The character do±a Felicia is a Mexican curandera, a folk healer who uses ritual cleansings to cure her patientsÆ illnesses. Burning incense, spreading salt throughout the house, and performing the cleansing rituals is her way of eliminating the bad spirits that cause the disease. Sometimes do±a Felicia would treat a patient physically as wellùmuch as a doctor mightùonly with herbs, decoctions, massages, or other folk remedies instead of standard medical treatments and medications. The cleansings and remedies were interspersed with divination techniques, such as dropping a raw egg in a glass and ôreadingö it, or reading Tarot cards or sticks. Do±a FeliciaÆs many techniques and remedies seemed to be an amalgamation of tried-and-true folk and herbal remedies, spiritualist Voodoo-type rituals, religious faith and rituals, and just the product of her own experience.
One important facet of do±a FeliciaÆs approach is her belief that God is the actual healer in all of her cases: ôFirst and foremost, do±a Felicia will tell you that nothing you attempt to do with regards to healing will work without first placing your faith completely in Godö (Castillo). She begins every session with a patient in prayer, offering thanks to God. It is clear that she sees herself as one whom God uses, but not as one who heals.
The cleansing ôsmudgingö treatments described in ôThe Smudging Ceremony,ö by Adrienne Borden and Steve Coyote describe a spiritual approach to healing that is traditionally employed by Native Americans. A key concept, the need for cleansing of bad feelings or negative thoughts, is a curious echoing of the similar Christian concept that it is necessary to forgive others before being healed. ôThe elders say that all ceremonies, tribal or private, must be entered into with a good heart so that we can pray, sing, and walk in a sacred manner, and be helped by the spirits to enter the sacred realmö (Borden & Coyo...