Brujas: The Magic and Power of Witches of Color

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Description

Witchcraft has made a comeback in popular culture, especially among feminists, and there is a new kind of witch emerging in our cultural consciousness: the bruja.Brujas chronicles the magical lives of these practitioners as they extend their personal rituals to larger self-care and activist movements and use their services to empower young people of color. The bruja represents the new witch of the United States, a practitioner who melds ancient tradition with new technologies and mirrors the diversity and activist spirit of todays youth. Brujas reminds us that witchcraft is more than a trendits a movement.

Brujas follows this movement from its historical practices to its current manifestations. Through profiles of bruja practitioners who make their living offering magical products and services, author Monteagut examines the conflicts that have arisen as spiritual traditions are appropriated and commodified. Brujas also delves into the historical practices from which brujas borrow to provide readers with information and resources to begin their own spiritual practices and businesses. Above all, the bruja movement is about empowering people to find the healing magic in their own lives and to imagine a happier and healthier world.

Reviews

"A love letter to the ancestors, matriarchs past and present, and the new generation looking to connect." -- Booklist
"Captivating, inspiring, and filled with tangible magick, Brujas offers a much-needed perspective that showcases the beautiful diversity of what it means to live a mystical life. Lorraine expertly weaves tantalizing narratives infused with love and hope, while guiding readers on a journey through often ignored histories, all while helping them establish a magickal practice that honors their own lineages and ancestors. A must-read for any witch." --Gabriela Herstik, author of Inner Witch, Bewitching the Elements, and Embody Your Magick
"Important, informative, beautifully written, well researched, fun to read, practical, and mesmerizing--Brujas will leave you spellbound. Highly recommend." --Amanda Yates Garcia, author of Initiated: Memoir of a Witch
"Brujas explores the liminal spaces between worlds: between the seen and the unseen, between identities and roles, between borders. Through her own family's immigration from Cuba and the narratives of witches of color, Monteagut shines a light on the violent past and present for those who live in the in-between state. Blending memoir, narrative, history, and guidance, Brujas will inspire your personal magical journey and your spiritual activism. Brujas is an act of reparation: Monteagut restores our connection to our ancestors, the land, ourselves, and to one another. Whether you're new to magical work or a long-time witch, Brujas is an absolute must read. It will open your heart and deepen your practice." --Melissa Carroll, editor of Going Om

"Brujas is a book much needed in the magical canon. It weaves together memoir, practice, and many fascinating voices of the incredible brujas working today. Every witch, bruja, activist, and academic interested in reconnection with the self and creating the next world needs to read this book." --Sarah Faith Gottesdiener, author of The Moon Book
"A necessary book that explores how brujas, no longer maligned, are in the midst of a huge comeback. The author explores their roots while recognizing the importance of their traditions and the cultural significance of witchcraft." --Boston Globe
"More of this please! Brujas, Witches of Color are ancestral magical beings and the world we live in has tried to silence our voices. There is a rise happening, a roar thundering through our veins and the world will hear our voices louder than they can ever imagine. This book is such a beautiful tribute to the different stories and experiences we go through as brujas. Lorraine is one of the most beautiful souls I've ever met and her passion to bridge us together is apparent in this must-have book! Amplify the voice of Witches of Color by reading their stories." --Juliet Diaz, author of Witchery and Plant Witchery
"This is a spellbinding book--a magical, elegant study of the powerful and fierce movement that challenges capitalism's encroachment on spirituality, human rights, and the environment." --Ben Montgomery, author of A Shot in the Moonlight: How a Freed Slave and Confederate Soldier Fought for Justice in the Jim Crow South
"This is an essential read for our community! This book approaches brujeria in such an inclusive and healing way." --Valeria Ruelas, The Mexican Witch, author of Cosmpolitan Love Potions

Author Bio

Lorraine Monteagut is a Cuban-Colombian writer born in Miami, Florida. She holds a PhD in communication from the University of South Florida, where she began her research on bruja feminism and the reclamation of ancestral healing traditions. Inspired to the spiritual life by her great grandmother, who was an espiritista in Cuba, she facilitates astrology workshops and moon circles in her local community in Tampa, Florida. She loves hiking, gardening, and backyard beekeeping.