The Many Paths of Curanderismo: A Living Tradition of Healing

Curanderismo, the traditional folk healing practice rooted in Indigenous, African, and Spanish traditions, is far more than herbal remedies or spiritual cleansings, it is a living, breathing system of care that reflects the heartbeat of community, culture, and spirit. Though often generalized under one umbrella, curanderismo is a broad and diverse field with various specialties and roles. Each curandero or curandera may carry unique gifts, shaped by their lineage, calling, and training. Together, they form a network of traditional medicine that serves physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

Today, I would like to explore the main branches within curanderismo, offering a glimpse into the distinct roles and types of healers found in this sacred practice.

El Curandero/a (The General Practitioner)

At the heart of curanderismo is the curandero or curandera, a generalist who works with a wide range of ailments, from physical illness and emotional suffering to spiritual imbalances. These healers often combine herbal medicine, prayer, massage, ritual, and ancestral knowledge to bring relief to the body and soul.

A curandero/a may perform limpias (spiritual cleansings), offer herbal teas or tinctures, use eggs or copal for diagnosis and purification, and guide clients through spiritual challenges with the help of saints, ancestors, and divine forces. Their work is deeply intuitive and communal, often blending Catholic elements with Indigenous cosmology.

El Yerbero/a (Herbalist)

The yerbero or yerbera specializes in the use of plants and herbs for healing. Their knowledge comes from generations of observation, practice, and oral tradition. These healers know how to work with the espíritu de la planta, the spirit of the plant, not only for physical remedies like teas, poultices, and baths, but also for spiritual workings.

They may gather plants during specific moon phases or holy days, invoking both scientific and spiritual timing. Many yerberos also function as botanica owners, community herbalists, or spiritual counselors, prescribing plants not just for the body but for love, protection, luck, or banishment of negative energy.

El Huesero/a (Bone Healer)

Hueseros specialize in the manipulation of bones, joints, and muscles, similar to chiropractors, though rooted in Indigenous understandings of the body. Their treatments are hands-on, often involving massage, alignment, and physical adjustment.

People seek hueseros for twisted ankles, broken bones, dislocated joints, or muscle pain. However, they do not treat just the body. Many believe physical misalignment is connected to emotional or spiritual trauma, so a session with a huesero may include prayer, sobadas (deep massages), and spiritual cleansing to restore harmony.

El Sobador/a (Massage Healer)

Similar to the huesero, a sobador or sobadora focuses on massage, though not always for bones or joints. Sobadas are often used for digestion, anxiety, menstrual issues, fertility, or postnatal recovery. In many regions, they are trusted for realigning the uterus, helping with colic in infants, or easing tension from spiritual distress.

Sobadores work deeply with touch, intuition, and energy. The hands become diagnostic tools, reading what is trapped in the body, sometimes sorrow, sometimes

envy, sometimes fear. Treatments may be accompanied by herbal rubs, prayers, or energetic sweeping.

El Partero/a (Midwife)

Parteras are traditional midwives, guiding mothers through pregnancy, labor, and postpartum care. In many Indigenous and rural communities, the partera is a pillar of trust and care, offering not only physical support but also emotional and spiritual anchoring through one of life’s most sacred thresholds: birth.

These midwives often use herbal remedies for prenatal support, spiritual limpias for protection during pregnancy, and prayer or ritual during labor. Some may invoke Tonantzin, Coatlicue, or the Virgin of Guadalupe, depending on their cosmology, to watch over mother and child.

El Espiritista (Spirit Medium)

Espiritistas are those who specialize in spiritual communication, often working with the dead, spirit guides, or otherworldly forces. Their practice has roots in Afro-Caribbean traditions, European spiritualism, and Indigenous animism. An espiritista might offer divination, mediumship, or channeling messages from ancestors or saints.

In communities influenced by Espiritismo Cruzado or Espiritismo de la Mesa Blanca, sessions may take place at an altar or mesa, where spirits are invoked for healing, protection, or guidance. These healers help resolve hauntings, remove spiritual attachments, or clarify the invisible influences affecting someone’s life.

El Brujo/a (Magical Practitioner)

Though sometimes used pejoratively, the word brujo or bruja has been reclaimed by many curanderos who embrace their roles as powerful magical practitioners. These individuals work with spells, charms, bindings, candles, and spirits to influence the world around them.

A brujo/a might be called to break a hex, create a love charm, summon protection, or cleanse a home. They often walk the edge between healing and sorcery, navigating energies with boldness and discernment. While not all curanderos identify as brujos, many overlap with this practice, especially when confronting malevolent forces.

El Vidente (Seer/Diviner)

Videntes specialize in sight, clairvoyance, dreamwork, divination, and prophetic insight. These curanderos may use tools such as tarot, la baraja Española, cowrie shells, mirrors, or water bowls to receive messages. Others rely on dreams or visions, often guided by spirits or saints.

Their role is less hands-on and more revelatory. People seek them out for clarity about relationships, work, spiritual path, or unresolved issues. Some videntes serve as counselors, while others work in tandem with other types of curanderos to offer insight before or after a healing.

A Web of Sacred Roles

Curanderismo is not a static or singular tradition. It’s a web of sacred roles that shift according to geography, ancestry, and spiritual callings. One healer may embody several roles, or refer out when needed. What unites all forms of curanderismo is the deep respect for the unseen world, the power of community, and the wisdom passed down through generations.

In a world that often fragments health into body, mind, and spirit, curanderismo reminds us that true healing is holistic, relational, and ancestral. Whether one consults a sobadora for a womb massage, a huesero for a twisted foot, or an espiritista to speak with the dead, each visit is a return to sacred balance.

Curanderismo endures because it continues to adapt, rooted in the past, yet always alive in the present. It is a medicine of resistance, love, and remembrance. It reminds us that healing is not a luxury, but a birthright.