Curandero: A Life In Mexican Folk Healing
Author: Torres, Eliseo
Date Published: 2004
Eliseo Torres, known as "Cheo," grew up in Corpus Christi and knew, firsthand, the Mexican folk healing practiced in his home and neighborhood. Later in life, he wanted to know more about the plants and rituals of curanderismo, so he wrote a book to chronicle his experiences. Torres' story begins in the Mexican town of Espinazo, the home of the great curandero El Nino Fidencio (1899-1939), where Torres underwent life changing spiritual experiences. He introduces us to some of the major figures in the transition, discusses some of the pitfalls of teaching curanderismo, and concludes with an account of a class he taught in which curanderos from Cuernavaca, Mexico shared their knowledge with students. Part personal pilgrimage, part compendium of medical knowledge, this moving book reveals curanderismo as both a contemplative and a medical practice that can offer new approaches to ancient problems.
Date Published: 2004
Eliseo Torres, known as "Cheo," grew up in Corpus Christi and knew, firsthand, the Mexican folk healing practiced in his home and neighborhood. Later in life, he wanted to know more about the plants and rituals of curanderismo, so he wrote a book to chronicle his experiences. Torres' story begins in the Mexican town of Espinazo, the home of the great curandero El Nino Fidencio (1899-1939), where Torres underwent life changing spiritual experiences. He introduces us to some of the major figures in the transition, discusses some of the pitfalls of teaching curanderismo, and concludes with an account of a class he taught in which curanderos from Cuernavaca, Mexico shared their knowledge with students. Part personal pilgrimage, part compendium of medical knowledge, this moving book reveals curanderismo as both a contemplative and a medical practice that can offer new approaches to ancient problems.
