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FAQ
handmade earth medicines
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What does Bruja mean?Simply put, “bruja” means “witch” in Spanish. As a result of colonization, indigenous communities were forced to convert to Catholicism or Christianity, thus their religion became invalidated. The demonization of natural spiritual practices eventually led to the persecution of healers throughout the Caribbean, South America and Central America. Brujeria or "witchcraft" has been passed on from generation to generation despite the racism, oppression, and isolation of the spiritual practices. What was once obscure has now come to the cultural forefront by young people who identify as brujas, and who want to embrace their history and culture.
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Are your products all made locally?Mostly, we try to source our products locally from the Mexico and Southern Arizona area and that are made by local Arizona and Mexico artisans and small business craftspeople. We never sell anything made overseas.
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Where is your shop located?We are located in the heart of downtown Tucson at 245 E Congress Street Suite 135. Come in and stay a spell!
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Do you have a store that I can actually shop in?Yes we do! We carry the same products and more in our store!
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Is your staff really all Indigenous Americans?Yes, our lineage can be traced back to Northern Mexico (San Buenaventura) and Baja California. We are 70% Native American and 30% Mexican.
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When Should A Stone Be Cleansed?As soon as it's purchased. Before it's programmed. After each use. When you feel it has become drained or dull.
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How Often Should A Stone Be Cleansed?Regularly used stones, such as those worn or carried, should be purified daily. Healing stones, massage wands, and pendulums should be purified after each use. Altar stones and environmental healing stones should be cleansed monthly.
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How Is A Stone Cleansed?There are many ways to cleanse a stone. Which method you choose should be based on the type of stone, how much time you have, and what tools are readily available to you. Once again, let your intuition be your guide. Natural forces, such as the elements of nature (fire, water, earth, and air), the sun, the moon, and plants, are very effective in cleansing stones of negative energies. Stones respond to the intentions of their users, so it is important that while you are actively cleansing your stone, no matter which method you use, you hold in your mind the intention of carrying away unwanted energies to a place where they can do no harm, and your desire to re-energize the stone with positive energies.
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Methods for Cleansing StonesCandlelight – Carefully pass your stone through the flame of a candle several times until you intuitively feel it has been cleared. The fire will burn away any negative energy. Smudging – Carefully pass the stone through the smoke of a white sage smudge stick or incense several times until you intuitively feel it has been cleared. Sage is a very effective cleanser, neutralizing negative energy and transmuting it into positive energy. This method is an ancient tradition that utilizes the energy of fire (albeit smoldering) combined with the sacred scent of the smudge or incense. Water – Rinse the stone in moving water. The water will wash away negative energy and return it to the Earth where it can be neutralized. This can be done by holding the stone in a river or brook for several minutes, holding it under the sink faucet for several minutes, or leaving it out in the rain for several hours. CAUTION: Do not use water on soft stones such as angelite, some calcites, howlite, aragonite, azurite, dolomite, malachite, selenite, and sulphur to name a few. Water may dissolve the stone to a greater or lesser degree. Sea Salt – The most common method of cleansing stones is with water and sea salt. You can do this by placing the stone in a mesh bag and rinsing it in the ocean for several minutes, or by soaking the stone for several hours in a glass of water with a pinch of sea salt. CAUTION: Salt may damage the finish on some stones. Water may damage soft or friable stones. Placing a stone in dry sea salt without water may damage its electromagnetic field. Earth – Bury the stone in the ground for one full day, placing a marker over it so you can find it later, or bury the stone in a pot of ground soil. (Do not use potting soil as it has been treated.) The soil will absorb negative energy, disperse it, and transmute it into positive energy. Sunlight – Place a stone in bright sunlight, either outside or on a windowsill for at least an hour. Leaving your bracelet in the sun's rays can be very energizing, as well as energetically clearing. You can use this method to both clear and charge your crystals simultaneously. CAUTION: Solar energy may be too violent for some stones, having been formed within the Earth devoid of any light. Over time, sunlight may fade the color of some stones such as amethyst. Moonlight – An alternative to the sunlight cleansing method is to place the stone on a moonlit windowsill for at least one night under a full moon, or longer if the moon is not full. Leaving your stone in the moonlight overnight can cleanse and charge the stone with the moon’s gentle energy. Sound – Produce a tone using a bell, chime, singing bowl, or tuning fork. Repeat the sound until the stone's energies feel cleansed. A pure tone will reset a stone's vibration to one that cannot hold negative energy. Breath – Hold the stone to your heart while inhaling. Then bring the stone to your mouth and exhale your breath onto it. Repeat several times, always keeping in mind your intention of cleansing the stone of all negative energies. Your breath (the Breath of Life), combined with your intention, is a powerful enough force to cleanse a stone of negative energy. Your intuition will tell you when the cleansing is complete. Visualization – Visualize a column of pure white or golden light coming down and surrounding the stone. Imagine it cleansing and transmuting the stone's negative energies into positive ones. Visualization combined with intention is another force powerful enough to cleanse stones. Again, listen to your intuition.
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What is a Bruja Box?Bruja boxes are custom handmade collection of ritual items to help you with your intention and manifestation work. We take the guesswork out of trying to find out what sages, crystals, and mantras to use based on your intention goal. Basically, you should be able to open our boxes and have everything you need to perform a ritualistic intent!
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Are all of the box contents locally made?Yes, we build our boxes using items specifically from the Southwest including Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Mexico. We even use items we source direct from our micro farm here in the foothills of northern Tucson! These items are made by creative indigenous artisans using natural wildcrafted products.
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