It was the first Friday of March and I was restless. The winter cold still hung in the air and I wanted something that would shake out the chills from within me. It was then I heard about the Noche de Brujas . It sounded like a delicious snack but, no, it was not...in fact, it translated as Night of the Witches. It sounded exciting enough, so I made further enquiries and found that this festival happens in Catemaco, a city south of the Mexican state of Veracruz and is located on Lake Catemaco.
A magical place
Catemaco is known for its community of brujos which means witches or sorcerers. The history of magical practice here dates back to a time before the Spanish conquest (1521) and may have survived because of its isolation. According to local legend, Lake Catemoco and Mono Blanco Mountain which rises above it, emit a kind of energy.
Witchcraft traditions here are a mix ancient indigenous beliefs, Spanish medieval traditions and voodoo practices from West Africa. In 1970, a witchcraft convention was hosted and since then practice has continued.
So when I flew down, I saw hundreds of shamans, witches and healers from all over Mexico congregating for the conference. They were also setting up to perform a mass cleansing ceremony designed to rid them of the previous year’s negative energies.
The celebrations began at the witching hour on Cerro Mono Blanco, a hill just outside the town. Hundreds of people flooded the town. Each had his or her own agenda, which varied from getting a shamanic consultation, or to eat, drink and be merry or do some shopping or simply walk around and enjoy the sights. There was a stage set up where some dance and song performances were taking place, and all around were stalls — selling amulets, housing shamans, tarot readers and more.
Visitors flocked to have ritual cleansing ( limpias ) or healing or for that extra push to get their business to flourish.
It is amazing to see the number of people who believe in magical practices — waiters, cab drivers, politicians, teachers...just about anyone. In fact, the Veracruz governor Fidel Herrera Beltran, tried to push for a national school of sorcery in Catemaco. But, he was not successful. I found that the event did attract its share of con artists (but which event does not?) as well. They try to take advantage of the people, so you have to be really careful when you choose a shaman.
But all in all, it was a fun experience and though I did not really visit any of the tents or buy any stuff, I enjoyed myself thoroughly. I understand, what people mean when they say “travel enriches your mind and broadens your horizons”!
