I grew up Catholic in a Mexican-American household. I was baptized and completed my Holy Communion and Confirmation, and my family attended Mass every Sunday.
As I grew older, I realized that the way Catholicism was practiced by my family, and by many Latin American families in general, differed from orthodox Roman Catholic traditions in the U.S. For instance, I remember my mom consulting a curandera when my little sister was sick, and my grandmother, along with many of the women in my family, spoke about encountering spirits. I eventually learned that Indigenous tribes preserved their ancient customs by blending them discreetly into the Catholic religion introduced by European colonizers.
When I hit my teens, I decided to rebel against my Catholic upbringing and explore alternative spiritual paths. I became interested in Wicca, witchcraft, and esotericism. Over the years, I’ve done more research into Indigenous religious beliefs to connect with my ancestry.
I feel that many of us in the …