
- Varita mágica
- Séance - sesíon espiritista
- Magía - magic
Spanish colonizers immediately prohibited many Aztec health plants like psychedelic mushrooms, but kept chocolate around, even adopting the beverage for themselves (probably because they realized that it was delicious). It eventually became a mass-market phenomenon, with people drinking it every day as opposed to reserving it for special occasions. Chocolate’s popularity became a symbol swept up in the developing patchwork Latin American culture, which was a melting pot of indigenous, African, and Spanish cultures.
Chocolate cooks prepared the beverage by first creating a paste made out of ground cacao, vanilla, and annatto, along with other spices, storing it in blocks to be used later. When someone wanted a cup of chocolate, they would whip the paste with hot water until foamy. To indigenous Mesoamericans, chocolate represented vitality. Men and women alike drank it for strength and power. Women most often prepared the chocolate, and men constantly said that they were being bewitched through the inky beverage, bringing their suspicions to the table at every meal (but never considering that they could cook for themselves to avoid sneaky spells).
Independent, single women who were economically active were easy pickings for witch hunters, since few people could seem to wrap their heads around the possibility that a woman could make her own living. They used potions to slip through the very low glass ceilings of wiferey, motherhood, and sexual submission. Women made good money with their witchcraft, and the entire practice subverted men’s long-assumed intellectual and economic power over them. These feelings were tenfold in Latin America, where Spanish colonizer’s guidebooks could not match Indigenous women’s knowledge of their native continent. Unfortunately, this made indigenous women big targets for the inquisition.
Magical hot chocolate sat at the intersection of witchcraft and colonial strife. To European colonizers, the drink represented dissent, with racial, religious, and gender conflicts sitting at the bottom of each cup of cocoa. Once tried and found guilty of witchcraft, women most often went to prison.
In 1973, the first hardcover edition of Santeria: African Magic in Latin America by cultural anthropologist Migene Gonzalez-Wippler was first published by Julian Press. It became an immediate best seller and is still considered by many experts one of the most popular books on Santeria, having gone through four editions and several translations. Now this beloved classic, written by one of the foremost scholars on the Afro-Cuban religion, has returned in a fifth edition. This time the text has been carefully edited and corrected to incorporate vital new material. The beliefs, the practices, the legends of Santeria are brilliantly brought to life in this exciting and critically acclaimed best seller. If you have ever wondered what Santeria is, if you are curious about the rituals and practices of this mysterious religion, and want to delve in its deepest secrets, read Santeria: African Magic in Latin America. It will answer all the questions and much more.
To his amazement, he found himself transported to a bustling city in the 1950s. He could hardly believe his eyes. The sights, sounds, and fashion of the era were all around him. James wandered through the city, taking in the beauty and charm of a bygone time. He visited old shops, listened to the music of the era, and met people who seemed all too familiar yet belonged to a different generation. As James spent more time in this different era, he realized that he was seeing history come alive. He witnessed important events and met historical figures who shaped the world. It was an experience he would never forget. However, James soon realized that he couldn't stay forever in the past. He had responsibilities in the present and loved ones who depended on him. Reluctantly, he returned to his own time and took off the watch, knowing that it would always hold a special place in his heart. From that day forward, James continued to wear the watch as a reminder of the journey he had taken. It became a symbol of the connection between the past, present, and future. Whenever he wanted to escape the pressures of modern life, he would simply look at the watch and transport himself to a different time, if only in his mind. The old watch became a source of inspiration for James, reminding him of the importance of embracing the past and learning from it. It taught him that every moment is precious and that the memories we create are what truly matter in the end. And so, the old watch continued to be passed down through generations, carrying with it the magic and lessons of the past. It served as a reminder of the power of imagination, the beauty of history, and the importance of cherishing the moments we have in our own time..
Reviews for "Finding Treasure: The Thrill of Discovering Vintage Watches"
- Alice - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "The Old Witch". The story was slow-paced and lacked depth, and the characters were one-dimensional and uninteresting. I also found the writing style to be dull and predictable. Overall, I didn't feel engaged or invested in the story, and I struggled to keep my interest throughout.
- Mark - 1 star - I couldn't get into "The Old Witch" at all. The plot was confusing and disjointed, and it felt like the story never really went anywhere. The dialogue was also awkward and unrealistic, making it difficult to connect with the characters. I was expecting a spooky and thrilling read, but instead, I was left feeling bored and unsatisfied.
- Sarah - 2 stars - I was expecting a gripping and eerie tale when I picked up "The Old Witch", but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The pacing was slow, and the story lacked suspense and tension. Additionally, I found the characters to be underdeveloped, which made it hard for me to care about their fates. Overall, I found the book to be underwhelming and would not recommend it to others who are looking for a captivating witch story.
- Robert - 1 star - "The Old Witch" was a major letdown for me. The writing was overly descriptive to the point of being excessive and distracting. The plot was convoluted, and the ending felt rushed and unsatisfying. I had high hopes for this book, but it really missed the mark for me. I would not recommend it to anyone in search of a compelling witch story.