Sastun: My Apprenticeship with a Maya Healer

Che Xiv, the chief herb formula that Don Elijio had instructed me to use in
cases of paralysis.
I found the Eremuil or Wild Coffee tree first and said the prayer of
thanks to the spirit of the tree before taking the leaves. Next, the Xiv Yak
Tun Ich or Pheasant Tail bobbed in the breeze as if to let me know where to
find it quickly. It took a longer search to find the last ingredient of the
mixture, the Palo Verde (Green Stick) leaves. Since it grows only near
water, I had to climb down the steep riverbank and follow the shoreline to a
rocky, eroded section where it grew.
The whole process took about thirty minutes, and the family was
obviously relieved to see me return with a cotton sack full of the leaf
mixture. I instructed them to boil a large double handful of the leaves in a
five-gallon pot of water for ten minutes.
“Sit Shajira on a chair behind the steaming leaves and cover her and the
pot with a warm blanket, leaving only her head exposed so that she can
breathe,” I told them.
Recently I had begun to take Don Elijio’s warning about the Winds
more seriously, especially in cases of paralysis and muscle spasms. So I
added, “Close all the doors and windows, because if a Viento, Wind, should
catch her during or after the steam bath she might get worse instead of
better. Please, mamá, be very careful about that.”
The mother shot me a look of surprise and understanding as if she didn’t
expect me to know about the dangers of Vientos, since most Americans
consider it local superstition.
In the workshop, I poured off a pint of Jackass Bitters tincture from a
gallon jug. I gave this to the parents.
“Give Shajira this wine tincture by the spoonful three times daily before
meals. Tomorrow you are to give her whatever laxative you use for your
children. What do you use?”
“My grandmother knows plenty herbs for that,” answered the mother. “I
will ask for her help.”
“What is in the wine?” the father wanted to know.
“Do you know the plant called Jackass Bitters or Tres Puntas?” I asked.
“It is excellent for viruses.”
“Yes, I do know the plant,” said the father with a smile.
“Give her lots of papaya juice, lemonade, and simple meals for fourteen
days,” I instructed them further. “Bring her back the day after tomorrow for