From whispers to revivals: Latino folk healing finds new life in Austin

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Generations of Latino families across Texas have turned to traditional healers when sickness or pain set in. A whispered “sana sana colita de rana” from an Abuelita, an egg rolled across the skin to absorb negative energy, or a bundle of herbs brewed into tea. These rituals help not only connect the body, mind, and spirit but also communities across generations.

Practices rooted in centuries-old traditions continue to be passed down within Hispanic communities around the world. While these healing methods were once viewed negatively by many — often dismissed due to cultural biases or misunderstandings — they are still thriving. Latinos have remained steadfast in preserving and sharing their ancestral knowledge, residents, professors, and practitioners say these traditions are alive in and around Austin.

What is holistic healing?

Traditional Hispanic holistic healing is a way of connecting an individual with a healing practice — knowledge that is learned organically and passed down over time. It consists of generational knowledge and practices from different regions, said Rachel González-Martin, a tenured professor of Mexican-American studies at the University of Texas.

Along the Texas-Mexico border, one of the most common practices is curanderismo, which combines Indigenous knowledge, Catholic faith, and African spiritual influences. The Spanish word curar means “to heal,” and practitioners — known as curanderos or curanderas work to restore balance in the body, mind, and spirit.

Like curanderismo, many culturally based healing systems exist worldwide.

“Curanderismo, Santería, Palo, Candomblé, Voodoo, Hoodoo — these different culturally based, regional understandings of holistic healing are very much alive,” said González-Martin. “There’s a constant source of new Mexican, new Latinx folks bringing traditions from pueblitos all over. We’re always ready to see the infusion of something new, as well as the maintenance of what’s worked in the past.”

She said Latino communities turned to traditional holistic folk healers before traditional medicine existed, and even later, when access to formal health care was limited.

Different types of healers

Ricardo González, a curanderismo teacher in Central Texas, has practiced for nearly four decades. He said each Latino community has its own version of curanderismo, and there are many different types of healers.

• Sobadores/as — massage healers who use their hands to treat pain, injuries, and even what they describe as “emotional knots.” Rooted in Indigenous and Mestizo healing traditions, sobadores work primarily with their hands, but also with herbs, oils, eggs, candles, ritual items, prayer, and spiritual guidance.
• Yerberos — herbalists who prescribe teas, tinctures, or poultices made from plants such as rue, chamomile, basil, sage, and many more. Rooted in Indigenous, African, and Spanish healing traditions, yerberos are seen as community doctors in both rural and urban settings. They may also use oils, candles, incense, prayers, homemade ointments, and ritual elements.
• Candelero/a — candle workers who use candle flames to channel spirits for protection, divination, and spiritual work. They perform limpias, perform rituals, break curses, or offer petitions for health, love, or justice.
• Parteras — traditional midwives who assist in childbirth and postpartum care, blending Indigenous knowledge, spirituality, and practical medical techniques.
• Magos/espiritualistas — healers who use candles, altars, and ritual tools to work with spirits and the divine, blending Catholicism, Indigenous practices, and Afro-Caribbean traditions.
• Deity practitioners — Healers who work with saints, guardian angels, Santa Muerte, or deities within Indigenous belief systems predating colonization. Their work often incorporates natural elements, songs, dances, and offerings.
• Santero/a — Initiated priest or priestess of Santeria, an Afro-Caribbean religion blending Yoruba spirituality and Catholicism. They may perform divinations, limpias, and ritual ceremonies.
• Paleros — Practitioners of Palo Mayombe, a Central African tradition rooted in the transatlantic slave trade. They work with spirits, natural forces, and sacred objects for healing and ritual.

"A true Curandero will work with all the faucets, not one or the other," González said.

Trust and belief in the practice

From candle petitions and aura-cleansing baths to tarot readings and limpias, Latino communities have long turned to traditional healers for both spiritual and physical remedies.

González-Martin said trust in folk healing dates back to the 16th century, when Spanish colonization forced Indigenous peoples to blend ancestral practices with African spiritual systems and Catholic rituals.

"For a lot of folks, they didn't want to go the Western medical route, but it's also what they didn't know. They may have grown up in places where they said, 'Oh yeah, we go to the Señora down the street, and if we bring her a bag of beans, then we exchange it for an herbal remedy that my grandma sent me for,'" González-Martin said

From silence to revival

For generations, folk healing knowledge has passed down quietly through whispered prayers, shared remedies, and private family rituals. Many elders grew up in times when such practices were stigmatized as witchcraft or superstition, leading some to withhold traditions from their children.

That was the case for Austin Sobadora Monica Castillo. Her mother and grandmother both carried spiritual gifts, but Castillo grew up during a period when such traditions were seen as “evil” or “demonic.”

"We were shamed, we were assaulted, or, in a lot of cases, we were murdered because we did this work, because we were connected in a different way that people didn't know how to hold space for," Castillo said.

Castillo eventually turned to González and his Texas Curanderismo School when she struggled to understand her abilities.

"He opened this path up to me in a way that a lot of people weren't comfortable showing," she said. "He made me feel like I wasn't crazy... He was a space that made me feel safe."

Passing down the knowledge and traditions

Both González-Martin and González are working to pass on knowledge. González-Martin shares teachings with students at the University of Texas, and González teaches through his Texas Curanderismo School

“'I'm noticing that the younger generation is really interested, but they just don't know where to go," González said. "When I built the school, I built it for the next generation so they can learn how to do this work — and so the older generation can pass on the craft."

In east Austin, Eric Labrado and Alexis Arredondo have created City Alchemist. Their version of a modern-day botanica, where they sell items used for cleansings, protection, and rituals, while also offering services like tarot readings, limpias, and candle fixing.

"Our mission is to revitalize the Botanica and make it more accessible for people," Labrado said.

"We also offer classes, we want to teach that's really important, especially because so many of these traditions and these practices are disappearing. So, it's important for us to keep them going," Arredondo added.

The future of traditional healing practices depends on passing the knowledge to new generations, a legacy still taking root in Central Texas.