The Good Witch's Chronicles 1.0

“Being normal is vastly overrated”- Aggie Cromwell

Was I born a witch? No, there is no such thing. Was I raised a witch? No. Did my ancestors practice witchcraft? Not per-say. What others consider as witchcraft, I consider it our cultural upbringing, habits, traditions, and Mexican folk healing. It is a lifestyle. These are our beliefs passed down through generations. Do we believe in magic? Yes. Good magic.

Just as there is good magic - there is black magic and there is folklore... That’s where these tales begin... From the dusty floors and wood burning fireplace, cuddled in San Marcos blankets. She sat in that rusty - old Salterini white wrought iron rocking chair. I’ll never forget that giant peacock back. It was exaggeratedly wide and large. She is a small little old lady. It was hard to see her sitting in it. You knew she was there when you heard the light, tight screeching squeaks as she rocked back and forth, back and forth. It never failed, we knew it was story time when we smelled the freshly brewed smokey coffee beans from the cerros of Monterrey, Mexico. She had her coffee, drank it black in that vintage, turquoise pocillo de peltre. Mama Felicitas was a woman of few words, except when she shared her stories.

My Grandmother's tales were not meant for entertainment. She was raised around people with the ability to pray, heal, and watch as the unknown changed lives, making her tales more of a caveat to us, than an actual story. It was important to her to share with us her understanding of the unknown realm of magic.

An indigenous child from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, having many of her ancestors die and little survive the great pestilence. Better known as the Cocoliztli epidemic of the 16th century. She grew up being the only child of one of the greatest healers in Mexico. There were not many doctors in poor areas of San Luis where there were no roads and the town was built from adobe. Mama Felicitas house was built with mud, stone, and sticks and was better known as La Hacienda De La Bruja Buena (The Good Witch’s Hacienda). People would gather at her mothers hacienda for prayer, cleansing, and rituals against this deadly epidemic. My great great grandmother Mamma Tadea, would sit Mama Felicitas down on the dirt floor and have her watch. Many times she watched how many of these people walk in asking for the right things, but for the wrong reasons… And just like that they would alter their own destiny.

“Caveat Lector.”

Once in the middle of a frigid October night. The skies were gloomy and starless. At a distance you could hear what sounded like a galloping horse. It walked slowly, as though cautious to not awaken and upset the townspeople. Mamma Tadea knew these gallops were coming to her. With a blank stare at the bright burning firewood. I could see the reflection of the fire in Mama Felicitas eyes as she said, “Mamma got on her knees and whispered in my ear - stay and do not come out.” Mama Felicitas felt Mamma Tadea’s unease. She had never been asked to stay. Only the rich rode horses and in the Swallows, no one was rich. She continued. “It was such a mystery to me that I disobeyed my mother. I crawled on my knees to get to the window. The windows were covered with old potato sack bags and I could see through the small hole as Mamma Tadea approached the horse and carriage. The night was so silent. I held my breath and stood as still as a pole. There it was, I saw a lady in a dark emerald dress with many layers of drapes, stepping off this carriage. Her skin was white as snow, her eyes were dark as coal and her hair was red. The emerald lady was there for a spell.”

Mama Felicitas continued, “In the middle of this deadly epidemic, Mamma Tadea realized only the rich had a cure. The emerald lady wasn't there for healing. She was there to request a soundless spell. She asked to have her husband's lover far and quiet from their lives. She cried infidelity and claimed she could no longer continue living with a broken heart. Mamma Tadea felt compelled to help. Mamma asked her to hand over the most important item that she carried with her at this moment. The item was to be a thank you gift for the spiritual guides. The Emerald lady handed Mamma a tiny apothecary jar that she carried tied around her neck. Mamma Tadea sent her back with a mission, emerald lady was to go home, cut a piece of her husbands lovers garment, rub her name with the darkest coal in the pile, tie it to a stone, and on the first coldest day of winter when the waters begin to freeze, she shall go and toss the rock and garment into the furthest, darkest part of the La Laguna De Las Golondrinas (The Swallows Lagoon). If done right, her husband's lover shall never be heard again. Mamma Tadea spent the next few days praying on this request.

Two months later, at the same time and an eerie frigid night, we heard the gallops again and it was her, the emerald lady. She was angry and claimed her spell did not work. Mamma claimed she must have done something different. Emerald lady with an arrogant tone, said she used the soundless spell to quiet her husband, so that she can continue her relationship with her lover, a well known medicine doctor for the wealthy. Mamma got on her knees in front of her altar and prayed for forgiveness to be granted to the emerald lady, for she did not know what she had done. Mamma’s tears ran down her face as the emerald lady demanded an explanation. Mamma asked her, why was that item you handed to me so important to you? Emerald lady stated, “ It was a special amber apothecary medicine jar gifted to me by my lover the doctor and it held my only childs lock of hair to carry with me when I travel.” Mamma urged her to seek that stone and bring it back to her to reverse the spell, because it wasn't used as intended and the emerald lady was to suffer great consequences if not reversed.

Emerald lady angrily gallops away.” At that moment, Mama Felicitas ends her story just like that. We heard later on that Emerald lady’s child became sick with Cocoliztli and her doctor lover could not cure her. In desperation she sends her lover to seek the stone. Her lover falls in the Swallows Lagoon and freezes to death and his body sank to the bottom of the lagoon. The child dies and with a broken heart the emerald lady's husband abandons her and he is never to be seen or heard of again. The soundless spell - worked.

The End