If you bring up Curanderismo in a conversation, many people may visualize images of brujería or witchcraft in their minds. Some may even use the terms interchangeably or get them mix up.
Are these two words synonyms or do they mean two different things? Brujería is generally associated with black magic but the word is more complex to define. Some even define it in the context of healing.
In a 1995 essay by Manuel Neira Barragán entitled Popular Medicine and Witchcraft in Nuevo Leon and Coahuila During the 18th and 19th Centuries published by the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon, the author places the curandero and the brujo in a similar category. Both play an important role in Mexican folklore and both can effect supernatural results through their practices.
The author suggests that while curanderos focus on healing work, brujos can also do the same! While it is commonly accepted that brujos work with dark forces (he cites examples of evil spells) he argues that brujos are capable of doing good work.
He states that there are good brujos who undo evil spells and restore health to those who have been affected.
While the work of curanderos and brujos may sound related there are some key distinctions. For example, a curandero will be vetted by the community according to his track record. We will explore more about this topic in another section of the website.
Curandero Project 
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