#this also isn't even going into romani=/=POC necessarily

[southernmermaidsgrotto]

hello, i’m a mixed latina and i’m trying to learn about other spiritual practices other than what i’ve grown up with. specifically i have been drawn to brujería, but i know that it is a closed practice. even taking the fact that i am mixed out the equation, i don’t know any relatives that partake in (or at least consciously) such practices and i don’t want to get into something i know i can’t do. how can i be sure i’m going down the right path?

thank you so much <3

Hello hon!

Right off the bat, what stood out to me is how you're saying "I know that it [Brujería] is a closed practice". Let's take a few steps back and analyze that. You should also read this other post to get a better understanding of the term and how it's used beforehand.

So, is Brujería open or closed?

I say, which lineage? and who’s asking?

I think there’s a common misconception at play. Brujería isn't one single practice or tradition or lineage. Brujería is an umbrella term for many different cultural practices of latine people. It's a Cultural practice. It's not a monolith just as the cultures in latin america are not a monolith, and even within the same country, there's great diversity. You can be a black bruja, an asian bruja, or a mixed bruja, and more. Because being latine has to do with your family history and culture, your practice of brujería has to do with your family history and your ethnicity and I wouldn't say it's necessarily closed. Not all of it is, as white latinos exist and certain traditions (euro-american practices) are their own thing, and those are mostly open. I've only ever heard of a few white latine families who have initiatory practices, particularly for those of italian heritage it's common, and even if that’s the case, it's not that difficult to reach out to an elder and ask them to learn if you are indeed part of that ethnic community. 

Romani latines are another group that tends to have closed practices, but it depends on each vitsa and each family. Some share more, some less. Some will invite you on certain things and not others, some don’t like outsiders messing with their stuff at all. Black latines with ATRs, and the afrobrujería practices that tend to come with them, all have different religions, lineages, history, all with different customs, but tend to agree on our traditions being ancestral and thus, closed to black people. I say black people and not afrolatines because there’s a lot of cultural sharing and exchange within the african diaspora because of that shared experience with colonialism, slavery and all that followed, so you may find black USamericans in santería even if they’re not latine, they’re still invited into our ATRs because of that familiarity.

So a practice being closed has less to do with it being brujería (and being latine) and more to do with the systemic oppression particular groups experience in latin america and the rest of the world.

Then there’s a certain level of cultural exchange between different communities of POC in each country in latin america, and then between the same community across countries because of shared history, migration and familiarity, and even different communities of different countries. Then there’s the practices that have a shared origin and branched out, and so there’s similar things all over since the beginning. It’s not as clear cut as you’d think. Latin america is a big, big diverse continent with very resourceful peoples. That doesn’t mean there’s no boundaries. There are. Just not as simple as the “open-closed” dynamic I see people spreading online.

It really depends more on each lineage, their culture and history, and how they relate to you. What’s open or closed is relative to the person asking. The current trend of treating brujería as a monolith and regarding all brujería traditions as closed is a wild oversimplification that does more harm than good, because it keeps white latines separated from their own heritage (which is exactly what white supremacy wants, to create a false sense of white neutrality and superiority) and gives white people, in this case, white latines, this sense of "if I'm tresspassing anyways why wouldn't I appropriate black/indigenous practices aswell" and that's just wrong. We all have roots, therefore we all have our own lanes.

Which takes me to your question, how can you know if you're on the right path? It’s alright to not know everything at first, but you have to learn, and that means asking questions and doing research. Talk to your family and ancestors, and find reputable elders in your community. Ask your ancestors to make their presence known in your life, to come to you in dreams, research your origins, talk to your living relatives, ask about grandparents, great grandparents, make a family tree. I doubt none of them know where your family came from, if it's immigration from europe, the transatlantic slave trade, or indigenous roots, or migration (or even forced displacement) from other parts of the world, or a mix of two or more of these things on different sides. Once you know where your blood comes from, you'll have a starting point of where to look for your gifts. And your ancestors will lead the way. And as soon as you can, contact a respected community Elder and learn directly from them. Even if no one in your family is, for example, a strega, but you’re italian-american, you’re part of that community, you can still contact an elder and they’ll be the ones to decide (based on context, history, tradition’s principles, signs, omens, etc) if you’re meant to learn from them, or someone else, or learn at all. You have to go through that vetting process.

You can start by setting up a simple ancestral altar with just a glass of water and a candle. Light the candle, offer the water to them, offer the light of the candle to them, pray in whichever way you feel is best and ask for their guidance. While doing the work, asking and talking and researching, you’ll slowly feel their hands leading yours, you’ll start to feel their presence more strongly, which also makes you stronger, and you’ll slowly learn their names, their likes and dislikes, what they have to teach you, and you’ll find your way.

I promise you, when you learn about yourself, and your people, and find your true home, it will feel like home. As long as you’re willing to put in the work, and are honest to yourself and others, you’ll be fine. Use critical thinking, ask for guidance from Elders, ask for help when in doubt, and just trust the process!

[sour-teeth]

I’m pretty sure most fans who are super gung-ho about “Dick Grayson is Romani and POC and you are Racist if you disagree” have never actually read the source material for it (Nightwing 96) because it is VERY bad. Like, irredeemably bad in terms of stereotyping and racism. 

When BoP came out, SO MANY people were defending Cassandra Cain’s disability getting erased because “her character is racist!!!!1!” but no one mentions how Dick being Romani is racist. And honestly, Dick getting characterized as Romani is WAY worse because:

1. Cass has always been Asian and Dick being Romani was retconned literal decades after his character had been established.

2. Cass started out as a racist trope, but if you pick up (almost) any issue of Batgirl 2000 you’ll see that she was developed well beyond that. Dick was made Romani in a way that was racist, and idk if anything productive/progressive/even interesting has come about from him being Romani.

3. Kelley Puckett (one of Cass’ creators) said in an interview that he made Cass half Asian because he has a half Asian daughter and he wanted her to see herself in a character. That’s at least SOMETHING, because Devin Grayson probably went “let’s make Dick Romani because… racism.”

(Also, just so we're clear, Cass having a disability is not inherently racist, but saying that it IS is ableist.)

And I get that not everyone in fandom reads comics - which is fine - but it really sucks to see fans care way more about a male character who was white for most of his existence (and whose characterization as a POC is VERY racist (AND who is still functionally white)) than about a female character who has ALWAYS been POC (who also gets ripped to shreds when her CANONICAL DISABILITY gets erased).

Like, with regards to "Dick Grayson is Romani" I’m willing to cut some slack to fans who are younger and/or POC, but damn if that still doesn’t leave a bad taste in my mouth.