Brujas are people, particularly women, who have defied the odds of their times. The witch archetype was birthed as a response to female liberation struggles. The infant stages of capitalism (11th-15th century) saw the rise of a new form of global power. Church and state were at odds for people’s souls and their bodies as sources of cheap labor. Anyone who existed outside imposed boundaries of “acceptability” and “respectability” were considered threats.

For women rebels, this meant she was accused of being a witch. But witches are not evil. They are dangerous, but dangerous because they cannot be controlled in a way that is profitable.

As women of color, the intersection of racism into this phenomena further adds fuel to the fire (no pun intended). Under capitalist patriarchy, people of color, women, working class peoples, queer folks do not fit into what Audre Lorde refers to as “the mythical norm”.Our collective reclamation of this powerful archetype is thus our way of dismantling systems of oppression that have caused harm to many.

Not in the traditional sense (tarot, divination using cowrie shells or cola nut meat). But, when working with a collective or individual, we tap into our extra sensory perception (intuition) and share insights that may help at the moment.

Not in the stereotypical sense. We cannot bring back an ex-lover. Nor do we remove or place supposed hexes on people. What we do is teach people the power of the word. We’ve learned that through mantra (sacred chants) and journaling (spell-ing), we can transform our lives.

Lol! Unfortunately, we do not. But as scholars of Gender Studies we learn and teach that the idea of witches riding brooms is rooted in patriarchal folklore. Historically, witches were mostly women who defied the conventions of their time. Not for the sake of being rebels without a cause, but for the sake of sustaining sovereignty over their lives. Unfortunately, a woman’s sexuality is often the first thing that is targeted, as a source of control, when the person is deemed to be “uncontrollable”. Thus, women who defied Christian-based notions of female sexuality (i.e. laying in missionary style) were often accused of being witches. They were said to ride brooms, in the middle of the night, to go suck the souls out of men while having sex. We can all now gather what the broom is an analogy for…:)