Sastun: My Apprenticeship with a Maya Healer

In utter desperation, having spent most of their meager savings, they
again asked their granny healer for advice.
“You need to see a curandero who can do this work,” she scolded.
“Someone like Don Elijio in San Antonio. That is your only hope.”
I had been wringing my hands throughout their story. I believed what
they had told me. It was a classic envidia scenario. I felt sure the woman
had been poisoned by the pork stew, which had been treated with enchanted
powders and evil prayers.
Again I tried to send them to see Don Elijio, but they protested. “We
have faith in you, Doña Rosita,” they said.
My stomach was rolling and my tongue felt as thick as a foam pad as I
reached for Helena’s wrist and put my fingertips on her pulse. Instantly, I
felt the sensation of painful stabbing soar up my hand and forearm. The
familiar cold chills racked my flesh. Her pulse was extremely rapid,
bouncing, and fat. It felt like firm, rushing bubbles under my touch.
As Jerónimo had done for Don Elijio, Don Elijio had done for me. For
nine Fridays he had said special prayers that would protect me from the
onslaught of evil forces while working with victims of black magic. Still, I
was nervous and couldn’t help wonder if the prayers would really work.
Then I looked into Helena’s eyes. She gazed at me with intense
confidence and hope. I fought back my reluctance, called on my faith, and
let my healing instincts muscle their way past my trepidation and doubts.
Without another moment’s pause, I began reciting the prayers for envidia
into her pulse.
I wished I could use my sastun to ask the Spirits to confirm my
diagnosis of envidia. But the Spirits had never taught me to use my sastun
as a divining stone. I could only use it to request dream visions and
strengthen my healing powers.
Even if I had had a divining sastun, I wasn’t sure if I would have been
able to read it. Many times Panti had tried to teach me to read the little
bubbles and black dots, but I had never been able to decipher their
meanings.
I prepared dried Skunk Root, Zorillo, for her to boil into tea three times
daily and instructed her to add the holy water from the Catholic church,
Rue, and the sacred Esquipulas powder. Like Panti I prepared a mix of
Copal and Rosemary for her to burn on nine Fridays.