Living in Peru : your everyday companion

by Cristina Espejo

“When I was young I was struck by lighting” Antonio Aragón told me. I stared at him incredulously, and asked how he could have survived, to which he simply replied “Why question such an amazing gift?”

Antonio is what is commonly known as a curandero, a traditional witch doctor who people all over Peru, but mostly in the Andes, go to in search of cures for their illnesses, as well as their personal problems. Curanderos channel the energy of the “apus,” the spirits of the mountains, and elements of nature, such as the “pachamama,” mother earth, to heal. This sometimes means using herbs, mostly in the case of physical ailments, while curing other diseases, such as “viento” (wind) or “susto” (scare) is not as simple. Some curanderos also have the ability to communicate with “el mundo superior” (the world above), and for the young, curanderos are the best way to solve their love troubles.

Antonio explained to me that there are three types of curanderos. The first, “de juramento” (sworn curanderos), are those who have had a relative who was a curandero, or those who have had a close experience with the profession, in which case they can develop what they have learned to become curanderos themselves. However, these cannot reach high hierarchies. The second type are “de aprendizaje” (learned curanderos), who are taken as apprentices by experienced curanderos and are taught certain skills. These usually read coca leaves, and perform other rituals such as “pasar cuy” and “pasar huevo,” where the guinea pig, or egg, is gently rubbed over the person’s body in order to remove negative energy. The guinea pig is then killed, or the egg cracked open, to see what illness the person was suffering from. There are many of these all over Peru, and while some practice their trade well, others don’t. For their healing to work, a curandero must work on three different levels: physical, emotional and spiritual. If they are perfectly combined, everything works well. However, even those who achieve this balance still do not have the curandero’s gift. Finally, “de ascendencia” (ascendancy curanderos), are those who come from a lineage of curanderos, and are generally those who are struck by lightning. This event is said give people a special kind of intuition that allows them to sense and diagnose a person’s troubles and illnesses, as well as personality traits and whether the person is to be trusted or not. In Antonio’s case, his grandparents and uncles had been curanderos, and he began training with one of these uncles even before he was struck by lightning.

However, the life of a curandero is not easy, it requires many sacrifices. The amount of time Antonio's job demands makes it impossible for him to think of getting married or raising a family. Every day, people are lined up outside his house, young and old, rich and poor, waiting for his advise and cures. In many senses, he wishes his destiny had been different. But is his job gratifying? Definitely. Just a few months ago, Antonio was cured from cancer. During the months he spent at the hospital, there wasn't a single day that he didn't receive visitors, many of whom brought food, gifts, or simply kept him company. “That feeling of gratitude made me very happy,” Antonio told me, “I know that I am loved by my people.”

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1 Comments

# Indigo says :
29 July, 2009 [ 02:23 ]

Not so comfortable with the term "witch doctor" which has very negative connotations and I'm aware that *real* Curanderos are very skilled healers.

For someone in the know, a question:  what is the difference between a Curandero and a Shaman or, as some are known, an Amauta?

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