On a very calm night, my cats that were outside suddenly became anxious and scared. First I didn’t get why, but then I looked in the sky and saw two witches flying on their brooms. They didn’t come with good intentions, they were fighting with my cats. I grabbed a stick and scared the witches as best I could and saved my pets. Thanks, Virgin.

Young man Doroteo Mendez from the Three Buddies ranch
January 3, 1969

Eufemio Rosales went to gather pulque and on his way back met a witch. He thanks the Virgin of the Solitude for he could get safely to his hut, although he and his donkey made huge shit from fear.

Puebla, 1912

In one eruption he unites birth and death. He is not man, he is not a god either. He is not me, he’s more than me, his belly is the labyrinth in which I find myself, being him. That is a monster. — Andre Masson

We stood terrified, staring at the devil dog with a man’s face. We froze for only a moment before we took off running, screaming and arms flailing back to the safety of my best friend’s home. His mother had warned us not to go out after dark, but we thought she was just a crazy bruja (not an evil one, more the healer type) and of course we didn’t heed her. She had an excessive need to protect her children from Evil. For this reason she seemed to invite it. Upon reading her home we exclaimed what we had seen. Immediately she made us kneel as she prayed fervently to St. Michael for his protection and she blessed us with holy water. I thank him for saving us but we couldn’t be consoled.

1983 — Ruben Urrea Moreno

Eugenia Sandoval came home and found out that her roommate was a witch. She thanks Saint James with this retablo because she found another boarding house to move in.

My husband and I had problems in our love life. But thanks to herbs a witch gave me my husband has become a tiger in bed. Now we are happy and thank the Virgin.

We thank the Virgin of Zapopan for letting us to witness an unforgettable scene of the annual flight of the witches to their gathering in Catemaco. The witches fly stealthy, and there’s very few people who saw them flying. But since it was full moon we could see them clearly, and it was marvelous.

We thank Saint Martin de Porres for saving us from a witch that appeared on our way back to the ranch. She wanted to take my little son to drink his blood.

Julia Cruz Luna
November 10, 1968

I thank you, lord Tezcatlipoca, for the inspiration that I lacked to do my best as a real witch.

My friend Camilo and I were coming back after having few drinks in the town. We had bad luck to cross our path with a horrible creature come from the hell. We weren’t sure if it was a demon, a witch or a ghost, but it looked very threatening. We thank the Virgin of Zapopan who covered us with her mantle so the creature passed by without noticing us. After that we set off at full gallop to home.

One very dark night, my cat refused to go outside to eat. So I took him out, and then—God almighty!—I saw a witch and a skeleton flying over. They wanted to take my cat Sweety. I entrusted myself to Saint Francis of Assisi, and they went away.

Jacinta Ramirez
The Wild Mule ranch, Jalisco — June 5, 1979

One beautiful night, I have to camp. I was assembling my tent when I saw witches flying over me. Thanks to my prayers to the Virgin of Guadalupe they didn’t notice me so I was saved from being bewitched.

Amador Ramirez
“The crazy goat” ranch, Tequila, Jalisco
June 5, 1989

Miguel Martinez went through the forest at the dusk. Suddenly he ran into a witch sitting on her broom. He made his horse to run as fast as the wind. He managed to escape from the witch. He thanks the Blessed Sacrament for she didn’t curse him nor did she put an evil eye on him.

One night I stopped to sleep in the mountain after a long walk. In the moonlight, I saw the witches flying to Catemaco, Veracruz. I thank the Blessed Sacrament for they didn’t notice me and didn’t put a spell or an evil eye on me.