09/26/2022
Tarot reader Ruelas (Cosmopolitan Love Potions) delivers a generous guide to brujeria, the “practice of natural, psychic, astral, and spiritual magic.” She covers the basics and outlines how to divine life advice from tarot cards, to cast spells, and to use crystals to influence one’s “energies.” The extensive compendium of spells promises ways to find reprieve from grief, boost favored electoral outcomes, and mend broken relationships; for example, a spell for supporting those undergoing medical procedures involves rolling candles in herbs and then lighting them while reciting an incantation. Explaining how to build an altar, she posits that it should be four feet wide, cleaned frequently, and adorned with colorful cloths, crystals, and a tarot deck. She details several methods for working with crystals, suggesting that readers dangle a “crystal pendulum” over someone to “move energy on the person,” or ask questions of crystals arranged in a semicircle for insight into the future. To connect with the spirit Santa Muerte (whom the author describes as nongendered and possessing a “woman’s energy”), one should “honor her/them with deep contemplation two to three times a week as well as perform mini rituals and offerings.” Ruelas’s simple instructions and the thorough glossary explicating key terms and concepts make for a rich primer. Witches will find a lot to love. (Nov.)
