Voices from the Ancestors: Xicanx and Latinx Spiritual Expressions and Healing Practices PDF
Preview Voices from the Ancestors: Xicanx and Latinx Spiritual Expressions and Healing Practices
VOICES FROM THE ANCESTORS VOICES FROM THE ANCESTORS Xicanx and Latinx Spiritual Expressions and Healing Practices EDITED BY LARA MEDINA AND MARTHA R. GONZALES The University of Arizona Press www .uapress .arizona .edu © 2019 by The Arizona Board of Regents All rights reserved. Published 2019 ISBN-13: 978-0-8165-3956-7 (paper) Cover design by Leigh McDonald Cover art: Fruta Amarga by Emilia García The ornament that appears on the title page and throughout the text is Word In Xochitl, which was designed by Lilia “Liliflor” Ramirez exclusively for Voices from the Ancestors to serve as a guide for oral, written, and visual presentation. Inspired by various Mesoamerican glyphs, it is said that the scroll sig- nifies speech, oral tradition, or song. The scroll represents the wind, the tongue, or the word. In Xochitl, the flower, is the synthesis of nature representing joy and beauty. This visual illustration is a gentle reminder of the importance of oral traditions, a new contemporary scroll signifying documentation and the preservation of our ancestors. Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data are available at the Library of Congress. Printed in the United States of America ♾ This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1 992 (Permanence of Paper). We dedicate this work to all our loved and respected colleagues who have transitioned over into the spirit world since we began this work three years ago. We especially remember Elisa Facio and Luis D. León for their contributions to the study of Latinx spirituality and religious studies. May their spirits soar in peace, love, and light! CONTENTS Acknowledgments xvii Introduction 3 Lara Medina and Martha R. Gonzales 1. MORNING PRAYERS 21 Sunrise Prayer 22 Inés Hernández-Ávila . . . Keeping It Real . . . 28 Gloria Enedina Alvarez Prayer to the Orishas 29 Martha R. Gonzales 2. HONORING THE SACRED DIRECTIONS 31 As the Ceremony Begins . . . 33 Sara H. Salazar Honoring the Sacred Directions 34 Lara Medina VIII CONTENTS 3. CREATING SACRED SPACE 37 The Curandera Prepares for Healing . . . 40 Sara H. Salazar My Home Altar 41 Ofelia Esparza Shrine of Self-Realization 44 Rosanna Esparza Ahrens and Ofelia Esparza Reclaiming Our Mother, Reclaiming Ourselves 47 alba onofrio Creating an Altar for the Healing of Our Younger Self 50 Susy Zepeda Little Altars 53 Martha R. Gonzales Bendiciones de casa (House Blessings): Life and Spirit in Living Spaces 55 Marta López-Garza 4. BLESSINGS FOR BABIES AND YOUNG CHILDREN 59 Life Arrives 63 Gloria Enedina Alvarez A Home Baptism 64 Lara Medina A Little Baby Prayer 66 Patrisia Gonzales, Traditional Baby Catcher The Mujeres Circle 68 Mónica Russel y Rodríguez Planting the Umbilical Cord 71 Jennie Luna 5. CREATING ART AS SPIRITUAL PRACTICE 73 On Creating Art / Flor y canto 76 Yreina D. Cervántez CONTENTS IX Bordar y tejer es medicina 78 Dora Xochitl Lopez-Mata and Maria Eva Mata Aprender bordando: Embroidery as Meditation and Knowledge Making 80 Esther Díaz Martín Luz de luz 83 Gloria Enedina Alvarez The Gift of Art 85 Margaret “Quica” Alarcón Joto Rituals for Healing, Self-Love, and Social Justice 88 Eddy Francisco Alvarez Jr. 6. CREATING ART THROUGH PROSE AND POETRY 91 Mujer Jaguar PRESENTE! 94 Gloria Enedina Alvarez Fuerza ancestral 95 Xánath Caraza Writing Is as Necessary as Air to Me 98 Xánath Caraza Canto Ocelotl / Jaguar Incantations 100 Yreina D. Cervántez On My Relative’s Skin 102 Claudia A. Mercado Latinx Liberation: A Meditation on Writing 104 Lauren Frances Guerra 7. CREATING ART THROUGH DANZA 107 Queering Mi Palabra 110 Luis Salinas Prayer in Motion 113 Issa Linda Arroyo Wearable Prayers: Danza Ceremonial Trajes 117 Patricia Juárez / Chicueyi Coatl
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