biography of, 16–20 catastrophic injury and recovery for, 29–31, 130–31 curanderismo studies for, 35–36, 37 divine gift of healing for, 19, 29, 30, 37, 91 as lawyer, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 28, 33–34, 36–37 mentors for, 1–2, 3, 26–29, 32–33, 34–35 Mesoamerican studies and, 35, 36 calendar/s Calendar Round, 39, 42, 47, 48, 78, 84 Long Count calendar, 46, 47 Maya ceremonies and, 46, 47–48 Mexica ceremonies and, 42–43, pl.1–2 Yucatec Maya ceremonies and, 48, 49, 50 Camargo, Muñoz, 57 cenotes (natural freshwater pools), 112, 119, 156 chacs (skybearers), 60, 70, 80, 117, 119, 159 Chalchuihtlicue (deity), 112, 114 Chamula poem, 141–42 Changó, 102 Chi, Gaspar Antonio, 59 Chilam Balam, 48, 141 Chimalman (deity), 134 Chimalpahin, 57 Chorti legend poem, 60, 61 Cihuacoatl (deity), 41 Clara, Santa, 103 cleansing, 3, 4–5, 22, 28, 35, 120 fire limpias and, 77, 89, 91, 92, 95–97, 102
platicas and, 72, 74, 75, 77 sacred spaces limpias and, 153, 161, 164–65, 172 sweeping limpias and, 133, 139, 143, 144, 146, 148, 150 water limpias and, 112, 114, 115, 116, 117, 120–21, 128–30 cobra breathwork, 76, 94, 143 Cocom, Nachi, 59–60 codices Borbonico (Borbonicus) Codex, 55–56, pl. 10 Borgia Codex, 55, 85, pl. 2, pl. 4 Dresden Codex, 53–54, 88, pl. 6–9, pl. 11 Florentine Codex, 13, 58, 135, 136–37 Grolier Codex, 53 Madrid Codex, 53, 54, 71, 88, 140 Magliabecchiano Codex, pl. 1, pl. 3, pl. 5 Paris Codex, 53 Tovar (Ramírez) Codex, 57 curanderas/os, 5, 6 divine gift of healing for, 19, 29, 30, 37, 91 fire limpias and, 91–92, 173–74 platicas and, 71–72, 172–73 sacred spaces limpias and, 174–75 sweeping limpias and, 142–43, 174 water limpias and, 120, 174 curanderismo, 6 roots of, 4, 12–14, 172, 175 scholarship on, 35–36, 37 shamanic practice of, 2–3 specialties in, 6–11 deities chacs (skybearers), 60, 70, 80, 117, 119, 159
Chalchuihtlicue, 112, 114 Chimalman, 134 Cihuacoatl, 41 Ehecatl (Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl), 43, 76, 86, 134, pl. 10 fire limpias and, 86, 87, 88, 89, 102, 107, 109 GI, 89, 90 Huitzilopochtli, 134 Itzamna, 47, 89, pl. 11 Ix Chel, 47 Ometeotl, 41, 65 Quetzalcoatl, 43, 46, 76, 86, 134–35, 142–43 shamans and, 41, 43–44, 51 sweeping limpias and, 134, 135, 136, 138, 140, 145, pl. 10, pl. 11 Teteo innan (Toci, “mother of the gods”), 41, 134, 136, 137–38 Tezcatlipoca, 65, 66, 67, 87, 155 Tlaloc, 40 Tlazolteotl, 65, 67–68, 134 tonalli (sacred essence energy) and, 154, 157 Tonatiuh, 154 Tzitzimimeh, 85 water limpias and, 112, 114, 115, 119, 124 Xiuhtecuhtli, 86, 87 Xochiquetzal, 41, 114 de Landa, Diego, 47, 56–57, 59–61, 69, 139–40 Divina Providencia (Divine Providence), 103 divine assistance Angel de la Guarda (Guardian Angel), 102 Archangel Michael, 30–31, 102, 109 Archangel Raphael, 102 Buddha, 19, 102 Changó, 102 Divina Providencia (Divine Providence), 103
Kwan Yin, 102 Lucky Buddha, 102 Mano Poderosa, 103 Our Lady of Grace, 103 Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Sacred Heart of Jesus), 102 San Antonio (St. Anthony), 103 San Juan Soldado, 102 San Judas de Tadeo (St. Jude Thaddeus), 102 San Ramon, 103 Santa Clara, 103 St. Lazarus, 103 Virgen de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe), 102 Yemaya, 103 diviner/shaman/soothsayer (tetonalmacani), 14, 44, 113, 114 Dresden Codex, 53–54, 88, pl. 6–9, pl. 11 Durán, Diego, 56, 58–59, 134, 136, 137 Ehecatl (Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl) (deity), 43, 76, 86, 134, pl. 10 Eliseo, Tat, 90–91 El Morya, 31 fire limpias, 83–84 bad luck and, 92, 97–99, 103 baño (spiritual bath) and, 108 breathwork and, 76, 94 cleansing and, 77, 89, 91, 92, 95–97, 102 client’s stories and, 95, 97–99, 108–9 divine help and, 102–3 drilling fire and, 54, 85, 86, 87, 88, 175 Florida water limpia and, 94 healing and, 83, 94, 95–96, 100, 102, 116
Mexica, 84–88, pl. 4–5 modern curandera and, 91–92, 173–74 New Fire Ceremony and, 74, 81, 84, 85–86, 88–89, 91, 92–93, 97, 109–10, 138 New-Year Fire Ceremony and, 88, 109–10 performance of, 92–97 purification and, 88, 104 puro cleansing and, 77, 95–97 sahumerios and, 110, 163–64 self-practitioners of, 100–104, 105, 106, 106–9, 151–52 shamans and, 84, 85, 86, 89, 90–91 Stripe Eye and, 85–86 velaciónes (candle work) and, 35, 100–104, 105, 106, 106–9 white fire limpia and, 73–74, 77, 93–95, 101, 164 Xiuhmolpilli (“binding of the years”) and, 84, 85, 86, 138 Yucatec Maya, 88–91, pl. 6–7 Florentine Codex, 13, 58, 135, 136–37 Foster, George M., 12–13 GI (deity), 89, 90 Grolier Codex, 53 Guardian Angel (Angel de la Guarda), 102 Hamann, Byron Ellsworth, 84 healing, 2, 3–4, 6, 14, 31, 51 Archangel Raphael for, 102 divine gift of, 19, 29, 30, 37, 91 fire limpias and, 83, 94, 95–96, 100, 102, 116 platicas and, 64, 72, 78, 81 sacred spaces limpias and, 153, 169 sweeping limpias and, 134, 140, 144, 145, 146, 148
water limpias and, 131 Hernández, Francisco, 13 Hippocrates, 12–13 Historia de los Mexicanos por sus pinturas [History of the Mexicans as Told by Their Paintings] (Garibay), 87 Huehuetlatolli (Testimonies of the ancient word), 135 Huitzilopochtli (deity), 134 insomnia, 2, 73, 77, 97, 166–67, 174 Itzamna (deity), 47, 89, pl. 11 Ix Chel (deity), 47 Ixtlilxóchitl, Fernando de Alva Cortés, 57 Juan Soldado, San, 102 Judas de Tadeo, San (St. Jude Thaddeus), 102 Krishna, 31, 102 Kwan Yin, 102 Lazarus, St., 103 limpias, 2–4. See also names of specific limpias Long Count calendar, 46, 47 López-Austin, Alfredo, 13 Lucky Buddha, 102 Madrid Codex, 53, 54, 71, 88, 140 Magliabecchiano Codex, pl. 1, pl. 3, pl. 5 maldades (negative energies), 27, 90, 102, 129 Mano Poderosa, 103 Maya calendrical system and ceremonies, 46, 47–48
Mayan language, 34, 46, 158 religious beliefs of, 46–47 water limpias and, 119 Mendiata, Gerónimo de, 56 Mesoamerica, 2 Mexica, 3, 38–39, 40, 41, 44–45 calendrical system and ceremonies, 42–43, pl. 1–2 fire limpias and, 84–88, pl. 4–5 platicas and, 65–68, 71–72, 80–81, pl. 3 religious beliefs and, 41–42 sacred spaces limpias and, 153–55, 155 shaman and, 4–5 shamanic practices and, 5, 43–44 sweeping limpias and, 133–38, pl. 10 water limpias and, 112–17, pl. 5 Michael, Archangel, 30–31, 102, 109 midwife (tlamatqui), 44, 112, 113, 114, 116 midwives (parteras/os), 7–9 Molina, Alonso de, 56 Nahua, 3, 39–40 nahual, 86 natural freshwater pools (cenotes), 112, 119, 156 negative energies (maldades), 27, 90, 102, 129 Olmos, Andrés de, 56, 57–58 Ometeotl deity, 41, 65 Ortiz de Montellano, Bernardo R., 13 Our Lady of Grace, 103 Our Lady of Guadalupe (Virgen de Guadalupe), 102
Palma, Diego, 37 Paris Codex, 53 parteras/os (midwives), 7–9 platicas, 64–65 baño (spiritual bath) and, 77, 128–30 breathwork and, 76 cleansing and, 72, 74, 75, 77 client’s stories and, 74–75, 78–80, 81, 172 egg limpia and, 76–77, 147 Florida water limpia and, 74, 75 healing and, 64, 72, 78, 81 Mexica, 65–68, 71–72, 80–81, pl. 3 modern curandera and, 71–72, 172–73 New Fire Ceremony and, 74, 81, 92 purification and, 64, 65, 67, 68–69, 70 puro cleansing and, 77, 95–97 rebirth and, 64, 65, 69–70, 84, 89 self-practitioners of, 81–82 shamans and, 66, 67, 69, 80–81 tonalli (sacred essence energy) and, 80 white fire limpia and, 73–74, 77, 164 Yucatec Maya, 68–70, 71, 80–81 Pomar, Juan Bautista, 57 Popol Vuh, 60, 61, 70, 119–20, 140–41 postcontact ethnohistorical records, 52, 56–61 Chorti legend poem, 60, 61 Florentine Codex, 13, 58, 135, 136–37 Magliabecchiano Codex, pl. 1, pl. 3, pl. 5 Popol Vuh, 60, 61, 70, 119–20, 140–41 Ritual of the Bacabs, 60, 70, 159
Tovar (Ramírez) Codex, 57 precontact sources, 52–56 Borbonico (Borbonicus) Codex, 55–56, pl. 10 Borgia Codex, 55, 85, pl. 2, pl. 4 Dresden Codex, 53–54, 88, pl. 6–9, pl. 11 Grolier Codex, 53 Madrid Codex, 53, 54, 71, 88, 140 Paris Codex, 53 purification, 3–5, 14, 51 fire limpias and, 88, 104 platicas and, 64, 65, 67, 68–69, 70 sacred spaces limpias and, 153, 158, 159, 169 sweeping limpias and, 133, 134, 136, 137, 138, 140, 141, 146 water limpias and, 111, 112, 114–15, 116–17 Quetzalcoatl deity, 43, 46, 76, 86, 134–35, 142–43 Ramírez (Tovar) Codex, 57 Ramon, San, 103 Raphael, Archangel, 102 rebirth, 3–5, 14, 43, 51 platicas and, 64, 65, 69–70, 84, 89 sacred spaces limpias and, 156, 158, 168 sweeping limpias and, 139–40, 142, 143, 145 water limpias and, 111, 116, 117, 118, 119, 122, 124 revitalization, 3, 14, 51, 145 Ritual of the Bacabs, 60, 70, 159 sacred essence energy (tonalli), 13–14, 43, 44, 80, 113, 114, 154, 157, 175 Sacred Heart of Jesus (Sagrado Corazón de Jesús), 102 sacred spaces limpias, 153
birth and, 156 cleansing and, 153, 161, 164–65, 172 client’s stories and, 166–67 closing space limpias and, 165–66 creation/activation/vivification of sacred space and, 167–68, 169, 170, 171, 171 Florida water limpia and, 160 healing and, 153, 169 house and space limpias and, 161–66 Mexica, 153–55, 155 modern curandera and, 174–75 plants for cleansing and, 165 purification and, 153, 158, 159, 169 rebirth and, 156, 158, 168 sacred offerings and, 169, 169, 170, 171, 171 sahumerios and, 110, 163–64 tools and, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171 water-crystal cleansing and, 164–65 white fire limpia and, 164 Yucatec Maya, 156–59 safe travels, 102 Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Sacred Heart of Jesus), 102 Sahagún, Bernardino de, 13, 44, 56, 57–58, 59, 136, 137 Schellhas, Paul, 47 shamanic practices, 2–3, 4, 5, 43–44, 51 shamans, 4–5, 43, 44, 51 fire limpias and, 84, 85, 86, 89, 90–91 mentors and, 1–2, 7, 20 Mesoamerican, 3, 5, 36 platicas and, 66, 67, 69, 80–81
precontact sources and, 54 sweeping limpias and, 133, 136, 142 water limpias and, 114–15, 116, 117, 118 skybearers (chacs), 60, 70, 80, 117, 119, 159 sobaderas/os, 6–7 soothsayer/diviner/shaman (tetonalmacani), 14, 44, 113, 114 spiritual bath (baño), 77, 108, 128–30 Stripe Eye, 85–86 sweeping limpias, 132 barrida limpia and, 143–47, 151, 152 birth and, 135, 147, 150 breathwork and, 76, 143 charged or blessed water and, 144, 147, 148, 149 cleansing and, 133, 139, 143, 144, 146, 148, 150 client’s stories and, 142, 150–51 egg limpia and, 76–77, 132, 147–50, 151, 152 feathers limpia and, 75, 146–47 flower sweep and, 145–46 healing and, 134, 140, 144, 145, 146, 148 herbs and, 143–45 Mexica, 133–38, pl. 10 modern curandera and, 142–43, 174 purification and, 133, 134, 136, 137, 138, 140, 141, 146 rebirth and, 139–40, 142, 143, 145 self-practitioners of, 151–52 shamans and, 133, 136, 142 Xiuhmolpilli (“binding of the years”) and, 138 Yucatec Maya, 138–42, pl. 11 Taube, Karl, 36, 145 Testimonies of the ancient word (Huehuetlatolli), 135
Teteo innan (Toci, “mother of the gods”), 41, 134, 136, 137–38 tetonalmacani (diviner/shaman/ soothsayer), 14, 44, 113, 114 Tezcatlipoca deity, 65, 66, 67, 87, 155 Tezozomoc, Alvarado, 57 Tlaloc (deity), 40 tlamatqui (midwife), 44, 112, 113, 114, 116 Tlazolteotl (deity), 65, 67–68, 134 Toci (Teteo innan, “mother of the gods”), 41, 134, 136, 137–38 tonalli (sacred essence energy), 13–14, 43, 44, 80, 113, 114, 154, 157, 175 Tonatiuh (deity), 154 Torquemada, Juan de, 56, 133 Tovar, Juan de, 57 Tovar (Ramírez) Codex, 57 Tzitzimimeh (deities), 85 Virgen de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe), 102 water limpias, 111–12 baño (spiritual bath) and, 77, 128–30 birth and, 111, 112, 116–17 blessed water and, 118, 120–22, 123, 125, 144, 147, 148, 149 catastrophic injury and recovery with, 130–31 cenotes (natural freshwater pools) and, 112, 119 charged water and, 120–22, 123, 125, 144, 147, 148, 149, 166 cleansing and, 112, 114, 115, 116, 117, 120–21, 128–30 client’s stories and, 130–31 Florida water limpia and, 74, 75, 94, 118, 122, 160 graceful life transitions and, 122–24 healing and, 131 Mexica, 112–17
modern curandera and, 120, 174 purification and, 111, 112, 114–15, 116–17 rebirth and, 111, 116, 117, 118, 119, 122, 124, 145 shamans and, 114–15, 116, 117, 118 temāzcal[li] (sweat bath) rites and, 8–9, 28, 111, 116–17, 118–19, 129–30 tlamatqui (midwife) and, 112, 113, 114, 116 tonalli (sacred essence energy) and, 113, 114 water limpia petition and, 124–25, 126, 127, 127–28 Yucatec Maya, 117–20, pl. 8–9 Xiuhmolpilli (“binding of the years”), 84, 85, 86, 138 Xiuhtecuhtli (deity), 86, 87 Xochiquetzal (deity), 41, 114 Yemaya, 103 yerberas/os, 9–11 Yucatec Maya, 3, 38–39, 45 calendrical system and ceremonies, 48, 49, 50 fire limpias and, 88–91, pl. 6–7 platicas and, 68–70, 71, 80–81 sacred spaces limpias and, 156–59 shamanic practices and, 5, 51 shamans and, 4–5, 48, 50–51 sweeping limpias and, 138–42, pl. 11 water limpias and, 117–20, pl. 8–9 Yucatec Mayan language, 24, 34, 45, 91, 140, 141, 147
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