Witchcraft and esotericism in Mexico City -

Behind scarves hanging from the ceiling and a shelf of herbs, beaded necklaces and a huge statue of Saint Death, a woman with artificially red hair and vibrant blue clothes reads the fortunes of a middle-aged man on the cards. Its small store in Mercado Sonora offers, among packed shelves, a varied selection of objects ranging from rabbit feet to imitation human skulls.

The narrow, dark corridors of the market seem to hold the solution to any problem, from suffering hearts to indebted pockets. Depending on the severity, the cure could be a candle, a specially prepared soap with the correct ingredients, a voodoo or some type of unusual amulet. There, it is possible to ask gods, spirits and other supernatural entities for a new job, win or forget a love, take revenge on an enemy, cure yourself of some illness and even get help with more everyday tasks, such as unblocking legal actions. . Complex situations, however, may require more elaborate enchantments and sorceries, which will be prepared by the wizards and sorceresses to the customer’s taste.

Opened in 1957, Mercado Sonora is part of a huge complex of popular markets in the center of Mexico City, known as Mercado Merced. There, you can find everything: toys, counterfeit products, entire aisles of food stalls, live animals for sale, clothes, electronics, sex shop items, Chinese trinkets and whatever else your imagination asks for. But it was beneath the vibrant yellow structure of this particular market that wizards from the most diverse arts came together to create the largest esoteric shopping center in the country.

In total, there are more than 400 traders – many of whom call themselves shamans, witches or sorcerers – selling their products there. The stores set up at Mercado Sonora include a wide range of esoteric beliefs. From Voodoo to Santa Muerte – a Mexican cult with pre-Hispanic roots -, passing through Santeria – an African-American religion very common in Mexico and parts of the Caribbean. Alongside the statues of entities belonging to these cults, Catholic saints complete the decoration. Evidence of the enormous religious syncretism that permeates the spirituality of Mexicans.

“What are you looking for, chica?” – asks a young woman when she sees me passing through a corridor full of herbs. “A cleansing for the soul?” she asks. Cleaning is one of the most offered services on the market. For about $8, her spirit is purified with a mix of herbal smoke, tobacco and mezcal, a common spirit in the country. The ritual is associated with the indigenous Náhuatl, the descendants of the Aztecs, and is performed daily in Zócalo Square by shamans in typical clothing.